Von Cowboys, Sheriffs und Banditen The Rain Man (1959–1960) watch online HD

Lasting only one season, JOHNNY RINGO was a Western series created and produced by Aaron Spelling, no better or worse than most, debuting the same year as another, better, Spelling Western, THE REBEL. The title role of small town sheriff Johnny Ringo was played by Don Durant, who also wrote the theme song, with Mark Goddard (in his first series) as his deputy Cully. Scripted by Richard Levinson and William Link (long before their greatest success with COLUMBO), "The Rain Man" featured in the title role legendary scene stealer John Carradine, dressed in the same kind of Biblical robes he wore in "The Ten Commandments" and the TWILIGHT ZONE episode "The Howling Man." Carradine's bearded stranger arrives in Velardi, staff in hand, offering to find fresh water for the parched citizens, leading them all out of town to reveal a small pool of water buried underground. When Deputy Cully recognizes The Rain Man as a confidence trickster from a local carnival, the stranger first mesmerizes a townsman from shooting him at point blank range, then ominously predicts that Cully will disappear off the face of the earth. Only when the stranger finally makes his pitch for gold does Johnny Ringo take action. The most interesting bit of casting for this Western features British actor Terence de Marney, who worked with Karloff and Lugosi in British films, and passed away in 1969.

JOHNNY RINGO "Rain Man" 1959

JOHNNY RINGO was a western series that ran for 38 episodes during 1959-60. The series starred Don Durant as the title character with Karen Sharpe, Mark Goddard and Terence De Marney as series regulars. The series follows Durant, (Ringo) a former gunfighter who decides to go straight. He becomes the Sheriff in the small town of Velardi in the Arizona Territory. The series was one of several (Rifleman, Wanted Dead or Alive, Shotgun Slade etc) with a "gimmick gun". Durant carries a special LeMat revolver equipped with a shotgun barrel under the six gun barrel.

This episode is the 9th episode of the series.

Velardi is in the middle of a massive heat wave and there is a severe water shortage happening. The local ranchers are watching there hay crops dry up and their cattle starting to die. One afternoon, a man dressed in robes with long hair and a flowing beard drives a wagon into town. The man, John Carradine, swears to be servant of the lord and can make rain.

Needless to say this gets a good laugh from the townsfolk. Carradine says his statement is not an idle boast. He leads a crowd out of town to a nearby ranch. He points to a spot on the ground and hands out several shovels. "Dig, my friends for there is water". Several feet down and lo and behold they strike water. A small spring starts bubbling to the surface.

The crowd follows Carradine back to town and beg him to find more water. He says he will if the town fills a wooden whiskey box from the saloon with gold. He explains that he will use the gold to help other towns that need it. The box is soon filled to the brim with valuables. Carradine leads the townsfolk out to another spot and says that 30 feet down is an underground lake. The menfolk grab every shovel around and start the move earth.

Sheriff Durant and Deputy Goddard of course smell a con game when Carradine heads back to town to grab up the gold, while everyone is digging. They also catch a henchman of Carradine's who was in on the scam. The first water had been a small spring Carradine had known about years before.

This is an entertaining episode with old pro Carradine shining as the confidence man.