Northfork: The worst place in America - The Rifleman (1958) Discussion

[–] rj-27 9 years ago

In North Fork, most of the men killed by Lucas were itinerant baddies, mostly bent on doing great bodily harm to Mark, for some inexplicable reason. But you had to believe the town's population lived in mortal fear of Lucas, lest they should cast a wayward glance toward Mark and incur his wrath.

I do believe that Liam Neeson's character from "Taken" was based in part on Lucas McCain. Liam Neeson, remains to this day, the single highest reason for the death rate of Albanian men aged 25-40.

Democracy is the pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance. H.L. Mencken

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[–] jonathanrspalding 9 years ago

Actually, I never really liked Mark, so I can see why so many people wanted to kill him. I would agree I would never speak to or speak of Lucase McCain lest he shoot me down.

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[–] rj-27 9 years ago

Actually, I never really liked Mark...

He does come across as sort of a weenie. Like that time Pa gave him his own rifle and he refused to use it or even come to someone's rescue when one of those miscreants came to North Fork looking for trouble. That told you right then and there he would never live up to the stature of his peace loving Pa.

Lucas understood peace came through strength. A lesson all those marauding ne'er do wells learned the hard way and never lived to learn it again.

Democracy is the pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance. H.L. Mencken

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[–] ericn2274 9 years ago

Mark McCain probably never grew up to be the type of man his father was. Although Lucas taught Mark many valuable life lessons, I don't think Mark shared his father's views on violence. In the 1800's, gun violence was a way of life. It was either kill or be killed. I think Lucas wanted Mark to become a more educated man. More so than himself, as any parent would. Not to rely on a gun to solve every problem. By overprotecting Mark, I think Lucas handicapped some of Mark's potential.

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[–] ejay1118 8 years ago

In "The Gambler Returns - The Luck of the Draw" Kenny Rodgers characters gets saved by Lucas McCain (there's a LOT of cameos in this film) who explains that Mark went off to Hollywood to try his luck in the newly growing movie industry.

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[–] woodpusher 8 years ago

Hmm....he would have been born ca. 1870 - a bit too early for movies.
Yes, there were a few productions in the early 1890's...but clearly not enough to make a career out of...and a lot of those early ones weren't made in Hollywood.

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[–] MAGolding (1240) 6 years ago

The Gambler Returns, the luck of the Draw has an official date of 1906. Presumably the San Francisco scenes happen before the earthquake.

So Mark would be about 36 in The Gambler Returns, the luck of the Draw. I believe that Hollywood didn't become a film making center for another decade after 1906, so that would be an anachronism.

But if you look at threads about anachronisms in The Rifleman or other western shows you will see that predating Hollywood by a decade or more isn't a very big anachronism compared to many others.

I wonder why some posters don't like Mark. When I was a kid watching the show Mark seemed rather ordinary and average but a lot nicer than many of the boys I knew.

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[–] guarnot 9 years ago

In North Fork, most of the men killed by Lucas were itinerant baddies, mostly bent on doing great bodily harm to Mark, for some inexplicable reason. But you had to believe the town's population lived in mortal fear of Lucas, lest they should cast a wayward glance toward Mark and incur his wrath.

When I was a kid, my father (who was impatient with the slow pacing and sparse violence) would always refer to "The Rifleman" as "The Father-Son Relationship Show."

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[–] jonathanrspalding 9 years ago

I forgot to add that every known killer, outlaw, former or current gunslinger, or every transportation of convicted murderes with nothing to lose had to come through the town as if a moth to a flame.

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[–] rj-27 9 years ago

Without which we would never get to see that manful manipulation of flame spouting violence that was the rifle of the the rifleman!

Democracy is the pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance. H.L. Mencken

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[–] silvercometred1 9 years ago

Northfork must have been a cross roads town. Lots of scum passing through.

Micah Torrance was the town marshal (the western version of a Chief of Police), not the county sheriff. As town marshal his jurisdiction ended at the Northfork city limits. Only in special cases (such as escorting a prisoner or chasing after a bank robber) would Micah's duties take him out of town. If he was sheriff, he would have to patrol the whole county, instead of just hanging around town. The next higher law official would be the County Sheriff (who is never mentioned), than a Federal US Deputy Marshal (which are mentioned in this series.)

What confuses a lot of people was the series Gunsmoke. Marshal Dillon was the town marshal, who was also an appointed Federal US Deputy Marshal.

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[–] danlinjer 9 years ago

Seems ol'Lucas couldn't even go into town to buy a box of nails or enjoy apple pie at the hotel without having to punch or shoot his way out of some situation!

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[–] rj-27 9 years ago

Or, get hit on by Lou or Millie!

One way or another, he was a target.

Democracy is the pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance. H.L. Mencken

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[–] ericn2274 9 years ago

Lucas was such an imposing man. He was very tall and his rifle was almost as tall. He walked with a swagger that gave the impression of a man who means business. I remember one episode of a stranger in Northfork, asking - "who's the big guy." It was that kind of curiosity that often got Lucas into trouble. People were intrigued by his mere presence. But, deep inside, he was a loving father and a good friend.

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[–] jbc122883 9 years ago

They just mentioned that the (sherrif) is to deliver a prisoner to Northfork....

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[–] danlinjer 9 years ago

If I lived in Northfork, I'd start a window and glazing operation. Whenever Lucas had to go into town for a hammer or some fencing, invariably, he'd wind up getting into a fistfight where either he or the other guy wound up getting thrown through a window, usually at the saloon.

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[–] rj-27 9 years ago

Ah yes! The old "broken window" theory of economic stimulation.

Just think of the thriving undertaker business, too. The piles of bodies Lucas wracked up would definitely have funeral homes popping up all over North Fork.

Democracy is the pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance. H.L. Mencken

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[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] allenm-01050 9 years ago

There were gunfights almost every episode of the rifleman, that's the point of this thread.

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[–] PenTheater 9 years ago

" Mark, we are having beans tonight, again."

"Well Pa, if ya didn't have to buy ammo so often...."

Ephemeron.

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[–] MargiePax 9 years ago

Pretty much what present times would be like, if the NRA had its way. Everyone carrying a gun.

Hey Granny! You took my parking spot! BAM!

Turn your blinker on before you get to the intersection, idiot! BAM!

Waiter! My soup has a hair in it! BAM!

Bitch! You spilled your appletini on my Jimmy Cho shoes! BAM!

I'm not eating my Brussels sprouts and you can't make me! BAM!

(Just stirring up the hornets nest). 😜

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[–] DrakeStraw 9 years ago

Hey Granny! You took my parking spot! BAM!

Turn your blinker on before you get to the intersection, idiot! BAM!

Waiter! My soup has a hair in it! BAM!

Reminds me of this David Wilcox song:

https://youtu.be/MifyYHbnGaE

DrakeStraw
https://youtu.be/MifyYHbnGaE
[link=SeeMarkupEnabled]

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[–] vestdennis 9 years ago

I'd rather be able to carry than be a helpless victim to some mugger or rapist.

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[–] lmcpherson1966 9 years ago

I agree with you. I'm so tired of stupid people blaming guns. I have never heard of a gun loading itself and killing someone on it's own. People kill people, not guns!! Why is this so hard to understand??

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[–] liscarkat (19416) a year ago

"Pretty much what present times would be like, if the NRA had its way."

Wow, that's just stupid! I've known a lot of people throughout my life who were NRA members, and I've had a rifle or shotgun since I was eight years old. Not one of us has ever committed a crime with a gun, let alone shot anyone. It's not NRA members and other legal gun owners you need to worry about, it's the criminals, psychos, and terrorists who are allowed to remain free. Pass all the gun laws of your dreams, and it won't change anything, because the bad guys don't comply with laws. That's the whole point of being a bad guy.

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[–] Skye_Reynolds 9 years ago

The town was also ready to lynch an Indian for attempting to arrest a white man.

Lucas McCain: Now look, I'm not just thinking of you. North Fork's my boy's home. I don't want it turning into a lynch town.

U.S. Marshal Sam Buckhart: Maybe you're giving me too much credit and the town not enough.

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[–] anthny_platt 9 years ago

Well, what would you expect from a town originally founded by Sam Peckinpah? Ladies' Aid Societies?

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[–] abcpc1 9 years ago

LOL!!

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[–] jim_85258 9 years ago

North Fork is like a modern day Phoenix Arizona with all the Mexican cartel members passing through and Sheriff Joe Arpaio trying to stop them.

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[–] guarnot 9 years ago

Northfork was the worst place in America to live at the time. It had no train, it was dry and hot, no arts or culture and the peacful Lucas McCain had to kill around 120 people in the course of 4 years or so to keep it safe.

Yeah, but apparently it was a great place to live (or visit) for an aspiring actor or actress.

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