After several more assistant Director jobs, McLaglen directed his first film, Man in the Vault (1956), which was followed by Gun the Man Down (1956), a western B-movie with James Arness, Angie Dickinson and Harry Carey, Jr. Both were produced by John Wayne's Batjac Productions. He went on to work extensively in television directing, prolifically directing episodes of Perry Mason (7), Gunslinger (5), Rawhide (6), and then 116 episodes of Have Gun – Will Travel, The Lieutenant (4), The Virginian (2), and 96 episodes of Gunsmoke.