The Rockford Files

1948-present

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Little Garwood
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Re: The Rockford Files

#61 Post by Little Garwood »

marlboro wrote:IMO, The Rockford Files movies were pretty disappointing. The tone was too different. Just a generic made for tv mystery. There was a pretty funny bit with Angel during the LA riots in one of the first movies though.

I'd try catching them streaming online before I bought them.
I remember seeing a couple of the Rockford movies on The Hallmark Channel some years ago. It was just great to see Jimbo back in action, despite any shortcomings the tv movies themselves may have, which is how I mostly feel about Tom's Jesse Stone movies.

If the price is low enough on TRF movies dvds, I'd get them. Otherwise, wait for a sale. Speaking of which, I recently got TRF S1--finally on single-sided discs--for $8.99 on Amazon.
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Re: The Rockford Files

#62 Post by Mrs. Higgins »

Just watched "Nice Guys Finish Dead" for the first time in about 30 years. Very very funny. I was shocked (more like pleasantly surprised) when Larry popped up. I wasn't expecting that. I enjoyed the banter between him and Simon Oakland. Tom was excellent of course as Lance White. The scene in his office with Rockford and Freddie Beamer had me giggling along with the highway scenes in which Lance easily found Freddie's glasses and Rockford's award. Freddie was a pretty funny character, a better "sidekick" for Rockford than Richie Brockelman who I found to be quite annoying for some reason.

Not sure if I caught a flub or not but...I thought I heard to the place where the St. Could's held their press conferences as "The Hopalong Cassidy Suite at the Gene Autry Hotel" then the "Gene Autry Suite at the Hopalong Cassidy Hotel". Or, perhaps it was a joke...

Next up "The Hawaiian Headache" Season 6 Episode 8 8)
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Re: The Rockford Files

#63 Post by Luther's nephew Dobie »

Little Garwood wrote:
Luther's nephew Dobie wrote: Hi Garwood,
I agree with you, except for one episode. That would be the two part "This Case is Closed" with the great Joseph Cotton. There is a nice episode hidden here amongst the dreck, some good scenes but good lord the needless and endless car chases and plain filler. The director must have been some studio hack with no idea how to edit.

Anyway, I guess if you have "This Case is Closed" on DVD you could fast forward past the lame parts. There is a gem of a scene where Cotton's powerful wealthy man character tries to intimidate Rockford and Rockford gives it right back, explaining that as his own boss he doesn't have to take that sort of guff. It's one of my favorites out of the whole series.
Just watched this last night. I rate it a 6/10. I don't share your dislike of the episode and I maintain that "Love is the Word" is probably the series' low point, relatively speaking.

I enjoyed the Cotten-Garner scenes--Cotten does have a rather interesting accent--and Beery was his usual charmingly good-natured self. His "Greatest Generation"-era mentality makes for a fine counterpoint to Jim's ex-con, post-Watergate cynicism, which is why I must respectfully disagree with our friend marlboro about "Pilot Rocky" being a better fit than our cherished Beery Rocky. The running gag about the ashtray is pretty funny! :lol:

The one bit I didn't get was when Rockford was driven out to almost the middle of nowhere and just...dropped off. What was the purpose of that scene, other than to sort of set up the amusing bit with the cabbie and Rocky? Sharon Gless could have been better used; all she does is watch Rockford down a hot-sauce-covered taco (served by future Officer Billings and Garner crony Luis Delgado).

Enjoyed the nighttime car chase through old L.A. and its atrocious streets; they're all cracked and crumbling. It all adds to the unique atmosphere that makes TRF so great to me. Most shows rely on the Universal Lot, whereas TRF actually "takes it to the streets." The fact they actual film at night is another plus, as it is with most Universal shows.
Garwood,
I have discovered that there was several Rockford Files that ran 90 minutes when it originally aired. When it was time to sell the rerun package, Universal's editors added stock footage to flesh them out to 2 hours(with commercials) so they could be cut into two hour long episodes, a "two parter".
"This Case is Closed" was one of them. Instead of a 2 minute chase, expand it to 10 minutes years later by lifting elements of chases from other episodes and then splice. Throw in a scene of Rockford getting a taco, and Bob's Your Uncle.
Universal turned this sort of thing into a art form. McCloud had episodes of 60 minutes, 90 minutes and two hours. So for rerun purposes, they added footage or combined 2 separate episodes, bridging the two together by explanatory/connecting scenes in Chief Clifford's office where they dubbed in new dialog so obviously dubbed by other actors and not matching the original actors mouthings it was shameless. Or adding in a shot of Clifford with his back to the camera, a later added on voice - as Clifford -explaining how the 2 story lines intersected.
The editing is generally terrible, it ruins the mood, continuity and sense of the original stand alone episodes. Which were a lot of fun.
By the way, in the opening montage of McCloud scenes, there is a shot of Dennis Weaver holding on to the runners of a coptor when it lifts off a skyscraper and he is dangling in mid-air 80 stories over NYC. That was him not a double, he missed his cue to let go as the stuntman was slightly tardy running over to take his place and hook on the safety lines, so that was really Weaver hanging on for dear life with no harness.
Even worse than McCloud's editing was what happened to Rod Serling's Night Gallery(shown on the ME network at 4:30 am weeknights). They needed to have enough episodes for a rerun package but the series only ran a few years(3?).
They split the hour episodes in to half hour ones, hard to do with 3 separate 16 minute stores in each hour long episode. So they took a failed series about a shrink, starring Gary Collins, and added scenes from that to the beginning and end of the half hour versions, making no sense whatsoever but such was the studio's contempt for the viewer at home. Supposedly Collin's patient was telling him of his nightmares, which was that episode's Night Gallery offering.
Or they would butcher 2 16 minutes stories down to 11 minutes each, giving you 22 minutes of content and 8 minutes of commercials. It's a total train wreck.
Last edited by Luther's nephew Dobie on Tue Apr 11, 2017 1:06 am, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: The Rockford Files

#64 Post by Little Garwood »

If you watch the episode as it is presented on the S1 (single-sided discs) DVD set, you may soften your view on This Case is Closed. I rate it a 6/10. It's by no means a classic, but it wouldn't be one I'd skip or otherwise dread watching as I made my way through the season.

Yes, I recall that about Night Gallery. I never saw it with the Collins show shoehorned into it, but I do recall some dire-looking syndicated prints of episodes when they were aired in the early '80s.
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Re: The Rockford Files

#65 Post by Luther's nephew Dobie »

Little Garwood wrote:
Mrs. Higgins wrote:
Little Garwood wrote:So is anyone else here watching The Rockford Files as part of their tv routine? I watch it every Friday night, followed by an episode of Kolchak: The Night Stalker, a show I've watched continually since its DVD release ten years ago.
I just treated myself to an early Christmas present and bought season 5 & 6 to complete the collection. I rented a few discs from my library but Rockford is a series worth owning in its entirety.
Oh, so you now have the Complete Lance White Collection! Way to go!
Hi Garwood,
I hope I don't come across as some know all but, in my opinion, the complete Lance White Collection must include Maverick episode number 48, The Saga of Waco Williams. Rockford is Maverick updated to the 1970's and Lance White is a updated but totally recognizable Waco Williams. This episode was the highest rated of the series and one of the best, illustrating both Maverick's and Rockford's worldview, with a wonderful ending with Maverick looking directly into
the camera and addressing the audience. I imagine because it came off so well Garner suggested they do it again for Rockford.
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Re: The Rockford Files

#66 Post by Little Garwood »

Mrs. Higgins wrote:Just watched "Nice Guys Finish Dead" for the first time in about 30 years. Very very funny. I was shocked (more like pleasantly surprised) when Larry popped up. I wasn't expecting that. I enjoyed the banter between him and Simon Oakland. Tom was excellent of course as Lance White. The scene in his office with Rockford and Freddie Beamer had me giggling along with the highway scenes in which Lance easily found Freddie's glasses and Rockford's award. Freddie was a pretty funny character, a better "sidekick" for Rockford than Richie Brockelman who I found to be quite annoying for some reason.
I always thought Richie Brockelman was too laid back to ever qualify for "annoying" status. :) As a matter of fact, he's actually amusing in the Rockford episode, "Never Send a Boy King to Do a Man's Job."

In this interview, Larry Manetti says the first time he met Selleck was on "Nice Guys Finish Dead", and has a brief anecdote about Tom. Larry is even dressed as Rick here. Manetti goes on to mention, as he later would in "Magnum Memories", that he was up for the Jameson Parker role in Simon & Simon.

These interviews were done for the CBS affiliate in Nebraska. There are others for Selleck, Hillerman, and Jameson Parker.


youtu.be/NC1VvYPndKg
"Popularity is the pocket change of history."

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Re: The Rockford Files

#67 Post by Nikita70 »

Good video. But the same old media interviewer bringing up the tragedy. They never change.

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Re: The Rockford Files

#68 Post by Pahonu »

Garwood, Mrs. Higgins, Dobie,

The Rockford Files is my favorite show of all time. I've owned all six seasons for a few years and still DVR my favorites off of COZI TV on occasion. I had read about the Waco Williams episode connection to Lance White, but never seen it until last year. There was a Maverick marathon on Decades I think, and I searched for it. When Maverick turns and talks to the audience was unexpected, for me at least, but I thought it was great. The Rockford episode took things even further and I found it even more funny for that. Selleck was perfect in the role, pun intended.

My favorite episode, however, is Quickie Nirvana from season 4. Garner's reactions to Sky Aquarian/Gopi and the whole new age cult thing is just hilarious. Some of his responses to her ridiculous comments were clever as hell. That was what Garner did best, not act, but react. Those reactions are my favorite part of the whole show.

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Re: The Rockford Files

#69 Post by Luther's nephew Dobie »

Pahonu wrote:Garwood, Mrs. Higgins, Dobie,

The Rockford Files is my favorite show of all time. I've owned all six seasons for a few years and still DVR my favorites off of COZI TV on occasion. I had read about the Waco Williams episode connection to Lance White, but never seen it until last year. There was a Maverick marathon on Decades I think, and I searched for it. When Maverick turns and talks to the audience was unexpected, for me at least, but I thought it was great. The Rockford episode took things even further and I found it even more funny for that. Selleck was perfect in the role, pun intended.
My favorite episode, however, is Quickie Nirvana from season 4. Garner's reactions to Sky Aquarian/Gopi and the whole new age cult thing is just hilarious. Some of his responses to her ridiculous comments were clever as hell. That was what Garner did best, not act, but react. Those reactions are my favorite part of the whole show.
Hi Pahonu,
You are a man of excellent taste and sound judgement, Rockford Files is one of my favorites as well. The 'Quickie Nirvana' episode just might be Rockford's best episode, as you noted it is laugh out loud funny but also has moments of genuine pathos.
This episode also is a prime example of one of the series's themes, that of Rockford's efforts constantly being derailed by people armed with the Power of Stupidity or rigid thought patterns(or have a modicum of power, see Magnum versus government clerks), and unlike typical TV show's plot lines, the idiots prevail quite often.
The scene in the diner where Rockford buys the penniless Sky's lunch is brilliantly written(gotta be in the top 20 scenes in 1970's TV) and takes no prisoners in savaging just not New Age cults but by implication all the people out there who buy into whatever some con man/politician/Jimmy Swaggart is selling because it's easier than thinking and worrying who is going to pay the freight.
The last scene where Rockford comes across Sky is unexpectedly moving as he at first warmly and sincerely greets her. Garner is brilliant in conveying Rockford's changing gamut of emotions. It is a outstanding piece of television as almost any other series(like a Michael Landon produced show where the hero would have redoubled his efforts on Sky's behalf) would have had a warm and fuzzy ending but here they elect to go for hard truth and it is a wise decision because the impact is so much greater. Yet at the same time Rockford in his way is being compassionate in the only response he has left to give her.
There are very few episodes of series television that I can still recall the moment of first seeing them decades later.
Magnum killing Ivan, Opie Taylor freeing the birds he raised after killing their mother, Rob Petrie asking the parents of another newborn over because he thinks the hospital switched babies(had the longest sustained laugh in sitcom history when Rob met the other father, eight minutes, had to be edited down in post production)and this episode of Rockford because of the lunch and end scene. But that's just what affected me, others have different episodes that impacted them I'm sure.

Crime Wave(1954)
Thug Charles Bronson pointing his gun at hostage Phyllis Kirk, asks his boss:
"You want I should clip a curl off the cutie"?
Gotta love Film Noir.
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Re: The Rockford Files

#70 Post by Little Garwood »

Big-time nostalgia for me, as this December 9, 1979 WCKT (now WSVN) commercial for "Jim Rockford: Private Investigator" brings me back to those weekdays after school when I would catch up with Rockfish. It's always a kick to see one's local TV stations advertise this stuff.

The ad begins at the 4:28 mark:


youtu.be/QhqQD067Iq8

Oh, and do not miss the Sammy Davis, Jr.-as-Old-Saint-Nick Alka-Seltzer commercial that runs earlier in the video!
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Re: The Rockford Files

#71 Post by Little Garwood »

Oh, and speaking of Rockford S4, the IMDb gives "The Gang at Don's Drive-In" the lowest average rating among the entire season! Heck, it's my favorite episode of season four!
"Popularity is the pocket change of history."

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Re: The Rockford Files

#72 Post by Pahonu »

Little Garwood wrote:Oh, and speaking of Rockford S4, the IMDb gives "The Gang at Don's Drive-In" the lowest average rating among the entire season! Heck, it's my favorite episode of season four!
What?!?!? That's the one with Anthony Zerbe and "Freefall to Ecstasy". That's a great episode and Zerbe was fantastic. He was great in Harry-O with David Janssen, another of my favorites. He won an Emmy for playing Lt. Trench.

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Re: The Rockford Files

#73 Post by Little Garwood »

Pahonu wrote:
Little Garwood wrote:Oh, and speaking of Rockford S4, the IMDb gives "The Gang at Don's Drive-In" the lowest average rating among the entire season! Heck, it's my favorite episode of season four!
What?!?!? That's the one with Anthony Zerbe and "Freefall to Ecstasy". That's a great episode and Zerbe was fantastic. He was great in Harry-O with David Janssen, another of my favorites. He won an Emmy for playing Lt. Trench.
Harry O was a fine series, and a most worthy addition to the private eye...*ahem*...private investigator genre. I suppose he was too much like Rockford to flourish, and both series debuted around the same time, though Harry had a pilot film before ol' Jimbo. The series is available through Warner's "On Demand" DVR program; I really should own that series, and so should everyone reading these words.

It's true. "Drive-In" has an average rating of 6.9, which is below every other episode from season four. What makes it all the more perplexing is that the now-defunct IMDb message boards had a small, but friendly and knowledgeable crew of regulars, and I don't recall those people ever posting an unkind word about the episode.

Anthony Zerbe is a big favorite here at the Little Garwood Estate.

Freefall to Ecstasy is an interesting book, though I sort of lost interest around chapter 4...
"Popularity is the pocket change of history."

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Re: The Rockford Files

#74 Post by Pahonu »

Little Garwood wrote:
Freefall to Ecstasy is an interesting book, though I sort of lost interest around chapter 4...
LOL!

I own both seasons of Harry-O and go back to them frequently. You really would enjoy them. I DVR episodes of random shows when I see Zerbe is the guest star. He never seems to disappoint. I enjoyed his performance in H5-O as the over-zealous nut going after people of dismissed criminal court cases. He also grew up in Long Beach, where I live. LBC! :lol:

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Re: The Rockford Files

#75 Post by Luther's nephew Dobie »

308GUY wrote:Thanks M...$107 is not bad at all.
Like you said, the prices seem to be all over the place, depending on where and when you look.
you mean I can't rub it in if I find it for less? :lol:
I've got a few Chan reels, like Matlock...
I like how Andy Griffith is kind of a chameleon over the length of his career, and how different Ben is than Andy was.
Griffith knew how to do tv, he sure did it for a long time!
I'll keep watching for the right deal, thanks. :P
Hi 308Guy,
I remember I was shocked at how morally bankrupt Griffith was in A Face In the Crowd. It's also a better performance than most of the
Best Actor Oscar winners of the past 50 years, if you love movies you have to see this flick.
Griffith was absent from acting for some years, he suffered terribly from a disease that kept him confined to a dark room and if I recall correctly,
after surgeries etc. he was 5 inches shorter.
If you look closely in Matlock the strapping Griffith is gone and he is the same height as most of the woman actors, he no longer looms over Don Knots.

Ralph Bellamy: "You Bastard!"
Lee Marvin: "Yes sir. With me, an accident of birth. But you, you're a self-made man"
The Professionals (1966)
Last edited by Luther's nephew Dobie on Sun Nov 13, 2022 3:09 am, edited 4 times in total.

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