Ole Shorty
 'coon dog' story sung/told by Johnny Crawford  

Ole Shorty - sung/told by Johnny Crawford

*Please be patient while this song loads, it may take a few seconds to load but is well worth the wait!

A Rifleman Fan asked. . . . ."How come Lucas and mark didn't have a dog; a faithful companion who could have come to their rescue from time to time?" Considering it was the era of Rin Tin Tin and Lassie, I thought that his question made good sense.
So I asked Johnny the same question.  He said that he asked that same question of the producers way back then, but never got an answer.  He also asked them that since they lived on a ranch, why weren't there more animals.  Again, no specific answer.  If you communicate with the Producer again, would you mind asking these questions?  JB

Arnold's answer - Margie...While Sam Peckinpah was the story editor on "The Rifleman" he wrote a pilot script (for himself) called "The Westerner" which sold ...it was about a colorful Western character, Brian Keith...and his dog...so clearly, out of respect for Sam we were not about to introduce a dog on our series...keeping the McCain ranch a "farm" ranch made life and budget simpler than having to deal with cattle, etc......hope this answers the questions.  As always, Arnold
 

Mark might not have had a dog, but I know Johnny did. 
Tony Haig/Percy from 'Hostage to Fortune' told me that sometime after he filmed this episode with Johnny, he & a friend were in the mountains when he ran into Johnny & his dog.  

In the TV Guide 4/02 article Johnny says this about his Rifleman memorabilia, including the first felt hat he wore on the series....."It's kind of beat up," he says.  "One of my dogs chewed a hole through the peak."
(You will have to use your magnifying glass to read this article)

Mark's Torn Hat
Now you see it, now you don't!
Renewed Fan from The McCain Ranch messageboard & I have been working on this project which I'll call Mark's Torn Hat!

We were curious to why Johnny had alternated a "good" hat and a damaged hat in some episodes.

Ol' Shorty preformed by Johnny Crawford
Written by Rice-Lewis
DEL-FI Records

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