Joe Santos Passes

[MagnumILWU]

Joe Santos passed away today at the age of 84! He was good on Magnum, but he will always be remember as Dennis Becker on The Rockford Files! A great , great character!

[Little Garwood]

Yes, he will always be Dennis Becker to me but he lended a much-appreciated hardboiled tough cop persona in later seasons of Magnum, P.I. that the series sorely lacked up to that time. You'll notice that his Lt. Page usually appeared in MPI's more intense episodes (Death and Taxes; Laura). Joe Santos was excellent on Magnum, P.I. Just as he was on The Rockford Files. R.I.P.

[marlboro]

RIP
A very good supporting actor.

I haven't watched any RF in a while. Can anyone think of any Becker-centric episodes? I remember The Becker Connection being pretty good. Any more?

[KingKC]

RIP Joe Santos...too few like him left. Supporting actors like him are so essential to the success of all shows, especially Rockford Files.

KingKC

[Little Garwood]

RIP
A very good supporting actor.

I haven't watched any RF in a while. Can anyone think of any Becker-centric episodes? I remember The Becker Connection being pretty good. Any more?

"Kill the Messenger" comes to mind, which features Bellisario stalwart WK Stratton playing Becker's partner.

"To Protect and Serve" The episode where that woman (Joyce van Patten) who's a "police groupie" who causes all sorts of trouble for our man Dennis (and naturally Rockford, of course).

[marlboro]

Thanks. I remember Protect and Serve being a very good episode, but I can't remember a thing about Kill the Messenger. I may have to have RF mini marathon this weekend.

[Pahonu]

I'm struggling to remember the title, but the Rockford Files episode where Becker and his wife invest in a scam time-share is a good one. Rockford and Angel set up a counter scam to get their money bqck. My favorite show of all time. Sorry magnum maniacs.

[marlboro]

The Farnsworth Stratagem?

[Mrs. Higgins]

Sad news. I actually met him once. VERY nice man, appreciative of the fans. Loved him Rockford, Magnum, and Hardcastle & McCormick. Everyone's favorite contact in the police department.

[ConchRepublican]

Rest in peace Joe Santos .... he's one of those faces I always associated with a certain time period. He was great on Rockford Files and a welcome addition to Magnum.

Thank you for your work ....

[Little Garwood]

I'm struggling to remember the title, but the Rockford Files episode where Becker and his wife invest in a scam time-share is a good one. Rockford and Angel set up a counter scam to get their money bqck. My favorite show of all time. Sorry magnum maniacs.

Yep, just like Marlboro mentioned, that was indeed The Farnsworth Stratagem, although Dennis Becker doesn't really figure into the scam that Rockford and friends subsequently set up. Becker is more the patsy that enables the plot to develop. (Btw, Simon & Simon fan that I am, I should mention that Gerald McRaney has a blink-and-you'll-miss-him part in this episode).

[KENJI]

Very sad, RIP Joe.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/usshowbiz/ar ... es-84.html

[Styles Bitchley]

Lt. Nolan Page was no Tanaka, but man what a great actor.

[Little Garwood]

Lt. Nolan Page was no Tanaka, but man what a great actor.

In my view each character provided the appropriate "flavor" to MPI. I affectionately refer to Lt. Tanaka as "The Colombo of Hawaii" with his offbeat personality and his rumpled style. Lt. Page has what amounts to an "undercover pimp" wardrobe. However, I remember being impressed but also a bit unnerved when Joe Santos appeared in Death and Taxes. His character made it clear that his debut signaled a dark new turn for MPI.

This was also the episode that sent me scampering away from the series at the time! Obviously I got over it and have long since come to admire Death and Taxes for the series highlight it is. Joe Santos' excellent performance in a show that had three excellent performances contributed a large part of that (the other two being Selleck and Tigar, of course).