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Chuck Connors said that The Rifleman was ''corny'' — and he loved it
We bring you Chuck Connors in defense of corniness.
The best things in life have a little bit of corniness in them, and we're not just talking about popcorn.
Sure, some moments in film and television can feel cliche or heavy-handed, but not everything has to be taken so literally. Audiences come to their television sets for a little bit of escapism, some idealism, and hope in the midst of an unstable world.
Television writers and creators are responsible for giving an audience what they want, and sometimes what they'd like to see is some good old-fashioned corny content.
No one could do corny content like Chuck Connors, and that's said to be the highest form of praise. With his sharp wit and strong personality, it's no wonder that Connors was chosen for the role of Lucas McCain in The Rifleman.
Strengthening his performance was that Connors genuinely enjoyed acting on the television series. Not only was the show a hit but the message of many of the episodes aligned with Connors' own personal philosophies.
"I liked Rifleman," said Connors during an interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer. "Sure, some of it was corny, but I believed in the image of a man trying to make a life with his son. The values we stressed on the show are the values I live by — love, compassion, understanding."
So perhaps some of the morals and lessons in The Rifleman can feel excessive at times. However, they come from a great place — the heart.
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5 Comments
Despite the characterization that Lucas solved every problem by shooting somebody, the show really was more about Doing the Right Thing.
As an aside, I never knew Johnny Crawford was from a musical family, and he had a recording career. I found a CD copy of "The Best of Johnny Crawford", and it's pretty cute. I imagine a lot of young girls swooned while hearing him sing.
At the end of his life, he had The Johnny Crawford Dance Orchestra, performing authentic re-creations of 20s - 30s dance tunes. Really wonderful stuff!
