In watching numerous episodes of Have Gun-Will Travel, I noticed that the producers endowed Paladin with an almost encyclopedic knowledge of wine, music, food, literature, etc. In fact, I'd have to say that Paladin's experiences paralleled -- and, in fact, far exceeded -- those of the cinematic James Bond when it came to recognizing and defining the intellectual and physical hallmarks of what is euphemistically referred to as "the good life." For example, in just a few episodes I've watched Paladin:
Identify, while blindfolded, a French wine not only by type but also the location in the vineyard of the grapes from which it was made. (In one episode he also identified several different American whiskeys by taste, which is an even bigger stretch because I recall a whiskey expert noting that the worst whiskey we have today is better than the best stuff they had back in the Old West.)
Quote extensively and accurately from Shakespeare, the classics (Homer, Aristotle), and the Bible, as well as legal statutes and rulings.
Reference numerous cultures he encountered during long trips to Europe and Asia.
Discern the different scents in a perfume bottle.
Display a proficiency in several languages, including Chinese and French.
Of course, these facilities gave the character part of his appeal -- the ability to adapt himself to every situation, no matter how difficult or foreign it would be for the rest of us less experienced mortals.
I would welcome a Have Gun-Will Travel movie, but the television episodes were only a half hour each, which dictated a taut, to-the-point script (half-hour dramas were very prevalent in the '50s). How do you translate that brevity to, say, a two-hour movie without losing or exaggerating, those elements that made the television show so successful? And, like the casting of James Bond, who do you pick to portray this multifaceted man of adventure and erudition?
