Episode 117
Writer: Jay Simms
Director: Gene Nelson
Original Air Date 11/13/1961
Cast
Chuck Connors as Lucas McCain
Johnny Crawford as Mark McCain
Paul Fix as Marshal Micah Torrance
Guest Cast
Lawrence Dobkin was an American television director, actor and television screenwriter whose career spanned seven decades. Dobkin was a prolific performer during the Golden Age of Radio. His voice was use to narrate the classic western "Broken Arrow" and "The Robe." Dobkin made four guest appearances in THE RIFLEMAN, portraying different characters in each episode. He played Juan Argentez in "The Gaucho" (episode 14), General Phil Sheridan in The Sheridan Story" (episode 16), Don Chimera de Laredo in "The Knight Errant" (episode 117), and Ben Judson in "The Day a Town Slept" (episode 139). Dobkin worked behind the camera on THE RIFLEMAN, with writing credits for "The Actress" (episode 94) and "The Executioner" (episode 142). He also directed several episodes, including "Tinhorn" (episode 134), "The Jealous Man" (episode 136), "Day of Reckoning" (episode 138), and "The Executioner" (episode 142). Dobkin later directed several episodes of the Chuck Connors television series "Branded" (1965-1966). Dobkin's film performances include "Never Fear," "Sweet Smell of Success," and "North by Northwest," He announced the landmark television series "Naked City," closing each episode with the statement, "There are eight million stories in the naked city, and this has been one of them."
Jack Elam was an American film and television actor whose career spanned more than 40 years. He grew up in difficult circumstances, moving from the households of relatives and father, stepmother and siblings after his mother passed away. He attended Santa Monica Junior College in California, then worked as an accountant and later, he briefly was manager of the Bel Air Hotel. Purportedly, he got his first movie job by trading his accounting services for a role. His film debut was a role in "She Shoulda Said No!" (1949), an exploitation film about the vices of marijuana. Elam quickly became one of the most memorable supporting players in Hollywood and became well-known for playing villains in western genre and gangster films. He played up a near-demented screen persona, which was enhanced by a wandering left eye rendered sightless from a childhood fight. Although he was a highly recognizable villain throughout most of his acting career, in later years he played more comedic roles, becoming more winsome, if still grizzled and slightly crazed.
Elam made five guest appearances in THE RIFLEMAN, portraying different characters in each episode. He played Sim Groder in "Duel of Honor" (episode 7), Gavin Martin in "Tension" (episode 45), Gus Smith in "Shotgun Man" (episode 69), Gates in "The Knight Errant" (episode 117) and Russell, the Pool Shark, in "Shattered Idol" (episode 120). In 1994, Elam was inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.
Sean McClory, born Sean Joseph McClory, was an Irish film and television actor. He appeared in more than 130 movies and television shows during a career spanning nearly 50 years. He had many film roles, including uncredited parts in the drama "The Glass Menagerie" (1950), starring Jane Wyman, Kirk Douglas, Gertrude Lawrence and Arthur Kennedy, and the Disney musical "Mary Poppins" (1964), starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, as well as several more memorable roles, including Owen Glynn in the John Ford romantic comedy-drama "The Quiet Man" (1952), starring John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Victor McLaglen and Barry Fitzgerald; Maj. Kibbee in the science fiction film "Them!" (1954), starring James Whitmore, Edmund Gwenn, Joan Weldon and James Arness; and Mr. Grace in the John Huston film "The Dead" (1987), starring Anjelica Huston, Donal McCann, Dan O'Herily, Donal Donnelly and Helena Carroll.
McClory guest-starred in many popular television shows of the 1950s through the 90s, including the detective drama "Richard Diamond: Private Detective" (1957–1960), the anthology series "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (1955–1962), "Thriller" (1960–1962) and "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color" (1954–1990), the crime dramas "The Untouchables" (1959–1963) and "Honey West" (1965–1966), the family dramas "Lassie" (1954–1974) and "Little House on the Prairie" (1974–1983), the legal drama "Perry Mason" (1957–1966) and the mystery series "Murder, She Wrote" (1984–1996). He also had a few recurring roles, including Jack McGivern in the western drama "The Californians" (1957–1959) and Myles Delaney in the adventure series "Bring 'Em Back Alive" (1982–1983).
McClory made two appearances in THE RIFLEMAN, portraying Colonel Black in "The Knight Errant" (episode 117) and Dennis O'Flarrety in "I Take This Woman" (episode 148). He guest-starred in numerous other westerns, including "Zane Grey Theater" (1956–1961), "Have Gun – Will Travel" (1957–1963), "Wanted: Dead or Alive" (1958–1961), "Wagon Train" (1957–1965), "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp" (1955–1961), "Bonanza" (1959–1973), "Tales of Wells Fargo" (1957–1962), "Laramie" (1959–1963), "Rawhide" (1959–1966), "Daniel Boone" (1964–1970), "Death Valley Days" (1952–1975) and "Gunsmoke" (1955–1975).
Don Chimera de Laredo, an eccentric old friend of Lucas's, arrives at the McCain ranch announcing flamboyantly that he has come to accomplish a deed of honor. Don Laredo lies to play the part of a Knight in armor, even to the point of insisting on a jousting match with his sworn enemy Colonel Black. When Lucas learns that the whole fuss started over a chess game in which each man accused the other of cheating, he persuades them to settle the grudge with another game of chess, but a twist of circumstances brings two new villains into the picture.