The Rockford Files
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The Rockford Files was an American detective (private investigator) television (TV) drama that had its first run on the NBC television network between 1974 and 1980. The show was notable for sharp writing (often by creator Stephen J. Cannell) and for the easy charm and charisma of James Garner who starred as Jim Rockford.
The show was created by Roy Huggins and Stephen J. Cannell. Huggins had produced the TV show Maverick with Garner from 1957 to 1960, and wanted to try and recapture that magic in a "modern day" detective setting. He teamed with Cannell to create Rockford. The show was A Public Arts Roy Huggins Production in association with Cherokee Productions and Universal Studios (later Universal/NBC).
The tone of the show varied from light humor (often provided by Stuart Margolin as Rockford's shifty friend and former cellmate Evelyn "Angel" Martin, whom he has occasion to call on for "backup") to gritty drama. James Rockford is an ex-convict, wrongfully convicted and then pardoned after 5 years in prison. This backstory was frequently raised, most often during contact with police officials who seek to discredit him by ignoring the fact that he was "granted a full pardon". Although he was innocent of the crime he was convicted of, he was not above breaking the law to help with a case. His infrequent jobs as a private investigator allowed him to scrape up enough cash (his often-uncollected fee: "$200 a day plus expenses") to keep his trailer in a parking lot on Malibu, California beaches. In addition to "Angel" Martin, he is often aided in the show by his father, Rocky (Noah Beery, Jr.), a friendly police detective, Becker (Joe Santos), and his attorney Elizabeth Davenport (Gretchen Corbett). Also Jim Garner's brother, Jack Garner, made 23 small guest appearances, usually as a policeman, a gas station attendent, or a stranger in a bathroom.
The great writing on the show was provided by: show co-creator and TV icon Stephen J. Cannell (36 episodes); one of the shows producers and Garner's partner at Cherokee Productions, Juanita Bartlett (34 episodes; Scarecrow and Mrs. King); and David Chase (16 episodes; Northern Exposure & "The Sopranos); among others. Directors included William Wiard (23 episodes), Lawrence Doheny (10 episodes), and Ivan Dixon (9 episodes).
The very successful show ended when Garner was emphatically told by his doctors to take some time off because of Garner's knees, back, and an ulcer.
The astute characterizations and warm relationships among the principals serve to draw the viewer, regardless of the plotline or plot development of individual episodes. Because of this, some viewers contend that The Rockford Files has become a television classic. Some younger viewers may label it as "camp", on the other hand. This program spawned many other detective shows, including Magnum, P.I. and Tenspeed and Brown Shoe (also created by Cannell). It is of note that the future star of Magnum, P.I., Tom Selleck, made two guest appearances on the show as a rival private investigator, Lance White. Chas. Floyd Johnson one of the producers on Rockford, along with Cannell, would tap Selleck for "Magnum".
Four Rockford TV movies were made in the late 1990s, reuniting the surviving cast members from the original show.
Triva
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- The license plate for the Pontiac Firebird Esprit, that Garner drove in the show, was 853-OKG. Garner's says that his agent made the plate for: "Oklahoma Garner" and the date he started acting, August of 1953.
External link
- Thrilling Detective (http://www.thrillingdetective.com/rocj.html)
- Rockford Files @ the Sandbox (http://www.thesandbox.net/arm/rockford/)
- The Rockford Files TV Show page @ (http://www.crazyabouttv.com/rockfordfiles.html) Crazy About TV