The Best Episodes of Lawman

The Hayes gang is riding into Laramie, and one of the riders, Clay, is coming in to warn Dan. In a rare show of Dan's background, we learn Clay is his brother, that they both loved the same girl who went off with Clay and then died, and that Clay is not exactly a law-abiding citizen. But he still wants his brother and Johnny to win this fight against the gang, so he gets out of a sickbed to help when no one in the town will.

Director: Stuart Heisler

Writer: Clair Huffaker

Murder suspect Jim Martin (John Agar) is in double jeopardy: if the jury doesn't convict him, the victim's husband will carry out the punishment. Anna: Sarah Selby. Troop: John Russell. McKay: Peter Brown.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

In this pilot episode, Dan Troop takes over in Laramie after the previous marshal is killed. His first job is to bring in the marshal's killer, and in the process he gains a fine deputy in Johnny McKay. (This is also the first of several episodes where veteran actors Jack Elam and Lee Van Cleef appeared.)

Director: Montgomery Pittman

Writer: Dean Riesner

When Dan and Johnny both draw and fire on an escaped convicted killer's brother, Dan takes the credit for it in order to protect Johnny and draw out the other 2 brothers. But when Johnny learns that he was, in fact, the one who killed Davey, he turns in his badge.

Director: Stuart Heisler

Writer: N/A

After Ches Ryan's pay is docked, he retaliates by robbing the payroll. As he escapes, he passes through a town plagued with an illness. He comes across a young woman and her little brother who are both ill and have no one to look after them, so he stays to help. Dan catches up to him while there, and consequently gets the fever himself. Ryan then tends to Dan, also.

Director: Lee Sholem

Writer: Oliver Crawford

Doc Holliday is in Laramie, and Dan would like to see him go. He is hanging around, however, for a woman due on the stagecoach, and he won't go until she gets there.

Director: Lee Sholem

Writer: N/A

While Dan is gone (again), Johnny runs across an old friend in town, not knowing he has joined a gang planning on robbing the bank of Laramie. When his friend, Buck Harmon, finds out he's the deputy in town, he first tries to talk him into going out of town with him for the evening, then ends up joining him in the fight against his gang.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

In this show, which really is about 30 minutes in the town's life, bad guy (really bad guy) Jake Wilson (Jack Elam) comes to town. At 2:30, he goes into the BirdCage and is soon recognized by a young man, whom he kills right before he shoots Johnny. Then, when Dan hears the shots, Jake engages in a hostage situation, telling Dan he's killed his deputy and will kill his girlfriend unless Dan clears the streets, gets him his horse, and lets him ride out. Shot twice, once by Johnny before he got hit, and once by Dan, Wilson is wounded, in pain, scared, and beligerent (Jack Elam at his best). He terrorizes Lily and the others before the final shootout, which takes place almost on the stroke of 3:00.

Director: N/A

Writer: Richard Matheson

Troop (John Russell) goes after an escaped murderer who has sworn to kill him. Walker: Marc Lawrence. McKay: Peter Brown. Lily: Peggie Castle. Eddy: Ray Strickland. Mary: Adrienne Marden.

Director: Robert B. Sinclair

Writer: N/A

Troop (John Russell) tries to avoid bloodshed when an embittered rancher threatens the man courting his daughter. Lucy: Mala Powers. Warner: Jason Evers. Pastor: Ted de Corsia. McKay: Peter Brown. Lily: Peggie Castle.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

In a tribute to High Noon, a man comes into town, looking for a fight. When he kills a man, he is arrested. Johnny gets lessons from Dan on how to handle a prisoner

Director: Richard L. Bare

Writer: N/A

Three young toughs cause trouble for Johnny while he's left in charge while Dan goes out of town. Finally, he's forced into a shoot out with all three of them, just as Dan gets back.

Director: Leslie H. Martinson

Writer: Clair Huffaker

Larry DeLong is a reformed criminal who is now employed as a shotgun rider on the stageline. When his former gang robs the stage on which he's riding, and the driver is killed, the towns people of Laramie feel Larry is about ready to rejoin the gang. Once again, Dan's faith in him turns the tide.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

Troop (John Russell) steps in when a romantic triangle threatens to erupt in bloodshed. Jed: Med Flory. Cassie: Peggy McKay. Bull: Leo Gordon. McKay: Peter Brown.

Director: Marc Lawrence

Writer: N/A

Clootey is a female gunslinger who lives up in the hills and has just come into Laramie for supplies. In a pouring rainstorm at night, after spurning his advances in the Bird Cage, she is called in the street by a drunken Earl and shoots him down in a fair fight. Dan is forced to try to arrest her, but she tells him she knows she can outdraw him. Earl's cooler headed brother, Paul, suggests instead she try to 'take him' in a gunfight to prove she really could outdraw the dead man.

Director: Richard C. Sarafian

Writer: N/A

A sinister matriarch brings her brood to Laramie to wreak vengeance on Troop (John Russell) for killing her outlaw husband. Ma Martin: Olive Carey. Jim: Evan McCord. Sam: Tom Gilson. Darrell: Charles Briggs. McKay: Peter Brown. Lily: Peggie Castle.

Director: Robert B. Sinclair

Writer: N/A

Troop (John Russell) is forced to rely on a booze-soaked doctor when a plague threatens to engulf Laramie. Evans: Sherwood Price. McKay: Peter Brown. Cissy: Eloise Hardt. Weeks: Charles Lane. Burrell: Whit Bissell. Sims: I. Stanford Jolley.

Director: N/A

Writer: John D. F. Black

While Dan and Johnny are taking a killer to be hanged and a doctor to prison to serve a term, they come upon a stranded stagecoach with various passengers who need help. While helping the passengers, a conflict ensues, which ends with new light being brought out in the Doctor's case.

Director: Leslie H. Martinson

Writer: N/A

Lily Merrill opens the Bird Cage Saloon after being thrown out of Billings, Montana by the sheriff. Dan hears she was involved in a theft/murder, she assumes he wants to be paid off. Dan, of course, refuses money. Both seem surprised that their opinions are wrong, but Dan is still suspicious. One of her dealers again causes trouble, and she looks guilty. There are several mistakes made by Dan (unusual for him) regarding her innocence until the very last scene, where they gain lasting respect for one another.

Director: Leslie H. Martinson

Writer: Dean Riesner

Artist Frederick Jameson comes to town. Lily impresses him and he offers to paint her portrait. Meanwhile, a murderous gang is on his trail, and he and his Indian companion both seem to know why, although Dan and Johnny do not.

Director: N/A

Writer: Clair Huffaker

Yawkey, who has killed 27 men and has the reputation of being the fastest gun alive, shows up at the Bird Cage and sends notice to Dan that he's going to kill him at 3:30 that afternoon. Dan's never met him, and doesn't know why he wants to kill him. Both Johnny and Lily try to talk Yawkey out of it, to no avail. Dan is determined to do his job regardless of the consequences, much to Lily's dismay. The end is a study in the life of a gunslinger.

Director: Stuart Heisler

Writer: N/A

Johnny kills a notorious gunman only because the killer's gun misfires. Although the town wants to make him a hero, he knows the truth. Then he learns that the gunman's son is going to be coming to avenge his father's death, and he's reputed to be faster than his father was.

Director: Marc Lawrence

Writer: Richard Matheson

No description available

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

Fallon, a ruthless bounty hunter, brings in a body of a wanted man and collects the reward from Dan, who knew him elsewhere and doesn't like him. After being told to leave town, Fallon shows Dan and Johnny a picture of the next man on his 'hit list'. Johnny knows him and tries to protect him from the killer, but is injured in the process. Finally, Dan must step in to stop another killing by Fallon.

Director: Leslie H. Martinson

Writer: N/A

Reformed gunfighter Kurt Monroe comes into Laramie to meet his fiancee, Lucy, on the stage. But when the stage comes in without her, his resolve to stay on the straight and narrow is put to the test.

Director: Stuart Heisler

Writer: Clair Huffaker