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The Baby Sitter
Episode 52
Writer: Sam Peckinpah and Jack Curtis
Director: Sam Peckinpah
Original Air Date 12/15/1959

Cast

Chuck Connors as Lucas McCain

Johnny Crawford as Mark McCain

Paul Fix as Marshal Micah Torrance



Guest Cast
Robert Anacher as Fancy

Robert Anacher made one appearance in THE RIFLEMAN, playing the part of the infant, Fancy, in "The Baby Sitter" (episode 52).

Phyllis Avery as Leona Bartell

Phyllis Avery was an American television and film actress.  She performed in more than 50 movies and television shows in career spanning nearly 50 years.  She made her film debut in "Queen for a Day" (1951), playing the role of Marjorie.  She had her first recurring role as the lead actress in "The Ray Milland Show: Meet Mr. McNulty" (1953–1955).  Avery made one appearance in THE RIFLEMAN, portraying Leona Bartell in "The Baby Sitter" (episode 52).  In addition to THE RIFLEMAN, she appeared in "Laramie" (1959–1963) and "The Virginian" (1962–1971).

Lillian Bronson as Hotel Clerk

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.

John Dehner as Wood Bartell
John Dehner

John Dehner was an American actor of radio, film and television.  In a career spanning nearly 50 years he appeared in more than 260 movies and television shows.  Often cast as villains, he was tall and distinguished and lent an urbane and droll personae to the characters he played.  Dehner made four guest appearances in THE RIFLEMAN, portraying different characters in each episode, including Tom King in "The Money Gun" (episode 33), Al Walker in "The Blowout" (episode 43), Wood Bartell in "The Baby Sitter" (episode 52), and Major Aaron King in "The Prisoner" (episode 101).

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."

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.

Henry Rowland as Nels the Blacksmith
Henry Rowland as Nels the Blacksmith

Henry Rowland was an American actor who appeared in more than 175 films and television shows, frequently appearing in uncredited roles.  Among the many films in which he appeared, Rowland had small parts in the Humphrey Bogart-Ingrid Berman classic film, "Casablanca" (1942, uncredited), John Huston's "The Asphalt Jungle" (1950, uncredited), Lew Landers' "Captain John Smith and Pocahontas" (1953), the Gore Vidal film adaptation starring Paul Newman, "The Left Handed Gun" (1958, uncredited), the film adaptations of bestselling novels by Jacqueline Susann, "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls" (1970), and Irving Wallace, "The Seven Minutes" (1971), and he appeared in the James Bond franchise feature film, "Diamonds Are Forever" (1971, uncredited).   The Harrison Ford and Gene Wilder comedy "The Frisco Kid" (1979), was Rowland's last film.

Rowland appeared in just one episode of THE RIFLEMAN, "The Babysitter" (episode 52), in which he played Nels (Swenson/Svenson), the Blacksmith.  He was one of seven actors to play the recurring character.  He also appeared in numerous other television shows, especially Westerns, including multiple guest spots in "The Cisco Kid" (1952–1955), "Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok" (1952–1955), "The Roy Rogers Show" (1953–1957), "Annie Oakley" (1954–1956) and "Buffalo Bill, Jr." (1955–1956), "Zorro" (1958), and "Gunsmoke" (1962–1964).


Lucas and Mark McCain find themselves caring for a six month old baby girl when the baby's mother, a dance hall singer, asks for Lucas' help in hiding the child from her self-righteous, bigoted husband, who is determined to take the child away from her.