The Rifleman

For the 2019 film also known as The Rifleman, see Blizzard of Souls (film).

The Rifleman
File:The Rifleman TV Series-611880410-main.jpg DVD case for The Rifleman, 1958
Genre	Western
Created by	Sam Peckinpah (uncredited), Arnold Laven
Starring	Chuck Connors Johnny Crawford Paul Fix
Composer(s)	Herschel Burke Gilbert
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	5
No. of episodes	168 (list of episodes)
Production
Producer(s)	Levy-Gardner-Laven Arthur H. Nadel (associate)
Running time	25 minutes
Production company(s)	Four Star Productions
Distributor	Peter Rodgers Organization
Release
Original network	ABC
Picture format	Black-and-white
Audio format	Monaural
Original release	September 30, 1958 (1958-09-30) – April 8, 1963 (1963-04-08)
Chronology
Related shows	Law of the Plainsman
External links
[{{#property:P856}} Website]

The Rifleman is an American Western television program starring Chuck Connors as rancher Lucas McCain and Johnny Crawford as his son Mark McCain. It was set in the 1880s in the fictional town of North Fork, New Mexico Territory. The show was filmed in black and white, in half-hour episodes. The Rifleman aired on ABC from September 30, 1958, to April 8, 1963, as a production of Four Star Television. It was one of the first primetime series on US television to show a single parent raising a child.

The program was titled to reflect McCain's use of a Winchester Model 1892 rifle, a historical anachronism, as the show was set in the 1880s, and customized to allow repeated firing by cycling its lever action. He demonstrated this technique in the opening credits, as well as a second modification that allowed him to cycle the action with one hand using a technique known as "spin-cocking".

Overview

Main article: List of The Rifleman episodes

The series centers on Lucas McCain, a Union veteran of the American Civil War and widower. McCain had been a lieutenant in the 11th Indiana Infantry Regiment, and he had received a battlefield commission at the Battle of Five Forks just before the end of the war. (This conflicts with episode 3/25, "The Prisoner", in which a former Confederate cavalry major states that he was Lieutenant McCain's prisoner after the Battle of Fort Donelson.) Having previously been a homesteader, McCain buys a ranch outside the fictitious town of North Fork, New Mexico Territory, in the pilot episode. His son Mark and he had come from Enid, Oklahoma, following the death of his wife, Margaret (née Gibbs), when his son was six years old. The citizens of North Fork are sometimes willing to subject themselves to tyranny, showing themselves to be cowards in several episodes.

The series was set during the 1880s; a wooden plaque next to the McCain home states that the home was rebuilt by Lucas McCain and his son Mark in August 1881.

A common thread in the series is that people deserve a second chance; Marshal Micah Torrance is a recovering alcoholic, and McCain gives a convict a job on his ranch in "The Marshal". Royal Dano appeared in "The Sheridan Story" as a former Confederate soldier who is given a job on the McCain ranch and encounters General Philip Sheridan, the man who cost him his arm in battle. Learning why the man wants him dead, Sheridan arranges for medical care for his wounded former foe, quoting Abraham Lincoln's last orders to "... bind up the nation's wounds".

Despite his status as the series' protagonist, Lucas McCain is not without fault; He has a tendency to be stubborn and bossy, and has a bit of an inflated ego. In "Death Trap", an episode with Philip Carey as former gunman (and old adversary) Simon Battles, he is unwilling to believe the man has changed and become a doctor. It takes a gunfight (with Battles fighting alongside him) to make him admit he is wrong. In "Two Ounces of Tin", with Sammy Davis Jr. as Tip Corey (a former circus trick-shot artist turned gunman), McCain angrily orders him off the ranch when he finds him demonstrating his skills to Mark. Corey suggests he is a hypocrite, because McCain has an equally deadly reputation in the Indian Territory of Oklahoma, where he first acquired the nickname "the Rifleman", and where his wife had died during a smallpox epidemic.

Sammy Davis Jr., Johnny Crawford, and Chuck Connors in 1962

Cast

Beverly Englander and Chuck Connors in the 1961 episode "Lariat"

Main

• Chuck Connors as Lucas McCain, a rancher, a Union Army veteran of the American Civil War, father, and widower
• Johnny Crawford as Mark McCain, Lucas's son
• Paul Fix as Micah Torrance, marshal of North Fork, New Mexico

Recurring

• Bill Quinn as Frank Sweeney, the North Fork Saloon bartender (38 episodes)
• Patricia Blair as Mallory House hotel owner Lou Mallory (22 episodes)
• Joe Higgins as blacksmith Nels Swenson (21 episodes)
• Harlan Warde as banker John Hamilton (18 episodes)
• Joan Taylor as general store owner Milly Scott (18 episodes)
• Hope Summers as general store owner Hattie Denton (16 episodes)
• John Harmon as hotel clerk Eddie Halstead (12 episodes)
• Chris Alcaide as a regular baddie (10 episodes)

Eight actors played the town doctor during the series (usually known as "Doc Burrage"): Paul Fix (first episode only; he returned to the cast as Micah), Edgar Buchanan, Fay Roope, Rhys Williams, Jack Kruschen, Robert Burton, Ralph Moody and Bert Stevens. In addition to Joe Higgins, several actors also played blacksmith Nels (sometimes credited as Nils) Swenson, including Richard Alexander, John Dierkes, Henry Rowland and Karl Swenson.

Guest stars

More than 500 actors made guest appearances in more than 970 credited roles during the five-year run of the series. Guest stars included veteran actors: John Anderson, Richard Anderson, Lyle Bettger, Whit Bissell, Harry Carey Jr., John Carradine, Lon Chaney, Jr., Ellen Corby, John Dehner, Jack Elam, Med Flory, Dabbs Greer, Rodolfo Hoyos, Jr., L.Q. Jones, John Milford, Agnes Moorehead, Denver Pyle, Lee Van Cleef, Royal Dano and Adam West, most appearing multiple times in different roles. Several then-newcomers also appeared in the series, including Claude Akins, James Coburn (credited as "Jim"), Mark Goddard, Dan Blocker, James Drury, Dennis Hopper, Michael Landon, Warren Oates, Harry Dean Stanton, Robert Vaughn, Robert Culp (who starred in Four Star Productions' "Trackdown" from 1957 to 1959), Martin Landau and Richard Kiel. Other notable guest stars & character actors who made cameo appearances were Sammy Davis, Jr., future baseball Hall of Famers Duke Snider and Don Drysdale, comedian Buddy Hackett, George Macready, Pernell Roberts (who starred on Bonanza at the time), Bobby Crawford Jr. (the brother of series star Johnny Crawford; himself a star on Laramie from 1959-1960) and writer/director/producer Paul Mazursky.

Episodes

Main article: List of The Rifleman episodes

Season		Episodes	Originally aired
			Season premiere	Season finale
	1	40	September 30, 1958 (1958-09-30)	June 30, 1959 (1959-06-30)
	2	36	September 29, 1959 (1959-09-29)	May 31, 1960 (1960-05-31)
	3	34	September 27, 1960 (1960-09-27)	May 16, 1961 (1961-05-16)
	4	32	October 2, 1961 (1961-10-02)	May 7, 1962 (1962-05-07)
	5	26	October 1, 1962 (1962-10-01)	April 8, 1963 (1963-04-08)

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Season 3 (1960–1961)

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Season 4 (1961–1962)

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Season 5 (1962–1963)

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References

• The Rifleman at epguides.com
• The Rifleman at IMDb

Production

The Rifleman was partially filmed in Wildwood Regional Park in Thousand Oaks, California.

Development

The series was created by Arnold Laven and developed by Sam Peckinpah, who became a director of Western movies. Peckinpah, who wrote and directed many early episodes, based many characters and plots on his own childhood on a ranch. His insistence on violent realism and complex characterizations, as well as his refusal to sugarcoat the lessons he felt the Rifleman's son needed to learn about life, put him at odds with the show's producers at Four Star. Peckinpah left the show and created a short-lived series, The Westerner, with Brian Keith.

Opening credits

The opening theme at the beginning of each episode depicted McCain walking down the street of a town while rapid-firing his Winchester 44-40 1892 model rifle that had been modified at the trigger and lever. The rifle's modification allowed McCain to fire the rifle only by hand pumping the lever, which had a setscrew imbedded in it to trip the weapon's trigger. At various points during the series, episodes would show McCain deftly handling and shooting the rifle ambidextrously. When Connors auditioned for the show, the director suddenly threw a rifle at him; the former Major League Baseball player caught it and got the job.

Rifle

File:The Rifleman rifle lever 1959.jpg

Large lever firing loop on the Rifleman's rifle

Westerns were popular when The Rifleman premiered, and producers tried to find gimmicks to distinguish one show from another. The Rifleman's gimmick was a modified Winchester Model 1892 rifle, with a large ring lever drilled and tapped for a set screw. The lever design allowed him to cock the rifle by spinning it around his hand. In addition, the screw could be positioned to depress the trigger every time he worked the lever, allowing for rapid fire, emptying the magazine in under six seconds during the opening credits on North Fork's main street.

The trigger-trip screw pin was used in two configurations: with the screw head turned inside (close to the trigger), or more often, outside the trigger guard with a locknut on the outside (to secure its position). In some episodes, the screw was removed, when rapid-fire action was not required. When properly adjusted, the screw “squeezed” the trigger when the lever was fully closed. The rapid-fire mechanism was originally designed to keep Connors from puncturing his finger with the trigger as he quickly cycled the action of the rifle. With this modification, Connors pulling the trigger for each shot was not necessary, so he did not have to place his finger in harm's way.

The rifle may have appeared in every episode, but it was not always fired; some plots did not require violent solutions (for example, one involving Mark's rigid new teacher). McCain attempts to solve as many problems as possible without resorting to shooting, yet still manages to kill 120 villains over the show's five-year run. Notably, McCain almost never carried a pistol, although he is a good shot with it, especially when he improvised a crude gunstock from a board, when facing a villain who had stolen his rifle.

The rifle used on the set of The Rifleman, an 1892 Winchester caliber .44-40 carbine with a standard 20-inch barrel, was an historical anachronism, as the show was set in 1881, 12 years before John Browning had designed the rifle. It appeared with two different types of levers. The backwards, round-D-style loop was used in the early episodes. Sometimes, the rifle McCain uses has a saddle ring. The lever style later changed to a flatter lever (instead of the large loop) with no saddle ring.

McCain fires 12 shots from his rifle during the opening credits - seven shots in the first close-up and five more as the camera switches to another view. The blank cartridges are shorter than standard cartridges, so the magazine can hold more of the blanks. The soundtrack contained a dubbed 13th shot, to allow the firing to end with a section of the theme music. The rifle was chambered for the .44-40 Winchester center fire cartridge, which was used in both revolvers and rifles. He could supposedly fire off his first round in three-tenths of a second, which certainly helped in a showdown.

File:Riflemans Rifle Replica.jpg

Rifle replica

Gunsmith James S. Stembridge modified two Model 1892s for use in regular and close-up filming. In addition, a Spanish-made Gárate y Anitúa "El Tigre" lever action, a near-copy of the Model 1892, was modified for use as a knockabout gun. The El Tigre is seen in scenes where the rifle is in a saddle scabbard and is not drawn, and in stunts where the rifle was thrown to the ground, used as a club, or in any stunt where a possibility of damage to the original Winchester 1892s existed. These three rifles were the only ones used by Connors during the run of the series.

The now-defunct Stembridge Gun Rentals provided the rifles and ammunition. Ammunition was quarter-load 5-in-1 blank cartridges containing smokeless powder, which did not produce the thick clouds of smoke the genuine black powder cartridges of the 1880s did. Most (if not all) of the sound effects for the rifle shots were dubbed, which is why the rifle sounded so different from the other gunshots on the show.

The 1892 Winchester is a top-eject rifle (opening the action by pushing the finger-lever forward moves the bolt rearward and thereby opens the top of the receiver). Loaded rounds or empty cases from the chamber eject straight up when the lever is pushed fully open (forward). When Connors cycled the action by spinning the rifle to his side, the cartridge in the action could fall out. Therefore, the rifle was modified with a plunger, which would hold the round in place.

The Winchester Model 1892 rifle was designed by John Moses Browning, and other than general appearance, it has nothing in common with earlier lever-action rifles using the same class of cartridges. The significant improvement was the addition of vertical lugs that securely lock the bolt and receiver when the gun fires. Winchester originally produced this gun from 1892 to 1941; total production was slightly over 1,000,000; 27 variations in five chamberings were made over the course of production, but the basic design was largely unaltered. As with the earlier Model 1873, the light and handy Model 1892 was chambered for handgun cartridges, favored by many Westerners to simplify ammunition supply problems by using the same cartridge in both a handgun and a rifle. The Model 1892 was replaced by the Browning-designed Model 1894, which also had an impressive manufacturing history, with over 7,000,000 produced; it is still being produced to this day by a successor to Winchester. The Model 94's popularity and long production history may be related to its being the first Winchester to be designed for the then-new "smokeless" powder.

Directing and writing

The pilot episode, "The Sharpshooter", was originally telecast on CBS as part of Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre on March 7, 1958; it was repeated (in edited form) as the first episode of the series on ABC. The episode was written by Sam Peckinpah, and guest starred Dennis Hopper.

Regulars on the program included Marshal Micah Torrance (R. G. Armstrong was the original marshal for two episodes, the first and the fourth), Sweeney the bartender (Bill Quinn), and a half-dozen other residents of North Fork (played by Hope Summers, Joan Taylor, Patricia Blair, John Harmon, and Harlan Warde).

Fifty-one episodes of the series were directed by Joseph H. Lewis (director of 1950's Gun Crazy and known for his film noir style). Ida Lupino directed one episode, "The Assault".

Connors wrote several episodes. Robert Culp (star of CBS's Trackdown, another Four Star production), wrote one two-part episode, and Frank D. Gilroy (creator of ABC's Burke's Law, another Four Star production), wrote "End of a Young Gun".

Release

Home media

MPI Home Video has released The Rifleman on DVD in Region 1 in a number of versions. It has released single-disc DVDs with five episodes; from 2002 to 2006 it released six sets, each with 20 episodes. The releases are random collections of episodes, rather than the original broadcast order. These releases are out of print, since MPI Home Video no longer owns the rights to the series. Levy-Gardner-Laven Productions, the original producer, is again the sole copyright owner of The Rifleman series.

In late 2013, Levy-Gardner-Laven Productions, Inc. announced it would be the only authorized outlet to offer for the first time all 168 episodes of The Rifleman, the original series, newly restored and assembled in DVD box sets. The episodes were to be released in sequential order, by season, in high-quality boxed sets with exclusive special features. The first boxed set of all Season 1 episodes was made available on December 4, 2013, for $69.95. The second season was released on November 28, 2014. Season 3 was released on December 2, 2015. Season 4 was released on December 4, 2016. Season 5 was released on November 27, 2017.

1	1	"The Sharpshooter"	Arnold Laven	Sam Peckinpah	September 30, 1958 (1958-09-30)
Lucas (Chuck Connors) and Mark McCain (Johnny Crawford) finally find the ranch they have been looking for, but the ranch comes with a price, and Lucas may have to decide between the ranch and his son's life. Guest stars: Leif Erickson, Dennis Hopper, Sidney Blackmer, R. G. Armstrong, Charles Arnt, Mickey Simpson, Kathleen Mulqueen, Virginia Aldridge, Matthew McCue, Howard Wright, Archie Butler, Jack N. Young, Bobby Somers, and Jesse Wayne. Note: This episode was originally an episode from Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater and became the pilot for The Rifleman which began September 30, 1958.
2	2	"Home Ranch"	Arnold Laven	Sam Peckinpah	October 7, 1958 (1958-10-07)
After two of Oat Jackford’s cowhands burn the McCain house, drag Lucas, and steal his rifle, Lucas goes to hunt Jackford (Harold J. Stone) and his men to inform them that he and his boy are there to stay. Guest stars: Lee Farr, Steve Rowland, Rodolfo Hoyos Jr., Don Kennedy, Jack N. Young, and Bobby Somers
3	3	"End of a Young Gun"	Jerry Hopper	Frank D. Gilroy	October 14, 1958 (1958-10-14)
When Mark gets caught on a mountain ledge, a young outlaw (Michael Landon) risks his life to rescue him and breaks his leg doing so. Guest stars: Charles Cooper, Joe Haworth, Carolyn Craig, Mel Carter, and Jesse Wayne
4	4	"The Marshal"	Sam Peckinpah	Sam Peckinpah	October 21, 1958 (1958-10-21)
The notorious Sheltons ride into North Fork to take revenge on Marshal Micah Torrance (Paul Fix) who is now crippled. Guest stars: James Drury, Warren Oates, Robert J. Wilke, Abby Dalton, Bill Quinn, Bert Stevens, and Jesse Wayne
5	5	"The Brother-in-Law"	Arnold Laven	David Victor & Herbert Little, Jr.	October 28, 1958 (1958-10-28)
Johnny Gibbs (Jerome Courtland), Lucas McCain's fugitive brother-in-law, visits the McCain ranch. Guest stars: Charles Watts, Karl Lukas, Dan White, Fay Roope, Archie Butler, Bobby Somers, and Jesse Wayne
6	6	"Eight Hours to Die"	Arnold Laven	Palmer Thompson	November 4, 1958 (1958-11-04)
A bitter judge (George Macready) kidnaps Mark and plans to kill him to avenge his own son's hanging while Lucas watches. Guest stars: Russell Collins, Hope Summers, Marilee Phillips, Irving Mitchell, Bobby Crawford Jr., Bud Osborne, Jack N. Young, and Bobby Somers
7	7	"Duel of Honor"	Joseph H. Lewis	Ken Kolb	November 11, 1958 (1958-11-11)
A stagecoach breaks down and Italian nobleman Count Di Montova (Cesare Danova) is stranded overnight in North Fork. He accepts a challenge for a gun duel after being insulted by Sim Groder (Jack Elam). Guest stars: Glenn Strange, John Dierkes, Joe Bassett, John Harmon, Bill Quinn, Archie Butler, Robert H. Robinson, and Jesse Wayne
8	8	"The Safe Guard"	Joseph H. Lewis	David Swift	November 18, 1958 (1958-11-18)
The first bank in North Fork is opening, and a Texas gunfighter (Claude Akins) is hired to guard the safe, but a gang of bank robbers that used to include him arrives in town. Guest stars: Marc Lawrence, Sidney Blackmer, Harlan Warde, Hope Summers, Dennis Cross, Mel Carter, Fritz Ford, Robert H. Robinson, and Jesse Wayne
9	9	"The Sister"	Montgomery Pittman	Montgomery Pittman	November 25, 1958 (1958-11-25)
Mark tries to set Lucas up with a woman (Sherry Jackson) he thinks would make a perfect wife. Lucas soon finds himself contending with the woman's two brothers as well as some outlaws intent on killing him. Guest stars: Dan Blocker, David Tyrell, John Dierkes, Lance Fuller, Mike Morgan, Mort Mills, Hope Summers, Michael Harris, Archie Butler, and Fritz Ford
10	10	"New Orleans Menace"	Arnold Laven	Cyril Hume	December 2, 1958 (1958-12-02)
A New Orleans gambling czar (Akim Tamiroff) and his men stop at the McCain ranch and decide to take it from Lucas. Guest stars: Harlan Warde, Michael Pate, Hope Summers, Jerry Oddo, Galvan DeLeon, Jack Tornek, Bobby Somers, Archie Butler, Robert H. Robinson, and Jesse Wayne
11	11	"The Apprentice Sheriff"	Arthur Hiller	Barney Slater	December 9, 1958 (1958-12-09)
Lucas tries to help a young West Point reject, who is filling in as marshal, just as the town erupts into a gunfight.
12	12	"Young Englishman"	Arnold Laven	Arthur Weiss	December 16, 1958 (1958-12-16)
Lucas accuses the young foreman of a neighboring ranch of rustling one of his calves.
13	13	"The Angry Gun"	David Swift	Samuel A. Peeples	December 23, 1958 (1958-12-23)
Lucas and Mark return from a cattle sale when their stagecoach is robbed by three outlaws led by sharpshooter Johnny Cotton (Vic Morrow). Lucas sends Mark on in the stagecoach while he goes after the outlaws on foot without his rifle.
14	14	"The Gaucho"	Jerry Hopper	Bruce Geller	December 30, 1958 (1958-12-30)
Lucas helps an Argentinian family who are new to North Fork when they are ridiculed by others.
15	15	"The Pet"	Joseph H. Lewis	Ken Kolb	January 6, 1959 (1959-01-06)
Lucas allows Mark to take in a homeless horse after its owner is killed in a gunfight. Lucas soon discovers the truth about the horse and has to fight a gunman who does not want his secret to be exposed.
16	16	"The Sheridan Story"	Arnold Laven	Cyril Hume	January 13, 1959 (1959-01-13)
Wanting to teach Mark about tolerance and acceptance, Lucas hires an injured and bitter confederate soldier (Royal Dano) to work on his ranch, only the Union army also arrives at the farm. Guest stars: Lawrence Dobkin, William Meigs, Fritz Ford, Frank Wilcox, and Stephen Chase
17	17	"The Retired Gun"	Arnold Laven	Barney Slater	January 20, 1959 (1959-01-20)
A famous gunman (Robert Webber) promises his new bride that he will retire from gunfighting and settle in North Fork, but five outlaws try to make him break his promise.
18	18	"The Photographer"	Arnold Laven	Ken Kolb	January 27, 1959 (1959-01-27)
When a photographer friend of the McCains is accused of murder, father and son take opposing views on the matter.
19	19	"Shivaree"	Joseph H. Lewis	David Victor & Herbert Little	February 3, 1959 (1959-02-03)
A young couple is forced to marry after they hide the fact that one of them is a girl, and Lucas helps them hide; but a rowdy crowd calls for a Shivaree.
20	20	"The Deadeye Kid"	Jerry Hopper	Palmer Thompson	February 10, 1959 (1959-02-10)
Lucas and Mark protect a witness wrongfully accused of murder.
21	21	"The Indian"	Arnold Laven	Cyril Hume	February 17, 1959 (1959-02-17)
U.S. Marshal Sam Buckhart arrives in North Fork to look for Indians who are suspected in the brutal murder of a Ranger and his family. (This is the pilot for the series Law of the Plainsman.)
22	22	"The Boarding House"	Sam Peckinpah	Sam Peckinpah	February 24, 1959 (1959-02-24)
Julia Massini (Katy Jurado), a reformed gambler, runs a respectable boarding house in North Fork, but her old boss shows up and tries to force her to turn her place into a gambling house.
23	23	"The Second Witness"	Lewis Allen	Judy & George W. George	March 3, 1959 (1959-03-03)
After the witness in a murder case is killed, Lucas agrees to testify in order to convict a murderer, but someone wants the prosecution stopped. Mark and the townsfolk try to talk Lucas out of testifying.
24	24	"The Trade"	Joseph H. Lewis	David Lang	March 10, 1959 (1959-03-10)
After falling in love with a sick young woman, fugitive Sam Morley asks his friend Lucas to turn him in and use the reward money to pay for the woman's medical needs.
25	25	"One Went to Denver"	Lewis Allen	Pat Fielder	March 17, 1959 (1959-03-17)
Lucas' friend and renowned bank robber Tom Birch (Richard Anderson) comes for a surprise visit, upsetting Mark. Neither know the man has plans to rob the North Fork bank.
26	26	"The Deadly Wait"	Joseph H. Lewis	Arthur Browne, Jr.	March 24, 1959 (1959-03-24)
Released from Yuma prison, Dan Maury arrives in North Fork intent on getting even with Marshal Torrance, who helped send him to jail.
27	27	"The Wrong Man"	Arnold Laven	N. B. Stone, Jr.	March 31, 1959 (1959-03-31)
A crooked marshal from another territory intentionally kills an innocent man to collect the bounty money.
28	28	"The Challenge"	Lewis Allen	David Victor & Herbert Little	April 7, 1959 (1959-04-07)
An escaped killer holds Hattie and Micah hostage at the General Store to prove that he is still good with a gun.
29	29	"The Hawk"	Lamont Johnson	Arthur Browne, Jr.	April 14, 1959 (1959-04-14)
The McCains befriend a stranger after he saves Mark from a rattlesnake, but they soon discover that he is not who he says he is.
30	30	"Three-Legged Terror"	William Conrad	Palmer Thompson	April 21, 1959 (1959-04-21)
Lucas takes in an orphaned teen (Dennis Hopper) being raised by his abusive uncle after trouble is caused at the school.
31	31	"The Angry Man"	Jerry Hopper	Arthur Browne, Jr.	April 28, 1959 (1959-04-28)
A neighboring rancher refuses medical assistance when his son is seriously hurt in an accident because he blames doctors for the death of his wife.
32	32	"The Woman"	Arnold Laven	Pat Fielder & Bernard Girard	May 5, 1959 (1959-05-05)
After a boy (Paul Carr) admits to his father that he and the school teacher (Patricia Barry) are in love, the rancher chases the advocator for women's rights out of town. Lucas wants to learn the truth.
33	33	"The Money Gun"	Sam Peckinpah	Bruce Geller	May 12, 1959 (1959-05-12)
Bookkeeper Asa Manning (William Phipps) hires a professional gunman (John Dehner) to provoke Oat Jackford (Bert Freed), a bully rancher who suspects him of embezzlement, into a gunfight. Lucas is forced to assist Jackford, the man he once hated.
34	34	"A Matter of Faith"	Don Taylor	Harry Kronman	May 19, 1959 (1959-05-19)
A drought has forced local cowhands to seek work on a railroad construction project and railroad executives are afraid that their workers will desert them when an old man (Royal Dano) claims to have found a way to make rain. Guest stars: Parley Baer, Bing Russell and Michael Hinn
35	35	"Blood Brothers"	Arnold Laven	Story by: Chuck Connors Teleplay by: Pat Fielder	May 26, 1959 (1959-05-26)
Lucas is surprised when Micah wishes death on a dying man (Max Wagner) he brings into North Fork, then Lucas discovers that Micah holds a big secret.
36	36	"Stranger at Night"	Lewis Allen	David Lang	June 2, 1959 (1959-06-02)
Mark stumbles across a dead man and the only clue to his identity is a belt with the initials RM.
37	37	"The Raid"	Paul Landres	Harry Julian Fink	June 9, 1959 (1959-06-09)
A renegade band of Indians captures Mark and disappears into the hills of New Mexico. (This is the sequel to the episode The Indian.)
38	38	"Outlaw's Inheritance"	Don Taylor	Judy & George W. George	June 16, 1959 (1959-06-16)
The townspeople question the reputation of Lucas when he is named in a will of a notorious outlaw.
39	39	"Boomerang"	Joseph H. Lewis	Arthur Browne, Jr.	June 23, 1959 (1959-06-23)
Lucas takes in an orphaned boy (Lee Kinsolving) and teaches him how to use a gun, not knowing that the boy plans on killing the banker (Harlan Warde) he believes is responsible for his father's death.
40	40	"The Mind Reader"	Don Medford	Robert C. Dennis	June 30, 1959 (1959-06-30)
Accused of a murder he did not commit, a young man (Michael Landon) is finally cleared by the accidental discovery of a "mind reader" (John Carradine).
41	1	"The Patsy"	Joseph H. Lewis	Harry Kronman	September 29, 1959 (1959-09-29)
Two gunfighters (Steven Marlo, Dennis Cross) use a cowardly barber (Whit Bissell) and his son to talk Lucas into a gunfight so they can kill Lucas and take over the town. Guest stars: John Anderson, Don Grady, Dennis Cross, and Robert H. Robinson
42	2	"Bloodlines"	Arthur Browne, Jr.	Arthur Hiller	October 6, 1959 (1959-10-06)
After Lucas is blamed for killing a young man, an outlaw father and his two sons attempt to kill Lucas. Guest stars: Denver Pyle, Warren Oates, Christopher Dark, Buddy Hackett, Rhys Williams, Bill Quinn, Archie Butler, and Whitey Hughes
43	3	"The Blowout"	James Neilson	Arthur Hiller	October 13, 1959 (1959-10-13)
An ailing gunfighter (John Dehner) comes to North Fork to die under a doctor's care in order to spare his family. But the gunfighter is being pursued by bank robbers (John Milford, Howard Ledig) from whom he stole robbery money. Guest stars: Hugh Sanders, Bill Quinn, Glenn Strange, George Brenlin, James Parnell, and Archie Butler
44	4	"Obituary"	Don Medford	Teddi Sherman & Ward Wood	October 20, 1959 (1959-10-20)
After Lucas accuses a newspaper writer's (Alexander Scourby) misleading articles of causing an innocent man's death, the writer begins writing articles about Lucas. Guest stars: Joanna Moore, Brian D. Hutton, Chris Alcaide, Steve Darnell, Ian Murray, Whitey Hughes, and Archie Butler
45	5	"Tension"	Ted Post	David Lang	October 27, 1959 (1959-10-27)
After a wanna-be bounty hunter (Harry Dean Stanton) kills a man (Gregory Walcott) wanted for a crime committed long ago, Lucas and Mark try to protect the widow (Sydna Scott) from learning about her husband's criminal past. Guest stars: Robert H. Harris, Jack Elam, Jeff Connors, and Ted Stanhope
46	6	"Eddie's Daughter"	Joseph H. Lewis	William F. Leicester	November 3, 1959 (1959-11-03)
Eddie's daughter (Gloria DeHaven), who is withholding criminal information and stolen money, comes to meet her father (John Harmon) and causes trouble for Lucas. Guest stars: Bill Quinn, Peter Whitney, Ray Teal, Jeff Daley, and Kathleen Mulqueen
47	7	"Panic"	Joseph H. Lewis	Albert Aley	November 10, 1959 (1959-11-10)
Lucas discovers a young married couple (William Joyce and Enid Janes) with yellow fever and cares for them at his house, but Mark lets out the secret which causes panic in town. Guest stars: Dabbs Greer, Fay Roope, Bill Quinn, Hope Summers, Charles Watts, Lynn Cartier, and Bert Stevens
48	8	"Ordeal"	Paul Landres	Palmer Thompson	November 17, 1959 (1959-11-17)
A series of events leads to Lucas and Mark being stranded in the middle of a desert with very little food or water, and after Lucas is injured, Mark becomes the only hope for their survival. Guest stars: Hank Stohl and Fritz Ford
49	9	"The Spiked Rifle"	John English	Palmer Thompson	November 24, 1959 (1959-11-24)
An unarmed outlaw (Richard Devon) robs the stage of a lot of money after the outlaw informs Lucas that his son, Mark, is being held hostage at the McCain ranch and will be killed within the hour unless Lucas cooperates. Guest stars: Harlan Warde, Jack Lambert, Baynes Barron, Virginia Christine, Glenn Strange, Charles E. Conrad, Fay Roope, John Harmon, Robert H. Robinson, Carl Sepulveda, Archie Butler, and Rod McGaughy
50	10	"Letter of the Law"	Joseph H. Lewis	Judy & George W. George	December 1, 1959 (1959-12-01)
Lucas makes a life-and-death decision when Micah is held hostage and the kidnappers demand the release of a notorious outlaw (Vic Morrow). Guest stars: Rhys Williams, Milton Parsons, Ken Lynch, Michael Fox, Paul Carr, John Goddard, and Harlan Warde
51	11	"Legacy"	Bernard L. Kowalski	Edmund Morris	December 8, 1959 (1959-12-08)
Lucas respects a dying man's (James Barton) wishes by telling the son (James Franciscus) that his father is a partner in the McCain ranch in order to get him to North Fork, but Lucas finds trouble when the man dies before telling his son the truth. Guest stars: Jack Grinnage, Paul Jasmin, Denver Pyle, Fay Roope, Bill Quinn, Robert Bice, Donald Elson, Lillian Bronson, John Harmon, Harry Harvey, Jack Tornek, Don Kennedy, and Robert H. Robinson
52	12	"The Baby Sitter"	Sam Peckinpah	Sam Peckinpah & Jack Curtis	December 15, 1959 (1959-12-15)
A singer (Phyllis Avery) asks Lucas to care for her daughter in an effort to hide the child from its bigoted father (John Dehner). Guest stars: Lillian Bronson, Henry Rowland, Bill Quinn, Whitey Hughes, Robert H. Robinson, Bert Stevens, and Rod McGaughy
53	13	"The Coward"	James Neilson	Philip Saltzman & Clair Huffaker	December 22, 1959 (1959-12-22)
Lucas becomes involved in a battle between a recently fired cook (Carleton Carpenter) and a cocky trail hand (Steve Rowland) who finds it fun to attack those weaker than himself. Guest stars: John Milford, Robert Bice, Don Elson, Bill Quinn, Sailor Vincent, and Archie Butler
54	14	"Surveyors"	Joseph H. Lewis	Dale & Katherine Albert Eunson	December 29, 1959 (1959-12-29)
Mark overhears two surveyors (Mike Kellin, Lin McCarthy) arguing and his surveying friend (Ted Otis) suddenly disappears, but Lucas will not believe him and he runs away from home. Guest stars: Harlan Warde
55	15	"Day of the Hunter"	Joseph H. Lewis	John Dunkel	January 5, 1960 (1960-01-05)
Lucas refuses a shooting competition with a wandering buffalo hunter (John Anderson) and then becomes his new target. Guest stars: Dick Elliott
56	16	"Mail Order Groom"	Arthur Hiller	Gene Olson	January 12, 1960 (1960-01-12)
Shortly after his arrival to marry Isabelle (Alice Backes), John Jupiter (Peter Whitney) is taunted and beaten. Guest stars: John Anderson, Sandy Kenyon, and Montie Montana
57	17	"A Case of Identity"	John Peyser	Philip Saltzman	January 19, 1960 (1960-01-19)
A man (Royal Dano) hires two private detectives to find his long-lost son. They presume him to be dead and try to take Mark to pass him off as the son in order to collect the money. Guest stars: Herbert Rudley, Chris Alcaide, Jim Breneman and Rhys Williams
58	18	"The Visitor"	Joseph H. Lewis	William F. Leicester, Chuck Connors, and Wally Bennett	January 26, 1960 (1960-01-26)
Anne Dodd (Christine White), a pretty young widow of a man who was once Lucas' good friend, visits. Guest stars: Michael Pate, June Vincent, John Harmon, and Ralph Moody
59	19	"Hero"	Joseph H. Lewis	Albert Aley	February 2, 1960 (1960-02-02)
The body of a notorious outlaw, the Domino Kid, is brought in by Colly Vane (Robert Culp), who doesn't get the reward for he shot the man in the back. Guest stars: Frank Ferguson, Lynn Cartier, Dick Keene, Dennis Cross, Steve Marlo, Whitey Hughes, and Archie Butler
60	20	"The Horse Traders"	William Claxton	Jack Curtis	February 9, 1960 (1960-02-09)
Lucas and Mark try to help out a friend (Chubby Johnson) who has been cheated in a horse trading deal. Guest stars: Jack Kirkwood, John Milford, Clegg Hoyt, Fern Barry, and Whitey Hughes
61	21	"The Spoiler"	Joseph H. Lewis	Harry Kronman	February 16, 1960 (1960-02-16)
The Averys (Chubby Johnson, Ellen Corby), Lucas' new elderly neighbors live under an assumed name to keep the town from knowing they are the parents of a vicious wanted killer (Skip Homeier). Guest stars: Malcolm Cassell, Ralph Moody, and Max Wagner
62	22	"Heller"	Joseph H. Lewis	Christopher Knopf	February 23, 1960 (1960-02-23)
Teenaged Heller (Gigi Perreau) and her brother (Don Grady) are badly mistreated by their drunken stepfather (Peter Whitney). Guest stars: K. T. Stevens, Sid Gilman, and Hope Summers
63	23	"The Grasshopper"	Lewis Allen	Pat Fielder	March 1, 1960 (1960-03-01)
Lucas and Mark find themselves held at gunpoint by a prisoner (Richard Devon) being transported on a train, which becomes stranded from a plague of grasshoppers. Guest stars: Arthur Hunnicutt, Stuart Randall, James K Anderson, Arthur Space, Joe Bassett, Renny McEvoy, Joe Haworth, Ethan Laidlaw, Sid Gilman, and Hope Summers
64	24	"A Time for Singing"	John Rich	Harry Kronman	March 8, 1960 (1960-03-08)
Mark learns a new preacher (Robert Knapp) is an impostor. Guest stars: Chris Alcaide, Patricia Barry, John Milford, Bob Osterloh and Hope Summers
65	25	"The Deserter"	Joseph H. Lewis	Albert Aley	March 15, 1960 (1960-03-15)
Lucas learns why a young soldier (Ron Hagerthy) deserted. Guest stars: Robert O. Cornthwaite, Harry Carey, Jr., Baynes Barron, Bill Quinn, Richard Alexander, Archie Butler, and Daniel Borzage
66	26	"The Vision"	Don Medford	Cyril Hume	March 22, 1960 (1960-03-22)
While ill with typhoid fever, Mark has a vision of his mother (Marian Seldes). Guest stars: Milton Parsons, Karl Swenson, Hope Summers, Natividad Vacío, Jeanne Wood, Dennis Cross, John Abbott, and Chuck Hicks
67	27	"Lariat"	Don Medford	Pat Fielder	March 29, 1960 (1960-03-29)
An old friend (Richard Anderson) of Lucas' arrives in North Fork to open a gambling casino. Guest stars: Steve Conte, Dayton Lummis, George Macready, James Flavin, Bill Quinn, Harlan Warde, Whitey Hughes, Jack Tornek, Archie Butler, Rod McGaughy, and Snub Pollard
68	28	"Smoke Screen"	Murray Golden	Palmer Thompson	April 5, 1960 (1960-04-05)
The daughter (Jennifer Lea) of a prosperous rancher (Douglas Kennedy) is found murdered. Guest stars: Paul Carr, Warner Jones, George N. Neise, William Benedict, Richard Alexander, Johnny Collier, and Archie Butler
69	29	"Shotgun Man"	Joseph H. Lewis	Jack Curtis & Paul Mazursky	April 12, 1960 (1960-04-12)
Lucas receives a series of mysterious threatening notes from an ex-convict (John Anderson) with a grudge. Guest stars: John Harmon, Bill Quinn, Jack Elam, Archie Butler. and Robert Robinson
70	30	"Sins of the Father"	Ted Post	Philip Saltzman & Lewis Meltzer	April 19, 1960 (1960-04-19)
Andy Moon (George D. Wallace) and his young son (Eugene Mazzola) take shelter at the McCain ranch. Guest stars: Richard Evans, Kay E. Kuter, Kelton Garwood, Dick Wilson, Rhys Williams, Charles Tannen, Archie Butler, and Snub Pollard
71	31	"The Prodigal"	Donald McDougall	Robert Sherman	April 26, 1960 (1960-04-26)
A bank-robbing gunman (Kevin Hagen) decides to hide out at the McCain ranch. Guest stars: Josephine Hutchinson, Warren Oates, Rodolfo Hoyos Jr., Rhys Williams, Lee Van Cleef, and Hope Summers
72	32	"The Fourflusher"	Joseph H. Lewis	Thomas Thompson	May 3, 1960 (1960-05-03)
A neighbor (Whit Bissell) has bet his whole year's farm crop on a horse race. Guest stars: James Westerfield, K. T. Stevens, Hope Summers, Archie Butler, Joe Benson, and Ralph Moratz
73	33	"The Jailbird"	Don Taylor	Frederic Conrad	May 10, 1960 (1960-05-10)
A convict (Dabbs Greer) is released from prison and returns home to North Fork. Guest stars: Karl Swenson, Bill Quinn, Molly Dodd, Charles Briggs, Charles Tannen, and Archie Butler
74	34	"Meeting at Midnight"	Don Medford	Pat Fielder & Arthur Browne Jr.	May 17, 1960 (1960-05-17)
Lucas helps an old friend (Claude Akins), a federal agent, infiltrate a gang of robbers. Guest stars: Chris Alcaide, John Milford, Frank de Kova, Bill Quinn, Ian Murray, Richard Alexander, and Archie Butler
75	35	"Nora"	Ted Post	David Victor & Herbert Little	May 24, 1960 (1960-05-24)
Lucas helps a woman (Julie Adams) who is being harassed by a rough gambler. Guest stars: Murvyn Vye, Michael Fox, Michael Stefani, Johnny Carpenter, Whitey Hughes, Archie Butler, Joe E. Benson, and Bert Stevens
76	36	"The Hangman"	Joseph H. Lewis	Teddi Sherman & Ward Wood	May 31, 1960 (1960-05-31)
An ex-convict (Denver Pyle) is accused of robbing and killing his employer. Guest stars: Whit Bissell, Richard Deacon, Michael Fox, Ralph Moody, Betty Lou Gerson, Ian Murray, Amanda Ames, Joe E. Benson, and Archie Butler
77	1	"Trail of Hate"	Arnold Laven	Calvin Clements	September 27, 1960 (1960-09-27)
Three robbers hold Mark hostage, forcing Lucas to help them rob the North Fork bank. Guest stars: Marc Lawrence, Harold J. Stone, Jack Kruschen, Harlan Warde, and Harvey Johnson
78	2	"Woman from Hog Ridge"	William F. Claxton	Calvin Clements	October 4, 1960 (1960-10-04)
A matriarch seeks revenge for her sons' deaths. Guest stars: Dee J. Thompson, Jan Stine, Lane Bradford, James Hurst, and Robert F. Hoy
79	3	"Seven"	Ted Post	Arthur Browne, Jr.	October 11, 1960 (1960-10-11)
A prison wagon carrying seven criminals stops over in North Fork for supplies. Guest stars: Bing Russell, Helen Beverly, Hal John Norman, Hope Summers, and Don Megowan
80	4	"The Pitchman"	John Rich	Jay Simms	October 18, 1960 (1960-10-18)
A con man and his son want Lucas' mineral rights. Guest stars: Danny Richards, Jr., John Milford, Paul Wexler, and Bob Sweeney
81	5	"Strange Town"	Joseph H. Lewis	Jack Curtis	October 25, 1960 (1960-10-25)
Lucas trails an escaped prisoner (Claude Akins) to a mining town in the mountains. Guest stars: William Shallert, Milton Parsons, Claude Akins, and Peter Whitney
82	6	"Baranca"	Joseph H. Lewis	Mike Mamakos & Peter Mamakos	November 1, 1960 (1960-11-01)
A Mexican bandit and his gang ride into North Fork. Guest stars: John Milford, Jack Krushen, Linda Dangcil, Henry Amargo, and Cesare Danova
83	7	"The Martinet"	Joseph H. Lewis	Phillip Saltzman	November 8, 1960 (1960-11-08)
Lucas helps a young minister who had problems with his father. Guest stars: John Hoyt, Don Dubbins, and Richard Alexander
84	8	"Miss Milly"	Joseph H. Lewis	Arthur Browne, Jr.	November 15, 1960 (1960-11-15)
A store owner hires con men as collection agents. Guest stars: Joan Taylor, Warren Oates, Michael Fox, Charles Tannen, and Richard Devon
85	9	"Dead Cold Cash"	Dick Moder	Irving Elman & Arthur Browne, Jr.	November 22, 1960 (1960-11-22)
Before she dies, the widow of a bandit Lucas shot arranges for his death. Guest stars: Joan Taylor, Steve Darrell, Chris Alcaide, Harlan Warde, and Ed Nelson
86	10	"The Schoolmaster"	Arthur Hiller	Margaret Armen	November 29, 1960 (1960-11-29)
Mark is trapped in an old mine. Guest stars: Jimmy Fields, Pamela Cole, and Arnold Moss
87	11	"The Promoter"	Dick Moder	Phillip Saltzman	December 6, 1960 (1960-12-06)
A con man makes his living by provoking and then betting on gunfights. Guest stars: Dabbs Greer, Ollie O' Toole, Robert F. Hoy, Jack Lester, and Denny Miller
88	12	"The Illustrator"	Don Medford	Ken Kolb & Robert Mark	December 13, 1960 (1960-12-13)
A hard-drinking painter is accused of murder. Guest stars: Midge Ware, Dayton Lummis, Ed Nelson, Joseph V. Perry, and Richard Whorf
89	13	"The Silent Knife"	Don Medford	John Wilder & Douglas Stevens	December 20, 1960 (1960-12-20)
A desperate, mute man steals from the stagecoach. Guest stars: Brad Weston, Robert Williams, James Chandler, Wallace Earl, and Richard Devon
90	14	"Miss Bertie"	James Clavell	Margaret Armen	December 27, 1960 (1960-12-27)
A sprightly elderly lady arrives in North Fork and announces that she plans to capute a bandit. Guest stars: Joan Taylor, Agnes Moorehead, and Richard Anderson
91	15	"Six Years And A Day"	Paul Wendkos	Peter Arends	January 3, 1961 (1961-01-03)
Lucas helps an alcoholic former doctor regain his self-respect. Guest stars: John Larch, James Gavin, Ron Hayes, Regina Gleason, Ralph Moody, and Hal K. Dawson
92	16	"Flowers By The Door"	Joseph H. Lewis	Harry Kronman	January 10, 1961 (1961-01-10)
Lucas unmasks a book salesman as a killer. Guest stars: Richard Anderson, Jean Allison, and Patricia Breslin
93	17	"Long Trek"	Lamont Johnson	Calvin Clements	January 17, 1961 (1961-01-17)
Lucas and Micah are beset with troubles while bringing a killer to trial. Guest star: Lonny Chapman
94	18	"The Actress"	Joseph H. Lewis	Chuck Connors & Lawrence Dobkin	January 24, 1961 (1961-01-24)
A dying friend asks Lucas to fetch his wife. Guest stars: Morris Ankrum, Diana Millay, Ralph Moody, Charles Tannen, and Joe Benson
95	19	"Face Of Yesterday"	Joseph H. Lewis	Palmer Thompson	January 31, 1961 (1961-01-31)
Lucas begins to believe in ghosts when he sees someone he thinks he killed. Guest stars: Joan Taylor, K.T. Stevens, Ralph Moody, Ben Cooper, and John Anderson
96	20	"The Wyoming Story: Part 1"	Joseph H. Lewis	Arthur Browne, Jr.	February 7, 1961 (1961-02-07)
Lucas goes undercover as a federal agent. Guest stars: Joan Taylor, Kent Taylor, Dabbs Greer, Russell Thorson, Enid Janes and Chris Alcaide
97	21	"The Wyoming Story, Part 2"	Joseph H. Lewis	Arthur Browne, Jr.	February 14, 1961 (1961-02-14)
Lucas is sent to Wyoming to investigate the sale of guns to Indians. Guest Stars: Joan Taylor, Kent Taylor, Dabbs Greer, Russell Thorson, Enid Janes and Chris Alcaide
98	22	"Closer Than A Brother"	Joseph H. Lewis	Cyril Hume	February 21, 1961 (1961-02-21)
Micah is terrorized by an old enemy and resigns from his job. Guest Stars: Rex Ingram, Berry Kroeger, Kelly Thorsden, and Jack Wells
99	23	"The Lost Treasure Of Canyon Town"	Don Taylor	Calvin Clements	February 28, 1961 (1961-02-28)
Lucas, Mark and Micah learn the secret of a town's 20-year-old mystery of a lost gold mine. Guest Stars: Willam Fawcett, Robert Foulk, and Mickey Finn
100	24	"Dark Day At North Fork"	Paul Landres	Arthur Browne, Jr.	March 7, 1961 (1961-03-07)
Lucas, temporarily blind, faces a gunfight. Guest Stars: Joan Taylor, John Milford, Ralph Moody, and Joe Higgins
101	25	"The Prisoner"	Joseph H. Lewis	Arthur Browne, Jr.	March 14, 1961 (1961-03-14)
A former POW imprisons Lucas for his role in the Civil War. Guest Stars: Joan Taylor, Adam Williams, and John Dehner
102	26	"Assault"	Ida Lupino	Jay Simms	March 21, 1961 (1961-03-21)
A traveling salesman is accused of forcing his attentions on a local woman. Guest Stars: Linda Lawson, Danny Richards, Jr., King Calder, Meb Florey, Paul Mantee and Bob Sweeney
103	27	"Short Rope For A Tall Man"	Paul Landres	Tom Gries	March 28, 1961 (1961-03-28)
Lucas faces lynching for unwittingly buying stolen horses. Guest Stars: Hal Baylor, Norman Leavitt, Charlie Briggs, William Shallert, and Bert Freed
104	28	"The Clarence Bibs Story"	David Friedkin	Calvin Clements	April 4, 1961 (1961-04-04)
A slow-witted handyman gets into trouble when he accidentally kills a skilled gunfighter. Guest Stars: Joan Taylor, Buddy Hackett, Denver Pyle, Lee Van Cleef, John Milford and X. Brands
105	29	"The Score Is Even"	William F. Claxton	Fanya Foss	April 11, 1961 (1961-04-11)
Lucas and Mark stumble across a robbery in progress. Guest Stars: Adam Williams, Kelly Thordsen, and Joe Benson
106	30	"The Mescalaro Curse"	Jesse Hibbs	Margaret Armen	April 18, 1961 (1961-04-18)
After Lucas receives a curse while attending then hanging of a murdering Indian, he goes on a hunt to find out who or what is behind the so-called curse. Guest Stars: Ralph Moody, Charles Watts, Larry Chance, Jackie Searl, Joe Brown, Jr., and Michael Pate
107	31	"Stopover"	Budd Boetticher	Arthur Browne, Jr.	April 25, 1961 (1961-04-25)
Lucas allows troublesome snowed-in stagecoach passengers to stay with him until the roads are passable. Guest Stars: Adam West, Gordon Jones, Joe Higgins, and Bethel Leslie
108	32	"The Lonesome Bride"	Otto Lang	Arthur Browne, Jr.	May 2, 1961 (1961-05-02)
Lucas almost finds himself at the altar when two drunken cowboys play a joke on him. Guest Stars: Joan Taylor, Kay E. Kuter, Lincoln Demyan, Bill Quinn and Joan Shawlee
109	33	"Death Trap"	Arnold Laven	Arthur Browne, Jr.	May 9, 1961 (1961-05-09)
An ex-gunfighter from Lucas' past, now a doctor, comes to his aid when a dying man is brought in, but Lucas and the new doctor have unresolved anger toward each other. Guest Stars: Philip Carey, Gigi Perreau, Hank Stohl, John Pickard, Larry Perron, William Kendis, Steve Pendleton, and James Drury
110	34	"The Queue"	James Clavell	Beverly Fix, Frank Eby and Arthur Browne, Jr.	May 16, 1961 (1961-05-16)
Lucas helps a Chinese man settle into town after townspeople try to force him out because of his race. Guest Stars: Joan Taylor, Victor Sen Yung, Dick Kay Hong, Pat Close and Paul Wexler, and Peter Whitney
111	1	"The Vaqueros"	Joseph H. Lewis	Arthur Browne Jr.	October 2, 1961 (1961-10-02)
Lucas subdues a gang of bandits singlehandedly. Guest stars: Martin Landau, Roberto Contreras, Ziva Rodann, Vladimir Sokoloff, Than Wyenn, Pepe Hern
112	2	"First Wages"	Gene Nelson	Ed Adamson	October 9, 1961 (1961-10-09)
Mark takes a job against his father's wishes. Guest stars: Ed Nelson, Joe Higgins, Glen Ryle, David M. Rodman, Troy Melton
113	3	"Sheer Terror"	Joseph H. Lewis	Arthur Browne Jr.	October 16, 1961 (1961-10-16)
Stagecoach robbers take Mark and Millie hostage. Guest stars: Joan Taylor, Harlan Wade, Charles Macaulay, Tommy Cook, Paul Wexler
114	4	"The Stand-In"	Joseph H. Lewis	Arthur Browne Jr.	October 23, 1961 (1961-10-23)
A prison wagon carrying a condemned killer passes through North Fork. Guest stars: Richard Devon, Dabbs Greer, Charles Cooper
115	5	"The Journey Back"	Joseph H. Lewis	Herman Groves	October 30, 1961 (1961-10-30)
A new neighbor of the McCains' gives Mark a job on his ranch. Guest stars: John Anderson, John Milford, Harry Carey Jr., Mel Carter, Chris Alcaide
116	6	"The Decision"	Gene Nelson	Ed Adamson	November 6, 1961 (1961-11-06)
A killer's rich father tires to bribe witness Lucas. Guest stars: Denver Pyle, Hampton Fancher, Kevin Hagen, Arlyne Varden, Jim Stewart, Richard Kiel, Henry Norell
117	7	"Knight Errant"	Gene Nelson	Jay Simms	November 13, 1961 (1961-11-13)
An eccentric old friend of Lucas' arrives in North Fork. Guest stars: Lawrence Dobkin, Sean McClory, Charles Reade, Jack Elam
118	8	"Honest Abe"	Joseph H. Lewis	Michael Morris	November 20, 1961 (1961-11-20)
A kindly neighbor (Royal Dano) of Lucas' believes he is President Lincoln. Guest stars: Royal Dano, Charles Cooper, K.T. Stevens, Joe Higgins, Steve Warren, Pam Smith, Rex Morgan and Pick Temple
119	9	"The Long Goodbye"	Gene Nelson	Marian Carpenter, Jack Lewis	November 27, 1961 (1961-11-27)
The North Fork Town Council feels that an old man is incapable of raising his grandson. Guest stars: Joan Taylor, Edgar Buchanan, Teddy Rooney, Virginia Christine, Bill Zuckert
120	10	"The Shattered Idol"	Joseph H. Lewis	Margaret Armen	December 4, 1961 (1961-12-04)
Mark Twain visits North Fork. Guest stars: Kevin McCarthy, Jack Elam, Bud Osbourne, Mary Jo Tierney
121	11	"Long Gun from Tucson"	Joseph H. Lewis	Calvin Clements	December 11, 1961 (1961-12-11)
The townspeople leave Lucas to face killers alone. Guest stars: Peter Whitney, Whit Bissell, Brian G. Hutton, Joe Higgins, Billy E. Hughes
122	12	"High Country"	Gene Nelson	Calvin Clements	December 18, 1961 (1961-12-18)
Lucas is accidentally responsible for the death of a young mountain boy. Guest stars: James Coburn, Booth Colman, Ellen Corby, Valora Noland
123	13	"A Friend In Need"	Gene Nelson	Arthur Browne Jr.	December 25, 1961 (1961-12-25)
Lucas is stunned when Mark is kidnapped and a $5,000 ransom is asked. Guest stars: Joan Taylor, Harlan Warde, Parley Baer, Lee Farr, Tom Snyder
124	14	"Skull"	William F. Claxton	Arthur Browne Jr.	January 1, 1962 (1962-01-01)
Outlaws force Lucas to help with a prison break. Guest stars: Lyle Bettger, Lewis Charles, Tom Brown, Don Drysdale, George Willeford, John Alvin
125	15	"The Princess"	Robert Butler	Pat Fielder	January 8, 1962 (1962-01-08)
A young girl seeks refuge at the McCain ranch for herself and her ill brother. Guest stars: Annie Fargue, Michel Petit, Stephen Bekassy, Robert Burton, Ron Penfound
126	16	"Gunfire"	Richard Donner	Arthur Browne Jr.	January 15, 1962 (1962-01-15)
A gang comes to town to free a jailed member. Guest stars: Lon Chaney Jr., Ross Elliot, Joe Higgins, Grant Richards, Willian Bryant, Preston Price
127	17	"Quiet Fear"	Gene Nelson	Arthur Browne Jr.	January 22, 1962 (1962-01-22)
A drifer forces his attentions on a deaf girl. Guest stars: Enid Jaynes, Patrick McVey, Richard Rust, Dennis Cross
128	18	"Sporting Chance"	Gene Nelson	Arthur Browne Jr.	January 29, 1962 (1962-01-29)
A dapper man arrives on the stage and announces that he has come to kill Lucas. Guest stars: Joan Taylor, Arthur Malet, James Luisi, Al Collins
129	19	"Young Man's Fancy"	Joseph H. Lewis	Arthur Browne Jr.	February 5, 1962 (1962-02-05)
Mark falls head-over-heels in to his first puppy love. Guest stars: Joan Taylor, Cheryl Holdridge, Richard Evans
130	20	"Man From Salinas"	Lawrence Dobkin	Arthur Browne Jr.	February 12, 1962 (1962-02-12)
A yound man arrives in north Fork to claim the body of his dead brother. Guest stars: Robert Culp, Jack Hogan, Ralph Moody, Joe Higgins, Harlan Warde
131	21	"Two Ounces Of Tin"	Arnold Laven	Calvin Clements	February 19, 1962 (1962-02-19)
A young gunman with a killer's reputation comes to town and threatens to kill Micah. Guest stars: Sammy Davis Jr., Johnny Ginger
132	22	"Deadly Image"	Richard Donner	Philip Saltzman	February 26, 1962 (1962-02-26)
Lucas is accused of cold-blooded murder by a man who claims to have been an eyewitness. Guest stars: Leonard Stone, Robert Bice, Bill Quinn, Gloria Moreland
133	23	"The Debt"	Richard Donner	Calvin Clements	March 5, 1962 (1962-03-05)
Mark deliberately disobeys his father for the first time when he allows a convicted prisoner to escape. Guest stars: Hank Patterson, Keith Andes
134	24	"Tinhorn"	Lawrence Dobkin	Paul Mazursky, Skippy Adelman	March 12, 1962 (1962-03-12)
Lucas suddenly develops the habit is playing all-night poker in the local saloon. Guest stars: Joan Taylor, Grant Richards, Grace Lee Whitney, Larry Thor, Barbara Eiler, Jim Hayward, Stephen Wootton
135	25	"None So Blind"	Paul Wendkos	Cyril Hume	March 19, 1962 (1962-03-19)
A banjo-playing wanderer, hunting the man who caused his blindness, befriends Mark. Guest stars: Cliff Osmond, Jeff York
136	26	"Jealous Man"	Lawrence Dobkin	Peter Germano, Calvin Clements	March 26, 1962 (1962-03-26)
Jake Owens and his beautiful young wife buy the ranch adjoining the McCains'. Guest stars: Mort Mills, Diane Brewster, Richard Garland, Rex Holman
137	27	"Guilty Conscience"	Richard Donner	Cyril Hume	April 2, 1962 (1962-04-02)
An aging Southern belle and her teenage son arrive in North Fork and immediately identify Micah as her long-lost husband and father of the boy. Guest stars: Lee Patrick, Tom Nolan, Argentina Brunetti, Chubby Johnson, Billy Cerone
138	28	"Day Of Reckoning"	Lawrence Dobkin	Calvin Clements	April 9, 1962 (1962-04-09)
North Fork welcomes a new minister (Royal Dano), but Lucas knows he is a former outlaw and an ex-convict. Guest stars: Royal Dano, Warren Oates, L.Q. Jones, Billy E. Hughes
139	29	"The Day A Town Slept"	Richard Donner	Calvin Clements	April 16, 1962 (1962-04-16)
The McCains return from a trip to learn Micah has been voted out as marshal and a stranger now has the job. Guest stars: James Best, Lawrence Dobkin
140	30	"Milly's Brother"	Richard Donner	Arthur Browne Jr.	April 23, 1962 (1962-04-23)
A handsome gambler moves into town and begins wooing Milly Scott, claiming to have known her deceased brother. Guest stars: Joan Taylor, Richard Anderson
141	31	"Outlaw's Shoes"	Richard Donner	Calvin Clements	April 30, 1962 (1962-04-30)
Lucas develops temporary amnesia from a head injury while visiting a strange town and mistakenly assumes the identity of a wanted criminal. Guest stars: Michael Greene, Paul Wexler, William Woodson, Stanley Adams, Tom Gilson, Roy Barcroft, Mel Carter
142	32	"The Executioner"	Lawrence Dobkin	Adam Williams	May 7, 1962 (1962-05-07)
A former friend of Lucas', out to recover some stolen money he had hidden on the McCain ranch, is released from prison and asks Lucas for a job. Guest stars: Adam Williams, John Davis Chandler, Wallace Earl, Michael Pate
143	1	"Waste: Part 1"	Joseph H. Lewis	Robert Culp	October 1, 1962 (1962-10-01)
The McCains and Micah enter a "ghost town" and are taken prisoners by a group of bandits. Guest stars: Vito Scotti, Alex Montoya, Pepe Hern, Tony Rosa, Sara Taft, Enid Jaynes
144	2	"Waste: Part 2"	Joseph H. Lewis	Robert Culp	October 8, 1962 (1962-10-08)
One of the bandit's wives (Enid Jaynes) is about to give birth and Lucas must deliver it rather than escape. Guest stars: Vito Scotti, Alex Montoya, Pepe Hern, Tony Rosa, Sara Taft
145	3	"Lou Mallory"	Arnold Laven	Arthur Browne, Jr.	October 15, 1962 (1962-10-15)
Red-headed Lou Mallory (Patricia Blair) arrives in North Fork and buys a hotel. Guest stars: Peter Whitney, Conlan Carter, Thom Carney, Mel Carter, Bill Quinn, Enid Jaynes
146	4	"Quiet Night, Deadly Night"	Arnold Laven	Arthur Browne, Jr.	October 22, 1962 (1962-10-22)
Lucas, Lou Mallory, Doctor Burrage and two innocent bystanders are trapped in the hotel with a dangerous outlaw (Ed Ames) after a smallpox epidemic. Guest stars: Patricia Blair, Ralph Moody, Maureen Dawson, Carol Leigh
147	5	"Death Never Rides Alone"	Joseph H. Lewis	David P. Harmon	October 29, 1962 (1962-10-29)
A former gunfighter friend of Lucas (Lee Van Cleef) arrives in town intent on settling down and living quietly. Guest stars: Rex Holman, Joe Higgins, Bill Quinn, John Rayborn
148	6	"I Take This Woman"	Joseph H. Lewis	David P. Harmon	November 5, 1962 (1962-11-05)
A charming Irishman (Sean McClory) comes to town announcing that he is there to claim Lou Mallory as his bride. Guest stars: Patricia Blair, Joe Higgins, Charles Cooper
149	7	"The Assailants"	Arthur H. Nadel	Herman Groves	November 12, 1962 (1962-11-12)
A group of assassins disguised as cavalry soldiers try to murder an influential visiting senator (Edward Platt). Guest stars: Patricia Blair, Joe Higgins, John Milford, Steven Marlo, Noam Pitlik, William Bryant, Henry Allin, Benny Carle
150	8	"Mark's Rifle"	Arnold Laven	Oliver Crawford	November 19, 1962 (1962-11-19)
Mark befriends a young man (Mark Goddard) who arrives in town and then quickly becomes a robbery suspect. Guest stars: Patricia Blair, Ralph Moody, Eddie Quillan
151	9	"The Most Amazing Man"	Arthur H. Nadal	Robert Lewin	November 26, 1962 (1962-11-26)
Wade Randall (Sammy Davis, Jr.) appears in town, bragging of his gun battles with notorious bad men, until one of them (Richard Devon) shows up to challenge him. Guest stars: Patricia Blair, Pat Henry
152	10	"Squeeze Play"	Joseph H. Lewis	Ed Adamson	December 3, 1962 (1962-12-03)
An unscrupulous land buyer (Chris Alcaide) tries to purchase the McCain ranch for a railroad imminent domain. Guest stars: Patricia Blair, Gerald Mohr, Henry Madden, Dean Fredricks
153	11	"Gun Shy"	Arthur H. Nadel	Lois Meyers, Cyril Hume	December 10, 1962 (1962-12-10)
Mark develops an intense aversion of his father's rifle after a shooting accident takes the life of his friend (Jimmy Carter). Guest stars: Patricia Blair, Bill Quinn, Peter Whitney, Pat Goldin, Jay Nelson, Darryl Richard, Enid Jaynes
154	12	"The Anvil Chorus"	Arnold Laven	Arthur Browne, Jr.	December 17, 1962 (1962-12-17)
Blacksmith Nils Swenson (Joe Higgins) volunteers as acting deputy when Micah is called out of town. He is soon challenged by some arriving outlaws. Guest stars: Steven Marlo, Norman Alden, William Meigs, Michael Harris
155	13	"Conflict"	Arthur H. Nadel	Ed Adamson	December 24, 1962 (1962-12-24)
While out on a cougar hunt, a frightening incident causes Lucas to lose faith in his ability as a rifleman. Guest stars: Patricia Blair, Ralph Moody, Rhodes Reason, Eddie Quillan
156	14	"Incident at Line Shack Six"	Arnold Laven	Calvin Clements	January 7, 1963 (1963-01-07)
A murder occurs at a railroad camp near town, and a young Indian friend of Lucas' is accused of the killing. Guest stars: Patricia Blair, Paul Mantee, John Anderson, Raymond Guth, Claude Hall, Ray Kellogg, Dale Wright
157	15	"Suspicion"	Joseph H. Lewis	Jay Simms	January 14, 1963 (1963-01-14)
Lucas and Mark find Winslow Quince (Kevin McCarthy) stranded in the desert with a broken wheel on his wagon and help him to get to town. Quince is later blamed for a series of murders and robberies. Guest stars: Patricia Blair, Joe Higgins, Bill Quinn, William Fawcett
158	16	"The Sidewinder"	Joseph H. Lewis	Robert Lewin	January 21, 1963 (1963-01-21)
Grid Maul, a boy not much older than Mark, confronts Lucas with the announcement that he intends to kill him to avenge his father's death. Guest stars: Patricia Blair, Joe Higgins, Billy E. Hughes
159	17	"The Sixteenth Cousin"	Arthur H. Nadel	Arthur Browne, Jr.	January 28, 1963 (1963-01-28)
North Fork welcomes the arrival of the first train on the new railroad and with it, visitors that include a royal cousin of the Emperor of Japan (John Fujioka). Guest stars: Patricia Blair, Vitto Scotti, Charles Maxwell, Paul Sorensen
160	18	"Hostages To Fortune"	Arthur H. Nadel	Cyril Hume	February 4, 1963 (1963-02-04)
Lucas' faith in his son's honesty is shaken when he hears rumors that Mark may be mixed up with some thieves. Guest stars: Maurice Dallimore, Tony Haig, I. Stanford Jolley, Paul Mazursky, Robert Stevens, Dan White
161	19	"And the Devil Makes Five"	Joseph H. Lewis	Arthur Browne, Jr.	February 11, 1963 (1963-02-11)
Lucas and Mark, returning from a hunting trip, encounter Micah escorting a prisoner (Lonny Chapman) to Santa Fe.
162	20	"End Of The Hunt"	Arthur H. Nadel	Jay Simms	February 18, 1963 (1963-02-18)
Lucas, ordinarily a patient and reasonable man, turns vengeful after learning an old enemy (Jeff Morrow) is in town. Guest stars: Patricia Blair, Joe Higgins, Harry Finley, John C. Gilbert, K.T. Stevens
163	21	"The Bullet"	Joseph H. Lewis	Lowell Barrington	February 25, 1963 (1963-02-25)
Away on a trip for the Cattleman's Association, Lucas rescues a man and is drawn into a fight with the crooked owner of a gambling establishment (Richard Anderson). Guest stars: Harold J. Stone, Gene Tyburn, Norman Leavitt, Harry Lautner, Asa Maynor, Dal McKennon
164	22	"Requiem At Mission Springs"	Arthur H. Nadel	Margaret Armen	March 4, 1963 (1963-03-04)
Mark is injured in an accident, which leaves his legs paralyzed. The doctor suggests mineral baths at Mission Springs to help. There, a gang of Yuma Prison escapees are hiding. Guest stars: Patricia Blair, Ralph Moody, Dean Fredricks, George Lindsey, Dal Jenkins
165	23	"The Guest"	Joseph H. Lewis	Ed Adamson	March 11, 1963 (1963-03-11)
A charming stranger (Cesare Danova) arrives at the McCain ranch and identifies himself as an acquaintance of an old friend of Lucas. Guest stars: Patricia Blair, Walter Sande
166	24	"Old Man, Running"	Arthur H. Nadel	A. Martin Zweiback	March 18, 1963 (1963-03-18)
An old man (John Anderson) appears in North Fork asking for Micah's protection from a gang of criminals who are after him. Guest stars: Patricia Blair, Joe Higgins, Adam Williams, Rex Holman, Arthur Batanides
167	25	"Which Way'd They Go?"	Arthur H. Nadel	Arthur Browne, Jr.	March 25, 1963 (1963-03-25)
The hillbilly Jackman family are installed as peace officers in a town near North Fork. Guest stars: Peter Whitney, Vitto Scotti, Conlan Carter, Mickey Manners, John Craig, Beatrice Kay, Dal McKennon, Leo Gordon
168	26	"Old Tony"	Joseph H. Lewis	Thomas Thompson	April 8, 1963 (1963-04-08)
The recluse Old Tony (Stefan Schnabel) helps Lucas rescue Mark and his friend from quicksand. Guest stars: Karen Sue Trent, Martin Kosleck
DVD Name	Ep #	Release Date
The Complete First Season	40	December 4, 2013
The Complete Second Season	36	November 28, 2014
The Complete Third Season	34	December 2, 2015
The Complete Fourth Season	32	December 4, 2016
The Complete Fifth Season	26	November 27, 2017

Reception

U.S. Nielsen ratings

Season		Episodes	Originally aired		Rank	Rating
			Season premiere	Season finale
	1	40	September 30, 1958 (1958-09-30)	June 30, 1959 (1959-06-30)	4	33.1
	2	36	September 29, 1959 (1959-09-29)	May 31, 1960 (1960-05-31)	13	27.5
	3	34	September 27, 1960 (1960-09-27)	May 16, 1961 (1961-05-16)	27	22.1
	4	32	October 2, 1961 (1961-10-02)	May 7, 1962 (1962-05-07)	28	22.3
	5	26	October 1, 1962 (1962-10-01)	April 8, 1963 (1963-04-08)	Not in the Top 30

Spin-offs and remakes

Law of the Plainsman (1959)

The February 17, 1959 episode of The Rifleman was a pilot for an NBC series, Law of the Plainsman, starring Michael Ansara as Marshal Sam Buckhart. In the episode "The Indian", Buckhart comes to North Fork to look for Indians suspected of murdering a Texas Ranger and his family. He subsequently reappeared in "The Raid". Three episodes of "The Rifleman" served as pilots for Westerns that never became a series. These were: "The Lariat" (March 29, 1960) starring Richard Anderson as a gambler and sharpshooter; "Death Trap" (May 9, 1961) featuring Phil Carey as Simon Battle, a gunslinger turned doctor; and "Which Way'd They Go?" (April 1, 1963), a comedy-western with Peter Whitney.

The Gambler Returns (1991)

Chuck Connors briefly played the same character again in 1991's The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw, which featured a number of 1950s and 1960s television Western series leads reprising their roles in quick cameo appearances (Gene Barry as Bat Masterson, Hugh O'Brian as Wyatt Earp, Jack Kelly as Bart Maverick, Clint Walker as Cheyenne Bodie, David Carradine as Kung Fu's Caine).

2011 attempted remake

In late 2011, CBS announced plans to remake the original Rifleman series. Chris Columbus was slated to be the executive producer and direct, with Robert Levy, Steven Gardner, and Arthur Gardner (related to original producers Levy-Gardner-Laven) as executive producers. The remake project was canceled a few months later, without a pilot episode being made.

Merchandising

The TV show was also adapted into a comic book by Dan Spiegle, distributed by Dell Comics.

American toymaker Hubley produced a well made toy copy of McCain's Model 1892 known variously as The Rifleman Rifle, the Flip Special, and the Ring Rifle. Marx Toys also marketed a version called the Wild West that was simply the Lone Ranger/Roy Rogers Winchester with the loop lever used by McCain replacing the standard straight lever.

See also

• Wagon Train
• Bonanza
• Gunsmoke
• Maverick
• The Virginian

Further reading

• Christopher Sharrett, The Rifleman (TV Milestones Series), Wayne State University Press, 2005

External links

• Official website
• The Rifleman at IMDb
• The Rifleman at epguides.com
• The Rifleman's Rifle
• The Rifleman's Rifle demonstration on YouTube.com