The Rifleman vs. all other TV Westerns

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - The Rifleman vs. all other TV Westerns

Posted: 5/10/2002 7:24:53 PM EDT

Which TV Western(s) do you believe ranked among the best?. Lucas was pretty awesome with that carbine.

Posted: 5/10/2002 7:31:28 PM EDT

[#1]

Gunsmoke

Posted: 5/10/2002 7:40:52 PM EDT

[#2]

Paladin
"Have Gun Will Travel" San Francisco

Posted: 5/10/2002 8:08:12 PM EDT

[#3]

Maverick with James Garner. "Like my ol' Daddy used to say 'Never shake hands with an anxious man.'"

Bounty Hunter with Steve McQueen and that sawed-off double barrel Hog's-Leg shotgun.

Posted: 5/10/2002 8:09:45 PM EDT

[#4]

Gunsmoke--Matt always got the bad guy-TV today needs a few more good moral stories

Posted: 5/10/2002 8:10:47 PM EDT

[#5]

...and, oh yeah, BONANZA.

Posted: 5/10/2002 9:10:23 PM EDT

[#6]

What I like about 'The Rifleman'?

It starts off with, what, seven rounds fired rather briskly from a 19th Century 'assault rifle.'

And that's not even semi-auto! It's lever action.

Eric The(LucasMcCainWannabe)Hun[>]:)]

Posted: 5/10/2002 9:51:22 PM EDT

[#7]

Where was the Rifleman's wife? Kinda makes you wonder who he was blowing away at the beginning of every show.

Posted: 5/10/2002 10:11:21 PM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:
Bounty Hunter with Steve McQueen and that sawed-off double barrel Hog's-Leg shotgun.

View Quote

You mean the sawed off Winchester model 1892 [i]rifle[/i] (actually, I'm not sure if it was a carbine or rifle, I believe that three were used, and they had some problems with the feds for having a sawed-of rifle).

As far as The Rifleman is concearned, I always thought it was a little bit anti-handgun.

Posted: 5/10/2002 10:15:47 PM EDT

[#9]

Cheyenne Bodie could have kicked all their butts.

Posted: 5/10/2002 10:39:40 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
Where was the Rifleman's wife? Kinda makes you wonder who he was blowing away at the beginning of every show.

View Quote

I believe he WAS a widower, though I don't recall the cause of his wife's death. He had the kid, though, remember? Forerunner of today's single dad.

Did you guys catch the article on TV Western guns in the NRA magazine a few months back? Pretty interesting.

Unfortunately, they 'forgot' the AW association.

Too bad we don't have a modern-day series about a Nevada/Arizona rancher with an AR, taking care of 'yotes and other pests.

Posted: 5/10/2002 10:41:24 PM EDT

[#11]

Let's not forget Johnny Yuma "The Rebel"

Posted: 5/11/2002 1:32:39 AM EDT

[#12]

Every episode of The Rifleman seemed to have this exchange between Chuck Conners and his son when a stranger came to their ranch:

"Mark, get in the house."

"B..but paw..."

"Now!"

Posted: 5/11/2002 4:44:41 AM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Bounty Hunter with Steve McQueen and that sawed-off double barrel Hog's-Leg shotgun.

View Quote

You mean the sawed off Winchester model 1892 [i]rifle[/i] (actually, I'm not sure if it was a carbine or rifle, I believe that three were used, and they had some problems with the feds for having a sawed-of rifle).

View Quote

Damn, you're right. McQueen had the stock on that carbine cut down too. Where did I get a hawg's-leg from? As a kid I was impressed enough to make a replica of McQueen's rifle by cutting down a Crossman C02 air rifle and putting a piece of metal on the lever to make it fire when I cocked it.

I still remember him using a sawed-off from somewhere. Maybe a different show?

Posted: 5/11/2002 4:57:40 AM EDT

[#14]

Ya know it was about the time these shows were popular (early to mid-1960's) that TV shows began getting topical instead of entertaining. At the time I remember thinking how plots of some of these shows related to what was going on in Viet Nam and other issues. Maybe I was just growing up but it changed the way I thought about TV.

Posted: 5/11/2002 5:22:45 AM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
Ya know it was about the time these shows were popular (early to mid-1960's) that TV shows began getting topical instead of entertaining. At the time I remember thinking how plots of some of these shows related to what was going on in Viet Nam and other issues. Maybe I was just growing up but it changed the way I thought about TV.

View Quote

I believe it was about this time that most entertainment should say something political to the audience, before it was just a plain story, and you sit there and be a vegetable for 30 minutes or so. Yeah I noticed it too. Acutally I think actually started around Nixon's Watergate Scandal, when the news media found out they actually wield some political by bringing down the Nixon Administration and influencing the Viet Nam War.

Posted: 5/11/2002 7:17:14 AM EDT

[#16]

AROCK:

On that show [b]Wanted: Dead or Alive[/b] with Steve McQueen, his sawed-off carbine was called a "mare's laig..." maybe that's where you picked up the hog's leg terminology. I had a plastic replica complete with holster when I was a kid. It shot little white bullets and was my favorite toy gun. I wish I still had it... it probably broke and was tossed out.

And about The Rifleman... does anyone remember the episode where he was blind? Mark tossed him the rifle anyway (after yelling "Paw! Paw!") and Lucas managed to kill the antagonist despite his obvious handicap. Dang! He's GOOD!!

Why did the bad guys always try and start with him? They usually began by calling him names (Sodbuster).

Chuck Connors also had that series "Branded," where he carried a shortened cavalry sword as a knife.

(as a side note, I seem to remember A LOT of shows where the main character was temporarily blinded. Barnaby Jones and Mannix immediately come to mind, and they were still able to shoot accurately even though they were blind at the time. There was even a detective show where the guy was blind ALL the time.)

FITTER out

Posted: 5/11/2002 7:20:58 AM EDT

[#17]

What, No "Raw Hide" yet ?

Posted: 5/11/2002 7:22:55 AM EDT

[#18]

That's where Clint Eastwood got his start, I think...

FITTER out

Posted: 5/11/2002 8:07:53 AM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
What I like about 'The Rifleman'?

It starts off with, what, seven rounds fired rather briskly from a 19th Century 'assault rifle.'

And that's not even semi-auto! It's lever action.

Eric The(LucasMcCainWannabe)Hun[>]:)]

View Quote

That was no ordinary lever action rifle. I believe Lucas McCain(aka Chuck Connors) had a little help from a 20th century gizmo that was welded on to the end loop to help fire the thing so fast.

Don't forget Ward Bond & Wagon Train.

Posted: 5/11/2002 1:11:30 PM EDT

[#20]

Wasn't the Steve McQueen TV western called "Sugarfoot"? I seem to remember a theme song of that name.

One of my favorites: "The Virginian" with Lee J. Cobb

Posted: 5/11/2002 1:48:06 PM EDT

[#21]

IIRC there was a series whers some of the shows rotated weeks. I think sugarfoot and Cheyenne were two of them, and there were two ore in the weekly rotation. could one of them have been Maverick? Can't recall, but don't forget Wagon Train....fullclip

Posted: 5/11/2002 2:03:51 PM EDT

[#22]

FITTER:
That's where Clint Eastwood got his start, I think...

View Quote

Rowdy Yates - Rawhide.

Posted: 5/11/2002 2:04:32 PM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:

Quoted:
What I like about 'The Rifleman'?

It starts off with, what, seven rounds fired rather briskly from a 19th Century 'assault rifle.'

And that's not even semi-auto! It's lever action.

Eric The(LucasMcCainWannabe)Hun[>]:)]

View Quote

That was no ordinary lever action rifle. I believe Lucas McCain(aka Chuck Connors) had a little help from a 20th century gizmo that was welded on to the end loop to help fire the thing so fast.

Don't forget Ward Bond & Wagon Train.

View Quote

Negatory on the welding. On one show, McCain was at the hardware store buying a small machine screw and spring that, when adjusted right, actuated the trigger. If backed off, the rifle could fire normally.

Posted: 5/11/2002 2:13:00 PM EDT

[#24]

marvl, fullclip - I thought nobody in the world could (be old enough to) remember Sugarfoot![:D]
[i]I still remember the dumb [b]tune![/b][/i]

Posted: 5/11/2002 2:40:03 PM EDT

[#25]

I recall Sugarfoot and i'm sure it wasn't McQueen. Wasn't it the guy that played Dobie Gillis?

Do any of ya remember Nichols with Garner. And the future Lois Lane. Crazy brunette with big boobs?

Posted: 5/11/2002 2:48:04 PM EDT

[#26]

Quoted:
marvl, fullclip - I thought nobody in the world could (be old enough to) remember Sugarfoot![:D]
[i]I still remember the dumb [b]tune![/b][/i]

View Quote

I remember cming home after school and watching them in the afternoon. I can't remember if that was thier normal time slot....Old man fullclip

Posted: 5/11/2002 2:55:43 PM EDT

[#27]

The actor in Sugarfoot was Will Hutchins.

[EDITED TO ADD: OMFG - "1957 to 1961" ! Seems like it was only....]

Posted: 5/11/2002 6:02:37 PM EDT

[#28]

Quoted:
marvl, fullclip - I thought nobody in the world could (be old enough to) remember Sugarfoot![:D]
[i]I still remember the dumb [b]tune![/b][/i]

View Quote

Jeez, I'm not [b][i]that[/i][/b] old. [:D]

The Steve McQueen series was "Wanted Dead or Alive", and Clint Eastwood was in "Rawhide" as I recall.

Posted: 5/11/2002 6:04:35 PM EDT

[#29]

[url]http://www.fiftiesweb.com/western.htm[/url]
try this for your favorite tv western...fullclip

Posted: 5/11/2002 6:05:39 PM EDT

[#30]

Quoted:
Maverick with James Garner. "Like my ol' Daddy used to say 'Never shake hands with an anxious man.'"

Bounty Hunter with Steve McQueen and that sawed-off double barrel Hog's-Leg shotgun.

View Quote

Wasn't it a sawed-off lever action. Anyhow, you were right on with your selections.

Posted: 5/11/2002 6:14:03 PM EDT

[#31]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Maverick with James Garner. "Like my ol' Daddy used to say 'Never shake hands with an anxious man.'"

Bounty Hunter with Steve McQueen and that sawed-off double barrel Hog's-Leg shotgun.

View Quote

Wasn't it a sawed-off lever action. Anyhow, you were right on with your selections.

View Quote

You are correct! DonS also remembered better than I. We haven't had TV in my home since 1991 and details of those great old shows are fading.

Posted: 5/11/2002 6:14:43 PM EDT

[#32]

Here he is, Sugarfoot, aka Will Hutchins:

[img]http://www.cowboypal.com/01sugarfoot1.jpg[/img]

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - The Rifleman vs. all other TV Westerns

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