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Shotgun Man
Episode 69
Writer: Jack Curtis
Director: Joseph H. Lewis
Original Air Date 04/12/1960

Cast

Chuck Connors as Lucas McCain

Johnny Crawford as Mark McCain

Paul Fix as Marshal Micah Torrance



Guest Cast
John Anderson as John Beaumont
John Anderson

John Anderson was an American actor who had a prolific career in both film and television spanning four decades.  He appeared in over 500 roles in film and television, frequently appearing in recurring roles, including in "The Twilight Zone" (1959–1964).  Anderson is perhaps best remembered for his television role as Harry Jackson, MacGyver's grandfather, in the popular Richard Dean Anderson series.  Anderson portrayed President Abraham Lincoln twice, in "The Lincoln Conspiracy" (1977) and in the series "The Voyagers!" (1980), and he portrayed President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the 1979 mini-series "Backstairs at the White House."  Among his many film roles, he appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 classic horror film, "Psycho," Sam Peckinpah's 1962 iconic western, "Ride the High Country," John Sturges's 1965 western spoof, "The Hallelujah Trail," and John Sayles' 1988 chronicles of baseball's 1919 World Series scandal, "Eight Men Out."  Anderson also co-starred with Chuck Connors in the 1962 film, "Geronimo."

Anderson made eleven guest appearances in all five seasons of THE RIFLEMAN, playing a different character in each episode.  He portrayed Owny in "The Retired Gun" (episode 17), Chet Packard in "Shivaree" (episode 19), Eli Flack in "The Hawk" (episode 29), Sully Hobbs in "The Patsy" (episode 41) , Cass Callicott in "Day of the Hunter" (episode 55), Jess in "Mail Order Groom" (episode 56), John Beaumont in "Shotgun Man" (episode 69), Hank Clay in "Face of Yesterday" (episode 95), Will Temple in "The Journey Back" (episode 115), John Gangling in "Incident At Line Shack Six" (episode 156), and Sam Gibbs in "Old Man Running" (episode 166).

Jack Elam as Gus Smith
Jack Elam

Jack Elam was an American film and television actor whose career spanned more than 40 years.  He grew up in difficult circumstances, moving from the households of relatives and father, stepmother and siblings after his mother passed away.  He attended Santa Monica Junior College in California, then worked as an accountant and later, he briefly was manager of the Bel Air Hotel.  Purportedly, he got his first movie job by trading his accounting services for a role.  His film debut was a role in "She Shoulda Said No!" (1949), an exploitation film about the vices of marijuana.  Elam quickly became one of the most memorable supporting players in Hollywood and became well-known for playing villains in western genre and gangster films.   He played up a near-demented screen persona, which was enhanced by a wandering left eye rendered sightless from a childhood fight.  Although he was a highly recognizable villain throughout most of his acting career, in later years he played more comedic roles, becoming more winsome, if still grizzled and slightly crazed.

Elam made five guest appearances in THE RIFLEMAN, portraying different characters in each episode.  He played Sim Groder in "Duel of Honor" (episode 7), Gavin Martin in "Tension" (episode 45), Gus Smith in "Shotgun Man" (episode 69), Gates in "The Knight Errant" (episode 117) and Russell, the Pool Shark, in "Shattered Idol" (episode 120).   In 1994, Elam was inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.

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.


Lucas McCain receives a series of mysterious threatening notes, which turn out to be the work of an old ex-convict bent on revenge against Lucas for an old grudge.  Lucas tries to persuade the man to forget the past but finds himself forced into a shoot-out.