User Reviews

THE RIFLEMAN – The Most Amazing Man – 1962

This is the 151st 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 just 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.

A famous gunfighter, Sammy Davis Jr, comes to North Fork for a visit. He regales all the townsfolk with tales of him dispatching various outlaw types, saving damsels in distress etc. The locals, including Chuck Connor's son, Johnny Crawford take a shine to the man. Davis is never without the offer of a free drink or meal. All he needs do is tell another tale of daring and adventure.

This happy state of affairs ends when Richard Devon hits town. Devon is the buddy of an outlaw Davis claims to have shot. He calls Davis out for a showdown the next day. Davis agrees to the showdown but tries to sneak off that night.

Davis is taking off because he is really not a gunman at all. He just tells great tall tales. Davis meets Connors while trying to high tail it out of town. Connors of course had taken everything Davis has been saying with a large lump of salt. Davis explains his plight to Connors and about the upcoming gunfight. Connors talks him into staying and that he will help with Devon.

The next day Devon and Davis meet for the shootout. Davis tells Devon that Devon is a very brave man. Only a brave man would go against a shot such as himself Davis says. "I'll show you!" Davis points at a small target down the street and fires. The target explodes with a hit dead center. Several more hard shots soon has Devon backing down. He apologizes to Davis and rides off. Needless to say it was Connors nailing all the targets from a nearby roof.

This is a somewhat comic episode where no blood is spilled. It is always entertaining to see Sammy Davis hamming it up.

Sammy Davis, Jr was great in Two Ounces of Tin and Mark (Johnny Crawford) was too defending his Pa, how he'd never throw his badge in the dirt but he'd be there to pick it up.

In The Most Amazing Man written for Sammy, he's quite good but Mark acted like a 7 year old. Johnny was a real tough little kid in the earlier seasons sometimes a real scrapper acting as mature as an adult. In this one (last season) he's old enough to be married but Lucas treats him like a small child or a daughter and can't even shoot. I never understood why unless they didn't want him to overshadow the great Rifleman. He was more self conscious too being reduced to playing a silly kid and always dismissed like go to the Marshall's office or go to Mallory's hotel to be safe.

Anyway his hero worship of Randall is a filler with the composition and all and needed him to do something in the episode. The whole show Randall puts on is entertaining but forced. He handles those guns so well he probably could have really performed without help. I give it a 5 because it's not a very well written episode for Sammy.