Flash quote contest

Have Gun, Will Travel

It was classic television:  Have Gun, Will Travel, starring Richard Boone. Every Saturday night the family would gather around the 19 inch Philco black and white TV for the heroics of Paladin, “a knight without armor in a savage land.”. We’d pop some Jiffy Pop, Dad would show off his church key and open a can of Hamm’s beer, and mom would unscrew a Gallo’s white zinfandel while the three of us kids would down an eight pack of  Pepsi.

Family life never got better than when we were watching Paladin. We’d laugh at the comedic distractions and listen intently to the drama unfold. They don’t make television shows like that any more.

I remember the year it was canceled and replaced by Gunsmoke, or was it Wagon Train with Clint Eastwood? It was 1963; Kennedy was assassinated in November, Mom and Dad divorced in December, and sis got pregnant and quickly married the grease monkey responsible in March.  I skipped Mrs. Krunkamp’s sixth grade class at Horace Mann Elementary School for two solid months in April and May.

TV was best in black and white and Have Gun, Will Travel, that was great television.