Even 60 years later, the father-son relationship in The Rifleman is still regarded as one of the best on television.
For those who grew up in the late 1950s, this Western classic was a staple in many families, instilling enduring virtues such as respect and honesty.
Aside from its emotional moments, The Rifleman also had a number of little-known errors, bloopers, and interesting tidbits that only di:e-hard fans would discover.
Stay tuned as we reveal the hidden secrets behind this famous Western.
Those early Westerns, such as The Rifleman, were riddled with historical errors, but who cared? They’re still entertaining to watch and have greater personalities than anything on television now. Every episode provided a valuable message, frequently concentrating on fundamental human principles with a nice moral twist.
The Rifleman stars the renowned Chuck Connors as Lucas McCain, a widower rancher and excellent shot who is raising his son, Mark, played by Johnny Crawford. The couple grabbed spectators with their emotional relationship and fascinating experiences in the Old West.
Despite being regarded as one of the finest shows, even the best can make mistakes. So, let’s go behind the scenes and find out what most of us watching didn’t know!
Lucas McCain is a trailblazer.
It’s no surprise that cowboy Lucas McCain favored jeans, but it turns out he was roughly 50 years ahead of the fashion curve! Sharp-eyed viewers may have seen a moment in “End of a Young Gun,” one of the early episodes starring Michael Landon, where a shirtless Lucas replaces a wagon wheel.
There’s a “W” sewn on the back pocket of his pants, and he is wearing Wranglers. Is there a catch? The story is set in the 1880s, yet the jeans were not made until the 1940s. More than simply a fashion-forward cowboy, Lucas McCain is a real trendsetter who was clearly ahead of his time!
Connor’s true son
As previously said, the father-son bond was one of my favorite aspects of the program. Did you know that Chuck Connors’ real-life kid appears in the series? In the episode “Tension,” Mark and Lucas attend the funeral of Sid Halpern, a McCain family friend.
The widow and son, Toby, are there dressed in black. It was Jeff Connors, Chuck Connors’ second son with Faith Quabius, who played that young Toby and he had two lines. Sadly, Jeff passed away in 2014.
Getting Chuck was not simple.
Casting the major part in The Rifleman was not an easy task.
Chuck Connors had to outperform 40 other performers, but obtaining the job wasn’t certain. Initially, he declined due to ABC’s low wage offer, believing he could make more as a freelance actor.
However, Connors was able to obtain the post in an unexpected method. It all began when the producers took their children to watch Old Yeller, in which Connors portrayed a strong father role. Following that experience—presumably with the kids voicing their thoughts—the producers returned with a significantly greater offer, including a five-percent stake in the program. And just like that, everything was set!
1892 Winchester rifle
Every episode of The Rifleman began with Chuck Connors demonstrating his astounding abilities, firing a seemingly unending torrent of rounds from his saddle-ring carbine. He would twirl the weapon, deftly toss it from his right hand to his left, and insert a fresh cartridge while maintaining a deadly gaze directly into the camera.
To recreate these legendary sequences, the producers used two identical 1892 Winchester rifles, one for filming and the other as a backup.
Overprotective of Johnny Crawford.
Chuck Connors was already known to watch for little Johnny, and the two actors had a strong friendship after the series ended.
Johnny Crawford liked Chuck Connors from an early age, especially because of his love of baseball. Their close relationship during The Rifleman became a defining feature of Crawford’s life, as he acquired essential lessons from his mentor both on and off the set.
“It was a fascinating aspect of my education to listen to Chuck recount baseball anecdotes, recite Casey at the Bat, or perform Shakespearean speeches. “People are always surprised to learn that Chuck Connors knows Shakespeare,” Crawford told the Buffalo News.
The famous photo below brilliantly captures their particular bond, highlighting their profound companionship and mutual respect.
Actor Paul Fix, who played Marshal Micah Torrence on The Rifleman, felt a strong responsibility for Crawford.
During filming, he became Crawford’s extra father figure, ensuring that all of the weapons utilized were secure. Paul Fix’s fixation with security surrounding Crawford was personal.
Fix had an near-fatal accident as a young child when he misfired a firearm while playing with his sibling. The gunshot was a hair’s breadth away from k*lling Fix; it was a miracle he lived.