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The Vaqueros
Episode 111
Writer: Arthur Browne, Jr.
Director: Joseph H. Lewis
Original Air Date 10/02/1961

Cast

Chuck Connors as Lucas McCain

Johnny Crawford as Mark McCain

Paul Fix as Marshal Micah Torrance



Guest Cast
Roberto Contreras as Angelo

Roberto Contreras was an American film and television actor who appeared in more than 80 movies and television shows in a career spanning nearly 40 years.  He acted in a variety of popular shows, including the crime dramas "77 Sunset Strip" (1958–1964) and "Police Story" (1973–1977), as well as the adventure series "The Fugitive" (1963–1967) and the espionage thriller "Mission: Impossible" (1966–1973).  Contreras guest-starred in one episode of THE RIFLEMAN, portraying Angelo in "The Vaqueros" (episode 111).  He made guest appearances in numerous other westerns, including "Maverick" (1957–1962), "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp" (1955–1961), "Wanted: Dead or Alive" (1958–1961), starring Steve McQueen, "Tales of Wells Fargo" (1957–1962) and "Rawhide" (1959–1966), starring Clint Eastwood.  Contreras also had a recurring role as Pedro in the western series "The High Chaparral" (1967–1971).

Pepe Hern as Lazeros

Pepe Hern, born Jose Hernandez Bethancourt, was an American film and television actor.  He appeared in more than 70 movies and television shows in a career spanning nearly 40 years.  He tended to be cast as Spaniards or Latinos, appearing in uncredited roles and bit parts in several films, including the comedy "My Favorite Spy" (1951), starring Bob Hope and Hedy Lamarr, the crime drama "Madigan" (1968), starring Richard Widmark, Henry Fonda and Inger Stevens, the drama "Crisis" (1950), starring Cary Grant and Jose Ferrer, and the westerns "Joe Kidd" (1972), starring Clint Eastwood, and "The Magnificent Seven" (1960), starring Yul Brynner.  He also guest-starred in various popular shows of the 1960s through the 80s, including the adventure series "The Fugitive" (1963–1967), the comedy "The Flying Nun" (1967–1970), the police dramas "Adam-12" (1968–1975) and "Mod Squad" (1968–1973), the Aaron Spelling action series "Charlie's Angels" (1976–1981) and the comedy whodunit series "Murder, She Wrote" (1984–1996).

Hern made two appearances in THE RIFLEMAN, portraying Sleeper in "Waste" (episode 74) and Lazeros in "Vaqueros" (episode 111).  He also guest-starred in many other westerns of the 1950s and 60s, including "The Big Valley" (1965–1969), starring Barbara Stanwyck, "Bonanza" (1959–1973), starring Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, Dan Blocker and Pernell Roberts, "Cheyenne" (1955–1963), starring Clint Walker, "Gunsmoke" (1955–1975), starring James Arness, "Hopalong Cassidy" (1952–1954), starring William Boyd, "Rawhide" (1959–1966), starring Clint Eastwood, and "The Restless Gun" (1957–1959), starring John Payne.

Martin Landau as Miguel, the Patron
Martin Landau as Miguel, the Patron in The Vacquer

Martin Landau appeared in one episode of THE RIFLEMAN, portraying Miguel, the Patron, in "The Vacqueros" (episode 111).  He also co-starred with Chuck Connors in "Branded" (1965-1966), in "This Stage of Fools."  Landau had a long career in television and later, in film.  He attended Lee Strasberg's Actor's Studio and made his film debut in Alfred Hitchcock's "North by Northwest."  He is perhaps best-remembered for his role as mission specialist Rollin Hand in "Mission Impossible," for which he received two Emmy nominations (1968 and 1969) and won a Golden Globe in 1969.  He later appeared in the television series "Space: 1999."  Landau received two Oscar nominations for his roles in "Tucker: The Man and His Dream," co-starring Jeff Bridges, and the Woody Allen film "Crimes and Misdemeanors," co-starring Angelica Huston.  He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1994 for his portrayal of Bela Lugosi in "Ed Wood."

Ziva Rodann as Maria
Ziva Rodann as Maria

Ziva Rodann is a Palestinian actress who has worked primarily in television.  She has appeared in 50 movies and television shows during her 16-year career.  Most of her film roles were minor, including uncredited parts in the war drama "China Gate" (1957), starring Gene Barry, Angie Dickinson and Nat King Cole, and the film adaptation of Fyodor Dostoevsky's "The Brothers Karamazov" (1958), starring Yul Brynner, William Shatner and Richard Basehart; Mrs. Catherine Morgan in the western thriller "Last Train from Gun Hill" (1959), starring Kirk Douglas and Anthony Quinn; and Gogo Lazlo in the drama "College Confidential" (1960), starring Steve Allen.

Rodann guest-starred in many popular shows of the 1950s and 60s, including the legal drama "Perry Mason" (1957–1966), the medical drama "Dr. Kildare" (1961–1966), the espionage adventure series "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." (1964–1968) and the campy superhero series "Batman" (1966–1968), in which she appeared twice portraying ancient Egyptian queen Nefertiti.  Rodann made one appearance in THE RIFLEMAN, portraying Maria in "Vaqueros" (episode 111).  She guest-starred in several other westerns, including "Death Valley Days" (1952–1975), hosted by Robert Taylor, "Have Gun – Will Travel" (1957–1963), starring Richard Boone, "Bonanza" (1959–1973), starring Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, Dan Blocker and Pernell Roberts, "Tales of Wells Fargo" (1957–1962), starring Dale Robertson, and "Rawhide" (1959–1966), starring Clint Eastwood.

Vladimir Sokoloff as Grandfather

Vladimir Sokoloff, born Vladimir Nikolaevich Sokoloff, was a Russian film and television actor.  He appeared in more than 100 movies and television shows during a career spanning nearly 40 years.  He became an actor and assistant director through the Moscow Art Theatre.  He emigrated to Berlin in 1923, then moved to Paris, eventually embarking for the United States in the wake of the Nazi's rising influence in Europe.  As a character actor, he portrayed characters of various nationalities.  He is perhaps best-remembered for his portrayal of Anselmo in the film adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's "For Whom the Bell Tolls" (1943), starring Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman; as well as his role as the Old Man in the western "The Magnificent Seven" (1960), starring Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Eli Wallach, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter and James Coburn.

Sokoloff had roles in several other memorable films, including the jailer Smith in the musical comedy "The Threepenny Opera" (1931), starring Rudolf Forster and Lotte Lanya; artist Paul Cezanne in the biographical drama "The Life of Emile Zola" (1937), starring Paul Muni, Gale Sondergaard, Joseph Schildkraut and Gloria Holden; Hyder Khan in "Road to Morocco" (1942), starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour; and George "Pop" Pilski in the noir film "While the City Sleeps" (1956), starring Dana Andrews, Rhonda Fleming and George Sanders.  He guest-starred in several popular television shows, including the anthology series "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (1955–1962), "Playhouse 90" (1956–1960) and Rod Serling's "The Twilight Zone" (1959–1964), as well as the mystery action series "Peter Gunn" (1958–1961) and the crime drama "The Untouchables" (1959–1963).

Sokoloff made one appearance in THE RIFLEMAN, portraying Grandfather in "The Vaqueros" (episode 111).  He guest-starred in a few others westerns, including "Have Gun – Will Travel" (1957–1963), starring Richard Boone; "Zane Grey Theater" (1956–1961), starring Dick Powell; and "Wagon Train" (1957–1965), starring John McIntyre and Ward Bond.

Than Wyenn as Ramos

Than Wyenn is an American film and television actor who has appeared in more than 140 movies and television shows during a 30-year career.  He has had many film roles, including Ambassador Gaufridi in the award-winning film adaptation of Jerzy Kozinski's novella "Being There" (1979), starring Peter Sellers and Shirley MacLaine and Melvyn Douglas; as well as minor parts in Cecil B. DeMille's Bible epic "The Ten Commandments" (1956), starring Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner and Anne Baxter heading an ensemble cast; and the crime caper "Gambit" (1966), starring Shirley MacLaine and Michael Caine.  He also had a recurring role as Licenciardo Pina in the Disney adventure series "Zorro" (1957–1959).

Wyenn guest-starred in many popular television shows of the 1950s through the 80s, including the anthology series "Playhouse 90" (1956–1960), the legal drama "Perry Mason" (1957–1966), Rod Serling's iconic anthology series "The Twilight Zone" (1959–1964), the detective drama "Richard Diamond: Private Detective" (1957–1960), the road series "Route 66" (1960–1964), the crime dramas "The Untouchables" (1959–1963) and "Arrest and Trial" (1963–1964), the family comedy "Leave It to Beaver" (1957–1963), the private detective series "77 Sunset Strip" (1958–1964), the war drama "Combat!" (1962–1967), the espionage thrillers "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." (1964–1968) and "Mission: Impossible" (1966–1973), the adventure drama "It Takes a Thief" (1968–1970), the Buck Henry spy spoof "Get Smart" (1965–1970), the crime drama "Barnaby Jones" (1973–1903), the action adventure series "The Six Million Dollar Man" (1974–1978) and "Knight Rider" (1982–1986), and the forensic medical drama "Quincy M.E." (1976–1983).

Wyenn made one appearance in THE RIFLEMAN, portraying Ramos in "The Vaqueros" (episode 111).  He guest-starred in many other westerns, including "Gunsmoke" (1955–1975), starring James Arness; "Have Gun – Will Travel" (1957–1963), starring Richard Boone; "Death Valley Days" (1952–1975), hosted by Robert Taylor; "Wanted: Dead or Alive" (1958–1961), starring Steve McQueen; "Rawhide" (1959–1966), starring Clint Eastwood; and "The Big Valley" (1965–1969), starring Barbara Stanwyck.


While on a trip to Mexico, Lucas and Mark are accosted by a group of "banditos" who steal their horses, take Mark as a hostage and leave Lucas in the desert to die.  Lucas frees himself and trails the group to a small Mexican village, where he finds the town too frightened of the banditos to fight them.  With the help of a saloon dancer and her aged father, Lucas tackles the task of subduing the bandits single-handed.