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The cast consisted of:Lucas McCain... Chuck Connors Mark McCain... Johnny Crawford Marshall Micah Torrance... Paul Fix Miss Milly Scott (1960-1962)... Joan Taylor Lou Mallory (1962-1963)... Patricia Blair Sweeney, the Bartender... Bill Quinn Hattie Denton... Hope Summers Nils Svenson... Joe Higgins
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Mark and Lucas McCain
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Lucas McCain (Connors) together with his young son Mark (Johnny Crawford) own a ranch outside of North Fork, New Mexico, although Lucas always pronounced it "Norfolk". Almost all of the action happened in town, due to the fact that's where the bad guys would show up. It seems that the desperados would wander into town and take one look at the aging Marshall, Micah Torrence (Paul Fix), and decide that the place was easy pickings. Little did they know that not far away was a man, a real man, one that carried a big stick and could whup any fast gun or bully this side of the Hudson River. When poor old Micah got himself in trouble, he'd send for Lucas. Sooner or later Lucas would show up to haul his sorry ass back out of the hot water.
The rather imposing figure of the six-foot-five, square jawed, steel eyed Chuck Conners certainly added to the overall ambience of the character he portrayed. He never carried a six gun but preferred his modified Winchester rifle which he stood up to any gunslinger with, always bumping off the quick draw by shooting from the hip. Pow, pow, pow, pow, Ole Lucas never fired just one shot, no sir, fill that sucker up with lots of lead, make sure he ain't commin' back no more, one or two more for Boot Hill. As soon as that bad guy called him "sod buster", and they always did, you knew that guy was gonna be pushing up daisies.
His naive son Mark would usually learn a new lesson in life to help him on the road to manhood, which the two would discuss at the ending in the finest "Leave It To Beaver" fashion.
Mark... "Gee Pa, you really knocked off a lot of bad guys this week"
Lucas... "Yes Son, but you know The Good Book says an eye for an eye. Besides son, you know I can't stand it when they call me Sod Buster"
Mark... "But golly Pa, How come we got Micah as the Marshall when he can't hardly do nuthin' "
Lucas... "Well Son, I guess the town hired him cause he was in so many westerns with John Wayne"
Mark... " Gee Pa, I really learned something this week"
Lucas... "You sure did Son, what say we mosey on over to Miss Hattie's and see if she can rustle up a sarsaparilla for us"
Mark... "Sure Pa"
Okay, so I'm know I'm making fun of the show but it really was one of our absolute favorite TV programs of all time. Although considered by many to be too violent it was still a very entertaining and unique western series.
Real Name... Kevin Joseph Connors
Chuck Connors played professional basketball and baseball before breaking into film and television. Although he was in many movies and TV series both before and after The Rifleman, it will be this show that he is mostly remembered for.
Johnny started his career as a Mouseketeer on The Mickey Mouse Club during the 1955-56 season. As he grew into his teens he became a singing teen age idol in the same way as Ricky Nelson did, with Cindy's Birthday probably being his biggest hit. He now is the leader of a performing dance band.
Trivia - Paul Fix played "Dr. Mark Piper" in the Star Trek episode, "Where No Man Has Gone Before" 1966.
Paul Fix was in over 200 movies (mostly westerns) and guested on just about every TV series imaginable. Even so he will probably be most remembered as the Marshall Micah Torrence in The Rifleman.
