Yancy Derringer
Encyclopedia
Yancy Derringer is an American
Western
series
that ran on CBS
from 1958 to 1959, with Jock Mahoney
(1919–1989) in the title role. It was produced by Derringer Productions and filmed in Hollywood by Desilu Productions
. Derringer Productions consisted of half interest for Warren Lewis and Don Sharpe as executive producers, and a quarter interest to Jock Mahoney for starring in the series, and a quarter interest to Richard Sale
and Mary Loos
, husband and wife, as creators.
The Sales based the series on a 1938 short story that Richard Sale had written. In the 1930s, Sale was one of the highest paid pulp writers. Which story was never mentioned, but it was about a destitute aristocrat and troublemaker who returns to New Orleans three years after the Civil War. In the story, Derringer has no first name; "Yancy" was added for the TV series.
adventurer. He is a former Confederate Army officer who has returned to New Orleans, Louisiana
in 1868, three years after the end of the Civil War
. Widely respected by all parts of New Orleans society, he is asked by the city administrator, John Colton, to work as an secret agent
at no pay, and only Colton knows of Yancy's special work for his office. Many times at the beginning of the episode, Colton, a former Union Army officer, asks Yancy, a former Confederate officer, to help solve New Orleans' present threat and, many times at the end of the episode, arrests Yancy for breaking the law to do it. Yancy agrees, because United States is one nation again.
Yancy owns a riverboat
, the Sultana. His weapons of choice are a four-barrel Derringer
gun carried in his hat and another up his left sleeve and a knife in his belt. He was an expert marksman. He also carried a cane with a hidden sword and was said to have iron fists. One punch, and his opponent was unconscious for a day. NOTE: the belt buckle with a derringer was never one of Yancy's props.
Yancy's sidekick
, Pahoo-Ka-Ta-Wah, is a silent Pawnee American Indian who communicates only by hand gestures. Pa-hoo-Ka-Ta-Wah is Pawnee for "Wolf
who stands in water
." Although Pahoo was short on talk, he was long on action. Beneath a blanket
wrapped about his body, he carried a sawed off double barreled shotgun which he used in emergencies. Most of the time however, he used a throwing knife
sheathed on his back.
Yancy and Pahoo live at the family plantation
, Waverly. Yancy's recurring love interest is Madame Francine, the strong willed but beautiful owner of a members-only gambling house in New Orleans, her character's real name is Nora and she's really Irish
. Miss Mandarin was an old love interest of Yancy's and close friend. She is the proprietor of his favorite place to dine, the Sazerac Restaurant.
The show's sponsor was Johnson Wax, now S. C. Johnson
, and CLEAR floorwax was a regular sponsor.
2. Gallatin Street
3. Ticket to Natchez
4. An Ace Called Spade
5. A Bullet for Bridget
6. The Belle from Boston
7. The Loot from Richmond
8. The Saga of Lonesome Jackson
9. Memo to a Firing Squad
10. Three Knaves from New Haven
11. Marble Fingers
12. Old Dixie
13. Two of a Kind
14. Nightmare on Bourbon Street
15. The Fair Freebooter
16. Mayhem at the Market
17. The Night the Russians Landed
18. A Game of Chance
19. Panic in Town
20. Hell and High Water
21. The Louisiana Dude
22. Longhair
23. Thunder on the River
24. The Gun That Murdered Lincoln
25. Collector's Item
26. Fire on the Frontier
27. Duel at the Oaks
28. The Wayward Warrior
29. A State of Crisis
30. Outlaw at Liberty
31. V as in Voodoo
32. The Quiet Firecracker
33. Gone But Not Forgotten
34. Two Tickets to Promontory
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
that ran on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
from 1958 to 1959, with Jock Mahoney
Jock Mahoney
Jock Mahoney was an American actor and stuntman of Irish, French, and Cherokee ancestry. Born Jacques O'Mahoney, he was credited variously as Jock Mahoney, Jack O'Mahoney or Jock O'Mahoney. He starred in two television series, both westerns...
(1919–1989) in the title role. It was produced by Derringer Productions and filmed in Hollywood by Desilu Productions
Desilu Productions
Desilu Productions was a Los Angeles, California-based company jointly owned by actors Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball, who were married to each other from 1940 to 1960....
. Derringer Productions consisted of half interest for Warren Lewis and Don Sharpe as executive producers, and a quarter interest to Jock Mahoney for starring in the series, and a quarter interest to Richard Sale
Richard Sale (director)
Richard Sale, was an American screenwriter and film director.He started his career writing for the pulps in the Thirties, appearing regularly in Detective Fiction Weekly , Argosy, Double Detective, and a number of other magazines...
and Mary Loos
Mary Loos
Mary Loos was an American actress, screenwriter and novelist.Born in San Diego, California, she was the daughter of Dr. Clifford Loos, co-founder of the Ross-Loos Medical Clinic. She was the niece of screenwriter Anita Loos....
, husband and wife, as creators.
The Sales based the series on a 1938 short story that Richard Sale had written. In the 1930s, Sale was one of the highest paid pulp writers. Which story was never mentioned, but it was about a destitute aristocrat and troublemaker who returns to New Orleans three years after the Civil War. In the story, Derringer has no first name; "Yancy" was added for the TV series.
Overview
Yancy Derringer is a gentlemanGentleman
The term gentleman , in its original and strict signification, denoted a well-educated man of good family and distinction, analogous to the Latin generosus...
adventurer. He is a former Confederate Army officer who has returned to New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
in 1868, three years after the end of the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Widely respected by all parts of New Orleans society, he is asked by the city administrator, John Colton, to work as an secret agent
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
at no pay, and only Colton knows of Yancy's special work for his office. Many times at the beginning of the episode, Colton, a former Union Army officer, asks Yancy, a former Confederate officer, to help solve New Orleans' present threat and, many times at the end of the episode, arrests Yancy for breaking the law to do it. Yancy agrees, because United States is one nation again.
Yancy owns a riverboat
Riverboat
A riverboat is a ship built boat designed for inland navigation on lakes, rivers, and artificial waterways. They are generally equipped and outfitted as work boats in one of the carrying trades, for freight or people transport, including luxury units constructed for entertainment enterprises, such...
, the Sultana. His weapons of choice are a four-barrel Derringer
Derringer
The term derringer is a genericized misspelling of the last name of Henry Deringer, a famous 19th-century maker of small pocket pistols. Many copies of the original Philadelphia Deringer pistol were made by other gun makers worldwide, and the name was often misspelled; this misspelling soon became...
gun carried in his hat and another up his left sleeve and a knife in his belt. He was an expert marksman. He also carried a cane with a hidden sword and was said to have iron fists. One punch, and his opponent was unconscious for a day. NOTE: the belt buckle with a derringer was never one of Yancy's props.
Yancy's sidekick
Sidekick
A sidekick is a close companion who is generally regarded as subordinate to the one he accompanies. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, Sherlock Holmes' Doctor Watson, The Lone Ranger's Tonto, The Green Hornet's Kato and Batman's Robin.-Origins:The origin of the...
, Pahoo-Ka-Ta-Wah, is a silent Pawnee American Indian who communicates only by hand gestures. Pa-hoo-Ka-Ta-Wah is Pawnee for "Wolf
Gray Wolf
The gray wolf , also known as the wolf, is the largest extant wild member of the Canidae family...
who stands in water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
." Although Pahoo was short on talk, he was long on action. Beneath a blanket
Blanket
A blanket is a type of bedding, generally speaking, a large piece of cloth, intended to keep the user warm, especially while sleeping. Blankets are distinguished from sheets by their thickness and purpose; the thickest sheet is still thinner than the lightest blanket. Blankets are generally used...
wrapped about his body, he carried a sawed off double barreled shotgun which he used in emergencies. Most of the time however, he used a throwing knife
Knife
A knife is a cutting tool with an exposed cutting edge or blade, hand-held or otherwise, with or without a handle. Knives were used at least two-and-a-half million years ago, as evidenced by the Oldowan tools...
sheathed on his back.
Yancy and Pahoo live at the family plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
, Waverly. Yancy's recurring love interest is Madame Francine, the strong willed but beautiful owner of a members-only gambling house in New Orleans, her character's real name is Nora and she's really Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
. Miss Mandarin was an old love interest of Yancy's and close friend. She is the proprietor of his favorite place to dine, the Sazerac Restaurant.
The show's sponsor was Johnson Wax, now S. C. Johnson
S. C. Johnson & Son
S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. , previously known as S. C. Johnson Wax , is a privately held, global manufacturer of household cleaning supplies and other consumer chemicals based in Racine, Wisconsin. It has operations in 72 countries and its brands are sold in over 110...
, and CLEAR floorwax was a regular sponsor.
Cast and characters
- Jock MahoneyJock MahoneyJock Mahoney was an American actor and stuntman of Irish, French, and Cherokee ancestry. Born Jacques O'Mahoney, he was credited variously as Jock Mahoney, Jack O'Mahoney or Jock O'Mahoney. He starred in two television series, both westerns...
- Yancy Derringer - X BrandsX BrandsX Brands , sometimes credited as Jay X. Brands, was an American actor of German descent known for his roles in television series and some films. His best-known role was "Pahoo-Ka-Ta-Wah" , the shotgun-toting Indian sidekick on the 1958 CBS western series Yancy Derringer, with Jock Mahoney in the...
- Pahoo-Ka-Ta-Wah - Kevin Hagen - John Colton
- Frances BergenFrances BergenFrances Bergen was an American actress and fashion model. She was the wife of ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and the mother of actress Candice and film & television editor Kris Bergen....
- Madame Francine - Bill WalkerWilliam Walker (US actor)William Franklin Walker was an American television and film actor. Walker is best remembered for his role as Reverend Sykes in the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird.-Career:...
- Obadiah - Richard Devon - Jody Barker
- Margaret Field (as Maggie Mahoney) - Bridget Malone
- Claude AkinsClaude AkinsClaude Marion Akins was an American actor with a long career on stage, screen and television.Powerful in appearance and voice, Akins could be counted on to play the clever tough guy, on the side of good or bad, in movies and television. He is best remembered as Sheriff Lobo in the 1970s TV series...
- Toby Cook - Lisa LuLisa LuLisa Lu is a Chinese-American actress and documentary producer.-Life and career:Lu was born in Peking, China . Beginning in her teens, she was active in Chinese opera, or Kunqu, before emigrating to the United States...
- Miss Mandarin - Robert McCord - Captain Fry, head of the secret service
- Woody Chambliss - Captain Tom of the Sultana
- Kelly Thordsen - Colorado Charlie
- Larry J. Blake - Turnkey, the Jailer
- Beverly GarlandBeverly GarlandBeverly Garland was an American film and television actress, businesswoman, and hotel owner. Garland gained prominence for her role as Fred MacMurray's second wife, "Barbara Harper Douglas", in the 1960s sitcom My Three Sons...
- Coco LaSalle - Julie AdamsJulie AdamsJulie Adams is an American film and television actress, sometimes credited as Julia Adams or Betty Adams.-Life and career:...
- Amanda Eaton (first episode only)
Episodes
1. Return to New Orleans- In 1868, Yancy arrives home, penniless, after the war. Only to discover he has a wife, Amanda Eaton (Julie AdamsJulie AdamsJulie Adams is an American film and television actress, sometimes credited as Julia Adams or Betty Adams.-Life and career:...
), he did not know about and that his family plantationPlantationA plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
, Waverly. has been turned in a gambling den. John Colton, the city administrator of New Orleans, helps to return the Waverly to Yancy. John Colton asks Yancy to help rebuild New Orleans as his special agent. - b&w: 02-Oct-1958 w: Mary Loos (as Mary Sale) & Richard Sale d: Richard Sale
2. Gallatin Street
- Yancy helps a sea captain who was cheated out of his money in a dive on notorious Gallatin Street.
- b&w: 09-Oct-1958
3. Ticket to Natchez
- gs: Marie Windsor (Billie Joe)
- City administrator John Colton entrusts Yancy with an army payroll that is to be taken to Natchez on Yancy's riverboat, the Sultana, but robbers have other plans.
- b&w: 23-Oct-1958
4. An Ace Called Spade
- Yancy is relieved to find that a newspaper story about administrator Colton's death is premature, but fears that Colton will be the victim of trickery in an upcoming duel.
- b&w: 30-Oct-1958
5. A Bullet for Bridget
- We meet for the first time, Bridget Malone, Madame Francine's cousin from Ireland, who while visiting New Orleans decides that Yancy is to be her future husband. Special guest star is his real life wife, Margaret Field (as Maggie Mahoney) as Bridget Malone.
- b&w: 06-Nov-1958
6. The Belle from Boston
- After administrator Colton hangs a member of an outlaw gang, the others decide to take revenge on his visiting sister.
- b&w: 13-Nov-1958
7. The Loot from Richmond
- A messenger is sent to New Orleans by a former general in the Civil War, but is killed before he can reveal what happened to a fortune that was taken from Richmond, Virginia.
- b&w: 20-Nov-1958
8. The Saga of Lonesome Jackson
- A wealthy but lonely man who has come to New Orleans looking for a wife asks Yancy to help him.
- b&w: 27-Nov-1958
9. Memo to a Firing Squad
- An army officer with vengeance in his heart tries to stop a presidential pardon. Without the pardon, a man who is scheduled to die before a firing squad. John M. PickardJohn Pickard (American actor)John M. Pickard was an American actor who appeared primarily in television Westerns.-Early life and career:...
, who plays Lieutenant Weems, in among the guest stars. - b&w: 04-Dec-1958
10. Three Knaves from New Haven
- Shop owners receive threats of violence if they refuse to sell their property to three strangers. Special guest star is his real life wife, Margaret Field (as Maggie Mahoney) as Bridget Malone.
- b&w: 11-Dec-1958
11. Marble Fingers
- gs: Kasey Rogers (Blackeyed Sue)
- Yancy tries to find out who's responsible for recent grave robberies.
- b&w: 18-Dec-1958
12. Old Dixie
- gs: Louise Fletcher (Unknown)
- Special Christmas Episode. Villains go after Yancy's dog after Yancy's father dies leaving a note that only the dog knows where the family pre-war fortune is buried. Special guest star is his real life wife, Margaret Field (as Maggie Mahoney) as Bridget Malone.
- b&w: 25-Dec-1958
13. Two of a Kind
- Yancy and Pahoo are framed for a series of crimes, and now face execution.
- b&w: 01-Jan-1959
14. Nightmare on Bourbon Street
- A mysterious mad bomber steals explosives and threatens to blow up the entire city of New Orleans.
- b&w: 08-Jan-1959
15. The Fair Freebooter
- Yancy must deal with a female pirate, Coco LaSalle, who has stolen his shirt he ordered from Paris. He goes after his shirt into the deadly swamps. Coltan tags along to recover a stolen necklace from representatives of the Mexican government.
- b&w: 15-Jan-1959
16. Mayhem at the Market
- Merchants are in such fear for their lives that Yancy gets no cooperation in his attempt to break a new protection racket.
- b&w: 22-Jan-1959
17. The Night the Russians Landed
- A visiting Russian noble appears to have become a target for murder.
- b&w: 29-Jan-1959
18. A Game of Chance
- Yancy suspects foul play when a lottery winner dies before she can collect.
- b&w: 05-Feb-1959
19. Panic in Town
- With a serial attacker is loose in New Orleans. He attacks women and cut their hair. The authorities are seemingly powerless. A group of vigilantes decides to take over New Orleans.
- b&w: 12-Feb-1959
20. Hell and High Water
- gs: Charles Bronson (Rogue Donovan), Patricia Cutts (Lady Charity)
- It looks like New Orleans is going to be flooded. Yancy comes up with a risky scheme to save New Orleans. John Colton is taken prisoner by Lady Charity to protect her plantation property from Yancy's risky scheme. Meanwhile Rogue Donovan tries to kill Yancy.
- b&w: 19-Feb-1959
21. The Louisiana Dude
- gs: Hillary Brooke (Julia Bulette) John Cliff (Nat Greer) Harry Swoger (Big Jim Ogden) Addison Richards (Judge Harper) Steve Pendleton (Sheriff Anderson) Woodrow Chambliss (Captain Tom) James Anderson (Fitch) Booth Colman (Henry Duval)
- Yancy wins a half interest in a silver mine. The Sultana's broiler blows up, and Yancy travels to Virginia City hoping to get five thousand dollars needed for a new broiler. Yancy discovers that his new partner is a beautiful woman.
- b&w: 26-Feb-1959 w: Coles Trapnell d: William F. Claxton
22. Longhair
- When famed General George Armstrong CusterGeorge Armstrong CusterGeorge Armstrong Custer was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. Raised in Michigan and Ohio, Custer was admitted to West Point in 1858, where he graduated last in his class...
visits New Orleans, Yancy discovers that he is being stalked by an Indian seeking revenge for a past wrong. We meet for the first time, Colorado Charlie, Indian Scout. - b&w: 05-Mar-1959
23. Thunder on the River
- gs: Patricia BarryPatricia BarryPatricia Barry is an American actor.-References:...
- Yancy decides to help a fellow riverboat owner whose fleet is being sabotaged by rivals trying to corner the market on river traffic.
- b&w: 12-Mar-1959
24. The Gun That Murdered Lincoln
- Yancy is unjustly accused of having provided the weapon used by presidential assassin John Wilkes Booth.
- b&w: 19-Mar-1959
25. Collector's Item
- To assist a woman in her crusade to provide a home for the city's orphans, Yancy comes up with a scheme that requires the aid of photography pioneer Matthew Brady.
- b&w: 26-Mar-1959
26. Fire on the Frontier
- gs: Robert Carricart (Thaddeus Stevens)
- Yancy's Indian friend Pahoo becomes an important element in efforts to prevent a war with the Pawnee tribes.
- b&w: 02-Apr-1959
27. Duel at the Oaks
- Yancy is sentenced to hang for killing a man in a duel. John VivyanJohn VivyanJohn Vivyan was an American actor active primarily between 1957 and 1970. He was known for his starring role as the honest debonair gambler in the CBS adventure series Mr. Lucky.-Early life and career:Born John C...
guest starred as LeBow. - b&w: 09-Apr-1959
28. The Wayward Warrior
- Trying to stop some gun smugglers, Yancy has a run-in with a boxing champion and a re-match with a female river pirate, Coco LaSalle.
- b&w: 16-Apr-1959
29. A State of Crisis
- With the city of New Orleans plagued by counterfeit money, General Hugh Morgan arrives in New Orleans with orders promoting John Colton to a post in Washington and giving Morgan command of the city. Walter CoyWalter CoyWalter Darwin Coy was an American stage, radio, film, and, principally, television actor, originally from Great Falls, Montana. He was best known for narrating the NBC western anthology series, Frontier, which aired early Sunday evenings in the 1955-1956 season.-Career:Coy performed on Broadway...
guest stars as Slade Donovan. - b&w: 30-Apr-1959 w: Coles Trapnell d: Edward Denault
30. Outlaw at Liberty
- Yancy is at a loss to figure out what's going on when a marshal he knows charges an old wartime friend with murder.
- b&w: 07-May-1959
31. V as in Voodoo
- Yancy tries to combat superstition when the city is terrorized by a mysterious voodoo priestess.
- b&w: 14-May-1959
32. The Quiet Firecracker
- Yancy's good friend, Miss Mandarin, is accused of smuggling opium into the city inside firecrackers.
- b&w: 21-May-1959
33. Gone But Not Forgotten
- gs: Joyce Jameson (Bonnie Mason)
- A friend of Yancy's comes to visit from Virginia City, with news that his silver mine is doing well, but that there is a gravestone in the cemetery with Yancy's name on it. Dayton LummisDayton LummisDayton Lummis. Sr. , was an American actor of film and television who specialized in the genre of anthology and western series, often playing authority figures. From 1959-1960, he appeared as Marshal Andy Morrison in nine episodes of NBC's Law of the Plainsman western, with Michael Ansara and...
plays Judge Randall. - b&w: 28-May-1959
34. Two Tickets to Promontory
- On a train trip to a celebration of the completion of the transcontinental railroad, Yancy discovers a saboteur.
- b&w: 04-Jun-1959