"The Rifleman" The Vaqueros (1961)

Director:

Joseph H. Lewis

Writer:

Arthur Browne Jr. (written by)

TV Series:

"The Rifleman" (1958)

Original Air Date:

2 October 1961 (Season 4, Episode 1)

Genre:

Family | Western

Plot:

In Mexico to buy a seed-bull, Lucas and Mark McCain fall prey to bandits. These bandits strip Lucas of his shirt, hat, and boots. Then they tie him to a tree and leave him to die while they ride off with his kidnapped son.

Plot Keywords:

Bandit | Mexico | Desert | Rifle | Sunburn

Cast

Chuck Connors	...	Lucas McCain
Johnny Crawford	...	Mark McCain
Paul Fix	...	Marshal Micah Torrance (credit only)
Ziva Rodann	...	Maria
Vladimir Sokoloff	...	Abuelito
Than Wyenn	...	Ramos
Pepe Hern	...	Lazaro
Roberto Contreras	...	Angelo
Martin Landau	...	Miguel Patrone
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Al Haskell	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Jack Tornek	...	Townsman (uncredited)

Directed by
Joseph H. Lewis

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Arthur Browne Jr.		written by

Produced by
Arthur Gardner	....	producer
Arnold Laven	....	producer
Jules V. Levy	....	producer (as Jules Levy)

Original Music by
Herschel Burke Gilbert

Cinematography by
Howard Schwartz		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Chandler House

Casting by
Betty Martin

Art Direction by
George Renne
Bill Ross		(supervising art director)

Set Decoration by
Anthony D. Nealis

Makeup Department
Webster Philips	....	makeup artist (as Webster C. Phillips)

Production Management
Bruce Fowler Jr.	....	production manager
Jack Sonntag	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bob White	....	assistant director (as Robert White)

Sound Department
Denzil L. Daniels	....	sound
Kay Rose	....	sound effects

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Robert B. Harris	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Bernard W. Burton	....	editorial supervisor (as Bernard Burton)

Music Department
Harry King	....	music editor

Other crew
Marian Carpenter	....	assistant to producer

John Harmon

...

Eddie Halstead

Production Companies

• Four Star Productions
• Sussex Productions

Distributors

• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1961) (USA) (TV)

Runtime:

30 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Company:

Four Star Productions

Quotes:

Miguel:We will take everything from you - including your money.

Lucas must find Mark that has been taken by Mexican bandits.

To start off season four, we are given a typical 'Rifleman' episode involving Lucas being left to die and the bandits take off with his son. As always Lucas finds a way to escape and the rest of the show is Lucas determined to find his son, Mark, at any cost.

The only thing that has really changed is the location of the event. Lucas and Mark are in Mexico to buy a bull when some Mexican bandits interrupt their travel. The bandits tie Lucas top a tree and take Mark with them.

As already said, Lucas finds a way to free himself and then is taken in by a nice Mexican family that nurses him back to health. Now Lucas must find where they have taken Mark and get him back.

There is really nothing new in this episode that has not already been done many times in the series. But for a thirty minutes western it still was a nice watch.