The Rockford Files

The Rockford files andwering machine

This is Jim Rockford. At the tone, leave your name and number and I'll get back to you."

The Rockford Files the opening

So began each weekly episode of The Rockford Files, certainly the best private eye series to ever grace the television screen, and arguably one of the greatest private eyes of all time. In fact, by the time CBS was promoting one of the made-for-television movies, ol' Jimbo was being called "America's favorite private eye." Not bad for a guy who would probably still rather go fishing.

The Rockford Files copies Maverick

Just as co-creator Roy Huggins fooled around with the conventions of the western genre in his classic TV series Maverick, so did he wreak havoc on the P.I. genre with The Rockford Files Where other gumshoes were courageous loners fighting for justice and honour, obsessed with discovering the truth, Jim Rockford was a cowardly con artist with a slick spiel who would rather go fishing. And he was always being nagged by his father to get a real job. He kept his gun in a coffee can ("I don't shoot it, I just point it"). He kept a small press in the backseat of his car to print instant business cards to go with his numerous aliases and scams. He lived in a house trailer on the beach, first at 2354 Pacific Coast Highway in LA, and later at 29 Cove Road in Malibu. He was a Korean war vet who'd served five years of a twenty year sentence at San Quentin, before the discovery of new evidence earned him a full pardon. Upon his release, he set up shop as a P.I., originally only taking cases the police had given up on.

Jim Rickford and his circle of friends

But what also set Rockford apart was his large circle of friends and associates, each as finely etched and endearing as Rockford was. They weren't a bunch of only-on-television self-consciously quirky "types" -- they were real people whose eccentricities were an offshoot of their characters, not a add-on dreamed up by a committee. Of course, there was his dad, Rocky, a crusty semi-retired trucker, always worrying. The warm relationship between father and son was one of the foundations of the show, and has become a running theme through many of Cannell's later series. Jim's lawyer, and on again/off again love interest Beth Davenport appeared for the first four seasons, offering Jim advice and often, cases he would have run screaming from had she not been there to cajole him.

The Rockford files LAPD

Constantly beleagured LAPD Sergeant (later Lieutenant) Dennis Becker was the mandatory police contact, but his friendship with Jim was more than a token, never-seen allusion. There was no doubt they were friends, arguing, fighting, but ultimately true pals. Actor Joe Santos has since appeared in about a million movies, it seems, as a cop. And then there's Angel, Jim's weasely former cellmate, always on the con, constantly scheming, looking for the perpetual big score which inevitably blows up in his face. Cowardly, venal, selfish, without any redeeming qualities to speak of except, perhaps, his overpowering drive to survive, a suckerfish trying to swim with the sharks, Jim nonetheless remains loyal to him throughout the series. Stuart Margolin, a talented actor/director, lurked around Hollywood for a few years after Rockford finished, but after a while he pulled up stakes and moved to British Columbia. He eventually went on to star in another private eye series, the CBC's MOM PI.

The Rockford files and Isaac Hayes

Isaac Hayes, for example, appeared three times as tough-talking Gandolph Fitch, who never could get Rockford's name right. There was John, former outlaw biker turned criminal lawyer, who replaced Beth as Jim's lawyer. Meghan, a blind psychologist, fiercely independant, Jim's one true love.

The Rockford files and it's hooker

Another notable recurring guest was streetwise hooker Rita Capkovic, determine to go straight, who came to Rockford for help three times. Actress Rita Moreno won an Emmy for the character's first appearance, "The Paper Palace" (Jan. 20, 1978). Also, a goodly number of fellow private eyes, each one of them stranger than the last, kept crossing Rockford's path. As Huggins' MAVERICK had done for the classic western, The Rockford Files regularly turned and twisted the conventions of the PI story back upon themselves to point up some of the absurdities behind the genre's assumptions. These guest investigators were ideal for just that purpose.

The Rockford files and Richie

The most prominent of this bunch was Richie Brockelman, played by Dennis Dugan. Brockelman was an eager novice investigator and the character actually took over the Rockford time slot for his own five-episode series in the spring of 1978. That show wasn't strictly a Rockford spin-off, however, since Richie was first introduced in a 1976 two-hour movie. His first appearance on The Rockford Files, "The House on Willis Avenue" (February 24, 1978), was primarily intended to build an audience for the Richie Brockelman, Private Eye series. Obviously, that didn't work out, but Brockelman returned for a second appearance, "Never Send a Boy King To Do a Man's Job" (March 3, 1979).

The Rockford files and Lance White

But the most memorable P.I.s to visit the show was undoubtedly Lance White, the rich, elegant, and flawless male model private eye; the walking cliche who drove Rockford crazy. White debuted in "White on White and Nearly Perfect" (Oct. 20, 1978) and made a comeback in "Nice Guys Finish Dead" (Nov. 16, 1979). This latter took place at a private eyes' awards dinner, and is a real hoot. The relatively unknown actor who did such a fine comic turn as White proved to have a future in the TV PI business-- his name was Tom Selleck. He starred in MAGNUM P.I., a show that owed more than a little to The Rockford Files. The Rockford Files wasn't perfect, mind you. The plots often centered around intricate conspiracies and were often just too damned convoluted and confused to be easily resolved within an hour-long TV program. And there were way too many car chases. But hey, it's better to reach high and fail than to succeed at being mediocre, and if James Garner liked cars and wanted car chases, well, that seemed like a small price to pay in exchange for arguably the best private eye series to ever air.

The Return of Rockford

In 1995, CBS brought back Rockford in a string of eight made-for-television movies that managed to capture much of the charm, if not the energy, of the original series. Alas, Noah Beery Jr., who played Jim's caring, overly-protective truck-driver dad, Rocky, was missing, having passed away before production began. In fact, the first, 1994's I Still Love L.A., was dedicated to his memory, a decidedly classy touch.

The Rockford files had it's priorities straight

Then again, Rockford has always had his priorities straight. The simple pleasures of friendship and family are what he has always been about. Oh and a little fishing. By the time Rockford was revived in the nineties, James Garner was getting a tad long in the tooth. But, to their credit, the writers and directors never let us forget it. In each of the films, the passage of time became a major plot hook. The past always came calling, usually in the guise of old pals in trouble, and Rockford, with an exasperated sigh, a grimace and a grunt, would once more try to help them out.

The Rockford files honest TV

This was honest television, done with sensitivity and style. Rockford was upfront about his age, and his limitations. And with so many great actors reprising their original roles, there was a warm sense of homecoming about the whole affair. Over the course of the films, we caught up with most of the old crew: Dennis, Rita, Beth, and of course, Angel. No surprise, I guess: loyalty means something to Rockford.

The Rockford files movies

The Rockford movies may also have been the first time we've seen an elderly version of a private eye we already knew and loved. Fortunately, our memories of the original show were treated with dignity and respect, a true rarity when it comes to TV "revivals." A true class act.

The Rockford files and Angel

And then there's Angel, Jim's weasely former cellmate, always on the con, constantly scheming, looking for the perpetual big score which inevitably blows up in his face. Cowardly, venal, selfish, without any redeeming qualities to speak of except, perhaps, his overpowering drive to survive, a suckerfish trying to swim with the sharks, Jim nonetheless remains loyal to him throughout the series. Stuart Margolin, a talented actor/director, lurked around Hollywood for a few years after Rockford finished, but after a while he pulled up stakes and moved to British Columbia. He eventually went on to star in another private eye series, the CBC's MOM PI.

The Rockford files

The Rockford Files wasn't perfect, mind you. The plots often centered around intricate conspiracies and were often just too damned convoluted and confused to be easily resolved within an hour-long TV program. And there were way too many car chases. But hey, it's better to reach high and fail than to succeed at being mediocre, and if James Garner liked cars and wanted car chases, well, that seemed like a small price to pay in exchange for arguably the best private eye series to ever air.

The Rockford files the anti-private eye

Jim Rockford was almost the anti-private eye. No hard-boiled mean streets for Jimbo. He lived in a house trailer by the sun-dappled shores of Malibu and had a beat-up answering machine instead of a sultry secretary. He liked to tool around in the Southern California sunlight in his old Pontiac Firebird and had his own small printing press in the rear seat to print up a business card for whatever identity he felt the moment required.

The Rockford files used it's head

Rockford's inclination was to talk his way out of trouble instead of meeting it with fists flying. Hardly a lonely knight errant, he accumulated some of the most fascinating-- and troublesome-- friends and acquaintances ever to come down the beach.

Rockford played himself

Put it another way. Jim Rockford was James Garner and vice versa. Viewers seemed to like both of them as one and the same.

Rockford was no hero

Rockford wasn't quite a hero but he always came through when he had to. Through it all he was forever exasperated by fate's strange twists and turns and the people who kept messing up his life. Who couldn't identify with that?

The Rockford files and it's gimmick

The show's original gimmick set up Rockford as an ex-con (five years served for a crime he didn't commit) who would only take on cases which were already closed by the police. That faded away after the early episodes, and The Rockford Files quickly developed and nurtured some of the most unforgettable supporting characters in television history. They in turn did more than their share to keep the hero in hot water. While Rockford's penchant for a wisecrack ("Does your mother know what you do for a living?" he asked one thug in a classic TV moment) led to some of his problems, most of them he ultimately owed to friends and family.

The Rockford files and Rocky

From the beginning there was Rocky, Jim's old man, a semi-retired truck driver forever spouting empty dictums and hovering worriedly around his son. His presence alone took Rockford out of the basic PI setting and the various scrapes he managed to get into provided the impetus for several episodes. Attorney Beth Davenport provided a recurring love interest for the first four seasons, as well as serving as a conduit for many cases Rockford would have run screaming from had she not been there to cajole him. Beth was introduced in the program's second episode, "The Dark and Bloody Ground" (Sept. 20, 1974), Sergeant (later Lieutenant) Dennis Becker was the requisite police contact, but he was not exactly the traditional friendly nemesis usually found on PI shows. Becker periodically got into unfortunate situations of his own from which Rockford had to extricate him. The most notable of these was "The Becker Connection" (Feb. 11, 1977), wherein Becker was set up as the fall guy for the theft of confiscated heroin from a police evidence room. Then, of course, there was Angel.

Rockford prison background

The show's writers used Rockford's prison background to introduce several ex-cons he had known in prison as catalysts for stories. Isaac Hayes, for example, appeared three times as tough-talking Gandolph Fitch, who never could get Rockford's name right. The undisputed pick of that particular litter was Jim's ex-cellmate, Angel Martin. Angel was not half as clever as he thought he was and never met a crazy scheme he didn't embrace. The character eventually became a semi-regular cast member, appearing in more than 30 episodes after his debut in "Counter Gambit" (Jan. 24, 1975). Many of the best shows centered around an unwitting and often befuddled Rockford caught up in one of Angel's get rich schemes and having to extricate himself before getting shot.

The Rockford files

Another notable recurring guest was prostitute Rita Capkovic, who came to Rockford for help three times. Actress Rita Moreno won an Emmy for the character's first appearance, "The Paper Palace" (Jan. 20, 1978). Also, a goodly number of fellow private eyes, each one of them stranger than the last, kept crossing Rockford's path. As Maverick had done for the classic western, The Rockford Files regularly turned and twisted the conventions of the PI story back upon themselves to point up some of the absurdities behind the genre's assumptions. These guest investigators were ideal for just that purpose.

The Rockford files had a few notable faults

The Rockford Files had a few notable faults. A primary complaint was that the plots, which often centered around intricate conspiracies, were just too convoluted and confused to be easily resolved within the confines of an hour-long TV program. Critics, as charmed by Rockford as the general audience, generally explained that one away on the grounds that it's better to overreach than to set your standards too low. Another complaint was the car chases, all too many of them, show after show after show. But James Garner liked cars and he liked to drive and he liked car chases, so car chases he got.

The Rockford files fans are forgiving

Fans forgave these few challenges as part of Garner's nature. As we said, James Garner was as much a part of Jim Rockford as Rockford was of Garner.

The Rockford files A veteran

Jim is an ex-con turned private detective. A veteran of the Korean war (5th Regiment Combat Team), Jim served five years of a twenty year sentence in San Quentin (C Block) for armed-robbery until new evidence earned him a pardon. Most days Jim would rather be fishing, but he's got to pay the bills and so he charges $200 a day plus expenses for his private eye services.Jim owns a gun but keeps it in a coffee can in his mobile home "I don't shoot it. I just point it". To get around, Jim drives a bronze-colored Firebird Esprit. License Plate # 853 OKG.

The Rockford files phone messages

"This is Marie at Liberty Bail Bonds. Your client Todd Lehman skipped and his bail is forfeit. That's the pink slip on your '79 Firebird, I believe. Sorry, Jim. Bring it on over."

"This is Mrs. Mosely at the library. We billed you for your overdue book Karate Made Easy. We abuse our library, we don't get our cards renewed."

"This is the Message Phone Company. I see you're using our unit. Now how 'bout paying for it!?"

The Rockford files trivia

Jim's address is also referred to as 29 Palm Road or 29 Cove Road or 2356 Pacific Coast Highway. Paradise Cove is actually a private beach north of Malibu with a gate to regulate pedestrians and drivers.

Rockford's trailer was placed in the parking lot of the Sand Castle Restaurant, a real eatery on the beach at 28128 Pacific Coast Highway.

William Conrad's house on Jake and the Fatman was the first house to the right of the restaurant.

Paradise Cove was also on the Beach Boys' Surfin' Safari album cover and was used in filming the teenage sitcom GIDGET/ABC/1965-66.

Noah Beery, Jr., (a.k.a. "Pidge") who played the role of Joseph "Rocky" Rockford died at his Tehachapi, California ranch on November 11, 1994. He was 81.

Earlier in his career Noah Beery, Jr. made his first screen appearance in Douglas Fairbanks' The Mark of Zorro (1920) which co-starred his father Noah Beery, Sr. as Sergeant Garcia (film star Wallace Beery was Noah Beery's Jr. uncle).

In the 1950s Pidge played the role of Joey the Clown on the TV series CIRCUS BOY and later appeared on the weekly TV series THE QUEST (1981) and THE YELLOW ROSE (1983).

The Rockford Files left the air as a regular series in 1980 but continued as TV Movie of the weeks. They included: The Rockford Files: I Still Love L.A. (1994) The Rockford Files: A Blessing in Disguise (1995) The Rockford Files: Friends and Foul Play (1996) The Rockford Files: Godfather Knows Best (1996) The Rockford Files: If the Frame Fits...1996) The Rockford Files: Punishment and Crime (1996) The Rockford Files: Murder and Misdemeanors (1997)The Rockford Files: If It Bleeds... It Leads (1999).

When actor John Ritter died in 2003, James Garner joined the cast of the sitcom 8 SIMPLE RULES (FOR DATING MY TEENAGE DAUGHTERS)/ABC/2002+ as Grandpa Jim, the father of Cate Hennessy (Katey Sagal) whose husband Paul Hennessy dies unexpectedly (actor John Ritter who played Paul died in real life). The Grandpa Jim character helped the Hennessy family go through the grieving process and begin a new life with out Paul. A year earlier.

James Garner became the spokesperson for the Chevy "Like a Rock" campaign. A popular poem "Nobody Knows It But Me" from the TV spots imparted these lovely sentiments:

"Nobody Knows It But Me"

There's a place that I travel When I want to roam,

And nobody knows it but me.

The roads don't go there. And the signs stay home.

And nobody knows it but me. It's far far away And way way afar.

It's over the moon and the sea

And wherever you're going

That's wherever you are

And nobody knows it but me

The Poem read by James Garner:Written by Patrick O'Leary - author at GM's advertising agency ('Chevrolet Tahoe - 'Poem' Campaign 2002)