The Rifleman (1958–1963)

The adventures of a Wild West rancher who wields a customized Winchester rifle.

Stars:

Chuck Connors, Johnny Crawford, Paul Fix

Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Chuck Connors	...	Lucas McCain (168 episodes, 1958-1963)
Johnny Crawford	...	Mark McCain (168 episodes, 1958-1963)
Paul Fix	...	Marshal Micah Torrance (148 episodes, 1958-1963)

Storyline

Widower Lucas McCain can fire a round with his specially modified Winchester in three-tenths of a second. Added to his high moral code and resolve enable him to help Marshal Micah Torrance maintain order in town while raising his son, Mark, on a ranch near North Fork, New Mexico.

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Plot Keywords:

winchester rifle | widower | rifle | farm | family relationships | 

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Genres:

Family | Western

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 September 1958 (USA)

Also Known As:

El hombre del rifle

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Ranch, Malibu Creek State Park - 1925 Las Virgenes Road, Calabasas, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Four Star Productions, Four Star Television, Sussex Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min 30 min (168 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

4:3

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the pilot for the series, by Sam Peckinpah (originally written for Gunsmoke but turned down for that show), Chuck Connors' character was named John McCain, not Lucas McCain, and he didn't have a son. It was producer Arnold Laven's idea to make McCain a widower with a son. Also, McCain was originally supposed to have been a dead shot with a pistol. Laven had the idea to use a customized Winchester rifle as McCain's weapon of choice.

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Goofs

Lucas McCain's rifle is a modified 1892 .44-40 Winchester, even though the series clearly establishes itself in the 1880s.

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Quotes

[repeated line]
Mark McCain: Pa!

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Connections

Referenced in Mystery Science Theater 3000: Bloodlust! (1994)

User Reviews

Great Western from the Golden Age of TV

As a kid growing up in the 70s, "The Rifleman" was one the only other western besides "Wild, Wild, West" that I really liked--I envied Mark McCain and the great father he had on the show (played by Connors). Yes, each show was a morality play but so were many other shows of the 50s & 60s (including "Star Trek"). They made their point at a time when there was still some innocence in America, and even taught tolerance for people from other countries/cultures (for example, in the episode of "Rifleman" where a Japanese man gets insulted & pushed into a fight with one of the locals & uses Judo to defend himself). Lucas McCain taught his son by example NEVER to use a gun or fight unless it was self-defense. It sounds silly now, but when I was a kid I wished my dad had explained things to me the same way Chuck Connors did to his son in the show--ah well, thank goodness for TV writers! :)