Old (1950's?) TV show question

[WildcatRegi]

This is a question for you old timers - like me.

Back when I was a kid, I remember a TV show where the main character is teaching a brash young gunslinger wannabe how to shoot. The climax of the show is the young gun wants to kill the main character and ambushes him. He is surprised that even though he has become a good shot, he keeps missing.

When the main character finally captures him, he explains that every time he ran toward the shooter, he ran to the right. In this way, when the shooter jerked the trigger, he shot behind him.

At first my memory thought this was "The Rifleman" but I can't find the episode. It might also be "Have gun, will travel".

Does anyone remember this episode?

 

[Ironicaintit]

I remember a “Have gun, will travel” episode that may have been the one you were thinking of.
That show was before my time, but I have them on DVD anyway.

 

[Middletown]

Sure it was a series? Sounds more like a movie plot. I Can't think of any main character that would have taught a wanabe gun slinger.

 

[Mal H]

"The Shootist" maybe? I recall that the main character (John Wayne) taught the youngster (Ron Howard) how to shoot.

 

[Mars5l]

Waa it black&white or color?

 

[jag22]

Most of the westerns back then were half hour shows. That sounds like a lot of plot to get in that short of time. I don't remember the Shootist but that seems like a good guess.

 

[Ironicaintit]

Dagnabbit I had to go digging:
Have Gun Will Travel, 2nd season...
There’s an episode called “The Protege” where Paladin is hired to train a bullied young man, who then shows off his new skills with reckless abandon.

Could be what yer after.

Have Info, stays put
Wire Dan, Castle Rock

 

[Ironicaintit]

That sure was a good show, I may have to watch them all again

 

[gyp_c2]

60's

 

[jmr40]

Not the Shootist for multiple reasons. It was John Wayne's last movie before he died of cancer in 1976. In the movie he played an aging gun fighter dying of cancer. He does teach Gillom Rogers (Ron Howard) to shoot but that is not who kills the Duke. In fact Gillom kills the bartender who has just shot Wayne.

BUT.... the original script did call for Gillom to turn on Wayne and kill him. For a variety of reasons the ending was changed. Partly because Wayne thought it would ruin Ron Howard's career. It sure hurt Bruce Dern's career for killing Wayne in "The Cowboys".

 

[WildcatRegi]

This is a question for you old timers - like me.

Back when I was a kid, I remember a TV show where the main character is teaching a brash young gunslinger wannabe how to shoot. The climax of the show is the young gun wants to kill the main character and ambushes him. He is surprised that even though he has become a good shot, he keeps missing.

When the main character finally captures him, he explains that every time he ran toward the shooter, he ran to the right. In this way, when the shooter jerked the trigger, he shot behind him.

At first my memory thought this was "The Rifleman" but I can't find the episode. It might also be "Have gun, will travel".

Does anyone remember this episode?

Dagnabbit I had to go digging:
Have Gun Will Travel, 2nd season...
There’s an episode called “The Protege” where Paladin is hired to train a bullied young man, who then shows off his new skills with reckless abandon.

Could be what yer after.

Have Info, stays put
Wire Dan, Castle Rock

ha, ha
I keep forgetting how old I am. I didn't just mean that it was a 1950's show, I meant that I watched it in the 1950's.

I think I watched "The Protégé" when I was trying to find this myself and it was a street gun fight and not an ambush - but that was a good idea.

 

[WildcatRegi]

Sure it was a series? Sounds more like a movie plot. I Can't think of any main character that would have taught a wanabe gun slinger.

I'm pretty sure that was a tv series, it was rare that we could watch a whole movie back then.

 

[WildcatRegi]

That sure was a good show, I may have to watch them all again

I know what you mean, they were all pretty good shows back then and of course, they made MANY episodes every season, not the 13 or so that they do now.

 

[WildcatRegi]

This is a question for you old timers - like me.

Back when I was a kid, I remember a TV show where the main character is teaching a brash young gunslinger wannabe how to shoot. The climax of the show is the young gun wants to kill the main character and ambushes him. He is surprised that even though he has become a good shot, he keeps missing.

When the main character finally captures him, he explains that every time he ran toward the shooter, he ran to the right. In this way, when the shooter jerked the trigger, he shot behind him.

At first my memory thought this was "The Rifleman" but I can't find the episode. It might also be "Have gun, will travel".

Does anyone remember this episode?

I forgot to mention why I'm still looking for this episode. I wrote to Paul Harrell (youtube channel) and asked if this sounded plausible. He wrote back that he's interested and was wondering if I could find the episode so he could see it. Of course, it really bugs me that I'm not sure which western series this was (back then there were a lot of western tv series).

 

[beag_nut]

None of the above.

 

[Airborne Falcon]

This is a question for you old timers - like me.

Back when I was a kid, I remember a TV show where the main character is teaching a brash young gunslinger wannabe how to shoot. The climax of the show is the young gun wants to kill the main character and ambushes him. He is surprised that even though he has become a good shot, he keeps missing.

When the main character finally captures him, he explains that every time he ran toward the shooter, he ran to the right. In this way, when the shooter jerked the trigger, he shot behind him.

At first my memory thought this was "The Rifleman" but I can't find the episode. It might also be "Have gun, will travel".

Does anyone remember this episode?

I liked your OP and I am pretty sure thwt was a Have Gun Will Travel episode.

 

[stonebuster]

I liked your OP and I am pretty sure thwt was a Have Gun Will Travel episode.

I was curious and found an interesting fact about Richard Boone(Paladin). Richard Boone's father was the great grandson of Daniel Boone's brother Squire Boone who was a frontiers man, gunsmith and politician.

 

[doubleh]

I am with jmr40 about "The Shootist". I watched a bunch of western TV shows back in the fifties and don't remember anything like in the OP's description. It could have been "Have Gun" but not being a big fan of Richard Boone I skipped a lot of the series. I was pleasantly surprised by Boone's performance in the John Wayne movie "Big Jake" and considered him very good in that role.

 

[Archie]

Sounds much like an episode of "Have Gun, Will Travel". I remember the story a little different in detail, but the same overall gist.

The best sounding plot line - I haven't rewatched the episode - seems to be "The Protégé". Season 2 of HGWT.

 

[Archie]

I was curious and found an interesting fact about Richard Boone(Paladin). Richard Boone's father was the great grandson of Daniel Boone's brother Squire Boone who was a frontiers man, gunsmith and politician.

Family legend has it my great-great grandfather married Elizabeth Boone who was Squire Boone's granddaughter. Says here.

 

[shafter]

There is a Bonanza episode where Little Joe is teaching a wannabe gunfighter but I don't think it's the story you are thinking of.

 

[WildcatRegi]

I liked your OP and I am pretty sure thwt was a Have Gun Will Travel episode.

I think you talked me into it - I just ordered the complete second season of "Have Gun Will Travel". Even if it's not the right episode, I'll still be able to enjoy some good tv.

 

[JR24]

I remember a “Have gun, will travel” episode that may have been the one you were thinking of.
That show was before my time, but I have them on DVD anyway.

I concur, sounds like Have Gun Will Travel.

For a while when I had my son as an infant my internet would just die every morning from 6 till 9 or so AM.

Luckily one of the antenna channels had Have Gun Will Travel, Gunsmoke, and the one with Steve McQueen on at that time so it was nice to have on while we played on the floor or he slept.

Edit: Wanted: Dead or Alive, that was the show.

 

[Waveski]

Interesting coincidence that we are referencing Have Gun Will Travel and The Shootist - Richard Boone was in both of those productions. I believe that , in the climatic shoot-out scene , Boone's character learned the hard way that a wooden table makes a poor bullet shield.

And , FWIW , I do not think that Bruce Dern's career was damaged by being the guy who killed The Duke ; rather it enhanced his bad guy persona.
And while we're at it , Gillom killing J.B.Books would have been a rotten ending.

Guns - We are talking about gun stuff here! Really we are!

 

[Just4FunOldGuns]

This is a question for you old timers - like me.

Back when I was a kid, I remember a TV show where the main character is teaching a brash young gunslinger wannabe how to shoot. The climax of the show is the young gun wants to kill the main character and ambushes him. He is surprised that even though he has become a good shot, he keeps missing.

When the main character finally captures him, he explains that every time he ran toward the shooter, he ran to the right. In this way, when the shooter jerked the trigger, he shot behind him.

At first my memory thought this was "The Rifleman" but I can't find the episode. It might also be "Have gun, will travel".

Does anyone remember this episode?

It's been a few years since I've seen it but sounds like an episode of Bat Masterson, Dudes Folly. I don't recall that Bat shot him in the end however!
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0519307/plotsummary?ref_=tt_sa_2