The Rockford Files - General Discussion

[chessiegal]

They sure did have Jim eating a lot on this show, most often tacos, I think. I hope Garner went to the set hungry. Was there ever an episode where he wasn't shown eating something?

[TheLastKidPicked]

On 6/30/2023 at 11:36 AM, chessiegal said:

They sure did have Jim eating a lot on this show, most often tacos, I think. I hope Garner went to the set hungry. Was there ever an episode where he wasn't shown eating something?

 

This is something that adds to the realism of the shows back then.  The pacing was a little slower and more realistic.  They actually showed the characters with downtime, eating and running errands.

I like that.

 

[Zella]

4 minutes ago, TheLastKidPicked said:

 

This is something that adds to the realism of the shows back then.  The pacing was a little slower and more realistic.  They actually showed the characters with downtime, eating and running errands.

I like that.

 

It's one of my favorite qualities about the show. I love how Rockford has to deal with stuff like picking up his dad's mail when he's on vacation or sorting through all his tax receipts. LOL It ties in nicely with all the quirky but often mundane messages left for him at the beginning of each episode. 

[WendyCR72]

On 6/30/2023 at 8:50 AM, Tom Holmberg said:

We used to have Jack in the Box, but the disappeared in the late 1970s I believe.  I was watching Rockford yesterday and he went into a Jack in the Box drive-thru while being chased by thugs (and ordered a taco).

Ditto. We had one Jack In The Box here [Upstate NY], but like you, it left around the late '70s. I was still a little kid when it left.

I think I read the chain is still big out west, though!

[Raja]

5 hours ago, WendyCR72 said:

Ditto. We had one Jack In The Box here [Upstate NY], but like you, it left around the late '70s. I was still a little kid when it left.

I think I read the chain is still big out west, though!

Having lived in Rockford's working area most of my life with Jack's the closest chain to both houses we lived in the 60-70s I always thought of it as number 2 until the 80s as Burger King expanded. I can't think of a location that has disappeared. Meanwhile instead of driving 4 miles from the childhood home to get to McDonald's there were at its peak 5 franchises within  walking distance of the house. The other big chains also have expanded with newly arrived competitors supplanting the mom and pop restaurants.

Edited September 13, 2023 by Raja

[Raja]

On 12/18/2021 at 6:50 AM, ByaNose said:

If Rockford was being done today he’d be taking his shirt off every episode and showing his abs. James Garner didn’t have to do that and he was still the best looking dude in the room. Heck! Even Dennis Becker was a great looking guy and was just a regular guy. LOL!!!

I watched this show every week when it originally aired and even then I knew how good of a show it was. It wasn’t the case where I got older and suddenly realized the quality of the show. Nope! I knew it then and I was only 10 when it first started airing in 1974. I loved Lance. He was hysterical. My Dad even said that Tom Selleck was going to be a star after seeing him as Lance. I think Selleck did 2 episodes. I remember thinking they should spin-off him off but I don’t think Lance would have been a sustainable character without Jim Rockford. I could be wrong though. 

Of course today all cops/PI's would be an ex Ranger or SEAL like Magnum. But none would have been wounded Purple Heart recipient and permanently run with a limp like James Garner/Rockford. But then it was a era when a far greater percentage of the 40-50s year old boss characters and actors were WWII or Korean War (Garner) veterans then the relatively few in the post Vietnam era.

[Tom Holmberg]

4 hours ago, WendyCR72 said:

Ditto. We had one Jack In The Box here [Upstate NY], but like you, it left around the late '70s. I was still a little kid when it left.

I think I read the chain is still big out west, though!

Yes when I visit family, I always stop in and get those mini-tacos.  Though now 7-11 here now sells mini-tacos that are pretty much the same.

[WendyCR72]

James Garner's daughter, Gigi, posted a nice photo of her dad on TwitX the other day:

 

[AgathaC]

On 12/30/2023 at 9:29 PM, WendyCR72 said:

James Garner's daughter, Gigi, posted a nice photo of her dad on TwitX the other day:

 

Aww. Everything i’ve heard does make him sound like a great guy.

My memories of Rockford are tied up with my paternal grandfather. I spent a lot of time at their house and I can recall hearing the theme song coming from their bedroom as he watched it in syndication. It was one of his favorites. All my grandparents are gone now, so watching those old shows makes me feel closer to them.

[andidante]

Such a handsome man!

[chessiegal]

I was watching Pioneers of Television on PBS today. They were featuring Steve Cannell who created and produced Rockford. He said the car chases were dangerous enough he hired stunt drivers. He abandoned them because they were too tame, as Garner was one of the best stunt drivers there was. In the last bit they had with Garner, he said he wanted to be remembered for his smile. Boy howdy, I sure do!