Plot: What’s it about?
The Rifleman has arrived on our beloved format via MPI Home Video, with two initial volumes and hopefully many more to follow. I’ve never followed the show much myself, but I have watched some episodes, so I was looking forward to this release. The Rifleman stars Chuck Connors (Old Yeller, The Big Country) as Lucas McCain, a tough, but caring father who seeks to starts a new life with his young son Mark, played by Johnny Crawford (El Dorado, The Shootist). Lucas is a fast draw and has an iron resolve, so he often becomes involved in rounding out criminals, as well as a fair number of fights, to be sure. This series was a smash success at the time and even topped the charts at times, so it is a natural to now find the series on DVD, I think. This is the first volume of The Rifleman and includes the first four episodes, plus a bonus episode. Below is a listing of the episodes included, as well as a brief synopsis for each.
1. Sharpshooter- This is where it all begins, as Lucas and Mark seek out a new life in North Folk. This is pretty much a “getting to know the characters” episode, but it has some storyline also, as the two look for a ranch to settle down on. This episode features guest appearances by Dennis Hopper and Leif Erickson, which also spices up the mix a little.
2. Home Ranch- Lucas finds himself under threats from a couple of hired toughs, who were sent to force him to leave his ranch. He has no such plans however, so he refuses and as such, bad things begin to happen. Lucas is soon attacked and beaten by the thugs, then his ranch is set on fire, which is terrible news. How will Lucas manage to come out of this one? This episode includes guest appearances from Lee Farr and Harold J. Stone.
3. End of a Young Gun- In this episode, Lucas is forced to choose between the law and his heart, which is not an easy decision. A young bank robber has been injured and seeks refuge, which Lucas agrees to provide. You see, the young man was hurt in the process of saving Mark’s life, which is why Lucas is so warm to the criminal. This episode is a good one and features an appearance by Michael Landon, which should please some folks.
4. The Marshall- Michah Torrance used to be a renowned marshal with a quick draw, but now he is a shadow of his former self. His arm was injured in a gunfight and is crippled as a result, while too much booze has further pushed Torrance down the hill. But Lucas agrees to give the man some work, which could be just what Torrance needs to turn himself around. This episode features Warren Oates and Robert Wilke, in guest appearances.
Video: How does it look?
The episodes are presented in full frame transfers, as intended. I wasn’t too hopeful as far as image quality, but MPI has delivered solid transfer here. The prints look cleaner than expected, with some grain and debris, but not too much. Some scenes even look pristine and while some look better than others, none are too bad here. The contrast is stable and stark, which is good since this is a black & white series, of course. I saw no detail loss at all and in the end, I think fans will be thrilled with the visual treatment given to these episodes.
Audio: How does it sound?
Not much to discuss here, as the included tracks manage fine enough, but don’t offer much beyond the basics. I heard minimal distortion and harshness however, which are often present in these older television show audio options. As such, I was pleased and on the whole, I was able to detect very little in terms of age related flaws here. The music, sound effects, and dialogue all sound terrific here, very clean and never hard to listen to. This disc also includes English subtitles, should you decide to enable those.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes a bonus episode, Duel of Honor, in which an Italian count arrives in town and is hassled by the local bully. You’ll also find some talent files and a selection of still photos, which add even more value to this release.
