Mark McCain
Mark McCain is the son of fictitious rancher Lucas McCain in the ABC Western television series The Rifleman, starring Chuck Connors, which ran from 1958 to 1963. Singer/actor and former Mouseketeer Johnny Crawford was cast in the role and was nominated for an Emmy Award in 1959 as Best Supporting Actor (Continuing Character) in a Dramatic Series. However, Dennis Weaver, then portraying Chester Goode on CBS's Gunsmoke, won the honor. Mark McCain was more than just a supporting player in The Rifleman, as the boy's bond with his father was a core element of the show. In many ways he was the co-lead of the series and appeared in nearly every episode and in a majority of scenes. Family drama The McCains had previously lived in Enid, long before Oklahoma statehood in 1907. While there, Lucas' wife Margaret died in a smallpox outbreak (Season 5, "The Guest"). Mark meets the spirit of his dead mother in The Vision (Season 2, Episode 26, originally aired March 22, 1960) when suffering from typhoid and in a heavy fever. Despite the legendary Lucas McCain's use of his lightning rifle to settle disputes, the program is family-oriented. Lucas struggles to instill proper values in