Miss Milly-intro

Lucas McCain was finally allowed some romantic notions starting with episode #84, "Miss Milly," when Joan Taylor was introduced as storekeeper Milly Scott. Lucas and Milly didn't exactly hit it right off, as she buys the General Store and then proceeds to antagonize her customers, including Lucas, by demanding payment for all past due accounts and halting all credit. Real trouble begins for Milly when she is persuaded by a con man to allow him to collect her back accounts, and keep a percentage for his troubles. The methods used by the collector and his gunslinger partner include pistol whipping & murder, and Lucas steps into the breach to stop the two men from terrorizing the citizenry. When Milly realizes how naive she has been, she apologizes and offers credit to Lucas and all her customers.

Although it was never official, Joan Taylor as Milly was obviously the woman that fanned Lucas' flames. However due to viewer sentiment overwhelmingly in favor of Lucas remaining single, there would never be a marriage or even a serious relationship for the Rifleman. But Joan Taylor was definitely a welcome addition to the all male cast of the series, a beautiful woman in her own rights who fit well with our heroes, Lucas and Mark McCain, and crusty old Micah Torrance.

Joan stopped working in 1963 because she wanted to stay home with her children. Her husband Leonard Freeman producer/director, later relocated the family to Hawaii where he was producing the "Hawaii Five-O" (1968) series.

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