This weird guy tells the stories, makes ghoulish wisecracks, then laughs maniacally until the end credits. It's a radio program.
The Hermit's Cave.
New question:
Television of the 60s. A former army officer, he got his identity and way of dressing from a man called Smoke. Until he became involved with Smoke, he was a failure, his life in shambles, over his head in gambling debt. He became a professional gunman for hire, one schooled in the classics.
Hmmm...
Paladin?
I don't remeber any episode that went into his background, but the details seem to fit the character.
(At the time I considered him the embodiment of cool.)
Yes, The Green Hornet (Britt Reed) was the Grand-nephew of The Lone Ranger (John Reed). The Green Hornet's sidekick Kato was Japanese until the attack on Pearl Harbor, and then suddenly became Korean. Kato on TV was played by Bruce Lee.
gotcha, equus.
Palladin was the character. What show?
For a bonus, who played Palladin on a radio version, using the same scripts?
Palladin was played by Richard Boone in "Have Gun Will Travel."
On the radio, he was played by John Dehner.
An interesting additional fact is that the man who would invent "Star Trek," Gene Roddenberry, was a writer on the TV show.
George can go next, since I merely expanded on his nearly complete answer.
Stirring theme music.
Incredible action scenes.
Golden-throated narrator.
But no "actors".
Guess I need another clue.
not Wild Kingdom
This show used footage from American, British, German and Japanese sources.
"The 20th Century"
With Walter Cronkite
???
Was the opening scene a submarine shooting straight out of the water?
Victory At Sea.
Victory at Sea is correct!
Go, Joanne.
This radio show lasted one season, perhaps two. "He steps up on the scale. Weight (I forgot the weight, plus the narrator gives a few more details about this man, then moves into a commercial. At the end of the commercial he says) Now let's catch up with --- --- ---" That's the name of the show.
The show hinted at above was inspired by the highly successful "Thin Man."
Right, phoenix. The show only lasted a season or two, but my family enjoyed it.
