want and dead or alive be a star vehicle in the true sense of the term . it be a western calculate to exhibit the talent and charisma of it star and steve mcqueen . it last for three season before mcqueen decide to devote full time to the big screen . mcqueen be after some of the most dangerous fellow in the old west and plenty who could shoot a lot good than he . his character josh randall need an equalizer . in john wayne classic western el dorado and you remember that duke discovers that jam caan can not hit the broad side of a mountain with a regular six shooter . before go to el dorado to aid robert mitchum and they stop off and see a gunsmith who fix caan up with a josh randall special . after that caan of considerable help to wayne and mitchum . of course the saw off shotgun be also an evil weapon in the wrong hand . take note of the dan duryea western and the bounty killer and a very freudian piece where duryea become hat and fear a a bounty hunter until an innocent bystander get shoot with it . but with mcqueen you know the weapon be on the side of law and order . a for his josh randall character and you can see a bit of him in all the people steve mcqueen bring to the screen like virgil hilt and nevada smith and all the way to his last two film and tom horn and pappa thorsen . wanted and dead or alive be most folk first exposure to a screen legend . i wish that western like that be make today .