Garner was included in a PBS series on different television genre shows. His interview was classic. He gave all the credit to the writers. He said without good writers your show isn’t going anywhere.
He did his own stunts in Rockford Files which eventually caught up with him and is the reason he ended the series.
Thank you Mr Garner. You done good.
Isn’t that back up the car, brake and spin it 180, shift and zoom forward maneuver named after him (or Rockford)?
A very pleasant man. Considered running for governor of California before Feinstein entered the race. A lifelong Democrat who refused to play a Republican, sat in the third row for King’s “I have a dream” speech.
My aunt was the head of housekeeping at a very swanky hotel in Detroit (back when Detroit did swanky). She had Mr. Garner has a guest several times and said he was the nicest celebrity by far. Always as polite and gentlemanly to the lowest maids and other people normally invisible in a large hotel as he was to the rich folks in the hotel.
StG
Always felt sorry for him, stuck in that pig and him being a damned good driver. But as he said, “I liked the looks of the Firebird, and I thought it was the kind of blue-collar car that Jim Rockford would drive. I’m sure he would have liked a Trans Am (I drove one in real life at the time) but couldn’t afford it. The only modification we made was to stouten up the suspension to handle all the stunts. The sticker price of the 1970 Firebird Esprit was about $3000, and Pontiac didn’t give us cars—we bought three new ones every season. We had two backups in case of damage or breakdowns because we couldn’t afford to stop production for repairs.”
Coulda swore he kept it in a jar of instant coffee.
What everyone else said, plus, since no one else has mentioned it yet, Victor/Victoria.
I liked his funny Westerns.
One of my favorite of his roles was as F. Ross Johnson, the CEO of RJR/Nabisco and his attempt to buy the company in Barbarians at the Gate. His character commenting on his companies disastrous attempt to make a smokeless cigarette:
*
Tastes like shit and smells like a fart! Got ourselves one hell of a product on our hands! It’s one unique advertising strategy I’ll tell ya that. I can see the billboards now!*
His delivery of that line was wonderful.
That is very, very sad news. I loved his acting and I am so sad that he has passed.
He was a great guy and a lot of fun to watch.
Lots of people took advantage of him during his lifetime.
So sad that he died.
RIP Rockfish.
Glad you mentioned Barbarians–it’s a good movie and Garner is great in it. One of my favorite roles of his.
Sorry 'bout that,don’t know my way around here yet. Then again,there may have been tears
I was a fan of First Monday, the very short-lived series where he was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
It worked! I thought it was a darn fine show. He had the gravitas for the role.
Apparently the threads have been merged
Loved both him and James Coburn in the Maverick movie. Their scene at the end where they meet up to split up the money was hilarious.
Both gone now.
Jim Rockford was a great character and Jim Garner’s best work.
RIP Jim.
Wasn’t he known for being mean to fans, punching people out at golf tournaments, punching out stuntmen, and getting into fist fights because of road rage?
He sort of seemed like a bully to me, but ok, rest in peace.
Post #40 and #44 would seem to belie that notion.
I remember him fondly from all those Polaroid commercials. He and Mariette Hartley just seemed like such warm and pleasant people to hang out with.