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

Rhys Williams appeared in six episodes of The Rifleman as Doc Burrage: “Blood Brothers” (episode 35), “Bloodlines” (episode 42), “Letter of the Law” (episode 50), “A Case of Identity” (episode 57), “Sins of the Father” (episode 70), and “The Prodigal” (episode 71). The Welsh actor is probably most known for playing a sadistic character in TV series The Adventures of Superman. He also appeared in shows such as The DuPont Show with June Allyson, The Donna Reed Show, Temple Houston, 77 Sunset Strip, Twelve O’Clock High, The F.B.I., The Wild Wild West, Mission Impossible, Andy Griffith Show and Mannix.

R. G. Armstrong was a character actor who appeared in several westerns during the era. He played Sheriff Fred Tomlinson in the The Rifleman’s pilot episode, “The Sharpshooter,” directed by Sam Peckinpah, and “The Marshal” (episode 4), which was written and directed by Peckinpah. Armstrong’s character was killed by outlaws in “The Marshal,” and Paul Fix was introduced on the series. Armstrong also appeared in shows such as The Texan, Lawman, Maverick, Bonanza, Cheyenne, Perry Mason, Laramie, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Gunsmoke, Wagon Train, The Virginia, The F.B.I., T.H.E. Cat, The Dukes of Hazzard, Dynasty, Friday the 13th and L.A. Law.

Kathleen Mulqueen appeared in four episodes of The Rifleman playing various characters. She was Nancy Hanavan in the pilot episode, The Sharpshooter,” Mrs. Peterson in “The Angry Gun” (episode 12), a woman in “Eddie’s Daughter” (episode 46) and Judge Hanavan’s wife/sister/daughter in “The Actress” (episode 94). Mulqueen was a character actress who worked on TV and films in the 1950s and 1960s. Her movies included Marty, (1955), Texas Lady (1955), These Wilder Years (1956), The Outsider (1962) and The Night Walker (1965). She had a recurring role as Grandma Wilson in the popular TV series Dennis the Menace.

Ian Murray appeared in seven episodes of The Rifleman, once as a townsman (episode 76, “The Hangman”) and six times as Harley Hannabury: “The Challenge” (episode 28), “Blood Brothers” (episode 35), “Obituary” (episode 44), “The Fourflusher” (episode 72), “Meeting at Midnight” (credited as “Old Man”)(episode 74), and “The Illustrator” (episode 88). His career wasn’t as prolific as some of his contemporaries. He appeared in The Man From Planet X (1951), Apache Drums (1951), Thunder on the Hill (1951), Yankee Bucaneer (1952), The Ring (1952), The Virgin Queen (1955) and the TV series Star Stage (1955) and The Cisco Kid (1956).

As mentioned earlier, there were three guns used during filming of The Rifleman. However, an additional two rifles were created by Maurice “Moe” Hunt, a fan of the show. He gave them both directly to Chuck Connors, who in turn gave one to the legendary golfer Arnold Palmer, who was a fan of the show. Palmer displayed the rifle at The World Golf Hall of Fame. In 2005, Moe Hunt, who belonged to a group of stunt actors called the Reel Cowboys, shot and killed his estranged girlfriend and then turned the weapon on himself.