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'''Lucas McCain''' is a fictional character in the black-and-white western [[television]] series, ''The Rifleman,'' which ran on [[ABC]] from 1958 to 1963. A [[rancher]] and widowed father with a penchant for using his Winchester firearm as a last resort, the part was portrayed by athlete-turned-[[actor]] Kevin Joseph Aloysius "Chuck" Connors (1921-1992).

'''Lucas McCain''' is a fictional character in the black-and-white western [[television]] series, ''The Rifleman,'' which ran on [[ABC]] from 1958 to 1963. A [[rancher]] and widowed father with a penchant for using his Winchester firearm as a last resort, the part was portrayed by athlete-turned-[[actor]] Kevin Joseph Aloysius "Chuck" Connors (1921-1992).

 

==Character synopsis==

==Character synopsis ==​

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|New Mexico Territory]], where, presumably in the 1880s, he dedicates himself to rearing his son, Mark McCain, played by [[singer]]/actor and former Mickey Mouse Club "Mousketeer" John Ernest "Johnny Crawford (born 1946). The McCains had previously lived in Enid, [[Oklahoma|Oklahoma Territory]] where Lucas' wife, Margaret (daughter of Samuel E. Gibbs) died in a [[smallpox]] outbreak<ref>(Season 5, Episode 23, "The Guest"; Season 5, Episode 24, "Old Man Running."</ref> 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 and appears in every episode of the series.

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|New Mexico Territory]], where, presumably in the 1880s, he dedicates himself to rearing his son, Mark McCain, played by [[singer]]/actor and former [[Mickey Mouse Club|Mousketeer]] Johnny Crawford. The McCains had previously lived in Enid, [[Oklahoma|Oklahoma Territory]] where Lucas' wife, Margaret (daughter of Samuel E. Gibbs) died in a smallpox outbreak<ref>(Season 5, Episode 23, "The Guest"; Season 5, Episode 24, "Old Man Running."</ref> 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 and appears in every episode of the series.

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In promoting tolerance, Lucas in the third-season episode "The Queue]] defends a [[Chinese]] immigrant trying to make his way in North Fork. Samuel George "Sammy" Davis, Jr. (1925-1990) 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 [[Argentina|Argentine]] family against the prejudice of certain townspeople.<ref name="The Rifleman Episode Guide List">[http://www.riflemanconnors.com/ The Rifleman Episode Guide List<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>​

In promoting tolerance, Lucas in the third-season episode "The Queue]] defends a [[Chinese]] immigrant trying to make his way in North Fork. Samuel George "Sammy" Davis, Jr. (1925-1990) 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 [[Argentina|Argentine]] family against the prejudice of certain townspeople.<ref name="The Rifleman Episode Guide List">[http://www.riflemanconnors.com/ The Rifleman Episode Guide List<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>​