Lucas McCain
Encyclopedia
Lucas McCain is the rancher and widowed father
with a penchant for using his Winchester firearm -- as a last resort -- in the Western
television series, The Rifleman
, which ran on ABC
from 1958-1963. The part was portrayed by the former athlete-turned-actor
Chuck Connors
. In the story, Lucas earns enough money from a turkey
shoot contest to purchase a ranch near the fictitious town
of North Fork in the New Mexico Territory
, where, presumably in the 1880s, he dedicates himself to rearing his son, Mark McCain, played by talented singer/actor and former Mousketeer Johnny Crawford
. The McCains had previously lived in Enid, Oklahoma
where Lucas' wife died in a smallpox outbreak (Season 5, "The Guest"). Despite Lucas' use of his lightning rifle
to settle disputes, the program is family-oriented. Lucas struggles to instill proper values in his young son, and most episodes end on an uplifting note. Mark has a special bond and affection for his father.
In promoting tolerance, Lucas in the third-season episode "The Queue
", defends a Chinese
immigrant trying to make his way in North Fork. Sammy Davis, Jr.
, appears in another episode as an African American
allowed without resistance to check into the hotel
in North Fork. Similarly, in "The Gaucho
" during the first season, Lucas befriends an Argentine
family against the prejudice
of townspeople.
In "The Sheridan Story" also during the first season, Lucas, a veteran
of the Union Army during the American Civil War
(he was a lieutenant in the 19th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment
), hires a former Confederate to work on his ranch, but the former soldier causes trouble, being unable to accept defeat. The even-tempered Lucas serves as the peacemaker.
Also, in "The Sister", Mark asked Lucas if he would remarry. Lucas replied that it was "only natural" for him to consider a second marriage
. Mark asked when Lucas might marry again. He reassured Mark: "When I find the right woman." Mark asked what the qualifications would entail. Lucas told Mark that he would know the right woman "when I meet her son." With a big grin on his face, Mark asked, "What will she be like?" Lucas replied, "Well, she'll have to cook and sew and scrub. Her hands gotta be soft, she's gotta have hair like the crimson as the setting sun. Eyes as brown as chestnut
s. She's gotta wear a flower because that's womanly. Ride a horse
like a man." Mark suggested such a woman would be "kinda hard to find." Lucas agreed: "Very hard to find, son." As it turns out, Lucas did not remarry during the run of the program. However, in the last season, he was for a time smitten by a beautiful hotel owner named "Lou Mallory".
Father
A father, Pop, Dad, or Papa, is defined as a male parent of any type of offspring. The adjective "paternal" refers to father, parallel to "maternal" for mother...
with a penchant for using his Winchester firearm -- as a last resort -- in the Western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
television series, The Rifleman
The Rifleman
The Rifleman is an American Western television program that starred Chuck Connors as homesteader Lucas McCain and Johnny Crawford as his son, Mark McCain. It was set in the 1880s in the town of North Fork, New Mexico Territory. The show, filmed in black-and-white with a half hour running time, ran...
, which ran on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
from 1958-1963. The part was portrayed by the former athlete-turned-actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
Chuck Connors
Chuck Connors
Chuck Connors was an American actor, writer, and professional basketball and baseball player. His best known role from his forty-year film career was Lucas McCain in the 1960s ABC hit Western series The Rifleman....
. In the story, Lucas earns enough money from a turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
shoot contest to purchase a ranch near the fictitious town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
of North Fork in the New Mexico Territory
New Mexico Territory
thumb|right|240px|Proposed boundaries for State of New Mexico, 1850The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of...
, where, presumably in the 1880s, he dedicates himself to rearing his son, Mark McCain, played by talented singer/actor and former Mousketeer Johnny Crawford
Johnny Crawford
John Ernest "Johnny" Crawford is a prolific American character actor, singer and musician. At 12, Crawford rose to fame for playing Mark McCain, the son of the Lucas McCain character , in the popular 1960s ABC western series, The Rifleman, which aired from 1958 to 1963...
. The McCains had previously lived in Enid, Oklahoma
Enid, Oklahoma
Enid is a city in Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States. In 2010, the population was 49,379, making it the ninth largest city in Oklahoma. It is the county seat of Garfield County. Enid was founded during the opening of the Cherokee Outlet in the Land Run of 1893, and is named after Enid, a...
where Lucas' wife died in a smallpox outbreak (Season 5, "The Guest"). Despite Lucas' use of his lightning rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
to settle disputes, the program is family-oriented. Lucas struggles to instill proper values in his young son, and most episodes end on an uplifting note. Mark has a special bond and affection for his father.
In promoting tolerance, Lucas in the third-season episode "The Queue
Queue (hairstyle)
The queue or cue is a hairstyle in which the hair is worn long and gathered up into a ponytail. It was worn traditionally by certain Native American groups and the Manchu of Manchuria.-Manchu Queue:...
", defends a Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
immigrant trying to make his way in North Fork. Sammy Davis, Jr.
Sammy Davis, Jr.
Samuel George "Sammy" Davis Jr. was an American entertainer and was also known for his impersonations of actors and other celebrities....
, appears in another episode as an African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
allowed without resistance to check into the hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
in North Fork. Similarly, in "The Gaucho
Gaucho
Gaucho is a term commonly used to describe residents of the South American pampas, chacos, or Patagonian grasslands, found principally in parts of Argentina, Uruguay, Southern Chile, and Southern Brazil...
" during the first season, Lucas befriends an Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
family against the prejudice
Prejudice
Prejudice is making a judgment or assumption about someone or something before having enough knowledge to be able to do so with guaranteed accuracy, or "judging a book by its cover"...
of townspeople.
In "The Sheridan Story" also during the first season, Lucas, a veteran
Veteran
A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
of the Union Army during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
(he was a lieutenant in the 19th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment
19th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment
The 19th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was one of the original regiments in the Army of the Potomac's Iron Brigade.-Service:...
), hires a former Confederate to work on his ranch, but the former soldier causes trouble, being unable to accept defeat. The even-tempered Lucas serves as the peacemaker.
Also, in "The Sister", Mark asked Lucas if he would remarry. Lucas replied that it was "only natural" for him to consider a second marriage
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
. Mark asked when Lucas might marry again. He reassured Mark: "When I find the right woman." Mark asked what the qualifications would entail. Lucas told Mark that he would know the right woman "when I meet her son." With a big grin on his face, Mark asked, "What will she be like?" Lucas replied, "Well, she'll have to cook and sew and scrub. Her hands gotta be soft, she's gotta have hair like the crimson as the setting sun. Eyes as brown as chestnut
Chestnut
Chestnut , some species called chinkapin or chinquapin, is a genus of eight or nine species of deciduous trees and shrubs in the beech family Fagaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce.-Species:The chestnut belongs to the...
s. She's gotta wear a flower because that's womanly. Ride a horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
like a man." Mark suggested such a woman would be "kinda hard to find." Lucas agreed: "Very hard to find, son." As it turns out, Lucas did not remarry during the run of the program. However, in the last season, he was for a time smitten by a beautiful hotel owner named "Lou Mallory".