Chuck and Johmmy..

1st baseman for the LA Dodgers!

Fantastic show.

One of my favorites. The western channel has the Rifleman on every week day. I try not to miss a one.

A Tall Man's Tale

He was born Kevin Joseph Connors, on April 10, 1921, in Brooklyn, NY. The 6'5" Connors was educated at Seton Hall College. He began his career as a professional basketball player and switched to baseball for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, and the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League. In Hollywood he picked up occasional roles in films, and formally changed careers in 1953, after the success of "Pat & Mike", in which he appeared with Spencer Tracy and Kathryn Hepburn in 1952. He went on to make the films "Target Zero" in 1954, "Hold Back The Night" in 1956, and "The Big Country" in 1958. He became well-known in the television western series "The Rifleman", which ran from 1958 to 1963. He starred as Lucas McCain, a New Mexico homesteader bringing up a son by himself. Connors became far more marketable, however, after "The Rifleman". His films in the 1960's included the title role in "Geronimo" in 1962, "Flipper", and "Move Over, Darling" in 1963, "Synanon" in 1965, and "Ride Beyond Vengeance" in 1966. Connors also starred in the western series "Branded", which was telecast from 1965 to 1966. His role was that of Jason McCord, a West Pointer who was dismissed from service with the rank of captain because of supposed cowardice. Connors played a lawyer named John Egan in the short-lived 1963 tv series "Arrest & Trial", had a major role in "Cowboy In Africa" in 1967, and narrated fifty-two episodes of a syndicated documentary on stunts called "Thrill Seekers". Connors also appeared as Jeb Hollister in the short-lived, but critically acclaimed series "The Yellow Rose", telecast from 1983 to 1984. Connors once said, "I owe baseball all that I have and much of what I hope to have. Baseball made my entrance to the film industry immeasurably easier than I could have made it alone. To the greatest game in the world I shall be eternally in debt." He will best be remembered for the role of Lucas McCain, the granite-eyed cowpoke who shot from the hip with his Winchester repeating rifle and talking horse sense to his son, Mark. Lucas was one of tv's first single parents. His career was still flourishing when he died suddenly Nov. 10, 1992 of lung cancer. Married three times, Connors left behind four sons-Mike, Jeff, Steve, and Kevin. Johnny Crawford said, "He was just my hero. He was very expressive and always concerned, but he was also tough as nails."

Loved the show, watched as kid.

Jack, is that your picture?

One of my favorites. It must be remembered that, had he been born a couple of decades later, he would have starred in "Brokeback Mountain" quite readilly. He was handy with the long gun.

^ Prove it.

Also played for the Mobile Cubs in the minor leagues.

I also have an autographed photo from him.

No chief, not my picture.

#8

It's an old joke.

Sheriff Micah Torrance...where did that just come from?

I watched all of these way back in the day: Wanted--Dead or Alive (Steve McQueen), HGWT (Richard Boone), Yancy Derringer(Jock Mahoney), The Rebel (Nick Adams).

There must be others.

What the bio doesn't say is that his professional basketball career was on the front court of the 50's Celtics - on the same team as Couz and Russell.

My father swears he was at a game that had to be delayed for an hour because he shattered the backboard with a slam dunk during warm ups

Re #13

James Drury, "The Virginian"

#12 Oh. OK

The good old days of TV! The bodies piled up like cord wood every week but they needed killin' real bad.

Chuck Conners was one of the nicest people in Hollywood.

Charlie

Johmmy?

Shoot Lucas McCain shoot!