# Rockford Files... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 17, 2009, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rockford-files/510411 "2009-09-17T05:06:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rockford-files/510411/1 "2009-09-17T05:06:50Z")
After all the retro-movie gigs, we really need a Rockford movie. I loved the series as a teenager. Rockfish fans unite!!! Who would play Jim and Rocky and Angel? ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rockford-files/510411/2 "2009-09-17T06:35:49Z")
They used to show this program on 70s re-run channel late at night and I found myself religiously recording it. If they made a Rockford movie, though, they’d have to 1. keep it set in the 70s, and 2. use some kind of special chemical on the film stock to make it fade, in order to achieve the proper effect. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rockford-files/510411/3 "2009-09-17T06:39:48Z")
1. use the theme song ---
**Author:** ![Ronald\_C.Semone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rockford-files/510411/4 "2009-09-17T11:34:53Z")
1. Re-animate the three principal actors ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rockford-files/510411/5 "2009-09-17T12:48:51Z")
> [@Ronald\_C.Semone](#): > > 1. Re-animate the three principal actors Um… only one re-animation necessary. James Garner and Stuart Margolin are still with us, as is Joe Santos, who played Det. Becker. Not that anyone’s interested in seeing an 81-year-old Jim Rockford back in action. (Garner could have a cameo, though!) I bet there’ll be some disagreement on this, but I could see George Clooney playing Rockford if they did a movie today. He’s the right age, and I think he could strike just the right put-upon cynical nature of the character. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rockford-files/510411/6 "2009-09-17T13:52:00Z")
[QUOTE=Leaffan] After all the retro-movie gigs, we really need a Rockford movie. [/QUOTE] Argh! It pains me to think how they’d butcher the theme tune. Casting: I can see Tony Shalhoub as Angel, otherwise I’m stumped, could anyone _else_ really do Rockford? Anyhow, thanks for bringing the show up. I have four seasons on DVD and I never get round to watching the blinking things… Tonight House stays in the box, it’s Jimbo time. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rockford-files/510411/7 "2009-09-17T14:24:46Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > I bet there’ll be some disagreement on this, but I could see George Clooney playing Rockford if they did a movie today. He’s the right age, and I think he could strike just the right put-upon cynical nature of the character. Gah! Okay, he could probably nail the cynical, but he’d have a hard time dropping the smug from the charming. Can’t think of anyone else I’d want to pay to see at 29 Cove Road. ---
**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:** [September 17, 2009, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rockford-files/510411/8 "2009-09-17T14:26:26Z")
> [@Small\_Clanger](#): > > Casting: I can see Tony Shalhoub as Angel, “Am _I_ my brother’s keeper?” “My people have a saying…” Yes, the second one is from _Nichols,_ but you nailed the right guy. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rockford-files/510411/9 "2009-09-17T14:35:21Z")
Love The Rockford Files. I picked up a used copy of Season 5 for $7 a couple of weeks ago. One thing I get a kick out of is watching the car chases–man, most of the cars they used handled like boats! James Garner is one of my favorite actors. In the interviews I’ve seen, he comes across as a down-to-earth guy and a class act. Who will play Lance White in our remake of the show? ---
**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:** [September 17, 2009, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rockford-files/510411/10 "2009-09-17T14:45:06Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > Who will play Lance White in our remake of the show? Nathan Fillion. ---
**Author:** ![cormac262](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@cormac262](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cormac262)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rockford-files/510411/11 "2009-09-17T14:58:58Z")
> [@Small\_Clanger](#): > > could anyone _else_ really do Rockford? This is exactly why this exercise in doing a movie must STOP !!! There is NO ONE who could do Rockford - James Garner WAS Rockford. Period. Doesn’t anyone remember the “Maverick” movie with Mel Gibson ? Even Garner playing his own role didn’t really work that well. DON’T even try to resurrect Rockford ! It would only be a disappointment. (I like Nathan Fillion as Lance White, though) ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rockford-files/510411/12 "2009-09-17T15:07:43Z")
What are the odds someone is pitching this to Will Ferrell **right now**? ---
**Author:** ![vd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b19c9b/32.png) [@vd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vd)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rockford-files/510411/13 "2009-09-17T15:12:44Z")
Being resigned to the fact that it would be cheesy anyway… Jim: Bruce Campbell Becker: J.K. Simmons Gandolph Fitch (the Isaac Hayes role): Snoop Dogg Richie Brockelman: Michael Cera ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rockford-files/510411/14 "2009-09-17T15:23:24Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > What are the odds someone is pitching this to Will Ferrell **right now**? Well, Jim Rockford could take a punch better than anyone and Will Ferrell sure needs a beating… ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rockford-files/510411/15 "2009-09-17T15:23:34Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > What are the odds someone is pitching this to Will Ferrell **right now**? And there goes that last smidgen of my faith in humanity. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rockford-files/510411/16 "2009-09-17T15:38:16Z")
Patrick Warburton (Putty from Seinfeld) as Jim Rockford. Perfect choice. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rockford-files/510411/17 "2009-09-17T15:44:20Z")
Would a movie be done as a period piece? Or how else are you gonna work that gold Pontiac Firebird in there? Random (no googling) trivia question: what was the name of the restaurant on the beach close to Jim’s trailer? ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rockford-files/510411/18 "2009-09-17T15:48:47Z")
[QUOTE=bup] Random (no googling) trivia question: what was the name of the restaurant on the beach close to Jim’s trailer? [/QUOTE] The Sandcastle? ---
**Author:** ![Claire\_Beauchamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ec9cab/32.png) [@Claire\_Beauchamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claire_Beauchamp)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rockford-files/510411/19 "2009-09-17T15:49:48Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > Who will play Lance White in our remake of the show? > [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Nathan Fillion. Good call, but Fillion could do Rockford himself I think. He’s a little young at this stage, but … I also think Clooney could do it. That is, IF one were to allow a Rockford movie with modern cast, which, of course, one would not. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rockford-files/510411/20 "2009-09-17T15:52:20Z")
> [@cormac262](#): > > This is exactly why this exercise in doing a movie must STOP !!! There is NO ONE who could do Rockford - James Garner WAS Rockford. Period. I’d argue that David Boreanaz is already doing a low-wattage version of Rockford on BONES: the amiable investigator who can take a punch and handle a gun but really excels at reassuring the people he’s sizing up. And he’s quick with the wisecracks, but it’s never done with Clooney-style smugness or smarminess; it’s just equal parts cheerful and sarcastic. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rockford-files/510411.md?page=2)