Sad to report that Johnny Crawford, who played the son Mark McCain on the late 50s early 60s western show ‘The Rifleman’, passed way last night after a battle with Alzheimer’s and apprently Covid and pneumonia at age 75.

I had never really watched The Rifleman on my local oldies TV station (Me-TV in my local market) until I was out on disability for four months in 2014 due to back surgery. It became one of my favorite oldies shows and just earlier this year I bought the complete series on DVD, a 60th anniversary edition that was originally released in 2018.

I think Johnny was the last surviving regular character on the show which ended in the spring of 1963.

Fair trails Johnny.

Earl

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Earl L. Cagle, Jr.
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TRA# 962
SAM# 73
Owner/Producer
Point 39 Productions

Rocket-Brained Since 1970

Not too many people realize that Johnny also had a career as a singer......


https://www.last.fm/music/Johnny+Cr...Johnny+Crawford

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Don
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"Carpe Diem"

North Fork was almost as dangerous a place as Cabot Cove - McCain had to have dispatched well over 100 baddies. I think my favorite Mark entered episode is “Gun Shy” - one of Mark’s friends is killed accidentally with his dad’s rifle and Lucas has to teach Mark that it’s the person pulling the trigger, not the gun, that’s responsible. Considering how formulaic a show it was Conners and Crawford were quite believable as father and son.

Major bummer.
One of my favorite Western shows. I watch it most days 3-4pm on MeTV.

Johnny played one of Macdonald's sons in the John Wayne picture El Dorado.
He gets mistaken for a bad guy by Cole Thornton (John Wayne) and gets blasted by Cole's .45LC Colt SAA Peacemaker.

Sad day.

He's now ropin' and brandin' in the big ranch in the sky.

Interestingly Chuck Connors played mildly bad guys after The Rifleman ended other than in his short-lived series "Branded"
He played "Swifty Morgan" in the James Garner "Support your local Gunfighter" movie that also featured the hilarious Jack Elam.

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When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

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I remember Connors' show Branded when it was in original run. I was VERY young. Like four. I do remember thinking many times when the show would come on and the commanding officer is striping his military insignia off his clothing and then takes Connors' sword and breaks it in two and tosses part of it outside the gates of the fort there in, well, what appeared to be nearly a desert area. I wanted to go get that part of the sword because I thought that would be neat to have.

Funny what you think when you are a very little kid.

Earl

__________________
Earl L. Cagle, Jr.
NAR# 29523
TRA# 962
SAM# 73
Owner/Producer
Point 39 Productions

Rocket-Brained Since 1970

I had to look up when Rifleman aired — it premiered in 1958. I was 6 years old. Id do remember our family watched it. As well as almost any western, such as Gunsmoke, and Bonanza. While I was too young to recall any details of Rifleman episodes, I remember the opening of each show, with the incredible Winchester with the ring on the lever. I wanted that rifle desperately!

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Lee Reep
NAR 55948

Projects: Semroc Saturn 1B, Ken Foss Designs Mini Satellite Interceptor
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The amount of shells fired on an average Rifleman episode (thirteen rounds alone in the opening) would alone keep Winchester Ammo (Olin) in business.
In other words, just shy of the rounds fired in an episode of The A-Team.
He actually hit his targets, whereas the A-Team just wasted ammo.

__________________
When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, TURMOIL, FIASCOS, and HAVOC !

I'm sorry to hear this. There was some genuinely fine acting delivered by Crawford and Connors in those Rifleman episodes. Apparently, there was a strong bond between the two, with Crawford looking up to Connors as a father figure. About on a par with 'Maverick' for my favorite western series.

I used to watch the Riflemen back in the 70's.

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If it flies, I can crash it!

Did they ever explain what happened to Mark McCain (Johnny Crawford)mother?

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If it flies, I can crash it!