Secrets Of TV’s The Rifleman: More Than Just Guns And Good Times

Sheriff Fred Tomlinson (R.G.Armstrong)

R. G. Armstrong was a character actor who appeared in several westerns during the era. He played Sheriff Fred Tomlinson in the The Rifleman’s pilot episode, “The Sharpshooter,” directed by Sam Peckinpah, and “The Marshal” (episode 4), which was written and directed by Peckinpah. Armstrong’s character was killed by outlaws in “The Marshal,” and Paul Fix was introduced on the series. Armstrong also appeared in shows such as The Texan, Lawman, Maverick, Bonanza, Cheyenne, Perry Mason, Laramie, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Gunsmoke, Wagon Train, The Virginia, The F.B.I., T.H.E. Cat, The Dukes of Hazzard, Dynasty, Friday the 13th and L.A. Law.