The Rifleman (TV Series) Squeeze Play (1962) User Reviews

A valuable lesson in home ownership

[kfo9494 · 8/10 · 17 July 2012]

Lucas has to flex his muscles in the episode where a land prospector, Mr Prescott, is buying up ranches in the area. The idea is to buy the land and then sell it to the railroad for a nice profit. The problem is that Lucas McCain is unwilling to sell.

Mr Prescott pressures McCain with money, fire and then outright physical violence. And the plot is if Lucas will fall to the pressure or stand tall to his ideas. And with Mark, Lou and other landowners wanting Lucas to settle it will be a hard fought situation for the Rifleman.

In the end Mark will get taught a valuable lesson in home ownership and as always the show will provide good moral values for the viewer. Good watch.

The McCain Ranch Is Not For Sale

[csmith-99615 · 9/10 · 23 October 2019]

Good episode with some great scenes with Lucas and Mark. Land buyer wants the McCain ranch to sell to the railroad. The price is more than fair and even Mark thinks they should sell. But Lucas is pretty stubborn and even after being beaten up the some thugs refuses to sell. Seems like the villain here gives up a bit too easily but makes for a good ending

A battle of wills between McCain and Prescott

[lindac-5 · 10/10 · 21 February 2007]

This is a high quality story, entailing a battle of wills between McCain, who owns land that Prescott, a land speculator, wishes McCain to sell to the railroad, which would pass through his ground. Prescott has the neighbouring plot of land, which he intends to sell to the railroad for a nice profit, but McCain wants to work his land and not sell. If McCain doesn't sell the railroad will take an alternate route. Prescott embarks on a bully-boy campaign, bringing in three cronies to do his dirty work for him while he stays in town. Prescott first rides out to see McCain and tries to persuade him with money which he claims is not a bribe, but when McCain refuses he gets his henchmen to break the border fence between their plots of land, then fires warning shots at him and his son and sets fire to his house. The damage is minimal but there is an excellent scene between McCain and Prescott (Gerald Mohr) when McCain visits Prescott late at night and first threatens him with the rifle then grabs him close and tells him to give up, because he is not going to. The following morning Prescott again visits McCain's house and gets his henchmen to beat McCain up. However, realising that McCain is never going to change his mind, telling his henchmen "He doesn't know the meaning of the word 'beg.", Prescott finally concedes defeat and withdraws.