SIDEWAYS AND LOW: A TRIBUTE TO JAMES GARNER AS JIM ROCKFORD

James Garner with Lee Purcell, The Rockford Files

“You see, his gun is deadly, mine’s in a cookie jar,” Jim Rockford tells his dad, Rocky, who might finally understand his son’s profession as Private Investigator while reading a page-turning dime novel...

Not really. Because Rockford, played by James Garner, is far from your typical steely hero as depicted in old movies and books. He’s a down-to-earth guy who constantly lands in hot water… And that water made up six seasons of the classic crime series starring the legendary James Garner, who recently passed away. And THE ROCKFORD FILES fan-fav episode WHITE ON WHITE AND NEARLY PERFECT begins like it’s already halfway through. Within the first couple minutes we learn that Stuart Margolin’s con artist Angel Martinez is in jail, where Jim also spent the night after – something went wrong, as usual. But when Rockford's reluctantly partnered up with Tom Selleck’s Lance White, his kinks are more noticeable than ever.

w/ Tom Selleck

Throughout the entire series, Jim Rockford, an ex con turned P.I., is both slick and spontaneous, trudging through the necessary steps to find a shabby means to an end. Which is the polar opposite of Selleck’s unscathed investigator, who glides from one location to the next with everything handed him.

“You’re naïve, Lance, you really are... You have to be cynical… You have to question things… You can’t take someone named ‘Belle LaBelle’ on face value… What’s her angle? Whose payroll was she on…

"You find out the answers to those things, and then you start moving fast and crooked… You go through doorways, sideways and low, at odd angles… You look for the big lie… Question everything!” And while Lance shrugged off this advice, it summarized everything that made THE ROCKFORD FILES a sublime 180 degree turn for James Garner, who could always play an imperfect character with sheer perfection... And below the pic is a quote from character actor Pepe Serna, who worked with Garner in another episode...

 "Garner was a class act. Made everybody feel like we all belonged. Thanks for sharing your love of life." Pepe Serna

James Garner with Pepe Serna on THE ROCKFORD FILES

REST IN PEACE JAMES GARNER