Does anybody know if "Yancy Derringer" was actually based on a book or maybe an old New Orleans legend? I tried to find it in amazon.com, but was not successful. If anybody knows please tell me at [email protected]. Thanks!Loved the series when it was on German TV in 1967 and am very lucky that I could find it last fall online. It's as great as it was 42 years ago....some things fortunately never change :)!My favorite episodes are the ones with Beverly Garland playing river pirate Coco LaSalle, "The Belle from Boston" and the episodes about Yancy's family mansion Waverly like "Old Dixie".

The fact that a great show ran only one season does not doom it to being forgotten (The Honeymooners is well remembered), but it surely does not help. Most people have never heard of Yancy Derringer, the public at large is not clamoring for it to be featured on TV, and it is hard to find. Nevertheless, even after all these years I fondly remember watching the exciting adventures of Yancy and his silent Indian companion Pahoo (actor X Brands).The premise of the series is simple enough. After the Civil War, Yancy (actor Jock Mahoney), who fought for the south, returns to New Orleans to find much has changed. His family's plantation is in ruins. The war brought social upheaval and its companion, crime. Yancy travels with Pahoo-Ka-Ta-Wah (Wolf Who Stands In Water), the Pawnee who saved his life. They communicate in sign language, in which Yancy is fluent. Apparently (I am not sure of this), in his early years Pahoo had his tongue cut out when captured by other Indians, leaving him forever wordless.Yancy is sought out by John Colton (actor Kevin Hagen), a northerner appointed by the US government to act as administrator of New Orleans. Colton asks Yancy to be his secret agent, fighting against crime and skulduggery of all sorts, and Yancy agrees.Yancy is well suited for the task. A well-to-do gambler, suave lover, and rich dresser, a man of taste and erudition, he fits in well with those at the top of society. Yet, he is also comfortable with the lowliest dockworker, bar girl or former slave, rebel and Yank, never acting like he is above them, though he is always much better dressed. His ability to befriend those in all walks of life facilitates his task of gathering information for Colton.His actions often get the bad guys mad, and place him in danger. In addition to his fists, which he uses effectively, he packs hidden derringer pistols. Pahoo secretes a knife and a shotgun, and is proficient in their use. Before the series started, Pahoo had saved Yancy's life, and by his strange code, this made him responsible for Yancy, and fiercely loyal to him. Keep an eye out for Pahoo to disappear, because this usually means he will soon pop up unexpectedly to use his gun or knife at Yancy's service.The scenery, music, and elegant clothing paint a breathtaking picture of the charm of old New Orleans, while the often-dark lighting and seedy crimes show the other side of this fascinating coin.There are some shortcomings. Yancy is so pleased with himself he sometimes is insufferable. His clothes are always clean and pressed no matter what he has gone through. The half-hour format does not leave much time for character development. Despite these flaws, the show is always entertaining, and the plots are usually interesting.Apparently, the show was so successful in its first year (1958-1959) that the network (CBS) wanted to buy the rights to the show from its originators, Mary Loos and Richard Sales. They did not want to sell, so the network pulled the plug.If Yancy Derringer is televised in your town, consider yourself lucky, and make sure not to miss an episode!

This was another good western back in the '50s which gives me fond memories. I remember how me and my pals thought this hero was "cool," something like Richard Boone was in "Have Gun, Will Travel." The main differences in this western as opposed to most was that the title characterpacked a little derringer in his hat, and the setting was New Orleans instead of the old west. Otherwise, he was, like Boone's "Paladin" a smooth, dapper and cool customer.Jock Mahoney ("Yancy Derringer") was the rugged, silent type, if I remember correctly. The shows were very interesting and we looked forward to them each week. Why this show only lasted on year is a real mystery to me. I don't remember anyone who didn't enjoy it. The mid-to-late '50s was a fabulous era for westerns on TV. If this ever came out on DVD, I would buy it immediately.

I remember the show vividly; it was rerun on NBC afternoons later in the '60's. I live close to New Orleans, locale of the show, and met Mr. Mahoney at a rodeo the summer after the show ended. He was very friendly, let me hold his derringer, which was maybe not wise to do, told me where he bought it, etc. He stayed until the last autograph hound left. What really made the show was his athleticism with stunts, fights, falls, jumps, etc. One show had him trying to open a large box with his back to Pahoo; he made a gesture with his hand, keeping it up in the air shoulder height, and X Brands threw a large knife to Mr. Mahoney who caught it without looking. I read later that they thought it up as a gag, and decided to try it. It went on the first take. He became a stepfather to Sally Field, who seems to have had difficulties with him in that role, but he was really one of a kind in film. Later he had a stroke while horseback in "Kung Fu"; Burt Reynolds made a film about stunt men in the mid seventies with Brian Keith and Sally Field, the name of which I cannot remember, but it was a homage to stunt guys; Brian Keith's character had a stroke in the movie, reminding me of Mr. Mahoney; later, I read that Burt Reynolds said this was a bow to Mr. Mahoney. I was only 12, and got a kick out of the constant westerns at the time, but he gave it a distinctive feel. In TV Guide, he called it a "Southern". What was also interesting was his ensemble which came to include Mickey Morton, Lee Paul, Kelly Thorsen, etc. He was 6-4, and these guys topped him! Frances Bergen, Francine in the role, was wife of Edgar Bergen, whose daughter was Candice Bergen.