# RIP James Garner **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 20, 2014, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-garner/693591 "2014-07-20T07:42:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2014, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-garner/693591/101 "2014-07-22T00:14:00Z")
He was a Hero, no matter what he played. He had a smile that just made people forget the rest. I think women loved that smile; guys just shook their heads & marveled at him for being a Truly Magnificent B-stard. Rockford was a guy who tried to do the right thing and was perpetually punished for living his beliefs. The role hurt him badly and I know there were hard feelings, but you could tell that there was SO much of Jim Garner in that role. I wished him happy birthday once on twitter & his daughter actually responded; she was very sweet & said he was extremely happy to have been remembered. I was always happy that for maybe 10 seconds I might have made him smile when for years and years he had made me smile. He and I shared a birthday when he was alive. (mine was quite a few years later though) If he read that, I’d imagine him laughing & smiling & saying, “…not That many.” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2014, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-garner/693591/102 "2014-07-22T01:05:16Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > IIRC, the actual Garner quote is _“Didn’t enjoy working with Tony Franciosa, who kept abusing the stunt men. He purposely wasn’t pulling his punches in fight scenes, and he kept doing it despite my warnings to stop . . . so I had to pop him one.”_ Then he went to James Franciscus’ house and hit him, because everyone always got those two confused. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2014, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-garner/693591/103 "2014-07-22T07:32:51Z")
[This](http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-james-garner-santa-monica-mountains-20140721-story.html) was just posted. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2014, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-garner/693591/104 "2014-07-22T16:24:01Z")
> [@Little\_Pig](#): > > [This](http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-james-garner-santa-monica-mountains-20140721-story.html) was just posted. I never knew that… but you know something? I could see that happening… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2014, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-garner/693591/105 "2014-07-22T21:01:06Z")
I don’t believe in using violent methods for things like this, but if someone is going to get violent these seem like relatively less discreditable reasons. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-garner/693591/106 "2014-07-23T02:07:49Z")
There’s a [James Garner Marathon starting at 6:00 AM on Monday, 28 July](http://www.tcm.com/this-month/movie-news.html?id=1018763&name=Schedule-Change-for-James-Garner-Tribute-on-Monday-July-28). I’ll be recording [_Toward The Unknown_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toward_the_Unknown). ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-garner/693591/107 "2014-07-23T14:10:31Z")
I got _Victor/Victoria_ in the mail from Netflix yesterday and will be watching it today with my wife (who has never seen it). ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-garner/693591/108 "2014-07-23T15:17:36Z")
“Support Your Local Sheriff” and “Support Your Local Gunfighter” were brilliant takes on the reluctant hero, each would have made a great TV series. Garner was essential to the success of each film, mostly playing the straight man to a brilliant ensemble cast, but getting in some good comedic lines of his own. Discussing the arrival of a gunfighter in town who’s out to kill Garner’s character (Jason): Jason McCullough: Why do these jaspers always have to hit town at meal time? Prudy: You gonna kill another man? Jason McCullough: Well, I’m sure we all hope it turns out that way. Jason McCullough: [Fingering dented badge] That must have saved the life of whoever was wearin’ it. Mayor Olly Perkins: Well, it sure would have, if it hadn’t been for all them other bullets flyin’ in from everywhere. [after Pa Danby leaves the sheriff’s office] Jason McCullough: You know… he strikes me as bein’ a lonely man. Jake: Lonely? Danby? Why he’s a mean, no-good, lowdown bushwhacker! Jason McCullough: Well, there you see? No wonder he’s lonely. Mayor Olly Perkins: [talking about Prudy] She’s had some terrible shocks this year. She got wealthy almost overnight - I think maybe it unhinged her a little bit. Then she was always kind of big for her age and “pooberty” hit her hard - that’ll do it you know. Jason McCullough: I didn’t know that. Mayor Olly Perkins: Well, it will! [after more conversation with the mayor, Jason is leaving the house and looks up the stairs to where Prudy ran off] Jason McCullough: “Pooberty” Excellent actor, it’s a shame he’s gone. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-garner/693591/109 "2014-07-23T15:33:07Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > “Support Your Local Sheriff” and “Support Your Local Gunfighter” were brilliant takes on the reluctant hero, each would have made a great TV series. Garner was essential to the success of each film, mostly playing the straight man to a brilliant ensemble cast, but getting in some good comedic lines of his own. “You hit that feller from behind!” “Just as hard as I could.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-garner/693591.md?page=5)