R.I.P. Johnny Crawford (1946-2021) RIFLEMAN MEMORIES! Exclusive Christmas 2013 Interview! AWOW!

Johnny Crawford RIP 1946-2021 Before Alzheimer's claimed Johnny Crawford's memory, the Emmy-nominated actor worked non-stop, played and sang with his wonderful orchestra, rode horses, appeared at multiple film festivals and hung out with his many friends and fans. Unfortunately, the debilitating Alzheimer's Disease took control and he slowly drifted away from the boisterous, funny man who many of us grew up watching. From the very first season of THE MICKEY MOUSE CLUB to his stunning weekly performances as Mark McCain in the hit TV series, THE RIFLEMAN (1958-63), and his many appearances in dozens of films and TV shows, we have all enjoyed his company. Johnny has been a dear friend of mine for 40 years. So, he was a natural to invite as a guest at The Autry Museum in the Fall of 2013 for a "test" run of a proposed new interview series about the western genre called A WORD ON WESTERNS. I never planned to air this test, but now, with Johnny's storytelling abilities gone, I rewatched our test to see if there was anything usable. I found myself laughing and enjoying the fun time we had. We'd been holding Cowboy Lunches at the Sagebrush Cantina on Sunset Blvd as The Algonquin Cowboys for 5 or 6 years already and everyone thought it was time to start recording the fun. The Autry became our new home and the perfect place to record conversations and document the history of western film with the filmmakers themselves. This early lunch was certainly a lot looser and freewheeling than our later shows, but Johnny sure got the audience laughing and cheering. For his fans and friends, I have edited our Christmas lunch with Johnny together. He and his wife, Charlotte, even lead the audience in an a capella rendition of Gene Autry's his, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." I hope you enjoy this early show and the wonderful memories we have of John. He's twirling his rope with Chuck, Paul Fix, Arthur Gardner and the rest of THE RIFLEMAN team who have gone on before. May he Rest in Peace.

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