The Rifleman - Episode Guide

Lucas and Mark decide to enter a local turkey shoot to raise money to buy a ranch. The competition pits Lucas against the young sharpshooter, Vernon Tippert, who is sponsored by his bullying uncle, Wes Tippert. Although Vernon is a crack shot, he is no match against Lucas's superior skills as a marksman. The dramatic tension in "The Sharpshooter" turns on McCain throwing the match after the competition's promoter threatens to harm Lucas' young son should Tippert lose the competition. The unfolding story shows Lucas McCain reconciling the moral dilemma of protecting his young son and participating in a rigged competition.

"The Sharpshooter" introduced not only the main characters, setting and back story for THE RIFLEMAN series, but also established its thematic distinctions from other popular western adventure programs produced during the Golden Age of television. To be sure, the staples of the genre inform THE RIFLEMAN's storylines—law and order, right and wrong, pioneer spirit and rugged individualism—but the central themes revolve around the father and son relationship—the first primetime television series to portray a single parent raising a child alone—and nuanced morality plays that explored human nobility and very human frailties, foibles and failings, as well as the archetypal white-hatted good guys and black hatted bad guys and outlaws.

Two tough hired hands beat up Lucas and burn his ranch house, when he refuses their demands that he move off the property in order to please a wealthy cattleman who has been using the ranch as grazing land. On foot, Lucas pursues the gunmen, finds himself facing their boss and is challenged to a vicious fistfight.

Lucas is forced to give refuge to a young bank robber who has been injured while saving the life of Lucas' young son Mark. Trouble ensues when the rest of the outlaw gang appear. The young robber has had a change of heart and wants to go straight, but the gang insists that he will rejoin them. Wanting to help the young man, Lucas is caught in the fight.

Micah Torrance, formerly a famous Marshal, but now a drunken derelict with a crippled arm from a gunfight, turns up in North Folk and is taken on as a hired hand by Lucas McCain, who wants to give the man a chance to rehabilitate himself. His good deed backfires when three outlaws ride into town bent on avenging themselves for past troubles with Micah. The outlaws kill the local sheriff, leaving Lucas and Micah to protect the town alone.

A vengeful judge is convinced that Lucas is responsible for the death of his son, an outlaw who was executed for murder. He captures Lucas and plans to force him to watch Mark hang in retribution for his son's death.

When the stagecoach breaks down in North Fork an Italian Count, Alfredo di Montova, has to spend the night at the hotel. His fancy dress and accented English makes him a target for town bully Sim Groder and his little crowd. The Count is a calm and collected type but when Groder pushes him too far, he challenges him to a duel. With Lucas acting as his second, di Montova teaches the bully a lesson.

A Texas gunslinger is hired to protect the bank of North Fork. When he appears at the McCain Ranch, he doesn't leave a very good impression with Lucas, and for good reason - he has a secret. Mark is proud when he sells his first pig.

Mark introduces the pretty Rebecca Snipe to his father, and her two burly brothers are convinced that Lucas would be a fine husband for their sister. Meanwhile three gunmen plot to kill the rancher.

A gambler, fleeing New Orleans with his henchmen, takes a liking to Lucas' ranch. When McCain refuses to sell, his life is threatened.

Lucas accuses the young foreman of a neighboring ranch of rustling one of his calves.

Guest Stars:Allen Case, James Coburn, Ted de Corsia and Dick Rich

Lucas helps an Argentinian family who are new to North Fork when they are ridiculed by others.

Guest Stars:Perry Lopez, Lawrence Dobkin, Chana Eden, Dennis Cross, Harlan Warde, Stuart Randall, Robert L. Crawford, Jr., Morris Lippert, Montie Montana and Lauren Janes

Lucas allows Mark to take in a homeless horse after its owner is killed in a gunfight. Lucas soon discovers the truth about the horse and has to fight a gunman who does not want his secret to be exposed.

Guest Stars:Robert J. Wilke, Bill Erwin, Hal John Norman and Edgar Buchanan

Wanting to teach Mark about tolerance and acceptance, Lucas hires an injured and bitter confederate soldier (Royal Dano) to work on his ranch, only the Union army also arrives at the farm.

Guest stars:Lawrence Dobkin, Frank Wilcox, Bill Meigs, Stephen Chase, Fritz Ford and Royal Dano

A famous gunman (Robert Webber) promises his new bride that he will retire from gunfighting and settle in North Fork, but five outlaws try to make him break his promise.

Guest Stars: Eileen Harley, Jack Kruschen, John Anderson, Duke Snider, Joe Mell, Herman Rudin and Robert Webber

Lucas McCain and his son Mark come across U.S. Deputy Marshal Sam Buckhart who is escorting an Indian prisoner. To Lucas' surprise he finds that Buckhart himself is an Indian, educated at Harvard College. In North Fork, Buckhart goes about his business until some of the townsfolk realize he is an Indian and decide to take matters into their own hands. It's left to Lucas to show them the error of their ways.

As the second witness of a murder, Lucas is asked to travel to another town to testify at the accused man's trial. The catch is, the only other witness has been murdered and his killer has not been identified.

An outlaw will surrender if his sweetheart gets the reward.

Lucas welcomes an old friend who turns up at his ranch for an unexpected visit. Knowing that his friend Tom Birch has a reputation for lawlessness, Lucas is at first concerned but then is reassured by Tom's statement that he is just passing through North Fork on his way to Denver. Later, however, Lucas finds himself involved in a plot to rob the North Fork Bank and must choose between backing up the Marshal and helping the friend who once saved his life.

Dan Maury, a criminal arrested by Micah Torrance, returns from five years in prison determined to avenge himself upon the town marshal.

A corrupt marshal from outside North Fork goes after an outlaw with a price on his head. However, he sees an opportunity to make some extra money, so he murders an innocent man to pass off as the outlaw so he can collect the bounty, and then proceeds to blackmail the real outlaw.

An escaped killer is out to prove that his time in prison hasn't slowed down his speed with a gun.

Bookkeeper Asa Manning (William Phipps) hires a professional gunman (John Dehner) to provoke Oat Jackford (Bert Freed), a bully rancher who suspects him of embezzlement, into a gunfight. Lucas is forced to assist Jackford, the man he once hated.

A drought has forced local cowhands to seek work on a railroad construction project and railroad executives are afraid that their workers will desert them when an old man (Royal Dano) claims to have found a way to make rain.

Lucas is surprised when Micah wishes death on a dying man (Max Wagner) he brings into North Fork, then Lucas discovers that Micah holds a big secret.

Mark stumbles across a dead man and the only clue to his identity is a belt with the initials RM.

Accused of a murder he did not commit, a young man (Michael Landon) is finally cleared by the accidental discovery of a "mind reader" (John Carradine).

Guest Stars:John Carradine, Michael Landon, Sue Randall, Steven Ritch, Vic Perrin, Robert Bice, William Schallert, James Chandler, John Harmon and Charles Seel

Three gunfighters (John Anderson, Steven Marlo, Dennis Cross) use a cowardly barber (Whit Bissell) and his son to talk Lucas into a gunfight so they can kill Lucas and take over the town.

After Lucas is blamed for killing a young man, an outlaw father and his two sons attempt to kill Lucas.

Guest stars:Denver Pyle, Warren Oates, Christopher Dark, Buddy Hackett, Rhys Williams, Bill Quinn, Archie Butler, and Whitey Hughes

An ailing gunfighter (John Dehner) comes to North Fork to die under a doctor's care in order to spare his family. But the gunfighter is being pursued by bank robbers (John Milford, Howard Ledig) from whom he stole robbery money.

Guest stars:Hugh Sanders, Bill Quinn, Glenn Strange, George Brenlin, James Parnell, and Archie Butler

After Lucas accuses a newspaper writer's (Alexander Scourby) misleading articles of causing an innocent man's death, the writer begins writing articles about Lucas.

Guest stars:Joanna Moore, Brian D. Hutton, Chris Alcaide, Steve Darnell, Ian Murray, Whitey Hughes, and Archie Butler

After a wanna-be bounty hunter (Harry Dean Stanton) kills a man (Gregory Walcott) wanted for a crime committed long ago, Lucas and Mark try to protect the widow (Sydna Scott) from learning about her husband's criminal past.

Guest stars:Robert H. Harris, Jack Elam, Jeff Connors, and Ted Stanhope

Eddie's daughter (Gloria DeHaven), who is withholding criminal information and stolen money, comes to meet her father (John Harmon) and causes trouble for Lucas.

Guest stars:Bill Quinn, Peter Whitney, Ray Teal, Jeff Daley, and Kathleen Mulqueen

Town ne'er-do-well Brett Conway finds out that a couple who moved near North Fork and soon fell sick are actually ill with highly contagious and potentially fatal yellow fever. Knowing that Lucas was the person who initially discovered the couple, Conway threatens to spread the news of their condition to the entire town, thereby causing a panic, unless Lucas buys his silence.

Lucas and Mark find themselves in deep trouble when their wagon breaks down while they're crossing the desert.

In order to rob the stage which is carrying $20,000.00 in cash, an unarmed outlaw informs Lucas, who is riding shotgun, that his son's life is in mortal danger if he doesn't hand over the money.

An outlaw gang kidnaps Micah and threatens to kill him unless their leader is released from jail. Lucas must decide whether to turn loose the notorious killer or face the possibility of the murder of his friend Micah.

Lucas tries to do a good turn for the town drunk, but things go awry when the man's son mistakenly believes that he is now the owner of Lucas' ranch.

A singer in a dance hall asks Lucas to take care of her daughter in order to hide the child from the woman's ex-husband, who has come to North Fork to take her away.

While on a train trip, Lucas and Mark are threatened by an escaped murderer. As if that weren't bad enough, the train is suddenly caught in a huge cloud of grasshoppers, forcing it to stop.

Mark learns a new preacher is an impostor.

Lucas learns why a young soldier deserted.

While ill with typhoid fever, Mark has a vision of his mother (Marian Seldes).

Guest stars: Milton Parsons, Karl Swenson, Hope Summers, Natividad Vacío, Jeanne Wood, Dennis Cross, John Abbott, and Chuck Hicks

An old friend (Richard Anderson) of Lucas' arrives in North Fork to open a gambling casino.

Guest stars: Steve Conte, Dayton Lummis, George Macready, James Flavin, Bill Quinn, Harlan Warde, Whitey Hughes, Jack Tornek, Archie Butler, Rod McGaughy, and Snub Pollard

The daughter (Jennifer Lea) of a prosperous rancher (Douglas Kennedy) is found murdered.

Guest stars:Paul Carr, Warner Jones, George N. Neise, William Benedict, Richard Alexander, Johnny Collier, and Archie Butler

Andy Moon (George D. Wallace) and his young son (Eugene Mazzola) take shelter at the McCain ranch.

Guest stars:Richard Evans, Kay E. Kuter, Kelton Garwood, Dick Wilson, Rhys Williams, Charles Tannen, Archie Butler, and Snub Pollard

A bank-robbing gunman (Kevin Hagen) decides to hide out at the McCain ranch.

Guest stars:Josephine Hutchinson, Warren Oates, Rodolfo Hoyos Jr., Rhys Williams, Lee Van Cleef, and Hope Summers

A neighbor (Whit Bissell) has bet his whole year's farm crop on a horse race.

Guest stars:James Westerfield, K. T. Stevens, Hope Summers, Archie Butler, Joe Benson, and Ralph Moratz

A convict (Dabbs Greer) is released from prison and returns home to North Fork.

Guest stars:Karl Swenson, Bill Quinn, Molly Dodd, Charles Briggs, Charles Tannen, and Archie Butler

Lucas helps an old friend (Claude Akins), a federal agent, infiltrate a gang of robbers.

Guest stars: Chris Alcaide, John Milford, Frank de Kova, Bill Quinn, Ian Murray, Richard Alexander, and Archie Butler

A con man and his son want Lucas' mineral rights.

Lucas trails an escaped prisoner to a mining town in the mountains.

A Mexican bandit and his gang ride into North Fork.

Lucas helps a young minister who has problems with his father.

A store owner hires con men as collection agents.

When he sees the face of a young man who is calling him out, Lucas experiences a shocking flashback to his civil war days.

After his herd is wiped out by hoof-and-mouth disease, McCain agrees to serve as an undercover detective for the U.S. government in order to raise enough cash to buy more cattle. He travels to Wyoming to learn the source of the repeating rifles that have fallen into the hands of rebellious Cheyenne Indians.

Lucas continues his undercover assignment - searching for the source of repeating rifles that have fallen into the hands of renegade Indians. Meanwhile McCain's absence is keenly felt back in North Fork.

Micah is terrorized by an old enemy and resigns from his job. When Micah's recurring nightmares drives him back to drunkenness, Lucas decides that the marshal must confront the source of those nightmares - a gunslinger he failed to face down sixteen years before.

The Newmans are still living in the town where Micah grew up. Their plan to strike it rich are smothered by a long forgotten family secret - which Mark is about to uncover.

Lucas is temporarily blinded in an explosion. Unfortunately, not long after that incident an old enemy of his rides into town, looking to settle an old score.

Major Aaron King and Corporal Troc arrive in North Fork on horseback. When they see Lucas, they remember that he was a Lt. in the Union Army fifteen years ago. They see this chance meeting as a lucky break.

Cade Conway and Vashti Croxton are arguing about where to get married. This leads to a fight and Vashti being knocked unconscious, and a traveling salesman being falsely blamed for it.

On his way through a strange little town, Lucas is arrested and accused of being a horse thief.

A slow-witted handyman gets into trouble when he accidentally kills a skilled gunfighter.

Guest Stars:Joan Taylor, Buddy Hackett, Denver Pyle, Lee Van Cleef, John Milford and X. Brands

Lucas and Mark stumble across a robbery in progress.

Guest Stars:Adam Williams, Kelly Thordsen, and Joe Benson

After Lucas receives a curse while attending then hanging of a murdering Indian, he goes on a hunt to find out who or what is behind the so-called curse.

Guest Stars:Ralph Moody, Charles Watts, Larry Chance, Jackie Searl, Joe Brown, Jr., and Michael Pate

Trouble brews at Lucas' when a whisky salesman and a gunfighter (Adam West) fall for the same woman.

Lucas allows troublesome snowed-in stagecoach passengers to stay with him until the roads are passable.

Guest Stars:Adam West, Gordon Jones, Joe Higgins, and Bethel Leslie

Lucas almost finds himself at the altar when two drunken cowboys play a joke on him.

Guest Stars:Joan Taylor, Kay E. Kuter, Lincoln Demyan, Bill Quinn and Joan Shawlee

An ex-gunfighter from Lucas' past, now a doctor, comes to his aid when a dying man is brought in, but Lucas and the new doctor have unresolved anger toward each other.

Guest Stars:Philip Carey, Gigi Perreau, Hank Stohl, John Pickard, Larry Perron, William Kendis, Steve Pendleton, and James Drury

Lucas helps a Chinese man settle into town after townspeople try to force him out because of his race.

Guest Stars:Joan Taylor, Victor Sen Yung, Dick Kay Hong, Pat Close and Paul Wexler, and Peter Whitney

A killer's rich father tries to bribe witness Lucas.

An eccentric old friend of Lucas' arrives in North Fork.

Guest stars:Lawrence Dobkin, Sean McClory, Charles Reade, Jack Elam

A kindly neighbor (Royal Dano) of Lucas' believes he is President Lincoln.

Guest stars:Royal Dano, Charles Cooper, K.T. Stevens, Joe Higgins, Steve Warren, Pam Smith, Rex Morgan and Pick Temple

A dapper man arrives on the stage and announces that he has come to kill Lucas.

Guest stars:Joan Taylor, Arthur Malet, James Luisi, Al Collins

Mark falls head-over-heels in to his first puppy love.

Guest stars:Joan Taylor, Cheryl Holdridge, Richard Evans

A young man arrives in North Fork to claim the body of his dead brother.

Guest stars:Robert Culp, Jack Hogan, Ralph Moody, Joe Higgins, Harlan Warde

A young gunman with a killer's reputation comes to town and threatens to kill Micah.

Guest stars:Sammy Davis Jr., Johnny Ginger

Lucas and Mark ride into North Fork after a two week hunting trip to discover that Micah is no longer Marshal. Worse then that, they have a new Marshal who is crooked and allows outlaws to deputy.

Lucas develops temporary amnesia while visiting a strange town.

A former friend of Lucas' is released from prison and asks him for a job.

Lucas, Mark and Micah are taken prisoner by a group of bandits.

Lucas, Mark and Micah escape from bandits and take refuge in a deserted building.

Lou Mallory, a stunning redhead, arrives in North Fork and buys the hotel.

Lucas and several others are trapped in the hotel with a dangerous outlaw.

A former gunfighter arrives in North Fork with the intention of settling down.

A charming Irishman claims Lou for his bride.