THE LONER - THE KINGDOM OF McCOMB – 1965
This is the fourth episode of the Rod Serling produced western series, THE LONER. The series ran 26 episodes during 1965-66. Lloyd Bridges is an ex US Army soldier working his way west after the Civil War.
Bridges rides into a small town and stops at the saloon for a brew. Two rough looking cowboys drag in a young Quaker boy, Tom Lowell, and toss him on the floor. The tavern owner, Leslie Nielson, tells the boy that he is going to be taught a lesson in respect. It seems that Nielson owns pretty well everything in town and the surrounding area. A group of Quakers has started homesteading outside town and Nielson wants them to move on.
He instructs the cowboys to give the lad a horse whipping, then to send him back with a message. "Move, or be burned out!" Bridges is not amused with this and steps in. The cowboys draw but Bridges puts rounds into both, wounding them before they clear leather. He then escorts the boy out and sends him on his way.
That afternoon Bridges is approached by Lowell and the lad's father, Ken Drake and uncle, Ed Peck. They would like to thank Bridges for his actions that morning. They would also like to know if they could hire Bridges as a gunman. Bridges refuses and tells the three that he is not a gun for hire. "You need to stand up for yourselves." Bridges tells Drake.
As Drake, Lowell and Peck are leaving, Robert Sloane, one of the cowboys who was wounded earlier, steps out and shoots the father, Ken Drake in the back, killing him. Bridges returns fire killing Sloane. The grief stricken lad, Lowell, grabs up Sloane's gun and heads for Neilson with murder in his heart. Neilson sees the anger and pain in the boy's face and refuses to draw on the out-matched lad. He has changed his mind about the Quakers. Bridges calmly talks Lowell into dropping the large Colt revolver. Two deaths are more than enough for one day.
The episode was directed by long time television hand, Leon Benson. Benson helmed over 200 episodes of various series including 95 of Bridges' earlier series, SEA HUNT.
The episode was written by series creator and producer, Rod Serling.
This is the fourth episode of the Rod Serling produced western series, THE LONER. The series ran 26 episodes during 1965-66. Lloyd Bridges is an ex US Army soldier working his way west after the Civil War.
Bridges rides into a small town and stops at the saloon for a brew. Two rough looking cowboys drag in a young Quaker boy, Tom Lowell, and toss him on the floor. The tavern owner, Leslie Nielson, tells the boy that he is going to be taught a lesson in respect. It seems that Nielson owns pretty well everything in town and the surrounding area. A group of Quakers has started homesteading outside town and Nielson wants them to move on.
He instructs the cowboys to give the lad a horse whipping, then to send him back with a message. "Move, or be burned out!" Bridges is not amused with this and steps in. The cowboys draw but Bridges puts rounds into both, wounding them before they clear leather. He then escorts the boy out and sends him on his way.
That afternoon Bridges is approached by Lowell and the lad's father, Ken Drake and uncle, Ed Peck. They would like to thank Bridges for his actions that morning. They would also like to know if they could hire Bridges as a gunman. Bridges refuses and tells the three that he is not a gun for hire. "You need to stand up for yourselves." Bridges tells Drake.
As Drake, Lowell and Peck are leaving, Robert Sloane, one of the cowboys who was wounded earlier, steps out and shoots the father, Ken Drake in the back, killing him. Bridges returns fire killing Sloane. The grief stricken lad, Lowell, grabs up Sloane's gun and heads for Neilson with murder in his heart. Neilson sees the anger and pain in the boy's face and refuses to draw on the out-matched lad. He has changed his mind about the Quakers. Bridges calmly talks Lowell into dropping the large Colt revolver. Two deaths are more than enough for one day.
The episode was directed by long time television hand, Leon Benson. Benson helmed over 200 episodes of various series including 95 of Bridges' earlier series, SEA HUNT.
The episode was written by series creator and producer, Rod Serling.
