The Rifleman

141 Pages·2005·1.358 MB·English

by  Christopher Sharrett

The Rifleman
TV Milestones
Series Editors
Barry Keith Grant Jeanette Sloniowski
Brock University Brock University
TV Milestonesis part of the Contemporary Approaches to Film and Tele-
vision Series
A complete listing of the books in this series can be found online at
http://wsupress.wayne.edu
General Editor
Barry Keith Grant
Brock University
Advisory Editors
Patricia B. Erens Robert J. Burgoyne
School of the Art Institute Wayne State University
of Chicago
Lucy Fischer Tom Gunning
University of Pittsburgh University of Chicago
Peter Lehman Anna McCarthy
Arizona State University New York University
Caren J. Deming Peter X. Feng
University of Arizona University of Delaware
THE RIFLEMAN
Christopher Sharrett
TV
MILESTONES SERIES
Wayne State University Press Detroit
© 2005 by Wayne State University Press,
Detroit, Michigan 48201. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced without formal permission.
Manufactured in the United States of America.
09 08 07 06 05 5 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Sharrett, Christopher.
The Rifleman / Christopher Sharrett.
p. cm. — (Contemporary approaches to film and television series. TV
milestones)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-8143-3082-7 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Rifleman (Television program) I. Title. II. Series.
PN1992.77.R528S53 2006
791.45'72—dc22
2005016950
∞
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the
American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for
Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984.
For Victor A. Sharrett
1905–1997
This page intentionally left blank
CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ix vii
Introduction: Night of the Gunmen 1
1. Origins 25
2. The Domestic Frontiersman and the Vital Center 33
The Professional 35
The Civilizing Force 43
Terrible Clans 51
Terrible Fathers 57
The Double 64
Race, Gender, Liberalism 72
3. The Gunfighter as Fetishist 91
4. On the Horror Film and the Western:
Chuck Connors After The Rifleman 97
AFTERWORD 105
PRODUCTION HISTORY 111
EPISODES 113
NOTES 119
INDEX 123
This page intentionally left blank
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Iextend limitless appreciation to Johnny Crawford for ix
csharing with me his many memories of The Rifleman and
early television. Robert Culp was similarly kind and generous
for discussing with me his memories of his friend Sam Peck-
inpah, Culp’s work on The Rifleman, his own TV western
Trackdown, and numerous reflections on film and television.
I was especially fortunate to interview Arnold Laven, a
director of The Rifleman and coproducer of the show with
Levy-Gardner-Laven Productions; he remains vital in pre-
serving the show’s memory and contribution to television. He
was exceptionally generous with his time and indulgent of
my endless questions.
I am so very grateful to Barry Grant for his warm friend-
ship and invaluable assistance in this project. Thanks also to
Jeannette Sloniowski for her commitment to TV Milestones
and this monograph. Annie Martin of Wayne State University
Press is a most insightful and supportive editor. Jane Hoehn-
er, the head of Wayne State University Press, was extraordi-
narily helpful to me.
I so enjoy conversations with Bill Luhr about the West,
the western, and western culture. Krin Gabbard enlightens