NathanLooking Back
Sam Peckinpah was raised on a ranch so no wonder he was so good with the story-lines in The Rifleman. Some of the episodes were experiences that only somebody forms the countryside could execute. He was excited to write but left the show after season 1. He decided that his talents could be expressed in other ventures like the film The Wild Bunch and Straw Dogs.
Getting Rid Of Mouse Ears
Johnny Crawford was an original member of the 24 Disney Mouseketeers but had to leave as he outgrew the age limit after just one year. His next career move was starring in an NBC broadcast called Little Boy Lost, then starring in The Lone Ranger and many others.He was only 12 years old when he got his The Rifleman role.
The Teen Idol Era
Johnny decided to expand his career in the entertainment business by starting a singing career as most actors did during the 50s. His move was fortunately worth it. He eventually had 5 Top 40 hits during the 60s. His most famous song would probably be “Cindy’s Birthday,” that was No. 8 on Billboard‘s Hot 100 in 1962.
Crawford Joins The Army
Johnny Crawford then switched up his career from music to join the United States Army in 1965. He received invaluable information and learned a whole lot during his 2 years in the military. He had become a sergeant by the time he was discharged in 1967. Dafter a few months, he played a soldier in one episode of Hawai’i Five-O.
A Forgiving Theme
The Rifleman was mostly revolving around the theme of forgiving. In episodes like “The Marshall” and “The Sheridan Story”, the story mostly concluded in forgiveness. It was very fitting for the time it aired and still is worth learning from until today.
The Small Pox Epidemic
The storyline reveals that in the 1870s McCain’s mother dies of smallpox in the Indian Territory of Oklahoma. This was a disease that wiped out 50-60% of the whole Egyptian population when it invaded their land. The disease later spread in America and was given multiple names like Scarlet Fever, Yellow Fever, and Typhus.