User Reviews

THE RIFLEMAN – The Money Gun - 1959

This is the 33rd 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.

Well known "Bounty Killer" John Dehner rides into North Fork. Dehner is for hire for 500 bucks a kill. He keeps things legal by always getting the victim to draw and make it a fair fight. He has been hired by local, William Phipps to kill wealthy rancher, Bert Freed. Freed is a brute of a man who bullies his way through life. He has a mean temper and is not the least adverse to the laying on of fists etc. No one in North Fork can stand him.

Connors, who knew Dehner from years before, tries to talk the gunman into leaving town. Dehner of course has a reputation to keep. He has been paid, and he will do the job. Connors rides out to warn Freed about the gunman. Freed laughs the warning off and rides into town to face Dehner. Sheriff Paul Fix has the men take their beef outside of town.

The fight does not turn out the way Dehner, or his employer, Phipps expects. Freed refuses to draw, which would give Dehner a legal defence, and instead goes for Dehner with his fists. He works the man over and then busts up his gun hand. Freed, Connors and Sheriff Fix turn and head back to North Fork. The unamused Phipps wants his $500 back from Dehner. He steps up shoots Dehner dead.

Fix now puts the grab on Phipps. "You just killed an unarmed man. It will be the rope for you."

This one is a truly excellent episode with several nice curves thrown at the viewer. This superb episode was written and directed by none other than, Sam Peckinpah. Peckinpah of course, was the director of the ground breaking western, THE WILD BUNCH. This was only his third assignment in the director's chair.

The more episodes of "The Rifleman" I see, the more I believe it's one of the best Westerns, and even one of the most-interesting TV shows, ever. (Addendum: At least for the first season. Although all five seasons have outstanding episodes, their quality becomes increasingly erratic, with (on occasion) unbelievably stupid or drivelly insipid stories.)

In previous reviews I've described Lucas McCain as a man who gets his kicks out of using his tricked-out rifle, especially when it's time for "justice". (There is /some/ justification for this, especially the title sequence, which would have Sigmund Freud blushing.) But the series -- co-created by Sam Peckinpah, and with many early episodes written and/or directed by him -- is (like "Gunsmoke") not what you might expect. Lucas is a complex character -- judgmental, even biased against those he doesn't agree with; quick to anger; bluntly critical of people who won't do for themselves; "in love" with his son, whom he alternately hides the nastier parts of life from, while occasionally letting him make his own mistakes. It's easy to go between liking and hating Lucas in the same episode. This was virtually unheard-of 55 years ago.

Another strong point about "The Rifleman" is its "edginess" and moral complexity, as well as unpredictable endings. This episode -- directed and co-written by Sam Peckinpah -- is an example of all three. Oat Jackford (who first appeared in episode 1.2, there played by Harold J Stone) is a well-heeled rancher who usually gets what he wants. (He's so heavy and strong he can easily hold his own against Lucas in a fight.) No one likes him, and as the episode opens, he presses people for the money they owe. One of them decides to hire Tom King (John Dehner), a "bounty hunter" notorious for almost always killing those he's supposed to bring in "dead or alive". ("To the law, dead or alive means dead.") North Fork is torn between not wanting violence, while hoping King will kill Jackford. It's no surprise that the townsfolk refuse to help Micah chase King out of town.

How this plays out is what's called in writing class "surprising but logical". This is then topped by another "surprising but logical" event. (That's called "negating the negation".) Given the blandness and predictability of most series TV (especially of this era), "The Money Gun" is a remarkable and memorable episode.

It's definitely worth seeing, especially for aspiring screenwriters -- you /can/ tell a complex and compelling story in 25 minutes.