The Rifleman
"Welcome to the McCain Ranch"
'Shivaree'
Episode 19
 
As I was riding into North Fork, I came across a group of people who looked like they were going to a funeral rather then a wedding! I saw the one cowboy hit the other cowboy with a whip and knocked him off his horse and then a scuffle started. I could hear a cacklin' laughter coming from the older woman saying "never been to North Fork, wanna have some fun?" The old man saw me approaching them and broke up the fight. He didn't want any trouble from strangers.

I asked them if there was some kind of trouble and he left me know it was none of my business. I told him he might be right but I felt the two youngsters might feel differently about it. Ma Wilson pulled the hat off the one and shrills out "take a look mister, it's a gal!" "She ain't filled out in the proper places yet, but it's a gal!" "We're taken' them into town to get married!"

The old man was eager to leave but I did manage to tell him that people have the right to decide things for themselves and they should be able to decide whether they wanna get married or not! The old man remarked that he is deciding for the two of them. "Are they yours?" I ask. He proceeded to tell me that he has no reason to keep anything from me. He told me he has a wagon train and that they had run across the two of them just outside of Julesburg. Young fools were trying to make it across Arizona in a buckboard. They had claimed to be brothers so we left them join the wagon train. We asked nothing of them except that they do their share. And all the time he felt they we're making a fool out of him! Ma Wilson found out about the girl and told him. I proceeded to tell him he has no right to play the almighty. "Stay out of it and leave the almighty out of it, it's me Aaron Pelser whose will is being done." He went onto say that he had a good reason for doing what he is doing. Good private reasons! Again he advised me to stay out of it and so I proceeded into North Fork.

"By the authority ivested in me.....I pronounce Lisabeth and Derek hitched up good and proper!" "Yes sir~eeeee!" Ma Wilson shrieks! "Ain't anybody gonna kiss the bride?" They start passing Lisabeth around from one cowboy to the other. "We'll give these two a 'Shivaree' tonight Texas style!!!!!" They we're all hootin' and hollerin' as they headed for the saloon. "What's a 'Shivaree' - Pa?" There was too much going on so I told Mark I would tell him later!

Pelser approached me and told me he only did what he had to do. That I wouldn't understand - nobody would. He proceeded to tell me that he had a daughter about her age. She had ran off to Houston with a man to get married, that she was sick of living on land that didn't give ya' enough to eat or give you anything in return. When he reached Houston, his daughter had never married. That's why this was important to him. Pelser told the young couple they could ride with Ma Wilson the rest of the way, but Derek refused and said he would rather eat dirt then to go on with them. Mark and I decided to take the couple home with us. We would bunk together even if I do snore! 

Lisabeth and Derek started to tell us they were on their way to Yuma to get married. And that it was his idea for her to cut her hair and dress up as a guy. He didn't want to draw any trouble. He told us he was raised to be peaceable and no violence. He also said that his father was a minister and they had wanted to be married by him. Lisabeth doesn't have any family and that this family wedding was to mean a lot to her! The couple wasn't there long when Micah came rushing in to warn us of the rowdy crowd on their way to our ranch. While we we're trying to hold them off, two of the cowboys snuck around the back and took Lisabeth and Derek.
When we got into town they were dragging them thru the streets. They took them into the bar and tried to get Lisabeth to drink some whiskey. When Chet picked her up in his arms the old man warned him to put her down. They get into a fight and Lisabeth ran out. Micah had Derek in hand down the street when Derek hit Micah and took his shotgun and went after the cowboys. He went into the saloon and shot Chet in the leg. He was out of control and wanted to shoot the old man too. I told Derek to put down the rifle, to let it go while he can hold his head high.  He knew I was right, and also was relieved this whole thing was all over. 

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*shiv-a-ree.....a noisy mock serenade to a newly married couple ~
French charivari - from the Merriam-Webster online Dictionary

piddlin' stuff.....Luana Anders appeared in over 30 films, 300 TV shows.  Please check out Luana's webpage done by Rich Martini―her nickname was Lu
Jack Nicholson remembered her in his Academy Award acceptance speech for best actor in "As Good as It Gets" (1997) in 1998.
In his book, Stephen King: On Writing, Stephen King cited her as one of his movie matinee idols.

Paul Carr appeared in four episodes of "The Rifleman."  He played Derek Hanaway [the groom] in 'Shivaree.' Garth Healey in 'The Woman' ~  He was the one who was in love with Miss Adams. Fred Harris in 'Letter of the Law'  ~ He gave his life to save Micah. Doug Carter in 'Smoke Screen' ~  He was in love with Marge Crandell.  The cowgirl who got killed. He had a starring role in Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. He played Dr. Peter Taylor [#1] in the soap "General Hospital." He appeared in shows like "Peter Gun" to "Hardcastle & McCormick."   Love that "Hardcastle & McCormick!"  "Hunt 'em, hear 'em and hang 'em, that's the code of the West!"

 

Morris Ankrum who played the Wagon Master in 'Shivaree' ~ Aaron Pelser and he also appeared in 'The Actress' as Jacob Black.  He was the dying man that Lucas went to fetch his wife for him before he died.  A graduate of the University of Southern California School of Law, Morris Ankrum was an attorney and an economics professor before switching careers and joining the theater.  With a law degree in hand, Morris Ankrum became a real menace to such sagebrush heroes as Hopalong Cassidy.  He appeared in over 150 (known) feature films. A large portion of his career involved westerns, in some of which he was cast as an Indian.  His screen career heavily favored horror, sci-fi and action pictures, including "Zombies of Mora Tau"—"Earth vs. the Flying Saucers"—"Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy"—"Invaders from Mars."  Off screen, Ankrum was a respected stage director who had a 33-year association with the Pasadena Playhouse as both an actor and director. His other stage credits included producer-director at New York's Federal Theatre. On television, he often played a judge on "Perry Mason" and appeared in the series "Mackenzie's Raiders."

John Anderson played Chet Packard in 'Shivaree.'  Now here is a familiar face.  How many times did he star on the show?  'The Retired Gun' ~ 'The Hawk' ~ 'The Patsy' ~ 'Day of the Hunter' ~ 'Mail Order Groom' ~ 'Shotgun Man' ~ 'Face of Yesterday' ~ 'The Journey Back' ~ 'Incident at Line Shack Six' ~ 'Old Man Running'.  He also appeared with Chuck in "Geronimo".
  We saw him so much that you would have thought of him as part of the family. Come to think of it, he was part of the family. Do you remember which episode that was? 
He bore a strong resemblance to President Abraham Lincoln and portrayed him twice.  Uncredited as the voice of the animatronic Mark Twain in the American Experience at Walt Disney World's Epcot (World Showcase) in Orlando, Flordia.

William Bryant played Karl Hollis in this episode of  'Gun Fire'. 
In 'The Apprentice Sheriff', he was Sandy Dixon, he was the cowboy who Dan shot and killed.  This is a great actor.  He was Jerry in 'Shivaree'.  One of the rowdy cowboys.  He also was in 'The Assailants' as Trooper Coley. 
 He appeared in "Branded" nine times as President Ulysses S. Grant. 
He also appeared with Chuck in "Ride Beyond Vengeance" as the Bartender. 
 Loved him in "Hardcastle & McCormick" the pilot - 2 part called 'Rolling Thunder' as Flip Johnson. 
Old Hardcastle knew the code of the west....."hunt 'em, hear 'em and hang 'em!" Loved "Hardcastle and McCormick!"  To me this was a modern day western. Hardcastle's favorite Cowboy was the 'Duke' and he read 'The Lone Ranger' comics.

I best remember Olive Carey, who played Ma Wilson in 'Shivaree', in John Ford's - "The Searchers." Great movie and sooooo many great stars! 
 She also was the mother of Harry Carey Jr.
 

Edgar Dearing as Justice of the Peace.  He was Hollywood's most familiar Motorcycle policeman in the 1930's and 40's.Appeared in many comedies, some with Laurel & Hardy.  His most memorable film role was (as a Motorcycle cop!) in their classic silent short TWO TARS(1928).  It's been said Dearing was a motorcycle cop in real life before he started acting. 

'Shivaree' episode #19—Look at the difference in how tall Lucas is in the picture on the left versus the picture on the right.  If you watch this episode, and watch Lucas in this scene, you can see him step up.  Cowgirl 

In the saloon stand-off, Lucas is talking to the boy through the bat-wing doors. Next view of Lucas he's behind the door and it isn't open. Then, as he begins to enter the saloon, it's open again. Thanks Rob!

*If anybody has any information on any of the stars, and would like to share it, please get in touch with

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