"The Rifleman" Smoke Screen (TV Episode 1960) Poster

(TV Series)

(1960)

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8/10
A nice story that will be remembered for Mark smoking.
kfo949410 August 2013
Even with the nice story the one thing that stands out in this episode is Mark smoking a cigar and getting sick. Too bad since this episode is really a nice story with a twist that was rather surprising.

The story centers around a young hard-headed girl, Marge Crandell, that is at the age of wanting to be free from her dominating father. She rides into North Fork and her father has sent a cowhand to follow her. Well, needless to say this does not set well with Marge.

Marge goes to see a traveling salesman, Roger Quenton, about some fabric he was sporting. But that will be the last time anyone sees her as she is found dead behind the blacksmith shop. And next to her body was found a cigar that is the same brand that Roger Quenton smokes. Quenton is the prime suspect when Mr Crandell comes to town for revenge.

A very interesting story with an ending that is very sad for nearly all involved. One of the better set-ups story that we have seen in sometime. Good watch.
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7/10
Title says it all
nermalstanley16 April 2007
The title says it all about the episode. The smoke screen is an expensive cigar butt found at the crime scene after Marge Crandall is murdered. At first Lucas and Micah think the traveling salesman in town committed the murder. Later Lucas learns that Mark smoked the cigar. This at first exonerates the salesman until he reveals what was inside Marge's change purse. The smoke screen is gone and the guilty is arrested.

The end scene is interesting. Seeing that Mark feels better after smoking the cigar, Lucas offers him another cigar. Mark refuses saying he has sworn off smoking forever. Lucas realizes the after effects of youthful smoking was enough punishment for Mark.
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7/10
It is all in the Cigar
gordonl5615 March 2014
Warning: Spoilers
THE RIFLEMAN – Smoke Screen – 1960

This is the 68th episode from the 1958 to 1963 western series, THE RIFLEMAN. Over the course of 168 episodes we follow the life of Lucas McCain and his son, Mark. They have moved to the small western town of North Fork where they hope to start a new life. Chuck Connors headlines the series with Johnny Crawford as his son. Connors is a world class hand with a Winchester rifle which of course ends up getting him in no end of trouble.

Several of the lads around North Fork have taken a shine to the daughter, Jennifer Lea, of rich rancher, Douglas Kennedy. This sometimes causes a few harsh words and the odd punch to be thrown about by her suitors. Miss Lea wants nothing to do with the local crop of men and is longing for life in the big city.

She is always talking with a travelling salesman, George N. Neise about the big cities out east. Now a problem pops up. Miss Lea is found strangled to death behind the local livery stable. Connors, who just happened to be the man who found Miss Lea, quickly calls Sheriff Paul Fix to the alley. The two have a close look around and come up with a half smoked cigar. It is the same brand that salesman Neise smokes.

The man is collared and given some face to face questioning about the young woman's death. He claims innocence but is at a loss to explain how the cigar was at the scene. Connors' son, Johnny Crawford, now steps up. It seems Crawford and one of his pals had found the cigar and went out back to try it. They were the ones who left it in the alley. The killing must have happened after they left the alley.

Neise is released for lack of evidence. By this time Lea's father, Douglas Kennedy has hit town. He is all for stringing up Neise from the nearest pole. Sheriff Fix and Connors prevent this idea from bearing any fruit. A few more clues turn up and Neise is back at the top of the suspect list. Neise folds like a cheap suitcase and admits he choked her to death. Into jail to wait for the judge he goes.

Not the best episode, but it does kill a half hour quite well.
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10/10
Slick Drummer meets Flirty Girl
Johnny_West16 July 2021
This episode had a really good cast. Douglas Kennedy who had a great career as a Western actor and 1950s film noir detective or heavy (bad guy) was the father of the girl who gets killed (Jennifer Lea). The story also has Paul Carr as a ranch hand who is attracted to Jennifer. He is very jealous of a drifter named Tate (Warner Jones) who Jennifer is flirting with. There are a lot of guys at the beginning of this episode who are literally fighting for the attention of Jennifer Lea. The drummer, played by George Neise, wins the prize when Lea takes off with him.

A while later, little Mark is smoking a cigar with Howey (John Collier) and leaves it there when they both get a little sick, and then they find a horrible surprise. Considering that this was a half-hour show (22 minutes?), the writers put a lot of mystery clues and red herrings into the story. Having Lucas and Micah work together to solve a mystery was very well done.
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