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Case of Identity
Episode 57
Writer: Philip Saltzman
Director: John Peyser
Original Air Date 01/19/1960

Cast

Chuck Connors as Lucas McCain

Johnny Crawford as Mark McCain

Paul Fix as Marshal Micah Torrance



Guest Cast
Chris Alcaide as Lon Perry
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."

Jim Breneman as Dollar Ten

Jim Brenaman made one appearance in THE RIFLEMAN, portraying a youngster, Dollar Ten, in "A Case of Identity" (episode 57).  His character was central to the story about a man who comes to North Fork searching for his long-lost son.

Royal Dano as Aaron Wingate
Royal Dano as Aaron Wingate in Case of Identity

Royal Dano was an American actor whose career in film and television spanned four decades.  Born in New York, he purportedly ran away from home at the age of 12 and ever restless, lived in various places ranging from the east to west coast, including Florida, Texas and California.  Eventually, he made an agreement with his father to continue his education on the condition he would still have the freedom to travel.  Eventually, Dano attended New York University.  His performing career began as part of the 44th Special Service Provisional Company during World War II.  He soon branched out to the New York stage and made his Broadway debut with a small role in the hit musical "Finian's Rainbow."  Dano was nominated by the New York Critic's Circle as one of the Promising Actors of 1949.

Tall and lean with gaunt features, a thatch of dark hair, a rangy build and a distinctive deep croaky voice, Dano usually was cast both in movies and television shows as gloomy or sinister characters. &nsp;He appeared most often in westerns and worked several times with James Stewart and director Anthony Mann.  He made his film debut in "Undercover Girl" (1950).  Among his best-remembered supporting roles in the western genre were film appearances as a sickly bookworm bad guy in "Johnny Guitar," (1954), a cattle rustler in "The Culpepper Cattle Company" (1972), and Ten Spot in "The Outlaw Josey Wales" (1976).  He also made numerous television appearances, including the western series, "Gunsmoke," "Bonanza," "Wagon Train," "The Virginian," and "Little House on the Prairie," among many others.  Dano also had memorable roles as Elijah in "Moby Dick" (1956) and President Abraham Lincoln, whom he portrayed several times in his career, including in the "Honest Abe" episode of THE RIFLEMAN.  Dano made five guest appearances in THE RIFLEMAN, portraying different characters in each episode, including Frank Blandon in "The Sheridan Story" (episode 16), Jonas Epps in "A Matter of Faith" (episode 34), Aaron Wingate in "A Case of Identity" (episode 57), Abe in "Honest Abe" (episode 118), and Jamison in "Day of Reckoning" (episode 138).

Dano continued to work in film and television until his death at age 71, in 1994.  Some of his later work in television included guest spots in "Ben Casey," "Lost in Space," "Night Gallery," "Route 66," "Planet of the Apes," "Cannon," "Little House on the Prairie," "Kung Fu," "CHIPs," "Quincy M.E.," "Fantasy Island," "Twin Peaks," "Amazing Stories."  Among his more memorable later roles in films were his portrayals as a coroner in "Electra Glide in Blue" (1973), a profanity-spewing preacher in "Big Bad Mama" (1974), a minister in "The Right Stuff" (1983), a stuffy high school teacher in "Teachers" (1984), rascally zombified old-timer Gramps in "House II: The Second Story" (1987), a cantankerous farmer in "Killer Klowns from Outer Space" (1988), and in his last role, a cemetery caretaker in George Romero's "The Dark Half" (1993).

Herbert Rudley as Captain James Gordan

Herbert Rudley was an American stage, film and television actor.  He appeared in more than 100 movies and television shows during a career spanning nearly 40 years.  He attended Temple University until he received a scholarship to study at Eva Le Gallienne's Civic Repertory Theatre.  In 1931, he made his Broadway debut in "Did I Say No."  He appeared in various other productions, including "The Threepenny Opera," "Abe Lincoln in Illinois" and "Macbeth."  He subsequently portrayed Seth Gale in the film adaptation of "Abe Lincoln in Illinois" (1940), starring Raymond Massey, Gene Lockhart and Ruth Gordon.  He is perhaps best-remembered for his recurring role as attorney Herb Hubbard, husband of Eve Arden, in the sitcom "The Mothers-in-Law" (1967–1969).

Rudley had roles in several memorable films, including captain of the guard in the adventure comedy "The Court Jester" (1956), starring Danny Kaye, Glynis Johns, Basil Rathbone and Angela Lansbury; and Capt. Colclough in the war drama "The Young Lions" (1958), starring Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift, Dean Martin and Hope Lange.  He guest-starred in many popular television shows of the 1950s and 60s, including the anthology series "Playhouse 90" (1956–1960), the private detective series "77 Sunset Strip" (1958–1964), the mystery action series "Peter Gunn" (1958–1961), the crime drama "M Squad" (1957–1960), the macabre anthology series "Thriller" (1960–1962), the legal drama "Perry Mason" (1957–1966) and the family comedy "Leave It to Beaver" (1957–1963).

Rudley also had several recurring roles, including Sam Brennan in the western "The Californians" (1957–1959) and Howard Baker in the daytime drama "Dallas" (1978–1991).  He made two appearances in THE RIFLEMAN, portraying Gorman in "The Indian" (episode 21) and Captain James Gordon in "A Case of Identity" (episode 57).  He guest-starred in several other westerns, including "Gunsmoke" (1955–1975), starring James Arness; "Have Gun – Will Travel" (1957–1963), starring Richard Boone; "Maverick" (1957–1962), starring Jack Kelly and James Garner; and "Rawhide" (1959–1966), starring Clint Eastwood.

Rhys Williams as Doc Burrage
Rhys Williams as Doc Burrage

Rhys Williams was a Welsh character actor in movies and television, whose career spanned the 1940's through 1970.  He made his film debut in "How Green Was My Valley" (1941).  Rural Wales was the setting of this John Ford classic film, and it featured a large cast of Welsh characters; although, it was actually filmed in Hollywood with American, Irish and Scottish actors.  Williams, who was the only genuine Welshman in the cast, originally was hired as a dialect coach for the other actors, but director John Ford gave Williams a role in the film.

Williams is recognizable to fans of the television series "Adventures of Superman," in which he played a sadistic character in one of the show's early episodes, "The Evil Three."  Other television appearances included CBS's anthology series, "The DuPont Show with June Allyson," co-starring Steve Allen in the 1960 episode "Play Acting," and five episodes of General Electric Theater between 1956 and 1961.  Williams also appeared in "The Donna Reed Show" (1958), "Temple Houston" (1963), "77 Sunset Strip" (1964), "Twelve O'Clock High" (1964-1966), "The F.B.I." (1966), "The Wild Wild West" (1966), "Mission Impossible" (1967), the "Andy Griffith Show" (1967), "Mannix" (1969), "Here Comes the Brides" (1969), among many other shows.  Williams appeared in six episodes of THE RIFLEMAN, one of six actors to portray the regular character, Doc Burrage.   He appeared in "Blood Brothers" (episode 35), "Bloodlines" (episode 42), "Letter of the Law" (episode 50), "A Case of Identity" (episode 57), "Sins of the Father" (episode 70), and "The Prodigal" (episode 71).


Two tough private detectives appear in North Fork searching for a young boy about Mark's age.  Their employer is paying them a substantial sum to locate his long-lost son, and the unscrupulous detectives, convinced that the son is dead, have decided to pick out a boy who fits the description and pass him off as the son in order to collect their money.  Lucas becomes involves when the detectives decide that Mark fills the bill.  He finds his life in danger when he discovers that the detectives will stop at nothing to deliver Mark as the boy they're searching for.