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(More customer reviews)James Garner's laconic charm as Jim Rockford kept us coming back week after week and finally won him an Emmy in 1977. Garner, who would have been a star in any era, and sometimes seemed as if he would have fit more into films of the 1940's, finally found the perfect role on television as Jim Rockford. He was an ex-con given a full pardon when it was discovered he was innocent after all. Working as a P.I. and parking his gold Firebird in front of his trailor on the L.A. beach, Rockford could never quite shake the ex-con tag, nor could he shake his old cellmate, Evelyn "Angel" Martin.
Stuart Margolin was simply fantastic as the scheming Angel, always with an angle, and always certain to get Rockford into trouble when it backfired. Like Rockford, you just couldn't stay mad at Angel, no matter what con had blown up in his face or how much trouble he would get our favorite TV detective in from time to time. Rockford and Angel remained friends because of that unspoken bond all ex-cons have, and because deep down, Angel was a stand-up guy, though you couldn't always tell it from looking at the surface.
Noah Beery Jr. portrayed Rockford's lovable dad, Rocky. Rocky was a retired trucker who loved to fish, and passed on the hobby to Jim. It was the little moments like fishing that were really the heart and soul of this show when you stop to think about it. There were always a few slice-of-life moments mingled in with the great car chases, glorious con games, and other assorted mischief, as Rockford tried to solve a closed case and stay out of jail at the same time. Some weeks he was just trying to stay alive. Rocky would always give Jim that "look" if he had to come post bail.
Joe Santos was Rockford's often exasperated police pal, Dennis Becker. He was the buffer between Rockford and Becker's superiors, who hated Rockford and wanted any excuse to pull his P.I. license. Becker was a pal, but could only do so much for Jim as he had to stay out of hot water himself. He had a wife and kids to support, and for some strange reason, that sometimes took priority over helping Rockford out of a complicated jam.
Last, but by no means least, was Gretchen Corbett as lawyer Beth Davenport. The relationship between she and Rockford was complicated. They both had a deep affection for each other, which was sometimes complicated by the attorney-client relationship. Her efforts to keep Jim out of trouble with the cops took up a lot of her time. There was a romance of sorts between the two, but it never matured into something that would lead to marriage.
There were always solid guest stars, but it was Garner and his weekly regulars which made the show what it was. Stephen J. Cannell and Roy Huggins created this wonderful series and Juanita Bartlett wrote some of the finest scripts ever done for television. James Garner was absolutely perfect as Jim Rockford, and it has become difficult as the years have passed to separate the two in our minds.
Garner was, and is, a great actor and screen presence who made everything look easy. This was a terrific show and one of the best ever to be beamed into our homes once a week. Everyone loved "The Rockford Files" and couldn't wait to hear Mike Post's great theme music each week. It was recorded and turned into a huge radio hit and launched his career.
For a fourth season, we will get to listen to all those crazy messages left on Jim Rockford's answering machine. Fans never missed the opening of the show because a smile or a good laugh might be missed. You don't want to miss it either.
"This is Jim Rockford. At the tone, leave your name and message and I'll get back to you."
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