Yancy Derringer

 ( 1958 American Television Series Debuts ) 

Sale and Loos based the series on "The Devil Made a Derringer", a short story by Sale that appeared in All-American Fiction in 1938.

Yancy has a strong conviction that the United States must be one nation again. Although he is based out of New Orleans, his Mississippi riverboat, the Sultana, and Yancy's propensity for adventure mean that some episodes take him far away from Louisiana; some stories take place as far away as Nevada and California.

Tommy Mara recorded the show's theme with an orchestra and chorus in 1959 for Felsted Records (Felsted 8561).

• Yancy lives at the family plantation, Waverly, and also owns a riverboat, the Sultana. (The actual riverboat of the same name sank from an explosion and fire on April 27, 1865.
  Gene E. Salecker (2022). 9781682477441, Naval Institute Press. . ISBN 9781682477441
  ) A lover of fine cuisine and the high life, he spends much of his leisure time at Madame Francine's Club (an exclusive members-only gambling house), the Sazerac Restaurant, or at the Charter House Restaurant, whose specialty is French cuisine.

When called to action, Yancy's weapons of choice are four-barrel Sharps pepperbox derringer handguns carried concealed (one held by a clamp inside the top of his hat, one in his vest's left pocket under his jacket and one up his jacket's left sleeve in a wrist holster) and a knife in his belt. (A belt buckle inset with a toy single-barrel derringer, sold by Mattel at the time and popularly associated with Yancy, did not resemble anything that the character actually used.) He is an expert marksman. He also carries a cane or a riding crop with hidden swords and is said to have iron fists: one punch and his opponent remains unconscious for a day. Yancy dresses elegantly, most often in a white suit with a long coat, ruffled white shirt, a silk vest, a sash instead of a belt, a black under-the-collar bow tie, and a white flat-topped straw hat with curled brim.

• John Colton is the city administrator, and a hard-nosed, incorruptible leader who works tirelessly to clean up New Orleans. Colton is also clever, and knows that his position would be untenable if he were personally caught using questionable methods to clamp down on crime. He therefore uses Yancy to unofficially deal with situations that cannot be resolved by conventional means.

Frances Bergen – Madame Francine

• Yancy's recurring love interest is Madame Francine. She is the strong-willed, beautiful owner of a members-only gambling house in New Orleans, and she or her business are often involved in Yancy's adventures. Her real name is Nora and she is actually Irish people.

Robert McCord, III – Captain Amos Fry

• Captain Amos Fry is the local head of the U.S. Secret Service who works closely with Colton to combat lawlessness in New Orleans. Fry does not know of Derringer's unpaid work as an espionage agent; often the amiable but plodding Fry is working on combating a problem in a legal manner, while Derringer—unconstrained by official law-enforcement policies and procedures—uses decidedly more unorthodox, colorful and possibly borderline-illegal methods to nullify the threat.

Richard Devon – Jody Barker

• Jody Barker is a respectable-looking Bourbon Street pickpocketing. Yancy and Francine were wise to his ways, and frequently stopped him from fleecing club members. However, he was a useful source of information about doings in the criminal underworld, and sometimes participated in certain 'sting' operations for Yancy.

Larry J. Blake – Turnkey

• Yancy spent so much time in the local jail (usually put there by Colton or Fry), he became great pals with the jailer, who was addressed as "Turnkey". The genial Turnkey (played by Larry J. Blake) often played poker in the cells with Yancy, and, sympathetic to Yancy's situation, sometimes aided in (or at least turned a blind eye towards) Yancy's escape plans.

Bill Walker – Obadiah

• Obadiah is Derringer's African-American servant.
  (2019). 9780807172698, LSU Press. . ISBN 9780807172698
  A dignified pillar of the community, he is the head of a committee that represents "thousands of law-abiding citizens of New Orleans" in bringing a petition to the city administrator in the episode "V as in Voodoo". A club doorman addressed as Jeremiah is seen in a few episodes, but this character has no lines and is not credited.

• Patricia Blair – Goldy
• Charlene James – Pearl Girl
• Joan Boston – Opal
• Jane Burgess – Chrystal

• Woody Chambliss – Captain Tom of the Sultana
• Gene Collins – Willy Quill, Sultana pilot

• Kelly Thordsen – Colorado Charlie
• Lisa Lu – Miss Mandarin
• Marvin Bryan – Lt. Bacon
• Margaret Field (billed as Maggie Mahoney) – Bridget Malone
• Sandy Kenyon – Willy Nilly, bartender at the Sazerac
• Claude Akins – Toby Cook
• Robert Lowery (actor) – Blair Devon
• Robert McCord III – Captain Amos Fry
• Beverly Garland – Coco LaSalle
  (2013). 9780786465019, McFarland. . ISBN 9780786465019
• Noreen Nash – Agatha Colton
• Lee Kendall – Blackjack Benson
• Joan Taylor – Lavina Lake
• Mickey Morton – Wee Willie Benson
• James Foxx – The O'Hara
• John Qualen – Captain Sven Larsen

• Julie Adams – Amanda Eaton in "Return to New Orleans"
• Nick Adams – Grand Duke Alexis in "The Night the Russians Landed"
• Jack Albertson – Blind Bill in "Mayhem at the Market"
• Norm Alden – Crenshaw in "Marble Fingers"
• James Anderson – Fitch in "The Louisiana Dude"
• John Alderson – Marble Fingers in "Marble Fingers"
• Mari Aldon – Celeste Duval in "Mayhem at the Market"
• John Anderson – Wayne Raven in “Outlaw at Liberty”
• Richard Arlen – General Hugh Morgan in "A State of Crisis"
• Raymond Bailey – Colonel Duval in "Mayhem at the Market"
• Patricia Barry – Patricia Tappworth in “Thunder on the River"
• Arthur Batanides – Dink Saxon in “A Game of Chance“
• Charles Bateman – Captain Blythe in "A State of Crisis"
• Gerrie Bender – Katy in "The Night the Russians Landed"
• Val Benedict – Gunman in “Outlaw at Liberty”
• Nesdon Booth – Conductor in “Fire on the Frontier”
• Joan Boston – Opal in “The Wayward Warrior”
• Don Brodie – Ticket Seller in “Two Tickets to Promontory”
• Charles Bronson – Rogue Donovan in “Hell and High Water"
  (2015). 9781476610351, McFarland. . ISBN 9781476610351
• Lillian Bronson – Carrie Meade in "Mayhem at the Market"
• Hillary Brooke – Julia Bulette in "The Louisiana Dude"
• Naaman Brown – Dr. YaYa in “V as in Voodoo”
• John Bryant – Joshua Devon in “"Three Knaves from New Haven"
• Paul Bryar – Harry Kidd in “V as in Voodoo”
• Walter Burke – Sneaky Joe in “Panic in Town"
• Jean Byron – Dorinda Ashton in “Ticket to Natchez”
• Thom Carney – Army Clerk in "A State of Crisis" and Conductor in “Gone But Not Forgotten“
• Robert Carricart – Thaddeus Stevens in “Fire on the Frontier”
• Zachary Charles – Dan Fitz in "A Bullet for Bridget"
• Ralph Clanton – Benjamin Quade in “A Game of Chance“
• John Cliff – Nat Greer in "The Louisiana Dude"
• Ann Codee – Madame Marie in "An Ace Called Spade"
• Booth Coleman – Henry Duval in "The Louisiana Dude"
• Charles Cooper – Harmon Steele in "Return to New Orleans"
• Robert Cornthwaite – Mathew Brady in "Collector's Item"
• Walter Coy – Slade Donovan in "A State of Crisis"
• Kathleen Crowley – Desiree in "Marble Fingers"
• Patricia Cutts – Lady Charity in “Hell and High Water"
• John Damler – Man in “Two Tickets to Promontory”
• Ruby Dandridge – Lily Rose Beam in “V as in Voodoo”
• Ray Danton – Spade Stuart in "An Ace Called Spade"
• Jim Davis – Bullet Pike in “Two Tickets to Promontory”
• John Dehner – Colonel Tate in "Memo to a Firing Squad"
• Brad Dexter – Charles Hammond in “V as in Voodoo”
• Val Dufour – Dean Salsbury in "Old Dixie"
• Joan Dupuis – Carrie in “Panic in Town"
• Kaye Elhardt – Sally Snow in “Outlaw at Liberty”
• Gene Evans – Lonesome Jackson in "The Saga of Lonesome Jackson"
• Frances Fong – Ruby in “The Quiet Firecracker”
• Dick Foran – Mr. Halligan in "Two of a Kind"
• Michael Forest – Pierre in "The Fair Freebooter"
• Louise Fletcher – twins Miss Nellie and Miss Alithia in "Old Dixie"
• Charles Fredericks – Jack Dingo in “Fire on the Frontier”
• Regina Gleason – Margot Chatham in “Fire on the Frontier”
• Leo Gordon – Lance Carter in "The Belle from Boston"
• Fred Graham – Laney in "A Bullet for Bridget"
• Otis Greene – Roy in "Return to New Orleans"
• Charles Gray – Clay Wellman in “Gone But Not Forgotten“
• Virginia Grey – Emily DuBois in “V as in Voodoo”
• Patricia Hardy – Gloria Stafford in "The Loot from Richmond"
• Holly Harris – Madame Hauptmann in “Panic in Town"
• Joe Haworth – Lieutenant in “Hell and High Water"
• Maggie Hayes – Ruby in "The Saga of Lonesome Jackson"
• Bill Henry – Fargo in “Gone But Not Forgotten“
• Reed Howes – American Captain in "The Night the Russians Landed"
• Harry Jackson – Professor Bates in “The Wayward Warrior”
• Joyce Jameson – Bonnie Mason in “Gone But Not Forgotten“
• Roy Jenson – Captain MacBain in “Longhair”
• Edwin Jerome – Claude de Graaf in “"Three Knaves from New Haven"
• Chubby Johnson – Spinner in "Old Dixie"
• Betty Lou Keim – Julie Randall in “Gone But Not Forgotten“
• Edward Kemmer – Dr. Frank Bishop in “Panic in Town"
• George Keymas – Biloxi in "Marble Fingers"
• Brett King – Jesse James in "Outlaw at Liberty"
• John Larch – Wayland Farr in “Two Tickets to Promontory”
• Mary LaRoche – Barbara Kent in "Nightmare on Bourbon Street"
• Harry Lauter – Francis Jordan in "Mayhem at the Market"
• Mary Lawrence – Priscilla Cole in “A Game of Chance“
• Ruta Lee – Romilly Vale in "Two of a Kind"
• Janet Lord – Elsie Tulliver in "Collector's Item"
• Karl Lukas – The Warrior in “The Wayward Warrior”
• Dayton Lummis – Judge Randall in “Gone But Not Forgotten“
• John Lupton – Major Alvin in "A State of Crisis"
• Rita Lynn – Vinnie Farr in “Two Tickets to Promontory”
• Theodore Marcuse – Alex Bristol in “The Quiet Firecracker”
• Lester Matthews – Jerrison Ames in "Old Dixie"
• Charles Maxwell – Barret Rankin in "A Bullet for Bridget"
• Ken Mayer – Shute O’Brien in “Thunder on the River"
• Dennis McCarthy – Hotel Clerk in “V as in Voodoo”
• Oliver McGowan – Dan Emerson in “Thunder on the River"
• Robert McQueeney – Howard Austin in “Two Tickets to Promontory”
• Tom McKee – General Cochran in "The Gun That Murdered Lincoln"
• Judi Meredith – Charlotte DuBois in “V as in Voodoo”
• Yvette Mimieux – Ricky in "Collector's Item"
• Irving Mitchell – Manager in “Panic in Town"
• Alberto Morin – Colonel Suvoroff in "The Night the Russians Landed"
• Robert Nash – Conductor in “Two Tickets to Promontory”
• George Neise – Charles Hunter in "Return to New Orleans"
• Anne Neyland – Wilma in "Collector's Item"
• Doug Odney – Webster in “Thunder on the River"
• J. Pat O'Malley – Captain Billy of the Sultana in “The Quiet Firecracker”
• Tom Palmer – Hotel Clerk in “Fire on the Frontier”
• Dennis Patrick – Earle Bartley in "The Loot from Richmond"
• Steve Pendleton – Sheriff Anderson in "The Louisiana Dude"
• William Pullen – Henri in “The Wayward Warrior”
• Stuart Randall – Marshal Ike Milton in "Gone But Not Forgotten" and “Gone But Not Forgotten“
• Donald Randolph – Bart Ogilvie in “Panic in Town"
• Paula Raymond – Lucy Maridale in “Gallatin Street”
• Carl Benton Reid – General Stafford in "The Loot from Richmond"
• Bert Remsen – Major James Sampson in "The Gun That Murdered Lincoln"
• Alan Reynolds – Overseer in “Duel at the Oaks”
• Addison Richards – Judge Harper in "The Louisiana Dude"
• Mark Roberts – Matthew Younger in "Marble Fingers"
• Stephen Roberts – Sheriff Peterson in “Outlaw at Liberty”
• Bartlett Robinson – Stephen Quayne in "The Saga of Lonesome Jackson"
• Robert Rockwell – Phillip Hampton in "Memo to a Firing Squad"
• Kasey Rogers – Black-eyed Sue in "Marble Fingers"
• Willard Sage – Senator Tyson Yardley in "The Gun That Murdered Lincoln"
• Hugh Sanders – Phillip Lorme in “Duel at the Oaks”
• Luke Saucier Jr. – Collins in “Gone But Not Forgotten“
• Karen Sharpe – Patricia Lee in "A Game of Chance"
• Dan Sheridan – George Slocum in "Return to New Orleans"
• Mickey Simpson – Tennessee Slasher in “The Wayward Warrior”
• John Stephenson – Arthur Travers in “"Three Knaves from New Haven"
• Peggy Stewart – Karen Ogilvie in “Panic in Town"
• Harry Swoger – Big Jim Ogden in "The Louisiana Dude"
• Charles Tannen – Captain Brown in “The Quiet Firecracker”
• Dan Tobin – Alvin Watson in “Fire on the Frontier”
• Lee Van Cleef – Ike Milton/Frank James in “Outlaw at Liberty”
• John Vivyan – Charles LeBow in “Duel at the Oaks”
• Clessia Wade – Devil Dancer in “V as in Voodoo”
• Jean Willes – Jessie Belle in “The Quiet Firecracker”
• Bill Williams – Duke Winslow in “Ticket to Natchez”
• Grant Williams – Colonel Custer in “Longhair”
• Marie Windsor – Billie Jo James in “Ticket to Natchez”
• Victor Sen Yung – Hon Lee in “The Quiet Firecracker”