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Legacy
Episode 51
Writer: Edmund Morris
Director: Bernie Kowalski
Original Air Date 12/08/1959

Cast

Chuck Connors as Lucas McCain

Johnny Crawford as Mark McCain

Paul Fix as Marshal Micah Torrance



Guest Cast
James Barton as "Pop" Simmons

James Barton was an American vaudevillian, as well as a stage, television and film character actor.  He appeared in more than 30 television shows and movies in a career spanning 40 years.  Born to a theatrical family, Barton was a song-and-dance man who performed in musical revues and dramatic plays on Broadway from the 1920s through the 1950s.  His stage credits include "Sweet and Low" (1930–1931), "Tobacco Road" (1933–1941), "The Iceman Cometh" (1946–1947) and "Paint Your Wagon" (1951–1952).  His movie career began in the silent film era, and his more memorable film appearances include "The Time of Your Life" (1948), "Here Comes the Groom" (1951) and "The Misfits" (1961).   He also made cameo appearances throughout his career, including two episodes of "The Ed Sullivan Show" (1950, 1951).  Barton guest-starred in one episode of THE RIFLEMAN, portraying Matt 'Pop' Simmons in "Legacy" (episode 51).

Lillian Bronson as Mrs. Adams

Lillian Bronson was an American character actress born in Rockport, New York.  She appeared in more than 160 movies and television shows in a career spanning 35 years.  She began her career on the Broadway stage, appearing in "Camille" with Lillian Gish and "Lean Harvest" with Leslie Banks.  Most of her early film roles, especially of the 1940s, were uncredited, and she tended to be cast in small roles playing society matrons, influential aides-de-camp or relatives, perhaps most memorably as Clark Gable's secretary in "The Hucksters" (1947), Claudette Colbert's sister in "Family Honeymoon" (1948) and Henry Fonda's mother in "Spencer's Mountain" (1963).

After making her way into television, Bronson appeared in many of the popular series of the 50s and 60s, including "Leave It to Beaver" (1957–1963), "77 Sunset Strip" (1958–1964) and "Perry Mason" (1957–1966).  Her final television appearance was in "Happy Days" (1974–1984).  Bronson made two guest appearances in THE RIFLEMAN, portraying Mrs. Adams in "The Legacy" (episode 51), an uncredited a role, and Elizabeth Favor in "The Baby Sitter" (episode 52).  She also guest-starred in other popular westerns, including "The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin" (1954–1959), "Have Gun – Will Travel" (1957–1963) and "Tales of Wells Fargo" (1957–1962).  Bronson is probably best-remembered not as an actress, but as a model for a mural painted in 1974 by artist Kent Twitchell.  The painting was funded by the National Endowment for the Arts in support of a Los Angeles County art program.

James Franciscus as Philip

James Franciscus was an American television and film actor.  He appeared in 75 TV shows and movies in a career spanning 30 years.  Franciscus was formally trained as an actor, having received a bachelor of arts degree in English and theater arts from Yale University.  Franciscus had leading man good looks and throughout his career, he often received top billing.  He had his his first major role in "Naked City" (1958–1963), portraying Detective James "Jimmy" Halloran.  Following his work in "Naked City," Franciscus was given the lead role in the crime drama "The Investigators" (1961), playing the role of Russ Andrews.  He is perhaps best known for playing title roles in NBC's "Mr. Novak" (1963–65) and "Longstreet" (1971–72).  His feature film credits for which he may be best-remembered include John Sturges' "Marooned" (1969), co-starring Gregory Peck and Gene Hackman; Ted Post's "Beneath the Planet of the Apes" (1970), the second movie in the "Planet of the Apes" science fiction franchise; and the star-studded disaster film, "When Time Ran Out" (1980).  Franciscus made one appearance in THE RIFLEMAN, portraying Philip in "Legacy" (episode 51).

Jack Grinnage as Kirby Mitchell

Jack Grinnage, born Jack Eugene Stewart, is an American actor of stage, film and television.  He has appeared in more than 50 movies and television shows in a career spanning more than five decades.  He made a fateful early career choice by turning down a part in "Forbidden Planet" (1956) to take the role of Moose in "Rebel Without a Cause" (1955), starring James Dean.  He also appeared in the Elvis Presley vehicle "King Creole" (1958) and a small number of other less memorable films.  Grinnage has appeared in a wide variety of popular TV shows ranging from the family comedies "Father Knows Best" (1955–1960) and "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis" (1959–1963), Rod Serling's iconic anthology series, "The Twilight Zone" (1959–1964), the crime drama "Starsky and Hutch" (1975–Hutch), and more recently, the comedy series "Scrubs" (2001–2010), starring an ensemble cast led by Zach Braff, and the HBO drama "Six Feet Under" (2001–2005), starring Peter Krause and Michael C. Hall.  He also had a recurring role portraying Ron Updyke in the campy horror series "Kolchak: The Night Stalker" (1974–1975), starring Darren McGavin playing an investigative reporter.  Grinnage made one appearance in THE RIFLEMAN, portraying Kirby Mitchell in "The Legacy" (episode 51).  He also guest-starred in several other popular westerns of the 1950s and 60s, including "Rawhide" (1959–1966), starring Clint Eastwood, "Wagon Train" (1957–1965), starring Ward Bond and later John McIntire, "Gunsmoke" (1955–1975), starring James Arness, and "Laredo" (1965ޯ), starring Neville Brand.

John Harmon as Eddie Halstead, Hotel Clerk at the Hotel Madera/California House
John Harmon as Eddie Halstead, Hotel Clerk at the

John Harmon was an American actor who appeared in over 250 roles in film and television from the 1930's through the 1970's.  His early roles were mostly uncredited, but he was cast in a wide variety of genres and played many different kinds of characters.  Harmon appeared in 15 episodes of THE RIFLEMAN as Eddie Halstead Hotel Clerk at the Hotel Madera.  The character of Halstead was first introduced in episode 7, "Duel of Honor."

Paul Jasmin as Allison Mitchell

Paul Jasmin is an American film and television actor, as well as fashion designer and photographer.  He has appeared in 11 movies and television shows in nearly 50 years.  His work as a photographer has been featured in "Vogue" and other high-profile fashion magazines.  He provided the voice for Norma Bates in the horror film "Psycho" (1960), although his work went uncredited.  He has had several other film roles, including minor parts in the drama "Midnight Cowboy" (1969), starring Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight; the comedy "Adaptation" (2002), starring Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep and Chris Cooper; in addition to the role of Baron Jasmin in the historical drama "Marie Antoinette" (2006), starring Kirsten Dunst and Jason Schwartzman.

Jasmin made one appearance in THE RIFLEMAN, portraying Allison Mitchell in "The Legacy" (episode 51).  He guest-starred in a few other westerns, including "Have Gun – Will Travel" (1957–1963), starring Richard Boone; "Zane Grey Theater" (1956–1961), starring Dick Powell; and "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp" (1955–1961), starring Hugh O'Brian.

Denver Pyle as Seth Mitchell
Denver Pyle

Denver Pyle appeared in five episodes of THE RIFLEMAN, portraying Henry Trumble in "Bloodlines" (episode 42), Seth Mitchell in "Legacy" (episode 51), Harold Tenner in "The Hangman" (episode 76), George Tanner in "The Clarence Bibs Story" (episodes 104), and Frank Hazlitt in "The Decision" (episode 116).  Pyle was a highly recognizable character actor who worked in film and television, mostly in the 1950's through 1970's.  Frequently cast in westerns, he appeared in two classic John Ford films,"The Horse Soldiers," with William Holden, and "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance."  Pyle played recurring characters in several television series, including the role of Mad Jack in "The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams" (1977-1978; 36 episodes), Buck Webb, Doris Day's father, during the first two seasons of "The Doris Day Show" (1968-1970), and Briscoe Darling on The Andy Griffith Show.  Pyle's best-known television role may have been the hillbilly, Uncle Jesse Duke, in "The Dukes of Hazzard" (1979-1985; 146 episodes).  In later life, Pyle made cameo appearances, notably 1994's "Maverick," with Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster, and the original Maverick, James Garner.

Bill Quinn as Sweeney, the Bartender
Bill Quinn as Sweeney, the Bartender

Bill Quinn was an American actor whose early career began in the 1920's in silent films and ended with the 1989 science fiction film, "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier."  Perhaps, his best-known role was Mr. Ranseleer, Archie Bunker's blind friend in "All In The Family" (1971-1978).  He also was a regular character in the Carroll O'Connor spin-off, "Archie Bunker's Place."  Quinn's other television credits include roles in "The Odd Couple" (1970-1975), "McHale's Navy" (1962-1966), and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" (1970-1977), in which he play Mary Richard's father.  In 1971, he appeared in Universal Pictures' "How to Frame a Figg" starring Don Knotts.  Quinn was a regular character in THE RIFLEMAN, appearing in 40 episodes as Sweeney, the Owner/Bartender of the North Fork Saloon.

Fay Roope as Doc Burrage
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).


Lucas tries to do a good deed by agreeing to go along with a story that his ranch belongs to old Pop, the harmless town drunk who is dying of heart disease.  Pop has told his story to his son back East, so the boy will be proud of him and not know the truth that his father is only a worthless bum.  The good deed backfires when the son arrives, and after Pop's death, arrogantly demands title to his "legacy."