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Obituary
Episode 44
Writer: Teddi Sherman and Ward Wood
Director: Don Medford
Original Air Date 10/20/1959

Cast

Chuck Connors as Lucas McCain

Johnny Crawford as Mark McCain

Paul Fix as Marshal Micah Torrance



Guest Cast
Chris Alcaide as Panama Billings
Chris Alcaide

Chris Alcaide made ten appearances in THE RIFLEMAN, portraying different characters in each episode.  He is best known for his roles in westerns, having appeared in over 400 television western programs.  Alcaide, a veteran character actor of great range and talent appeared in a wide variety of projects, including "The Glass Menagerie," "The Wild One" with Marlon Brando, "Assassination" with Charles Bronson and "Kid Galahad" with Elvis Presley.  Other movie credits include "The Miami Story," "Gunslinger," "Miami Expose," "The 49th Man," "Massacre Canyon" and "Rock All Night."

Brian G. Hutton as Billy Benson

Brian Hutton was an American film and television actor, as well as director.  He appeared in more than 30 movies and television shows and directed nine films during a two-decade career.  He made his directorial debut with "The Wild Seed" (1965), starring Michael Parkins and Celia Kaye.  His most notable films include the World War II thriller "Where the Eagles Dare" (1968), starring Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood; the war comedy "Kelly's Heroes" (1970), starring Clint Eastwood, Telly Savalas, Don Rickles and Carroll O'Connor; the psychological drama about a romantic triangle "X, Y, and Zee" (1972) starring Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Caine and Susannah York; and the romantic adventure "High Road to China" (1983), starring Tom Selleck and Bess Armstrong.

Hutton also had acting roles in a few films, including the western "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral" (1957), starring Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas, and the western "Last Train to Gun Hill" (1959), starring Kirk Douglas, Anthony Quinn and Carolyn Jones.  In addition to film, Hutton guest-starred in a few popular television shows, including the legal drama "Perry Mason" (1957–1966) and the suspense anthology series "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (1955–1962).  Hutton made two appearances in THE RIFLEMAN, portraying Deecie in "Long Gun from Tuscon" (episode 121) and Billy Benson in "Obituary" (episode 44).  He guest-starred in several other westerns, including "Gunsmoke" (1955–1975), starring James Arness; "Have Gun – Will Travel" (1957–1963), starring Richard Boone; "Rawhide" (1959–1966), starring Clint Eastwood; "Wagon Train" (1957–1965), starring John McIntyre and Ward Bond; and "Laramie" (1959–1963), starring John Smith and Robert Fuller.  He also had an uncredited part in "Geronimo" (1962), starring THE RIFLEMAN's Chuck Connors in the title role.

Joanna Moore as Eleanor Claremont
Joanna Moore as Eleanor Claremont

Ian Murray as Harley Hannabury
Ian Murray as Harley Hannabury

Ian Murray made appearances in seven episodes of THE RIFLEMAN, playing the recurring character of Harley Hannabury in six, including "The Challenge" (episode 28), "Blood Brothers" (episode 35), "Obituary" (episode 44), "The Fourflusher" (episode 72), "Meeting at Midnight" (credited as "Old Man")(episode 74), and "The Illustrator" (episode 88).  He played a Townsman in "The Hangman" (episode 76).

Alexander Scourby as Byron Claremont

Alexander Scourby was an American stage, film, television and voice actor.  He appeared in more than 80 movies and television shows during his 35-year career.  He got his start on the stage with an apprenticeship at Eva Le Gallienne's Civic Repertory Theatre in Manhattan.  Together with other actors, Scourby helped to establish the Apprentice Theatre, which presented plays at the New School for Social Research in New York City from 1933–1934.   He was also one of the founders of the drama company New Stages, which presented productions from 1947–1948.  His first Broadway role was the player king in Leslie Howard's production of "Hamlet."  He would go on to have many significant roles, including Razumikhin in Rodney Ackland's dramatization of "Crime and Punishment" at the National Theatre in New York.  Despite receiving accolades for his stage work, Scourby is best remembered for his deep and resonant voice heard narrating a wide variety of media, including commercials, documentaries and radio serials.  He broadcast in Greek and English for the Office of War Information during World War II.  His greatest accomplishment was his narration of the King James version of the Bible, which was commissioned originally by the American Foundation for the Blind.

Some of his film roles include Max Fabian in the noir film "Affair in Trinidad" (1952), starring Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford; Mike Lagana in the crime drama "The Big Heat" (1953), starring Glenn Ford and Gloria Grahame; Old Polo in the epic drama "Giant" (1956), starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson and James Dean; Dr. Mihail Andrassy in the family comedy "The Shaggy Dog" (1959), starring Fred MacMurray; and Evans in the comedy horror film "The Stuff" (1985), starring Michael Moriarty, Andrea Marcovicci, Garrett Morris and Paul Sorvino.  In television, he appeared primarily in drama series, including "Omnibus" (1952–1961), "Studio One in Hollywood" (1948–1958), "Kraft Theatre" (1947–1958) and "The United States Steel Hour" (1953–1963), Rod Serling's iconic anthology series, "The Twilight Zone" (1959–1964), and the crime drama "Mannix" (1967–1975).  Scourby made one appearance in THE RIFLEMAN, portraying Byron Claremont in "Obituary" (episode 44).  He guest-starred in several other westerns of the 1950s and 60s, including "Rawhide" (1959–1966), starring Clint Eastwood, "Zane Grey Theater" (1956–1961), starring Dick Powell, "Wanted: Dead or Alive" (1958–1961), starring Steve McQueen, "Bonanza" (1959–1973), starring Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, Dan Blocker and Pernell Roberts, and "Daniel Boone" (1964–1970), starring Fess Parker.


Lucas becomes the target of a young gunslinger because of newspaper articles written about his prowess with a rifle.  The writer of the articles hopes to make trouble for McCain, because he imagines Lucas is romantically involved with his wife, but his plan backfires tragically.