MovieChat Forums > The Rifleman (1958) Discussion > Random things i like about The Rifleman ...

Random things i like about The Rifleman that nobody really mentions..

posted 8 years ago by lynnkaro
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Random things i like about The Rifleman that nobody really mentions..

The soundtrack: And i'm not just referring to the beginning credits, but also the many soundtracks within the show..They seem to fit perfectly for the scene at hand...Sometimes during the day..one of those soundtracks will run thru my head over and over..and that's something only a Rifleman fan could experience..lol.

Realistic fight scenes: Unlike other old TV westerns such as the Lone Ranger..whose fight scenes were beyond laughable..The Rifleman seems to be pretty realistic.

Mark's enthusiasm: How could you not love this boy's enthusiasm at certain moments...even just over the slightest thing, or like when it's time to eat how excited he gets. OH BOY!! ..he says with such enthusiasm...Seems you dont see that these days with young actors. I think back in the day the acting style was different...much more dramatic and emotional..

Other character actors: Gotta love these guys. Many of which had roles in several episodes...but man, there's some strong intense acting there..It was obvious they only hired the best!

Lucas McCain's perfect facial expressions: Chuck was superb in manifesting intensity in every scene, no matter what the emotion was...

I know there are more but that's all i can think of at the moment..Feel free to add anything...

[–] lynnkaro 8 years ago

Here's a random thing no one else seems to ever mention. Ever notice the make-up they wear in this show? Its so obvious they're all made-up. You can clearly see the eye-shadow, eye-liner, even mascara...I know they probably did this so they'd show up better since it's in black & white..well..actually its grey-scales..but they call it black & white.. But yep, they're all made up, even Mark. Clearly you can see the eyeliner they put on him and the eyebrow pencil and eye shadow on Lucas, maybe a little mascara...They probably didn't think anyone would notice since it's not in color, but i did. :)

[–] vestdennis 8 years ago

You have to remember that a certain amount of make-up is/was necessary, especially in close ups. Camera lights could wreak havoc on people's faces in close ups. Some shading, tones cut down on reflections. And let's face it, if you had a blemish, pimple, wrinkle, wouldn't you want some make up? In this day of Hi. Definition TV, blu rays blemishes show up big time.

[–] candacbap-88-377616 8 years ago

All actors wear makeup, specifically stage makeup, for a variety of reasons. One is to make the face stand out on film, another reason is to make the skin look flawless on film, and the makeup has to work with lighting. If actors didn't wear makeup, they'd look washed out on film.

[–] liscarkat (19416) 7 months ago

The makeup is more noticeable now, on larger, HD tvs, than it was in the late 1950s and early 1960s on smaller CRT tvs.

[–] lynnkaro 8 years ago

Another thing i like that nobody ever seem to comment on is...I think its really funny when Mark bites people. lol Like when he's in a struggle to get away from the bad guy...he bites them. LOL Not that it ever worked...but it sure does look funny... ^____^

[–] kjackson106 8 years ago

He lost his mother young. Never got his oral fixation worked out.

[–] kjackson106 8 years ago

Love the relationship between Lucas and Mark. Love when Lucas is amused at something and just observing as it plays out.

[–] lynnkaro 8 years ago

I agree with those...^ ^

Okay here is an observation i bet no one has noticed. Have you guys ever noticed the older Mark got on the show the more he resembled a young David Schwimmer? LOL seriously, like they could be brothers....Mark being the cuter one of course.. But seriously. Johnny went thru this awkward facial growing stage, where his nose and face grew long but his face stayed narrow..It all adjusts tho once he hit late teens early 20's..so the David Schwimmer resemblance faded...

[–] lynnkaro 8 years ago

Why does Mark look so much better up-close then he does from a distance? From a distance he resembles David Schwimmer, but dang, when that camera zooms in on close-up shots, he's a real dream-boat. Yes, i said dream-boat. lol funny term but I'm using it..so get over it. :P

[–] saybow69 8 years ago

Realistic fight scenes?? Lol. Just as bad as the other shows at the time. Just a lot more. And half the time you see the stuntmans face. Lol. Love the show but thought scenes were terrible

[–] lynnkaro 8 years ago

Well..realistic in comparisn to other shows during that time...Ever watch The Lone Ranger or The Roy Rogers Show fight scenes? the guy goes down before he even hits him...lol

[–] lynnkaro 8 years ago

Ever notice how Mark looks absolutely NOTHING like his dad Lucas? Their facial features are nothing alike...Even with the added blonde highlights they put in Mark's hair doesn't help. Maybe he was adopted? lol seriously tho...All tho one of my brothers look nothing like our dad, so i guess it could be possible...but its a stretch...

[–] candacbap-88-377616 8 years ago

To me, the fight scenes are terrible and very fake.

[–] lynnkaro 8 years ago

Yeah, well i probably saw some scene in some episode that looked realistic to me so this was why i said it. This doesn't mean each and every fighting scene looks real... Whats really fake tho is the aftermath from being "beat-up"...Lucas is ALWAYS okay no matter how bad he gets pummeled. Maybe a scratch or two at the most, nothing a little Mercurochrome and band-aid won't fix. Oh and the gun shots never cause anyone to bleed. I guess people just didn't bleed back then. I guess they were too polite...didn't wanna gross anyone out...

[–] TennesseeTarheel 8 years ago

The fight scenes are good, but the ones in "Laramie" beat anything on t.v.. When I watch The Rifleman, I always listen for the stellar playing of the timpani. The player is a true artist. I am not a timpani player, but happened to focus on it in the soundtrack.

Anyone else think that Mark looks like Ross on "Friends"?

[–] lynnkaro 8 years ago

The soundtrack is really good in the Rifleman...Its rare i say that about any show..

Yes! That's what I've been saying all along, that Mark ( as he got older) started to resemble David Schwimmer ( who played Ross on Friends)..Like he could be his brother or something..

[–] lynnkaro 8 years ago

Ever notice how many character actors on the show they gave the name Johnny? I've heard the name Johnny in so many episodes.. Why name so many of them Johnny? Everyone's named Johnny except Johnny C...Him they name Mark. lol

[–] TennesseeTarheel 8 years ago

Sorry! You're right. You did point that out long before me. :^)

[–] TennesseeTarheel 8 years ago

Sorry! You're right. You did point that out long before me. :^)

[–] aloe51 8 years ago

The way Lucas dresses sometimes brings smile. Like when he's eating dinner with Mark at the hotel - he's wearing a nice white shirt with tie, but when he stands up, you see he's wearing the same old faded jeans. And those gloves - he seems to wear them all the time. He's in a bar drinking a beer and leaves the gloves on.

[–] lynnkaro 8 years ago

In other words, you think he's sexy and looking mighty fine in his duds and gloves..

I got a few random comments. Ever wonder what the horses think of all that fighting they do on the show? I wonder if they think it's real? they probably think man, humans sure are violent, always beating each other up and killing each other...lol or do they instictively know it all fake?? ..hmmmmm...I bet they think it's real...

Also, ever notice Mark's yawns? they are SO fake! lol They're way too short for one thing. A real yawn lasts longer..gotta take time to inhale and exhale..but he does these quick-ass wanna-be yawns...I'm surprised the director let it go...Guess he figured, the audience gets the message that Mark is sleepy...good enuff! lol

[–] Bilwick1 8 years ago

"Ever wonder what the horses think of all that fighting they do on the show?"

Funny you should bring that up. Just today I was watching an episode with a friend of mine, and there was a scene where Lucas, trying to avoid killing a mounted guy who intended to kill him, fires four or five shots at the ground near the horses' hooves, causing the horse to rear up and throw the guy to the ground. My friend was very upset by this, and I said, "Well, he didn't actually shoot the horse." And she said that the horse was clearly frightened. As I guess the horse (unless specially trained) would be, with someone (not Chuck Connors but probably a marksman off camera) shooting into the ground near his feet; or even electronic charges in the dust being detonated near the critter's hooves.

[–] liscarkat (19416) 3 years ago

I always think about dogs, cats, horses, etc. in movies. They have no way of knowing it isn't real.

[–] liscarkat (19416) 6 years ago

The music by Herschel Burke Gilbert is great. The percussion section and French horns, in particular. And the way it's used is clever, always fitting the scene. In the opening, the way Lucas twirls the rifle after firing, perfectly synchronized with the pause in the music, is brilliant.