The whole point of free speech is not to make ideas exempt from criticism but to expose them to it.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Lucas thinks there is something wrong with his rifle.

That was the synopsis of an episode of "The Rifleman" in about 1970 in an edition of TV Guide, to which we subscribed at the time.

Something wrong. Like what? Won't shoot? Won't kill? Won't even point? Why did I remember that particular listing? (To the last question: Wouldn't you remember it?)



I don't think I saw the episode, but I want to. Not bad enough, however, to try to catch it on AMC between 4Am and 7AM.

If there was ever a character like Lucas McCain, who after a couple years in a small community out west had killed about 47 people in one-on-Lucas or group-on-Lucas events, what would it have been like to be the owner of the hardware store and have Lucas come in, rifle leaning on shoulder, and "make an offer" on 25 boxes of .44s, an order larger than any other ammunition purchase to an individual for the year? And Lucas did this about once a month?

2 comments:

Wayne Gilbert said...

As I recall he really didn't want to have to shoot all those people, but week after week was given no other choice. At least that's how explained it to his boy Mark, played by Johnny Crawford, who also gave us the memorable love ditty "Cindy's Birthday."

DDC said...

Hulu has 50 full episodes of The Rifleman. Not even close to being all of them, but if you're lucky that episode might be on there.

http://www.hulu.com/the-rifleman