Buzz Kulik Movies

Filmed for the first season of Have Gun--Will Travel, this episode ultimately served as the opener for Season Two (though some sources list its original air date as September 27, 1958). Hired to capture fugitive Jimmy Dawes (David Whorf) and bring him to trial in Kansas City, Paladin (Richard Boone) is forced to kill the boy in self-defense. Riding into Jimmy's home town of Promise, Paladin finds that everyone thinks he is a murderer, including Sheriff Truett (Joseph Calleia)--and that no one would mind too much if the gunslinger was himself killed by Jimmy's vengeful brothers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Versatile character actors Harry Morgan and Harry Bartell don old-age makeup to play a pair of grizzled, garrolous gold miners. Having only recently struck it rich, Fred Braus (Morgan) and Nick Talbot (Bartell) become so argumentative over who owns what that it seems as though each man wants to murder the other. When Paladin (Richard Boone) enters the scene, he finds that there is an unknown third party who intends to bump both miners off and claim the gold for himself (or is it herself?) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In Carson City, Paladin (Richard Boone) finds a kindred spirit in the form of an elderly, cultured gentleman named Ainslee (John Abbott). Like Paladin, Ainslee has been forced by circumstances to become a gunfighter, and now must face down every young punk in the west who is trying to make a name for himself. Hoping to retire with his reputation and honor intact, Ainslee prevails upon Paladin to shoot him in the hand during a gunfight--with the thorough understanding that the fight will be fair, and that Paladin will be risking his own life in the process. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Justin Groton (Buzz Martin), sole surviving member of a vicious outlaw family, has been in jail on a murder charge since the age of 13. Now Justin is approaching his 21st birthday--and as such, he will be legally eligible to hang for his crime. It is up to Paladin to convince a flint-hearted judge (Liam Sullivan), and an angry mob, that Justin has already suffered enough for his transgressions and should be spared the hangman's rope. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The title character in this episode is a grizzled old prospector, played by former Theater Guild stalwart Russell Collins. Long, long ago, Crowbait was given some valuable silver by a friendly Paiute chief (Eddie Little Sky). Now the venerable prospector needs more silver on behalf of his daughter Amanda (Jacqueline Scott), but the Chief is nowhere to be found. Paladin (Richard Boone) is hired by Crowbait to search for the Paiute's secret silver mine--if indeed such a mine still exists. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Have Gun, Will Travel opens its fourth season with an ethnic slant, a particular specialty of scriptwriter Shimon Wincelberg. Martin Gabel is seen as Russian-Jewish immigrant Nathan Shotness, who after witnessing a murder is pressured to keep quiet by a tough town boss. Nathan's daughter Rivka (Roxanne Berard) asks Paladin (Richard Boone) to provide protection for her father until the murder trial. The situation worsens when Rivka is kidnapped by the killer, a particularly vicious customer named Smollet (played by Robert Blake at his pre-stardom nastiest!). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

As had been the case with the first season's inaugural episode "Where Is Everybody?", the second season of Twilight Zone opened with a "solo" drama, wherein the protagonist finds himself alone in a bizarre situation, with no memory of how he got there. In "King Nine Will Not Return," Robert Cummings stars as Army Air Force captain James Embry, who awakens to find himself stumbling through the desert, near the wreckage of a WWII bomber. Laboriously putting the pieces together, Embry desperately searches for his fellow crew members, who seemingly appear and disappear right before his eyes. Inspired by the recent disovery of the wreckage of the American bomber Lady Be Good in the Libyan Desert, "King Nine Will Not Return" was written by Rod Serling and first aired September 30, 1960. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the first episode of the series' only two-parter, Paladin (Richard Boone) arrives in a Texas border town with his prisoner, murder suspect Joselito Kincaid (Robert Carricart). Unfortunately, Kincaid is a sheepherder, and the men of the town trade in cattle. Thus Paladin's task becomes twofold: delivering Kincaid to trial, and keeping the man alive long enough to do so. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the last days of WWII, "90-day wonder" Lieutenant Katell (Dean Stockwell) takes charge of a battle-weary American squadron somewhere in the Pacific Theater. With the arrogance of inexperience, Katell demands that Sgt. Causarano (Albert Salmi) lead an attack against a group of wounded and dispirited Japanese soldiers -- "They are the enemy! First day of the war or the last day of the war!" But a sudden wrinkle in time causes Lt. Katell -- or should we say "Lt. Yamuri" -- to experience an epiphany. Future Star Trek stalwart Leonard Nimoy plays a small role as a radio operator. Scripted by Rod Serling from an idea by Sam Rolfe (Have Gun, Will Travel, Man from U.N.C.L.E. et al.), "A Quality of Mercy" was Twilight Zone's Yuletide offering for the 1961-62 season, making its first appearance on December 29, 1961. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In his second Twilight Zone appearance, Jack Klugman stars as pool hustler Jesse Cardiff, who would like nothing better than to challenge legendary pool champion Fats Brown. Only trouble is, Fats has been dead for a year. But Jesse is persistent, and before long the ghost of Fats (Jonathan Winters) puts in an appearance and challenges Jesse to a winner-take-all game of pool -- with Jesse's life as the "stakes." George Clayton Johnson's teleplay underwent several changes before filming, including a complete rewrite of the ending, which in its original state was fascinating, if not entirely satisfying. "A Game of Pool" first aired October 13, 1961. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

After briefly experimenting with the videotape format, The Twilight Zone wisely returned to film with this episode, which originally aired April 7, 1961. The story begins in the California desert in 1847; Chris Horn (Cliff Robertson), leader of a bedraggled wagon train, sets out to search for food, water, and medicine for himself, his ailing child, and the rest of his party. Upon climbing "over the rim," Chris finds himself in a roadside diner -- in the year 1961. The supporting cast includes future TV-series stars Ed Platt (Get Smart) and John Astin (The Addams Family), as well as actress Evans Evans, who later played Gene Wilder's wife in the 1967 film classic Bonnie and Clyde. Written by Rod Serling, "A Hundred Yards over the Rim" benefits immeasurably from a driving musical score by Fred Steiner, which would pop up in truncated form in dozens of films and TV series throughout the '60s and '70s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A haunting folk song written by Van Cleave serves as a framing device for this macabre hour-long Twilight Zone episode. Anne Francis plays the title character, a spiteful mountain girl who despairs when her boyfriend Billy-Ben Turner (James Best) dumps her in favor a Ellwyn Glover (Laura Devon). Hoping to win back Billy-Ben's affections, Jess-Belle asks witch-like Granny Hart (Jeanette Nolan) to stir up a love potion -- which has some unexpected side effects. Scripted by Earl Hamner, Jr. of The Waltons fame, "Jess-Belle" originally aired February 14, 1963. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Written by mystery master Rod Serling, The Yellow Canary stars Pat Boone as insufferable singing idol Andy Paxton. Barbara Eden plays his wife Lissa, who is fed up with her husband's egotistical attitude and is ready to leave him. When their baby son is kidnapped, Andy Paxton refuses to enlist the help of the police. He still does not cooperate even after three people are murdered in crimes apparently related to the kidnapping. Finally, acting on his own, he agrees to pay $200,000 in ransom, but the kidnapper never shows up at an arranged meeting. In desperation, the singer finally gets more involved in tracking down the kidnapper. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide