The Rifleman is an American Western television series that starred Chuck Connors as homesteader Lucas McCain and Johnny Crawford as his son, Mark McCain. The series was set in the 1880s in the town of North Fork, New Mexico Territory and was filmed in black-and-white with a half hour running time. The Rifleman aired on ABC from September 30, 1958 to April 8, 1963 as a production of Four Star Television. There were 168 episodes in the series.
Series overview
editEpisodes
editSeason 1 (1958–59)
editNo. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | "The Sharpshooter" | Arnold Laven | Sam Peckinpah | September 30, 1958 | |
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. | ||||||
2 | 2 | "Home Ranch" | Arnold Laven | Sam Peckinpah | October 7, 1958 | |
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, Rodolfo Hoyos Jr., Don Kennedy | ||||||
3 | 3 | "End of a Young Gun" | Jerry Hopper | Frank D. Gilroy | October 14, 1958 | |
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, Carolyn Craig | ||||||
4 | 4 | "The Marshal" | Sam Peckinpah | Sam Peckinpah | October 21, 1958 | |
The notorious Shelton brothers (Robert J. Wilke, Warren Oates) ride into North Fork to take revenge on Micah Torrance (Paul Fix), an ex-lawman who is now crippled with alcoholism. When Marshal Fred Tomlinson (R. G. Armstrong) is killed by the Sheltons, Micah is called upon to take his place. Guest stars: James Drury, Abby Dalton, Bill Quinn, Bert Stevens (uncredited) | ||||||
5 | 5 | "The Brother-in-Law" | Arnold Laven | David Victor & Herbert Little, Jr. | October 28, 1958 | |
Johnny Gibbs (Jerome Courtland), Lucas McCain's fugitive brother-in-law, visits the McCain ranch. Guest stars: Fay Roope, Karl Lukas, Dan White (uncredited) | ||||||
6 | 6 | "Eight Hours to Die" | Arnold Laven | Palmer Thompson | November 4, 1958 | |
A bitter judge (George Macready) kidnaps Mark and plans to kill him to avenge his own son's hanging while Lucas watches. Lucas is petrified. Guest stars: Russell Collins, Hope Summers, Marilee Phelps, Robert L. Crawford, Jr., Bud Osborne | ||||||
7 | 7 | "Duel of Honor" | Joseph H. Lewis | Ken Kolb | November 11, 1958 | |
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: John Dierkes, Bill Quinn, Glenn Strange, John Harmon | ||||||
8 | 8 | "The Safe Guard" | Joseph H. Lewis | David Swift | November 18, 1958 | |
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, Harlan Warde, Hope Summers, Dennis Cross, Sidney Blackmer | ||||||
9 | 9 | "The Sister" | Montgomery Pittman | Montgomery Pittman | November 25, 1958 | |
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: Mort Mills, Dan Blocker, Lance Fuller, Hope Summers, John Dierkes | ||||||
10 | 10 | "New Orleans Menace" | Arnold Laven | Cyril Hume | December 2, 1958 | |
A New Orleans gambling czar (Akim Tamiroff) and his men stop at the McCain ranch and decide to take it from Lucas. Guest stars: Michael Pate, Hope Summers, Harlan Warde | ||||||
11 | 11 | "The Apprentice Sheriff" | Arthur Hiller | Barney Slater | December 9, 1958 | |
Lucas tries to help a young West Point reject (Robert Vaughn), who is filling in as marshal, just as the town erupts into a gunfight. Guest stars: Edward Binns, Russell Collins, William Bryant, Grant Richards | ||||||
12 | 12 | "The Angry Gun" | David Swift | Samuel A. Peeples | December 16, 1958 | |
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 with the stagecoach while he goes after the outlaws on foot without his rifle. Guest stars: Gregory Walcott, Leo Gordon, Harry Hickox | ||||||
13 | 13 | "The Young Englishman" | Arnold Laven | Arthur Weiss | December 23, 1958 | |
Lucas accuses the young foreman of a neighboring ranch of rustling one of his calves. Guest stars: Allen Case, James Coburn, Ted de Corsia | ||||||
14 | 14 | "The Gaucho" | Jerry Hopper | Bruce Geller | December 30, 1958 | |
Lucas helps an Argentinian family who are new to North Fork when they are ridiculed by others. Guest stars: Perry Lopez, Lawrence Dobkin, Chana Eden, Dennis Cross, Harlan Warde, Stuart Randall, Robert L. Crawford, Jr., Montie Montana | ||||||
15 | 15 | "The Pet" | Joseph H. Lewis | Ken Kolb | January 6, 1959 | |
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 a secret to be exposed. Guest stars: Robert J. Wilke, Bill Erwin, Edgar Buchanan | ||||||
16 | 16 | "The Sheridan Story" | Arnold Laven | Cyril Hume | January 13, 1959 | |
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, Frank Wilcox, Stephen Chase | ||||||
17 | 17 | "The Retired Gun" | Arnold Laven | Barney Slater | January 20, 1959 | |
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. Guest stars: Jack Kruschen, John Anderson, Duke Snider, Joseph Mell | ||||||
18 | 18 | "The Photographer" | Arnold Laven | Ken Kolb | January 27, 1959 | |
When Abel Goss (John Carradine), a photographer friend of the McCains, is accused of murder, father and son take opposing views on the matter. Guest stars: Sidney Blackmer, Robert Ellenstein, Raymond Bailey | ||||||
19 | 19 | "Shivaree" | Joseph H. Lewis | David Victor & Herbert Little | February 3, 1959 | |
A young couple (Paul Carr, Luana Anders) 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. Guest stars: Morris Ankrum, John Anderson, Olive Carey, William Bryant, Edgar Dearing | ||||||
20 | 20 | "The Deadeye Kid" | Jerry Hopper | Palmer Thompson | February 10, 1959 | |
Lucas and Mark protect a witness (Kip King) wrongfully accused of murder. Guest stars: Douglas Spencer, Glenn Strange | ||||||
21 | 21 | "The Indian" | Arnold Laven | Cyril Hume | February 17, 1959 | |
U.S. Marshal Sam Buckhart (Michael Ansara) arrives in North Fork to look for Indians who are suspected in the brutal murder of a Ranger and his family. Guest stars: Herbert Rudley, Mickey Simpson, Frank DeKova, Eddie Little Sky, Bill Quinn Note: This is the pilot for the series Law of the Plainsman | ||||||
22 | 22 | "The Boarding House" | Sam Peckinpah | Sam Peckinpah | February 24, 1959 | |
Julia Massini (Katy Jurado), a reformed gambler, runs a respectable boarding house in North Fork, but her old boss (Alan Baxter) shows up and tries to force her to turn her place into a gambling house. Guest stars: Harlan Warde, Sarah Selby, Peggy Maley, Kay Cousins, Charles Fredericks, Bill Quinn | ||||||
23 | 23 | "The Second Witness" | Lewis Allen | Judy & George W. George | March 3, 1959 | |
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. Guest stars: Michael Pate, Hope Summers, Robert Foulk, Robert L. Crawford, Jr., Edgar Buchanan | ||||||
24 | 24 | "The Trade" | Joseph H. Lewis | David Lang | March 10, 1959 | |
After falling in love with a sick young woman, fugitive Sam Morley (Paul Richards) asks his friend Lucas to turn him in and use the reward money to pay for the woman's medical needs. Guest stars: Chris Alcaide, Dan Sheridan, Michael Fox, John Harmon, Edgar Buchanan, Katharine Bard | ||||||
25 | 25 | "One Went to Denver" | Lewis Allen | Pat Fielder | March 17, 1959 | |
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. Guest stars: Jack Kruschen, Harlan Warde, Bill Quinn | ||||||
26 | 26 | "The Deadly Wait" | Joseph H. Lewis | Arthur Browne, Jr. | March 24, 1959 | |
Released from Yuma prison, Dan Maury (Lee Van Cleef) arrives in North Fork intent on getting even with Marshal Torrance, who helped send him to jail. Guest stars: Edgar Buchanan, Bill Quinn | ||||||
27 | 27 | "The Wrong Man" | Arnold Laven | N. B. Stone, Jr. | March 31, 1959 | |
A crooked marshal from another territory intentionally kills an innocent man to collect the bounty money. Guest stars: Robert H. Harris, Gordon Jones, Frank Sully, Lyle Bettger | ||||||
28 | 28 | "The Challenge" | Lewis Allen | David Victor & Herbert Little | April 7, 1959 | |
An escaped killer holds Hattie and Micah hostage at the General Store to prove that he is still good with a gun. Guest stars: Les Tremayne, John Durren, Hope Summers, Harlan Warde, John Maxwell, Bill Quinn, Adam Williams | ||||||
29 | 29 | "The Hawk" | Lamont Johnson | Arthur Browne, Jr. | April 14, 1959 | |
The McCains befriend a stranger (Patrick McVey) after he saves Mark from a rattlesnake, but they soon discover that he is not who he says he is. Guest star: John Anderson | ||||||
30 | 30 | "Three-Legged Terror" | William Conrad | Palmer Thompson | April 21, 1959 | |
Lucas takes in an orphaned teen (Dennis Hopper) being raised by his abusive uncle after trouble is caused at the school. Guest stars: John Hoyt, Robert Foulk, Bill Quinn, Patricia Barry | ||||||
31 | 31 | "The Angry Man" | Jerry Hopper | Arthur Browne, Jr. | April 28, 1959 | |
A neighboring rancher (George Mathews) refuses medical assistance when his son is seriously hurt in an accident because he blames doctors for the death of his wife. Guest star: Edgar Buchanan | ||||||
32 | 32 | "The Woman" | Arnold Laven | Pat Fielder & Bernard Girard | May 5, 1959 | |
After a boy (Paul Carr) admits to his father that he and the school teacher (Patricia Barry) are in love, his rancher father (James Westerfield) chases the teacher, an advocator for women's rights, out of town. Lucas wants to learn the truth. Guest stars: Mel Carter, Hope Summers, Bill Quinn, Glenn Strange | ||||||
33 | 33 | "The Money Gun" | Sam Peckinpah | Bruce Geller | May 12, 1959 | |
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. Guest stars: Harlan Warde, Earle Hodgins, Frank Hagney | ||||||
34 | 34 | "A Matter of Faith" | Don Taylor | Harry Kronman | May 19, 1959 | |
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 | ||||||
35 | 35 | "Blood Brothers" | Arnold Laven | Story by : Chuck Connors Teleplay by : Pat Fielder | May 26, 1959 | |
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. Guest stars: Richard Devon, Kelton Garwood, Rhys Williams | ||||||
36 | 36 | "Stranger at Night" | Lewis Allen | David Lang | June 2, 1959 | |
Mark stumbles across a dead man and the only clue to his identity is a belt with the initials RM. Guest stars: Jack Hogan, Bill Quinn, Thomas Gomez | ||||||
37 | 37 | "The Raid" | Paul Landres | Harry Julian Fink | June 9, 1959 | |
A renegade band of Indians captures Mark and disappears into the hills of New Mexico. Guest stars: Michael Forest, Pat Hogan, Hope Summers, Robert Foulk, Clancy Cooper, Mark Goddard, Michael Ansara Note: This is the sequel to the episode The Indian | ||||||
38 | 38 | "Outlaw's Inheritance" | Don Taylor | Judy & George W. George | June 16, 1959 | |
The townspeople question the reputation of Lucas when he is named in a will of a notorious outlaw. Guest stars: Dabbs Greer, Harlan Warde, Robert Foulk, William Bishop | ||||||
39 | 39 | "Boomerang" | Joseph H. Lewis | Arthur Browne, Jr. | June 23, 1959 | |
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. Guest stars: Dabbs Greer, Hope Summers | ||||||
40 | 40 | "The Mind Reader" | Don Medford | Robert C. Dennis | June 30, 1959 | |
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). Guest stars: Sue Randall, Vic Perrin, Robert Bice, William Schallert, John Harmon, Charles Seel |
Season 2 (1959–60)
editNo. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
41 | 1 | "The Patsy" | Joseph H. Lewis | Harry Kronman | September 29, 1959 | |
Three gunfighters (John Anderson, 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. | ||||||
42 | 2 | "Bloodlines" | Arthur Hiller | Arthur Browne, Jr. | October 6, 1959 | |
After Lucas is blamed for killing a young man, an outlaw father and his two sons attempt to kill Lucas. | ||||||
43 | 3 | "The Blowout" | James Neilson | Arthur Browne, Jr. | October 13, 1959 | |
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 | ||||||
44 | 4 | "Obituary" | Don Medford | Teddi Sherman & Ward Wood | October 20, 1959 | |
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, Chris Alcaide | ||||||
45 | 5 | "Tension" | Ted Post | David Lang | October 27, 1959 | |
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 | ||||||
46 | 6 | "Eddie's Daughter" | Joseph H. Lewis | William F. Leicester | November 3, 1959 | |
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 | ||||||
47 | 7 | "Panic" | Joseph H. Lewis | Albert Aley | November 10, 1959 | |
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 | ||||||
48 | 8 | "Ordeal" | Paul Landres | Palmer Thompson | November 17, 1959 | |
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. | ||||||
49 | 9 | "The Spiked Rifle" | John English | Palmer Thompson | November 24, 1959 | |
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 | ||||||
50 | 10 | "Letter of the Law" | Joseph H. Lewis | Judy & George W. George | December 1, 1959 | |
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, Ken Lynch, Michael Fox, Paul Carr | ||||||
51 | 11 | "Legacy" | Bernard L. Kowalski | Edmund Morris | December 8, 1959 | |
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, Denver Pyle, Fay Roope, Bill Quinn, Robert Bice, Donald Elson, Lillian Bronson, Harry Harvey, Don Kennedy | ||||||
52 | 12 | "The Baby Sitter" | Sam Peckinpah | Sam Peckinpah & Jack Curtis | December 15, 1959 | |
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 | ||||||
53 | 13 | "The Coward" | James Neilson | Philip Saltzman & Clair Huffaker | December 22, 1959 | |
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, Bill Quinn | ||||||
54 | 14 | "Surveyors" | Joseph H. Lewis | Dale & Katherine Albert Eunson | December 29, 1959 | |
A surveying party camps near North Fork. Mark carries a milk supply to their campsite. No one is there, and Mark falls asleep in a tent while reading a surveying book. Meanwhile, two of the surveyors (Mike Kellin, Lin McCarthy) have murdered a third (Ted Otis), and are planning a crime in North Fork. Mark awakens when they return. He hears just a little of their talk; just enough for him to think that something bad is going to happen. He tells Lucas, but Lucas is not convinced. Mark must persist, and Lucas must consider and reconsider, before deciding what to do. | ||||||
55 | 15 | "Day of the Hunter" | Joseph H. Lewis | John Dunkel | January 5, 1960 | |
Lucas refuses a shooting competition with wandering buffalo hunter Cass Callicott (John Anderson) and then becomes his new target. Guest star: Dick Elliott | ||||||
56 | 16 | "Mail Order Groom" | Arthur Hiller | Gene Olson | January 12, 1960 | |
Shortly after his arrival to marry Isabelle (Alice Backes), John Jupiter (Peter Whitney) is taunted and beaten. Guest stars: Sandy Kenyon, Montie Montana | ||||||
57 | 17 | "A Case of Identity" | John Peyser | Philip Saltzman | January 19, 1960 | |
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, Rhys Williams | ||||||
58 | 18 | "The Visitor" | Joseph H. Lewis | William F. Leicester, Chuck Connors, and Wally Bennett | January 26, 1960 | |
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 | ||||||
59 | 19 | "Hero" | Joseph H. Lewis | Albert Aley | February 2, 1960 | |
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, Dennis Cross | ||||||
60 | 20 | "The Horse Traders" | William Claxton | Jack Curtis | February 9, 1960 | |
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 | ||||||
61 | 21 | "The Spoiler" | Joseph H. Lewis | Harry Kronman | February 16, 1960 | |
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 | |
Teenaged Heller (Gigi Perreau) and her brother (Don Grady) are badly mistreated by their drunken stepfather (Peter Whitney). Guest stars: K.T. Stevens, Hope Summers | ||||||
63 | 23 | "The Grasshopper" | Lewis Allen | Pat Fielder | March 1, 1960 | |
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, Arthur Space, Ethan Laidlaw, Hope Summers | ||||||
64 | 24 | "A Time for Singing" | John Rich | Harry Kronman | March 8, 1960 | |
Mark learns a new preacher (Robert Knapp) is an impostor. Guest stars: Chris Alcaide, Patricia Barry, John Milford, Hope Summers | ||||||
65 | 25 | "The Deserter" | Joseph H. Lewis | Albert Aley | March 15, 1960 | |
Lucas learns why a young soldier (Ron Hagerthy) deserted. Guest stars: Robert O. Cornthwaite, Harry Carey, Jr., Bill Quinn, Richard Alexander | ||||||
66 | 26 | "The Vision" | Don Medford | Cyril Hume | March 22, 1960 | |
While ill with typhoid fever, Mark has a vision of his mother (Marian Seldes). Guest stars: Karl Swenson, Hope Summers, Natividad Vacío, Dennis Cross, John Abbott, Chuck Hicks | ||||||
67 | 27 | "Lariat" | Don Medford | Pat Fielder | March 29, 1960 | |
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, Snub Pollard | ||||||
68 | 28 | "Smoke Screen" | Murray Golden | Palmer Thompson | April 5, 1960 | |
The daughter (Jennifer Lea) of a prosperous rancher (Douglas Kennedy) is found murdered. Guest stars: Paul Carr, George N. Neise, William Benedict | ||||||
69 | 29 | "Shotgun Man" | Joseph H. Lewis | Jack Curtis & Paul Mazursky | April 12, 1960 | |
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 | ||||||
70 | 30 | "Sins of the Father" | Ted Post | Philip Saltzman & Lewis Meltzer | April 19, 1960 | |
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 | ||||||
71 | 31 | "The Prodigal" | Donald McDougall | Robert Sherman | April 26, 1960 | |
A bank-robbing gunman (Kevin Hagen) decides to hide out at the McCain ranch. Guest stars: Josephine Hutchinson, Warren Oates, Lee Van Cleef, Hope Summers | ||||||
72 | 32 | "The Fourflusher" | Joseph H. Lewis | Thomas Thompson | May 3, 1960 | |
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 | ||||||
73 | 33 | "The Jailbird" | Don Taylor | Frederic Conrad | May 10, 1960 | |
A convict (Dabbs Greer) is released from prison and returns home to North Fork. Guest stars: Karl Swenson, Bill Quinn, Molly Dodd | ||||||
74 | 34 | "Meeting at Midnight" | Don Medford | Pat Fielder & Arthur Browne Jr. | May 17, 1960 | |
Lucas helps an old friend (Claude Akins), a federal agent, infiltrate a gang of robbers. Guest stars: Chris Alcaide, John Milford, Frank DeKova, Bill Quinn | ||||||
75 | 35 | "Nora" | Ted Post | David Victor & Herbert Little | May 24, 1960 | |
Lucas helps a woman (Julie Adams) who is being harassed by a rough gambler. Guest stars: Michael Fox, Johnny Carpenter | ||||||
76 | 36 | "The Hangman" | Joseph H. Lewis | Teddi Sherman & Ward Wood | May 31, 1960 | |
An ex-convict (Whit Bissell) is accused of robbing and killing his employer. Guest stars: Denver Pyle, Richard Deacon, Betty Lou Gerson |
Season 3 (1960–61)
editNo. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
77 | 1 | "Trail of Hate" | Arnold Laven | Calvin Clements | September 27, 1960 | |
Three robbers hold Mark hostage, forcing Lucas to help them rob the North Fork bank. | ||||||
78 | 2 | "Woman from Hog Ridge" | William F. Claxton | Calvin Clements | October 4, 1960 | |
A matriarch seeks revenge for her sons' deaths. | ||||||
79 | 3 | "Seven" | Ted Post | Arthur Browne, Jr. | October 11, 1960 | |
A prison wagon carrying seven criminals stops over in North Fork for supplies. | ||||||
80 | 4 | "The Pitchman" | John Rich | Jay Simms | October 18, 1960 | |
A con man and his son want Lucas' mineral rights. Guest stars: John Milford, Paul Wexler, and Bob Sweeney | ||||||
81 | 5 | "Strange Town" | Joseph H. Lewis | Jack Curtis | October 25, 1960 | |
Lucas trails an escaped prisoner (Claude Akins) to a mining town in the mountains. Guest stars: William Schallert, Claude Akins, Peter Whitney | ||||||
82 | 6 | "Baranca" | Joseph H. Lewis | Mike Mamakos & Peter Mamakos | November 1, 1960 | |
A Mexican bandit and his gang ride into North Fork. Guest stars: John Milford, Jack Kruschen, Linda Dangcil, Cesare Danova | ||||||
83 | 7 | "The Martinet" | Joseph H. Lewis | Phillip Saltzman | November 8, 1960 | |
Lucas helps a young minister who had problems with his father. Guest stars: John Hoyt, Don Dubbins, Richard Alexander | ||||||
84 | 8 | "Miss Milly" | Joseph H. Lewis | Arthur Browne, Jr. | November 15, 1960 | |
A new store owner unknowingly hires con men as collection agents. Guest stars: Joan Taylor, Warren Oates, Michael Fox, Charles Tannen, Richard Devon | ||||||
85 | 9 | "Dead Cold Cash" | Dick Moder | Irving Elman & Arthur Browne, Jr. | November 22, 1960 | |
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 | |
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 | |
A con man makes his living by provoking and then betting on gunfights. Guest stars: Dabbs Greer, Denny Miller | ||||||
88 | 12 | "The Illustrator" | Don Medford | Ken Kolb & Robert Mark | December 13, 1960 | |
A hard-drinking painter is accused of murder. Guest stars: Midge Ware, Dayton Lummis, Ed Nelson, Joseph V. Perry, Richard Whorf | ||||||
89 | 13 | "The Silent Knife" | Don Medford | John Wilder & Douglas Stevens | December 20, 1960 | |
A desperate, mute man steals from the stagecoach. Guest star: Richard Devon | ||||||
90 | 14 | "Miss Bertie" | James Clavell | Margaret Armen | December 27, 1960 | |
A sprightly elderly lady arrives in North Fork and announces that she plans to capture a bandit. Guest stars: Joan Taylor, Agnes Moorehead, Richard Anderson | ||||||
91 | 15 | "Six Years And A Day" | Paul Wendkos | Peter Arends | January 3, 1961 | |
Lucas helps alcoholic former doctor Jack Cooke (John Larch) regain his self-respect. Guest stars: John Larch, James Gavin, Ron Hayes, Ralph Moody | ||||||
92 | 16 | "Flowers By The Door" | Joseph H. Lewis | Harry Kronman | January 10, 1961 | |
Lucas unmasks a book salesman as a killer. Guest stars: Richard Anderson, Jean Allison, Patricia Breslin | ||||||
93 | 17 | "Long Trek" | Lamont Johnson | Calvin Clements | January 17, 1961 | |
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 | |
A dying friend asks Lucas to fetch his wife. Guest stars: Morris Ankrum, Diana Millay, Ralph Moody, Charles Tannen | ||||||
95 | 19 | "Face Of Yesterday" | Joseph H. Lewis | Palmer Thompson | January 31, 1961 | |
Lucas begins to believe in ghosts when he sees someone he thinks he killed in the war. Guest stars: Joan Taylor, K.T. Stevens, Ralph Moody, Ben Cooper, John Anderson | ||||||
96 | 20 | "The Wyoming Story: Part 1" | Joseph H. Lewis | Arthur Browne, Jr. | February 7, 1961 | |
Lucas goes undercover as a federal agent. Guest stars: Joan Taylor, Kent Taylor, Dabbs Greer, Russell Thorson, Chris Alcaide | ||||||
97 | 21 | "The Wyoming Story, Part 2" | Joseph H. Lewis | Arthur Browne, Jr. | February 14, 1961 | |
Lucas is sent to Wyoming to investigate the sale of guns to Indians. Guest stars: Joan Taylor, Kent Taylor, Dabbs Greer, Russell Thorson, Chris Alcaide | ||||||
98 | 22 | "Closer Than A Brother" | Joseph H. Lewis | Cyril Hume | February 21, 1961 | |
Micah is terrorized by an old enemy and resigns from his job. Guest stars: Rex Ingram, Berry Kroeger, Bill Quinn | ||||||
99 | 23 | "The Lost Treasure Of Canyon Town" | Don Taylor | Calvin Clements | February 28, 1961 | |
Lucas, Mark and Micah learn the secret of a town's 20-year-old mystery of a lost gold mine. Guest star: Willam Fawcett | ||||||
100 | 24 | "Dark Day At North Fork" | Paul Landres | Arthur Browne, Jr. | March 7, 1961 | |
Lucas, temporarily blind, faces a gunfight. Guest stars: Joan Taylor, John Milford, Ralph Moody, Joe Higgins | ||||||
101 | 25 | "The Prisoner" | Joseph H. Lewis | Arthur Browne, Jr. | March 14, 1961 | |
A former POW imprisons Lucas for his role in the Civil War. Guest stars: Joan Taylor, Adam Williams, John Dehner | ||||||
102 | 26 | "Assault" | Ida Lupino | Jay Simms | March 21, 1961 | |
A traveling salesman is accused of forcing his attentions on a local woman. Guest stars: Linda Lawson, King Calder, Paul Mantee and Bob Sweeney | ||||||
103 | 27 | "Short Rope For A Tall Man" | Paul Landres | Tom Gries | March 28, 1961 | |
Lucas faces lynching for unwittingly buying stolen horses. Guest stars: Hal Baylor, Norman Leavitt, William Schallert, Bert Freed | ||||||
104 | 28 | "The Clarence Bibs Story" | David Friedkin | Calvin Clements | April 4, 1961 | |
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 | ||||||
105 | 29 | "The Score Is Even" | William F. Claxton | Fanya Foss | April 11, 1961 | |
Lucas and Mark stumble across a robbery in progress. Guest star: Adam Williams | ||||||
106 | 30 | "The Mescalaro Curse" | Jesse Hibbs | Margaret Armen | April 18, 1961 | |
After Lucas receives a curse while attending the 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, Jackie Searl, Michael Pate | ||||||
107 | 31 | "Stopover" | Budd Boetticher | Arthur Browne, Jr. | April 25, 1961 | |
Lucas allows troublesome snowed-in stagecoach passengers to stay with him until the roads are passable. Guest stars: Adam West, Gordon Jones, Bethel Leslie | ||||||
108 | 32 | "The Lonesome Bride" | Otto Lang | Arthur Browne, Jr. | May 2, 1961 | |
Lucas almost finds himself at the altar when two drunken cowboys play a joke on him. Guest stars: Joan Taylor, Kay E. Kuter, Bill Quinn, Joan Shawlee | ||||||
109 | 33 | "Death Trap" | Arnold Laven | Arthur Browne, Jr. | May 9, 1961 | |
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, John Pickard, William Kendis, Steve Pendleton, James Drury | ||||||
110 | 34 | "The Queue" | James Clavell | Beverly Fix, Frank Eby and Arthur Browne, Jr. | May 16, 1961 | |
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, Pat Close, Paul Wexler, Peter Whitney |
Season 4 (1961–62)
editNo. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
111 | 1 | "The Vaqueros" | Joseph H. Lewis | Arthur Browne Jr. | October 2, 1961 | |
Lucas subdues a gang of bandits singlehandedly. | ||||||
112 | 2 | "First Wages" | Gene Nelson | Ed Adamson | October 9, 1961 | |
113 | 3 | "Sheer Terror" | Joseph H. Lewis | Arthur Browne Jr. | October 16, 1961 | |
114 | 4 | "The Stand-In" | Joseph H. Lewis | Arthur Browne Jr. | October 23, 1961 | |
A prison wagon carrying a condemned killer passes through North Fork. | ||||||
115 | 5 | "The Journey Back" | Joseph H. Lewis | Herman Groves | October 30, 1961 | |
A new neighbor of the McCains' gives Mark a job on his ranch. | ||||||
116 | 6 | "The Decision" | Gene Nelson | Ed Adamson | November 6, 1961 | |
A killer's rich father tries to bribe witness Lucas. | ||||||
117 | 7 | "Knight Errant" | Gene Nelson | Jay Simms | November 13, 1961 | |
An eccentric old friend of Lucas' arrives in North Fork. | ||||||
118 | 8 | "Honest Abe" | Joseph H. Lewis | Michael Morris | November 20, 1961 | |
A kindly neighbor (Royal Dano) of Lucas' believes he is President Lincoln. | ||||||
119 | 9 | "The Long Goodbye" | Gene Nelson | Marian Carpenter, Jack Lewis | November 27, 1961 | |
The North Fork Town Council feels that an old man is incapable of raising his grandson. | ||||||
120 | 10 | "The Shattered Idol" | Joseph H. Lewis | Margaret Armen | December 4, 1961 | |
121 | 11 | "Long Gun from Tucson" | Joseph H. Lewis | Calvin Clements | December 11, 1961 | |
The townspeople leave Lucas to face killers alone. | ||||||
122 | 12 | "High Country" | Gene Nelson | Calvin Clements | December 18, 1961 | |
Lucas is accidentally responsible for the death of a young mountain boy. | ||||||
123 | 13 | "A Friend In Need" | Gene Nelson | Arthur Browne Jr. | December 25, 1961 | |
Lucas is stunned when Mark is kidnapped and a $5,000 ransom is asked. | ||||||
124 | 14 | "Skull" | William F. Claxton | Arthur Browne Jr. | January 1, 1962 | |
Outlaws force Lucas to help with a prison break. | ||||||
125 | 15 | "The Princess" | Robert Butler | Pat Fielder | January 8, 1962 | |
A young girl seeks refuge at the McCain ranch for herself and her ill brother. | ||||||
126 | 16 | "Gunfire" | Richard Donner | Arthur Browne Jr. | January 15, 1962 | |
A gang comes to town to free a jailed member. | ||||||
127 | 17 | "Quiet Fear" | Gene Nelson | Arthur Browne Jr. | January 22, 1962 | |
A drifter forces his attentions on a deaf girl. | ||||||
128 | 18 | "Sporting Chance" | Gene Nelson | Arthur Browne Jr. | January 29, 1962 | |
A dapper man arrives on the stage and announces that he has come to kill Lucas. | ||||||
129 | 19 | "Young Man's Fancy" | Joseph H. Lewis | Arthur Browne Jr. | February 5, 1962 | |
Mark falls head-over-heels in to his first puppy love. | ||||||
130 | 20 | "Man From Salinas" | Lawrence Dobkin | Arthur Browne Jr. | February 12, 1962 | |
A young man arrives in North Fork to claim the body of his dead brother. | ||||||
131 | 21 | "Two Ounces Of Tin" | Arnold Laven | Calvin Clements | February 19, 1962 | |
A young gunman with a killer's reputation comes to town and threatens to kill Micah. | ||||||
132 | 22 | "Deadly Image" | Richard Donner | Philip Saltzman | February 26, 1962 | |
Lucas is accused of cold-blooded murder by a man who claims to have been an eyewitness. | ||||||
133 | 23 | "The Debt" | Richard Donner | Calvin Clements | March 5, 1962 | |
Mark deliberately disobeys his father for the first time when he allows a convicted prisoner to escape. | ||||||
134 | 24 | "Tinhorn" | Lawrence Dobkin | Paul Mazursky, Skippy Adelman | March 12, 1962 | |
Lucas suddenly develops the habit of playing all-night poker in the local saloon. | ||||||
135 | 25 | "None So Blind" | Paul Wendkos | Cyril Hume | March 19, 1962 | |
A banjo-playing wanderer, hunting the man who caused his blindness, befriends Mark. | ||||||
136 | 26 | "Jealous Man" | Lawrence Dobkin | Peter Germano, Calvin Clements | March 26, 1962 | |
Jake Owens and his beautiful young wife buy the ranch adjoining the McCains'. | ||||||
137 | 27 | "Guilty Conscience" | Richard Donner | Cyril Hume | April 2, 1962 | |
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. | ||||||
138 | 28 | "Day Of Reckoning" | Lawrence Dobkin | Calvin Clements | April 9, 1962 | |
North Fork welcomes a new minister (Royal Dano), but Lucas knows he is a former outlaw and an ex-convict. | ||||||
139 | 29 | "The Day A Town Slept" | Richard Donner | Calvin Clements | April 16, 1962 | |
The McCains return from a trip to learn Micah has been voted out as marshal and a stranger now has the job. | ||||||
140 | 30 | "Milly's Brother" | Richard Donner | Arthur Browne Jr. | April 23, 1962 | |
A handsome gambler moves into town and begins wooing Milly Scott, claiming to have known her deceased brother. | ||||||
141 | 31 | "Outlaw's Shoes" | Richard Donner | Calvin Clements | April 30, 1962 | |
Lucas develops temporary amnesia from a head injury while visiting a strange town and mistakenly assumes the identity of a wanted criminal. | ||||||
142 | 32 | "The Executioner" | Lawrence Dobkin | Adam Williams | May 7, 1962 | |
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. |
Season 5 (1962–63)
editNo. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
143 | 1 | "Waste: Part 1" | Joseph H. Lewis | Robert Culp | October 1, 1962 | |
The McCains and Micah enter a "ghost town" and are taken prisoners by a group of bandits. | ||||||
144 | 2 | "Waste: Part 2" | Joseph H. Lewis | Robert Culp | October 8, 1962 | |
One of the bandit's wives (Enid Jaynes) is about to give birth and Lucas must deliver it rather than escape. | ||||||
145 | 3 | "Lou Mallory" | Arnold Laven | Arthur Browne, Jr. | October 15, 1962 | |
Red-headed beauty Lou Mallory (Patricia Blair) arrives in North Fork and buys a hotel. | ||||||
146 | 4 | "Quiet Night, Deadly Night" | Arnold Laven | Arthur Browne, Jr. | October 22, 1962 | |
Lucas, Lou Mallory, Doctor Burrage and two innocent bystanders are trapped in the hotel with dangerous outlaw Lee Coyle (Ed Ames) after a smallpox epidemic. | ||||||
147 | 5 | "Death Never Rides Alone" | Joseph H. Lewis | David P. Harmon | October 29, 1962 | |
A former gunfighter friend of Lucas (Lee Van Cleef) arrives in town intent on settling down and living quietly. | ||||||
148 | 6 | "I Take This Woman" | Joseph H. Lewis | David P. Harmon | November 5, 1962 | |
A charming Irishman (Sean McClory) comes to town announcing that he is there to claim Lou Mallory as his bride. | ||||||
149 | 7 | "The Assailants" | Arthur H. Nadel | Herman Groves | November 12, 1962 | |
A group of assassins disguised as cavalry soldiers try to murder an influential visiting senator (Edward Platt). | ||||||
150 | 8 | "Mark's Rifle" | Arnold Laven | Oliver Crawford | November 19, 1962 | |
Mark befriends a young man (Mark Goddard) who arrives in town to promote a circus and then quickly becomes a robbery suspect. | ||||||
151 | 9 | "The Most Amazing Man" | Arthur H. Nadal | Robert Lewin | November 26, 1962 | |
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. | ||||||
152 | 10 | "Squeeze Play" | Joseph H. Lewis | Ed Adamson | December 3, 1962 | |
An unscrupulous land buyer (Gerald Mohr) tries to purchase the McCain ranch for a railroad eminent domain. | ||||||
153 | 11 | "Gun Shy" | Arthur H. Nadel | Lois Meyers, Cyril Hume | December 10, 1962 | |
Mark develops an intense aversion of his father's rifle after a shooting accident takes the life of his friend (Jimmy Carter). | ||||||
154 | 12 | "The Anvil Chorus" | Arnold Laven | Arthur Browne, Jr. | December 17, 1962 | |
Outlaws, who had elected not to rob North Branch due to its heavily-armed reputation, change their minds upon learning of a new policy disarming the citizenry. | ||||||
155 | 13 | "Conflict" | Arthur H. Nadel | Ed Adamson | December 24, 1962 | |
While out on a cougar hunt, a frightening incident causes Lucas to lose faith in his ability as a rifleman. | ||||||
156 | 14 | "Incident at Line Shack Six" | Arnold Laven | Calvin Clements | January 7, 1963 | |
A murder occurs at a railroad camp near town, and a young Indian friend of Lucas' is accused of the killing. | ||||||
157 | 15 | "Suspicion" | Joseph H. Lewis | Jay Simms | January 14, 1963 | |
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. | ||||||
158 | 16 | "The Sidewinder" | Joseph H. Lewis | Robert Lewin | January 21, 1963 | |
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. | ||||||
159 | 17 | "The Sixteenth Cousin" | Arthur H. Nadel | Arthur Browne, Jr. | January 28, 1963 | |
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). | ||||||
160 | 18 | "Hostages To Fortune" | Arthur H. Nadel | Cyril Hume | February 4, 1963 | |
Lucas' faith in his son's honesty is shaken when he hears rumors that Mark may be mixed up with some thieves. | ||||||
161 | 19 | "And the Devil Makes Five" | Joseph H. Lewis | Arthur Browne, Jr. | February 11, 1963 | |
Lucas and Mark, returning from a fishing trip in the mountains, encounter Micah, who is escorting prisoner Scully Potter (Lonny Chapman) to Santa Fe. | ||||||
162 | 20 | "End Of The Hunt" | Arthur H. Nadel | Jay Simms | February 18, 1963 | |
Lucas, ordinarily a patient and reasonable man, turns vengeful after learning an old enemy (Jeff Morrow) is in town. | ||||||
163 | 21 | "The Bullet" | Joseph H. Lewis | Lowell Barrington | February 25, 1963 | |
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). | ||||||
164 | 22 | "Requiem At Mission Springs" | Arthur H. Nadel | Margaret Armen | March 4, 1963 | |
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. | ||||||
165 | 23 | "The Guest" | Joseph H. Lewis | Ed Adamson | March 11, 1963 | |
A charming stranger (Cesare Danova) arrives at the McCain ranch and identifies himself as an acquaintance of an old friend of Lucas. | ||||||
166 | 24 | "Old Man, Running" | Arthur H. Nadel | A. Martin Zweiback | March 18, 1963 | |
An old man (John Anderson) appears in North Fork asking for Micah's protection from a gang of criminals who are after him. | ||||||
167 | 25 | "Which Way'd They Go?" | Arthur H. Nadel | Arthur Browne, Jr. | March 25, 1963 | |
The hillbilly Jackman family are installed as peace officers in a town near North Fork. | ||||||
168 | 26 | "Old Tony" | Joseph H. Lewis | Thomas Thompson | April 8, 1963 | |
The recluse Old Tony (Stefan Schnabel) helps Lucas rescue Mark and his girlfriend Lorrie from quicksand. (Trent was injured in the quicksand scene, which led to her decision to retire from filmmaking.) |