Secrets Of TV’s The Rifleman: More Than Just Guns And Good Times

The Rifleman wasn’t exactly a happy show; in fact, it was rather dark. The townspeople were cowardly and not very smart dirt farmers who would eagerly form a mob when necessary but were unwilling to individually take on a stranger who suddenly entered town. McCain’s son Mark struggled as an adolescent growing up in such a violent environment. McCain often instructed Mark to do his chores or homework — something the young man had very little interest in doing. Mark was perfectly aware that one day he would inherit his father’s famous rifle, so why would he bother with doing math or English assignments?

The Rifleman was very popular in its first two seasons. Then McCain started dating Miss Milly (Joan Taylor). When she became his girlfriend in season 3, not all the fans were pleased that a woman got between him and his Winchester. Ratings for the show dropped when the love affair was featured on the program. So on season 4, McCain dumped Milly. He turned his attentions to a female adversary named Lou Mallory. Patricia Blair played Lou, who ran the town’s hotel. Her character was more than just eye candy — she needed McCain’s muscle, and his gun, to help her out sometimes.

Patricia Blair was well known in the 1950s and 1960s for her film and TV roles. While she played Lucas McCain’s love interest on The Rifleman (and appeared in 22 episodes), she was best known for playing Rebecca Boone on NBC’s Daniel Boone. Blair grew up in Dallas, Texas. She made a guest appearance on Perry Mason as a murderess and made additional appearances on The Bob Cummings Show, Rescue 8, Richard Diamond, Private Detective, The Virginian, and Bonanza. Her final appearance on film was as the fashion narrator in the 1979 movie The Electric Horseman, starring Robert Redford. She died of breast cancer at age 80.

Bill Quinn played Sweeney, the bartender on The Rifleman. Sweeney was first introduced in the episode titled “The Marshal.” In one episode, “Seven,” prisoners are transferred to Yuma. One escapes and heads for the saloon where he takes Sweeney hostage. The episode also introduced Mrs. Sweeney. Quinn appeared in more than 150 roles during his seven-decade career. He started off in silent films in the 1920s and ended with Star Trek V: The Final Frontier in 1989. He also appeared in The Odd Couple, McHale’s Navy, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. He died of natural causes in California at age 81.

Joe Higgins was a regular on The Rifleman. He played several characters on the show before finally landing the recurring role of Nils Swenson, the blacksmith. Higgins’ charming southern accent resulted in him being cast in several TV shows over the years. He appeared in The Dukes of Hazzard, and his most famous line was, “Boy, you in a heap of trouble,” which led to commercial success. He was hired by Dodge to play the Safety Sheriff in various print ads, commercials and public appearances during the 1970s and ‘80s. Fun fact: He earned a Ph.D. in Aviation Education from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Higgins died of a heart attack in 1998.