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Miss Milly
Episode 84
Writer: Arthur Browne, Jr.
Director: Joseph H. Lewis
Original Air Date 11/15/1960

Cast

Chuck Connors as Lucas McCain

Johnny Crawford as Mark McCain

Paul Fix as Marshal Micah Torrance



Guest Cast
Richard Devon as Jack Adams
Richard Devon

Richard Devon made seven guest appearances in THE RIFLEMAN, portraying different characters in each episode. He played Jethroe in "Blood Brothers" (episode 35), Austin Stark in "The Spiked Rifle" (episode 49), Walt Ryerson in "The Grasshopper" (episode 63), Jack Adams in "Miss Milly" (episode 84), Ben Macowan in "The Silent Knife" (episode 89), Gus Potter in "The Stand-In" (episode 114), and Lovett, the Gunslinger, in "The Most Amazing Man" (episode 151).

Michael Fox as Jim Oxford
Michael Fox as Jim Oxford in Miss Milly

Fox guest-starred in many popular television shows, including the sci-fi anthology series "Science Fiction Theatre" (1955–1957), the suspense anthology series "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (1955–1962), the crime dramas "The Untouchables" (1959–1963) and "Arrest and Trial" (1963–1964), Rod Serling's iconic anthology series "The Twilight Zone" (1959–1964), the superhero parody "Batman" (1966–1968), the sci-fi series "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" (1964–1968), the espionage thriller "Mission Impossible" (1966–1973), the western action adventure series "The Wild Wild West" (1965–1969) and the Michael Crichton medical drama, "ER" (1994–2009).  He also had several recurring roles, including Blake Yedor in the western "Trackdown" (1957–1959), Coroner George McLeord in the detective series "Burke's Law" (1963–1966), various autopsy surgeons in the legal drama "Perry Mason" (1957–1966), Amos Fedders in the primetime soap opera "Falcon Crest" (1981–1990) and Saul Feinberg in the soap opera "The Bold and the Beautiful" (1987).

Fox made four guest appearances in THE RIFLEMAN, portraying Trager in "The Trade" (episode 24), Abel in "Letter of the Law" (episode 50), Joe Hannah in "The Hangman" (episode 76) and Jim Oxford in "Miss Milly" (episode 84).  He guest-starred in a few other westerns, including "Wanted: Dead or Alive" (1958–1961), starring Steve McQueen; "Gunsmoke" (1955–1975), starring James Arness; and "The Big Valley" (1965–1969), starring Barbara Stanwyck.

Warren Oates as Marty Ryan
Warren Oates

Warren Oates was an American actor who began his acting career in 1957, starring in a live New York production of the television series "Studio One."  He moved to Los Angeles and appeared in numerous television western series.  Oates made four appearances in THE RIFLEMAN, portraying Andrew Shelton in "The Marshal" (episode 4), Jud Malackie in "Bloodlines" (episode 42), Santos in "The Prodigal" (episode 71), Marty Ryan in "Miss Milly" (episode 84), Will Breen in "Day of Reckoning" (episode 139).  He met Sam Peckinpah working on THE RIFLEMAN, which began a collaborative relationship on later film projects.  He was a prolific actor best-known for his roles in the Peckinpah classics, "The Wild Bunch" (1969) and "Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia" (1974).  His most critically acclaimed role was playing GTO in the 1971 Monte Hellman cult classic "Two-Lane Blacktop."  Oates passed away in 1983 and a decade later, in 1993, Tom Thurman produced a documentary tribute film honoring his career, "Warren Oates: Across the Border."

Charles Tannen as Mr. Penn
Charles Tannen

Charles Tannen, born Charles David Tannen, was an American television and film actor who appeared in more than 200 movies and television shows during his 30-year career.  He had uncredited roles in numerous films, including the romantic drama "The Dark Angel" (1935), starring Fredric March and Merle Oberon; the biographical drama "Young Mr. Lincoln" (1939), starring Henry Fonda; the crime drama "The Street with No Name" (1948), starring Mark Stevens and Richard Widmark; the landmark sci-fi drama "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (1951), starring Michael Rennie and Patricia Neal; and the sci-fi horror film "The Fly" (1958), starring David Hedison and Vincent Price.  Although his uncredited roles outnumber the credited ones, Tannen was cast in significant parts in several Henry Fonda films, including Charles Ford in the westerns "Jesse James" (1939) and "The Return of Frank James" (1940), and Joe in the film adaptation of John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath" (1940).

Tannen guest-starred in many television shows of the 1950s through the 70s, including the family comedy "Father Knows Best" (1954–1960), the crime drama "77 Sunset Strip" (1958–1964), the mystery action series "Peter Gunn" (1958–1961), the family comedy "Mister Ed" (1958–1966), the legal drama "Perry Mason" (1957–1966), the long-running family drama "Lassie" (1954–1974), Rod Serling's iconic anthology series, "The Twilight Zone" (1959–1964), and the comedy "Petticoat Junction" (1963–1970).  Tannen made six guest appearances in THE RIFLEMAN, portraying Barney the barber in "The Boarding House" (episode 22), the bartender in "Sins of the Father" (episode 70), Josh Moore in "The Jailbird" (episode 73) and "Woman from Hog Ridge" (episode 78), Mr. Penn in "Miss Milly" (episode 84), and Jack Carson in "The Actress" (episode 94).  He guest-starred in many other westerns, including "The Roy Rogers Show" (1951–1957), "Maverick" (1957–1962), "Zane Grey Theater" (1956–1961), "Have Gun – Will Travel" (1957–1963), "Laramie" (1959–1963), "Death Valley Days" (1952–1975), "Bonanza" (1959–1973), "Tales of Wells Fargo" (1957–1962), "Gunsmoke" (1955–1975), "Cheyenne" (1955–1963) and "Rawhide" (1959–1966).

Joan Taylor as Milly Scott, Owner of the General Store
Joan Taylor as Milly Scott, Owner of the General S

Joan Taylor was an American actress born to a family in the entertainment business.  Her mother, Amelia Berky, was a vaudeville dancer and singer in the 1920s.  Her father operated a movie theater, which inspired in her an abiding interest in the movies from an early age.  Taylor came to Hollywood in 1946 and worked on the stage at the Pasadena Playhouse for four years.  Discovered by Victor Jory when she played Regina in "Another Part of the Forest," she was contracted to Paramount Studios where she appeared in several Western pictures.  She guest-starred in numerous television series in the 1950s and early 60s, retiring from acting in 1962.

Taylor appeared in 18 episodes of THE RIFLEMAN between 1960 and 1962, playing Milly Scott, Owner of the General Store, which she bought from Hattie Denton.  An attractive young woman who figured as a love interest for Lucas McCain, her character was introduced in "Miss Milly" (episode 84).


Miss Milly, a pretty young newcomer to North Fork, buys the General store and immediately antagonizes all her customers, including Lucas, by demanding that they pay up their back accounts before she'll extend any more credit.  When a fast-talking con man persuades Milly to hire him and his gunman partner as "collections" agents, she agrees, not knowing that the collection methods include a gunfight when the con man nearly kills a neighboring rancher and then threatens Lucas.