Have Gun - Will Travel (TV Series) The Hatchet Man (1960) User Reviews

Paladin battles the Tongs of San Francisco's Chinatown

[art-ogawa · 22 September 2011]

This episode is remarkable for its fairly authentic portrayal of Chinese culture in America and the issues of social justice that faced Chinese immigrants---kudos to screen writer Shimon Wincelberg! The writing in Chinese characters seem authentic (to my limited eyes), and the spoken Chinese (in the Cantonese dialect) as well sounds authentic (to my limited ears). The musical score departs from the usual canned bites to present a different and alluring sound.

The play touches on an important cause of crime in Chinatown: corrupt city government, which keeps gangsters like the episode's antagonist, Loo Sam, in power and which perpetuates injustice through indifference to crimes against the powerless residents.

The plot hinges on two points: one, that Westerners have a lot to learn about the thousands-year-old Chinese culture. The second, that the protagonist himself has something to learn as well: as Paladin puts it, "What makes this country is not its great men, standing alone, trying to do the impossible---it's men of all kinds, large and small, trying to do a job together: not for their personal honor, but for the honor of their country."

In a touching finale to the episode, Paladin bows to the assembled people of Chinatown before taking his leave.

Have Tommy Chan, Will Protect

[zsenorsock · 6/10 · 28 March 2007]

At the request of the San Francisco Police Department (Nolan Leary as Inspector Magruder), Paladin cuts his usual rate to $20 a day to protect a Asian detective named Joe Tsin (Benson Fong) from Chinese tong leaders. But there's a catch: Paldin must keep his mission secret from Joe lest he lose face.

There's some good action scenes in this as Paldin and Tsin have to fight off a tong gang while handcuffed together and later Paladin takes on the tong leader's personal bodyguard Sing-Chuck (Fuji, the guy I think they always get when they can't get Harold Sakata--"Oddjob"). Phil Ahn is good as Joe Tsin's father, Hoo Yee (though he's no Charlie Chan!) and Lisa Lu appears as Li Hwa. She would later join the series as "Hey Girl" the year "Hey Boy" was off on another series.

But Benson Fong again shows his limitations as an actor. Don't buy him as a tough police detective. I guess after seeing him in so many films as a bumbling son of Charlie Chan, it would take a lot to convince me he's more than that, and Fong just doesn't do it in this part. You get the feeling he may have escaped this situation, but once Paladin's out of the picture, he probably won't last long on the mean streets of Chinatown.

One other note: this entire episode takes place in San Francisco. Paladin never puts on his classic black outfit or wears his gun belt.