Episode 90
Writer: Margaret Armen
Director: James Clavell
Original Air Date 12/27/1960
Cast
Chuck Connors as Lucas McCain
Johnny Crawford as Mark McCain
Paul Fix as Marshal Micah Torrance
Guest Cast
Mel Allen, born Melvin F. Allen, was an American actor. He appeared in more than 20 movies and television shows during a 25-year career. His first film appearance was an uncredited role in "The Return of Dracula" (1958). Allen made one appearance in THE RIFLEMAN, playing the part of Sweeney in "Miss Bertie" (episode 90). In addition to THE RIFLEMAN, he also guest-starred in "The Big Valley" (1965–1969).
Richard Anderson is an American actor whose career in film and television spanned more than fifty years. He first became interested in acting at an early age, appearing in high school plays, and after serving in the Army, he began doing summer stock, radio work and playing bit parts in movies. He performed comedy scenes modeled on a "screen test" format for a TV series called "Lights, Camera, Action" (1950). Shortly thereafter, MGM offered him a contract. Anderson went on to have a prolific television career with roles in genres ranging from detective dramas to westerns, including a recurring role in the last season of "Perry Mason" (1964–1966), playing police Lt. Steve Drumm, and also "Zorro," "Death Valley Days," "I Spy," "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.," "The Fugitive," "The Big Valley," and many others. In the 1970's he appeared in "Gunsmoke," "Ironside," and "The Love Boat," and in the 1980's he guest starred on "Charlie's Angels" and on "Dynasty." Anderson is best known for his role as Oscar Goldman, boss to Lee Majors' "Six Million Dollar Man" and Lindsay Wagner's "Bionic Woman."
Richard Anderson made six guest appearances in THE RIFLEMAN, playing a different role in each episode. He played Tom Birch in "One Went To Denver " (episode 25), the title role of Lariat Jones in "Lariat" (episode 67), Duke Jennings in "Miss Bertie" (episode 90), Jason Gowdy in " Flowers By the Door " (episode 92), Harry Chase in "Milly's Brother" (episode 140), and Griff in "The Bullet" (episode 163).
Agnes Moorehead was an American actress whose distinguished career spanned three decades. She appeared in more than 70 films and numerous television series. In her early career, she was a busy performer in radio. Her first screen credits included Orson Welles' "Citizen Kane" (1941) and "The Magnificent Ambersons" (1942). Moorehead was nominated for four Academy Awards and won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for "Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte" in 1964. She also was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and six Emmy's. She won an Emmy Award for her role in the television series "Wild, Wild West" (1967). Equally adept in dramatic and comedic roles, she is best-known for playing Endora, mother of Elizabeth Montgomery's character Samantha in the hit ABC television sitcom, "Bewitched" (1964-1972). Moorehead made one appearance in THE RIFLEMAN, portraying the title role in "Miss Bertie" (episode 90).
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.
Leonard Stone, born Leonard Steinbock, was an American character actor of stage, film and television. He appeared in more than 130 movies and television shows during his 50-year career. After serving in the Navy during World War II, Stone attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. He then relocated to Australia where he participated in the traveling production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical "South Pacific." Upon returning to the United States, he guest-starred in a wide variety of shows from the 1950s through the 90s, including the mystery action series "Peter Gunn" (1958–1961), the crime drama "The Untouchables" (1959–1963), the comedy "The Real McCoys" (1957–1963), the medical drama "Dr. Kildare" (1961–1966), the crime drama "Arrest and Trial" (1963–1964), the family comedy "The Donna Reed Show" (1958–1966), the war comedies "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C." (1964–1969) and "M*A*S*H" (1972–1983), the police dramas "Mod Squad" (1968–1973) and "Adam-12" (1968–1975), the espionage thriller "Mission: Impossible" (1966–1973), the sitcoms "The Dukes of Hazzard" (1979–1985) and "Barney Miller" (1974–1982), and the medical crime drama "Quincy M.E." (1976–1983).
Stone had several recurring roles, including Doc Joslyn in the comedy series "Camp Runamuck" (1965), Lenny in the comedy "Alice" (1976–1985), Judge Carl Fuller in the primetime drama "Falcon Crest" (1981–1990), and Judge Paul Hanson in the legal drama "L.A. Law" (1986–1994); however, he is best-remembered for his portrayal of Mr. Beauregarde in the film adaptation of the Roald Dahl children's fantasy "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" (1971), starring Gene Wilder. In addition to his most famous role, Stone played the role of Charles in the sci-fi drama "Soylent Green" (1973), starring Charlton Heston and Leigh Taylor-Young. Stone made two appearances in THE RIFLEMAN, portraying the gambler in "Miss Bertie" (episode 90) and KC in "Deadly Image" (episode 132). He also guest-starred in the westerns "Rawhide" (1959–1966), starring Clint Eastwood, "The Virginian" (1962–1971), starring James Drury, and "Gunsmoke" (1955–1975), starring James Arness.
Glenn Strange was an American actor most well known for playing roles in the Western and Horror genres. Growing up in New Mexico, he had been a rancher, cowboy and rodeo performer—a background that lent authenticity to the Western characters he played. In the 1920's he learned to play the fiddle and guitar, and toured the country with a radio singing group, the Arizona Wranglers. He came to Hollywood in 1930 with the ensemble and began landing small parts in "B" Westerns. At 6' 5" tall, he had a large, rugged frame and heavy features—attributes that tended to typecast him as villainous and nefarious characters. Later, a different Western characterization would supplant the archetypal villains he portrayed earlier in his career—Sam Noonan, the bartender on CBS's "Gunsmoke" (1961–1973) television series would become his most enduring TV personae. He appeared in 215 episodes of "Gunsmoke."
Boris Karloff, the quintessential Horror genre star, portrayed Frankenstein's monster in three films, but in 1944 passed the baton to Strange, who played the monster role in three Universal films, "House of Frankenstein" (1944), "House of Dracula" (1945) and the camp horror-comedy film, "Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein" (1948). Ironically, in "House of Frankenstein" Karloff was cast as the villainous Dr. Niemann opposite Strange as the monster, formerly Karloff's signature character.
Beginning in the late 1940's, Strange segued into television and for the rest of his career appeared in numerous shows, again, frequently appearing in Westerns. He guest-starred in six episodes of THE RIFLEMAN, playing variations of the same character in each outing. He was Cole, the stagecoach driver, in "Duel of Honor" (episode 7) and a shotgun guard on the stagecoach in "The Dead-eye Kid" (episode 20), then Joey, the stagecoach driver, in "The Woman" (episode 32), followed by appearances as an unnamed stagecoach driver in "The Blowout" (episode 43), "The Spiked Rifle" (episode 49) and "Miss Bertie" (episode 90). Among the many television shows in which he appeared, Strange guest-starred in "Annie Oakley" (1954–1956), "Death Valley Days" (1954 1958), "The Adventures of Champion" (1955–1956), "The Cisco Kid" (1955–1956) and "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp" (1955 1960). He passed away in 1973, ending his career playing Sam Noonan, the bartender on "Gunsmoke," whom he played for 12 years.
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).
A sprightly little old lady arrives in North Fork and announces to Lucas and Micah that she plans to capture a notorious bandit single-handed. She needs the reward money to support herself in her declining years, and no amount of argument from Lucas or Micah will dissuade her. Much to everyone's surprise, she succeeds in her plan in a most amazing way.