My Cart
Return to Season 5 Index

Waste, Part I
Episode 143
Writer: Robert Culp
Director: Joseph H. Lewis
Original Air Date 10/01/1962

Cast

Chuck Connors as Lucas McCain

Johnny Crawford as Mark McCain

Paul Fix as Marshal Micah Torrance



Guest Cast
Pepe Hern as Sleeper

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.

Enid Janes/Jaynes as Pregnant Woman
Enid Jaynes

Enid Janes/Jaynes made six guest appearances in THE RIFLEMAN, twice in two-part stories.  She appeared as Amy Barker in "Panic" (episode 47), Aggie in "The Wyoming Story, Parts I and II" (episodes 96 and 97), as Abbey Striker in "Quiet Fear" (episode 127), and the Pregnant Woman in "Waste, Parts I and II" (episodes 143 and 144).  She later appeared with Chuck Connors in "Geronimo" (1962) as Huera.  Jaynes was wife of THE RIFLEMAN producer Jules V. Levy.

Alex Montoya as a Bandit, Ear Digger

Alex Montoya was an American television and film actor.  He appeared in more than 100 movies and television shows during a career spanning 30 years.  He had minor parts in a few notable films, including the drama "Crisis" (1950), starring Cary Grant and Jose Ferrer; the western "Escape from Fort Bravo" (1953), starring William Holden, Eleanor Parker and John Forsythe; and the western "The Magnificent Seven" (1960), starring Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter and Horst Bucholz.

Montoya guest-starred in many popular television shows of the 1950s and 60s, including the anthology series "The Loretta Young Show" (1953–1961), "Thriller" (1960–1962) and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (1955–1962), the crime drama "The Untouchables" (1959–1963), the legal drama "Perry Mason" (1957–1966), the espionage series "I Spy" (1965–1968), the adventure drama "It Takes a Thief" (1968–1970) and the police drama "Mod Squad" (1968–1973).  He also had a recurring role as Miguel Morales in the western "The High Chaparral" (1967–1971). 

Montoya made one appearance in THE RIFLEMAN, portraying Ear Digger in "Waste" (episode 143).  He guest-starred in many other westerns, including "The Adventures of Kit Carson" (1951–1955), "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp" (1955–1961), "Cheyenne" (1955–1963), "Rawhide" (1959–1966), "Tales of Wells Fargo" (1957–1962), "Bonanza" (1959–1973), "Wagon Train" (1957–1965), "The Virginian" (1962–1971), "Gunsmoke" (1955–1975) and "Death Valley Days" (1952–1975).

Tony Rosa as a Bandit, Horse Teeth Looker

Tony Rosa appeared in four movies and television shows in a decade-long career.  He portrayed a gambler in the film adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea" (1958), starring Spencer Tracy.  He also had a minor part in the musical comedy "Guys and Dolls" (1955), starring Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons, Frank Sinatra and Vivian Blaine.  In television, he guest-starred in the crime drama "Checkmate" (1960–1962).  He made one appearance in THE RIFLEMAN, portraying Horse Teeth Looker in parts 1 and 2 of "Waste" (episodes 143 and 144).

Vito Scotti as Alphonso
Vito Scotti as Alphonso

Vito Scotti was an American actor who appeared in more than 200 film and television programs spanning 46 years.  He was born into an Italian family and spent his childhood in Naples.  His career as a performer began playing in night clubs.  His first film role (uncredited) was in "Illegal Entry" (1949).  Scotti became well-known as a versatile character actor—a man with a thousand faces.  Equally adept playing comedic and dramatic parts, he frequently was cast in ethnic roles.  Scotti appeared in four episodes of THE RIFLEMAN, portraying Alphonso in the two-part program "Waste" (episodes 143 and 144), Soto in "The Sixteenth Cousin" (episode 159), and Marcello Chabini in "Which Way Did They Go?" (episode 167).

Sarah Taft as the Old Woman

Sarah Taft was an American film and television actress.  She appeared in more than 50 movies and television shows in a 20-year career.  She had roles in several memorable films, including the part of Sarah in the dramatic comedy "The Reivers" (1969), starring Steve McQueen and Sharon Farrell; as well as minor parts in the Alfred Hitchcock thriller "Vertigo" (1958), starring James Stewart and Kim Novak; the romantic comedy "Donovan's Reef" (1963), starring John Wayne; and the thriller "The Mechanic" (1972), starring Charles Bronson, Jan-Michael Vincent and Keenan Wynn.

Taft guest-starred in many popular television shows of the 1950s and 60s, including the action crime drama "Highway Patrol" (1955–1959), the period crime drama "The Untouchables" (1959–1963), the legal drama "Perry Mason" (1957–1966), Rod Serling's iconic anthology series "The Twilight Zone" (1959–1964), the medical drama "Ben Casey" (1961–1966), the family comedy "My Three Sons" (1960–1972), the espionage thriller "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." (1964–1968), and the western action adventure "The Wild Wild West" (1965–1969).  Taft made two appearances in THE RIFLEMAN, portraying the old woman in "Waste" (episode 74) and Sara Caruthers in "Dead Cold Cash" (episode 85).  She also guest-starred in the westerns "Tales of Wells Fargo" (1957–1962), starring Dale Robertson; and "Gunsmoke" (1955–1975), starring James Arness.


Lucas, Mark and Marshal Torrance stumble into an old "Ghost Town" and are taken prisoners by a group of bandits.  When the bandits are distracted by the news that the wife of one of them is about to give birth to a baby, Lucas, Mark and Micah escape and take refuge in a deserted building.  Unable to get a doctor, Lucas must assist delivering the baby.