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The Brother-In-Law
Episode 5
Writer: David Victor and Herbert Little, Jr.
Director: Arnold Laven
Original Air Date 10/28/1958

Cast

Chuck Connors as Lucas McCain

Johnny Crawford as Mark McCain

Paul Fix as Marshal Micah Torrance



Guest Cast
Jerome Courtland as Johnny Gibbs
Jerome Courtland as Johnny Gibbs

Jerome Courtland is an American actor, producer and director.  Between 1944 and 1993 Courtland was involved in the making of more than 70 titles for film and television.  Courtland made one appearance on THE RIFLEMAN, playing Johnny Gibbs in "The Brother-in-Law" (episode 5).

Karl Lukas as Oliver

Karl Lukas, born Karol Louis Lukasiak, was an American actor who worked primarily in television.  He appeared in more than 100 movies and television shows during a career spanning 40 years.  Lukas had a few memorable film roles, including Pokey Stiff in the action adventure comedy "Emperor of the North" (1973), starring Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine and Keith Carradine; Charley in the crime drama "Hustle" (1975), starring Burt Reynolds and Catherine Deneuve; and the bartender in the western comedy "The Frisco Kid" (1979), starring Gene Wilder and Harrison Ford.

Lukas guest-starred in many popular television shows of the 1950s through the 90s, including the anthology series "Four Star Playhouse" (1952–1956) and "Playhouse 90" (1956–1961), the crime dramas "77 Sunset Strip" (1958–1964), "The Untouchables" (1959–1963) and "Mannix" (1967–1975), the suspense series "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (1955–1962), the family comedies "The Beverly Hillbillies" (1962–1971), The Andy Griffith Show" (1960–1968) and "Mister Ed" (1958–1966), the sci-fi comedy "My Favorite Martian" (1963–1966), the espionage action adventure "I Spy" (1965–1968), the musical comedy "The Monkees" (1966–1968), the campy superhero series "Batman" (1966–1968), the fantasy comedy "Bewitched" (1964–1972) and the family drama "Little House on the Prairie" (1974–1983).  He also had a few recurring roles, including Private Stash Kadowski in the military comedy "The Phil Silvers Show" (1955–1959), Scotty in the family comedy "Family Affair" (1966–1971) and the maintenance man Carl in the drama "St. Elsewhere" (1982–1988).  Lukas made one appearance in THE RIFLEMAN, portraying Oliver in "The Brother-in-law" (episode 5).  He guest-starred in several other westerns, including "The Deputy" (1959–1961), "Wagon Train" (1957–1965), "Rawhide" (1959–1966), "Gunsmoke" (1955–1975) and "Bonanza" (1959–1973).

Fay Roope as Jeff Stacey
Fay Roope

Fay Roope was an American character actor, born Winfield Harding Roope.  Beginning in the 1920's he was primarily a stage actor, appearing both off and on Broadway for nearly 30 years.  In the 1950's until his death in 1961, he worked primarily in film and television.  His film credits include roles in "From Here To Eternity" (1953, uncredited), the Gary Cooper comedy "You're in the Navy Now" (1951, uncredited), and the original version of the science-fiction classic film "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (1951, uncredited) and "Viva Zapata" (1952) and "Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki" (1955).  Roope also guest-starred in numerous television series, including "Mr. & Mrs. North" (1952–1953), "Dragnet" (1958), "Perry Mason" (1958) and "Twilight Zone" (1960).  He also appeared in many of the drama anthology shows during the Golden Age of television.

Roope made four appearances in THE RIFLEMAN, portraying Jeff Stacey in "The Brother-In-Law" (episode 5), Baynes Barton in "The Spiked Rifle" (episode 49), and he was one of six actors to play the recurring character of Doc Burrage—Roope portrayed Doc Burrage in "Panic" (episode 47) and "The Legacy" (episode 51).  He was a recognizable veteran actor in Westerns, including "The Lone Ranger" (1954), "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp" (1955–1958), "The Adventures of Jim Bowie" (1957–1958), "Gunsmoke" (1959), in which he played the recurring character Mr. Botkin, "Bonanza" (1959), "The Texan" (1958–1960), "Rawhide" (1959) and "Cheyenne" (1960).

Charles Watts as Alvah Kemper

Charles Watts was an American film and television actor.  He appeared in more than 100 movies and television shows in a short but busy acting career of just 15 years.  Born in Clarksville, Tennessee in 1912, in his early life Watts was a high-school teacher and worked in local theater and tent shows.  He did not embark upon a full-fledged acting career until 1950; however, as a portly character actor, Watts was usually cast in supporting roles, frequently portraying glad-handing politicians, voluble businessmen and salesmen, wily bankers, and alternately avuncular or distrustful family elders.  His movie credits include the film adaption of Edna Ferber's "Giant" (1956) starring Rock Hudson, James Dean and Elizabeth Taylor, the romantic film classic "An Affair to Remember" (1957), starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr, the biopic "The Spirit of St. Louis" (19557), starring James Stewart, "The Big Circus" (1959), starring Victor Mature and Rhonda Fleming, among many others.  He guest-starred in many popular shows, including the western "The Cisco Kid" (1951–1954), starring Duncan Renaldo, the comic book superhero series "Adventures of Superman" (1952–1958), starring George Reeves, the mystery anthology series "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (1957–1968),the crime dramas "Dragnet" (1951–1959), starring Jack Webb and Henry Morgan, and "The Untouchables" (1959–1963), starring Robert Stack.  Watts also appeared in lighter fare, including the family sitcom "Bachelor Father" (1959–1962), in which he played the recurring role of Judge Blandon, and the classic family comedy based on the comic strip "Dennis the Menace" (1959–1963), starring Jay North in the title role.

Watts made three appearances in THE RIFLEMAN, portraying Alvah Kemper in "The Brother-in-Law" (episode 5), Maury Cass in "Panic" (episode 47) and Joe Beaseley in "The Mescalero Curse" (episode 106).  In addition to THE RIFLEMAN, Watts guest-starred in a number of other westerns, including "The Lone Ranger" (1949–1957), starring Clayton Moore, "Maverick" (1957–1962), starring James Garner, "Rawhide" (1959–1966), starring Clint Eastwood, "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp" (1955–1961), starring Hugh O'Brian, "Gunsmoke" (1955–1975), starring James Arness, and "Bonanza" (1959–1973), starring Lorne Greene, Dan Blocker, Pernell Roberts and Michael Landon.


Lucas has in-law trouble when his dead wife's brother, a broken down ex-rodeo rider, arrives in town.  Lucas is torn between exposing the man as a phony and his desire to protect Mark, who idolizes his uncle, from disillusionment.