The Photographer

"The Photographer" is the 18th episode of The Rifleman Season One and the 18th episode overall. Directed by Arnold Laven and written by Ken Kolb, it aired on January 27, 1959.
==Summary==
When Able Goss, a photographer friend of the McCains, is accused of murder, Lucas and Mark take opposing views on the matter.
==Watch==
==Plot==
In North Fork, photographer Able Goss, who took Lucas and Margaret McCain's wedding photo, is taking a portrait of Mark. Able spots Colonel Jess Whiteside and his orderly Bart Jamison, who ran a prison camp where Able was abused during the Civil War, and vows to kill them.
In a hotel room, Whiteside and Jamison discuss seeing Able, who swore to kill Whiteside. Despite Jamison's protests, Whiteside orders him to kill Able. Whiteside gives Jamison a shotgun and instructs him to shoot Able from the hotel window if Able draws his gun, making the act appear legal.
As Able finishes Mark's photo, Whiteside confronts him. Able warns Mark to take cover, and two shots are fired. Whiteside falls dead. Marshal Torrance takes Able's gun and finds two unfired shells, indicating Whiteside never drew his gun and was shot in the back. Able is arrested.
Lucas advises Able to tell the truth about the abuse he suffered in the prison camp during his trial. At the trial, Lucas testifies to Judge Hanavan that he heard the shots and saw Able with a gun and Whiteside dead. Mark testifies he saw Whiteside ready to draw but didn't see him fire, believing Able didn't shoot Whiteside based on the timing.
After Judge Hanavan relieves him from questioning, Mark goes out into the street and tries to reenact the shooting, but he gets an idea and he and Lucas go back in and asks the judge for a temporary recess.
Lucas asks Able how to develop the photographic negatives, and he goes and attempts to develop the film, including one that Mark discovered still in the camera. During Able's testimony, Lucas interrupts with an undeveloped negative, purporting it to have been taken at the moment of the shooting and that it shows a man with a rifle in the hotel window. As Lucas asks Judge Hanavan's permission to let Able develop the photo, Jamison shoots the negative and tries to hold up the courtroom but is disarmed, and confesses to killing Whiteside. Able's case is dismissed and Micah takes Jamison to jail.
Lucas talks with Able who thanks him, and Lucas admits to him that he never was able to develop the negative after all.
==Cast==
===Main===
*Lucas McCain - Chuck Connors
*Mark McCain - Johnny Crawford
*Micah Torrance - Paul Fix
===Recurring===
*Judge Hanavan - Sidney Blackmer
===Guests===
*Able Goss - John Carradine
*Bart Jamison - Robert Ellenstein
*Col. Jess Whiteside - Raymond Bailey
Category:Episodes
Category:Season One episodes
Category:Episode pages with completed plot sections