Lily

Two things I wish...John Russell had become a MUCH bigger star. Second, that Peggie Castle lived longer. So young to be lost to addiction. Alcohol is just so evil, and she was just a joy to watch. Those two had fabulous chemistry together and I loved Peter Brown in the mix. I really love this series. I wish it was run on more stations or at least back on Encore Western. John Russell was considered by his peers to be a great talent who really should have been bigger. The show wasn't stupid or silly...it was well-done and produced with smarts behind it. This wasn't a schlocky show filler...it was a grownups western series. Hope people will discover what a solid show and series Lawman was.

It was a fine day for viewers in TV land when Peggie Castle, star of classic genre movies such as 'I, the Jury', 'The Long Wait', 'Finger Man' and 'Back from the Dead' signed on to appear in 'Lawman' forever brightening up the lives of Marshal Dan and Deputy Johnny. As Lily Merrill she is run out of Billings, Montana and rolls into Laramie, Wyoming with her factotum Timmo McQueen played by Clancy Cooper and her risque portrait displayed on their wagon for the whole town to see. Setting up her new gambling, eating and drinking establishment, The Birdcage' Lily is quickly embroiled in everything from saving a kitten, to offering protection money to a shocked Dan, to generously rehiring the very staff that caused her the trouble in Billings. Of course, these bad seeds create more trouble before Marshal Dan intervenes to save the day. Along the way Lily does some dusting, sings a song and loses her temper for the first time at Dan but by episode's end they can share a quiet drink together to mark the start of a beautiful friendship.

This episode introduced Peggy Castle, aka Lily Merril, to the Lawman series. She was very beautiful (as others have noted), and it's so sad that she shortened her career and life with alcohol. To the point, at the start of the episode when we learn about Miss Liy's background and what brought her to town, she has no birthmark on her left cheek. A few scenes later, a birthmark appears and remains to the end of the episode.

Like the other reviewers, I think this series was (and remains) great. I enjoy a lot of the westerns from the 50's and 60's for their brevity (30 min) and easy-to-follow story.

Regards, Gary in Sandy Eggo.

Peggy Castle should be seen first in Incident At Rio Hondo of season one of Cheyene......cause she out does Laurne Bacall...in a Western Noir.....only complaint on her regular slot on Lawman is that they should have let her be like she was in Cheyenne not trying to make her up; like Kitty from Gunsmoke, which is what they apparently did for Lawman