The Rockford Files

[Little Garwood]

Here's an interesting article about The Rockford Files even though it's riddled with spelling errors. It's called "Finding Solace in The Rockford Files."

I've been in a huge Rockford Files mood lately.

[Chris109]

Here's an interesting article about The Rockford Files even though it's riddled with spelling errors. It's called "Finding Solace in The Rockford Files."

I've been in a huge Rockford Files mood lately.

I got as far as this person claiming to be a philosophy professor and how America sucks and stopped at that point.

[KingKC]

Here's an interesting article about The Rockford Files even though it's riddled with spelling errors. It's called "Finding Solace in The Rockford Files."

I've been in a huge Rockford Files mood lately.

I got as far as this person claiming to be a philosophy professor and how America sucks and stopped at that point.

If you overlook the author's cynicism about America it is really a pretty good article.

[Chris109]

If you overlook the author's cynicism about America it is really a pretty good article.

Oh...okay. I'll read it. (there's no 'sigh' emoji)

Were you being ironic about his cynicism and the website being called "Cynical times"?

[MHTR]

Hard to read authors like that.

[Chris109]

Hard to read authors like that.

Hey MHTR,

9 more posts and you become a Fleet Admiral just like the rest of us. And then we'll let you use the Officer's head.

[Little Garwood]

Here's an interesting article about The Rockford Files even though it's riddled with spelling errors. It's called "Finding Solace in The Rockford Files."

I've been in a huge Rockford Files mood lately.

I got as far as this person claiming to be a philosophy professor and how America sucks and stopped at that point.

Yes, the author wrote some cringeworthy things, but then I've long since given up the valiant attempt to only read articles whose authors think and feel exactly as I do.

Getting back to The Rockford Files, I've always appreciated Jim's ex-con/Watergate-era cynicism as well as Rocky's "Greatest Generation" optimism for people and institutions; the two characters complement one another beautifully.

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

Getting back to The Rockford Files, I've always appreciated Jim's ex-con/Watergate-era cynicism as well as Rocky's "Greatest Generation" optimism for people and institutions; the two characters complement one another beautifully.[/quote]

I never thought of it that way, a writer's construct on purpose. Good point.
People constantly fail Jim, even Dennis lied about naming his son with Jim's middle name Scott.
Even when he is surprised for a fleeting second at yet another betrayal it only takes a moment for Cynical Jim to reassert himself, his face saying he should
have known better than to trust. Yet for all that he finds himself, against all his principles, once again doing the Knight in Shining Armor bit. Just like the
character Bret Maverick in Garner's first series, so much so they might as well have called this the Maverick Files.

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"Read the whole library, my son, but the cheese will still smell after four days."
"Twelve good horses and silver candlesticks won't stop the snow from falling in Bialystock."
...Banacek(George Peppard)

[Chris109]

Sumbitch. Rockford and this woman from an episode from The Invaders both have the same phone number.

Rockford's phone:



Woman's phone from The Invaders:

[Little Garwood]

I never thought of it that way, a writer's construct on purpose. Good point.
People constantly fail Jim, even Dennis lied about naming his son with Jim's middle name Scott.
Even when he is surprised for a fleeting second at yet another betrayal it only takes a moment for Cynical Jim to reassert himself, his face saying he should
have known better than to trust. Yet for all that he finds himself, against all his principles, once again doing the Knight in Shining Armor bit.

Rockford is, like many people, nicer than he wants to be.

Originally I was going to post the TV GUIDE covers on which The Rockford Files appear, but the jimsuva.typepad.com blog not only has done that, it also includes the articles found within those issues. Thank you, Mr. Suva!

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

LittleGarwood wriote: "Rockford is, like many people, nicer than he wants to be."

You got soul, Wood meister, you got the "Eye" as Christmas Story author Jean Shepherd said. After he gave a performance at Union College
he chatted backstage afterwards. Shep maintained either you had the ability to see the WHY of things or you didn't, and no amount of
writing classes were going to help you otherwise.
"Nicer than he wants to be." I like it. For whatever that's worth.

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"Darkness warshed over the Dude - darker'n a black steer's tookus on a moonless prairie night. There was no bottom."
The Stranger(Sam Elliot) in The Big Lebowski

[Chris109]

LittleGarwood wriote: "Rockford is, like many people, nicer than he wants to be."

You got soul, Wood meister, you got the "Eye" as Christmas Story author Jean Shepherd said. After he gave a performance at Union College
he chatted backstage afterwards. Shep maintained either you had the ability to see the WHY of things or you didn't, and no amount of
writing classes were going to help you otherwise.
"Nicer than he wants to be." I like it. For whatever that's worth.

You went to Union in upstate NY?

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

LittleGarwood wriote: "Rockford is, like many people, nicer than he wants to be."

You got soul, Wood meister, you got the "Eye" as Christmas Story author Jean Shepherd said. After he gave a performance at Union College
he chatted backstage afterwards. Shep maintained either you had the ability to see the WHY of things or you didn't, and no amount of
writing classes were going to help you otherwise.
"Nicer than he wants to be." I like it. For whatever that's worth.

You went to Union in upstate NY?

Hi Chris,
Nope, Union College in Cranford, NJ. Shep appeared there quite a few times and yearly had a gig at the High School in Summit until
just before he passed away. By the late 80's he'd only draw 200 people there but on the other hand he spent a lot of time inter acting
with the audience, it was great. He valued Jersey as a resource, it was America writ small as he termed it, Jersey Diners were a special
source of fascination. Seinfeld credits him with his entire career and interest in humor. If you were a kid
growing up in the late 1950's thru the early 80's in the NYC area and were hip, you went to sleep every night at 10 pm listening to him
on WOR. Since my mother went to Hammond High with Shep, we'd look up his buddies like Flick in their Yearbook when he mentioned
them on the radio. He made a uncredited cameo in the now 5 star classic "The Christmas Story", he's the bearded man who chides Ralphie for
cutting in line to see Santa.
------------------------------------------------------------
Tyler Peabody McKinney: "And you was the best guy I ever seen at going behind the lines and coming back with the scalps."
...Magnum PI Episode "All For One"
If the job calls for someone to hunt down the enemy and remorselessly kill, Magnum(if he felt justified) is your man, be it in Vietnam or Hawaii.
Hence Tyler's assessment of Magnum, which a stone faced, even stricken, Magnum can't deny. That assessment could never apply to Rick and TC.
Higgins, yes, maybe that's part of his unspoken bond and shared regret with Magnum.

[Chris109]

Hi Chris,
Nope, Union College in Cranford, NJ. Shep appeared there quite a few times and yearly had a gig at the High School in Summit until
just before he passed away. By the late 80's he'd only draw 200 people there but on the other hand he spent a lot of time inter acting with the audience, it was great. He valued Jersey as a resource, it was America writ small as he termed it, Jersey Diners were a special source of fascination. Seinfeld credits him with his entire career and interest in humor. If you were a kid growing up in the late 1950's thru the early 80's in the NYC area and were hip, you went to sleep every night at 10 pm listening to him on WOR. Since my mother went to Hammond High with Shep, we'd look up his buddies like Flick in their Yearbook when he mentioned them on the radio. He made a uncredited cameo in the now 5 star classic "The Christmas Story", he's the bearded man who chides Ralphie for
cutting in line to see Santa.

[Little Garwood]

My random Rockford episode yesterday was S5's "The Empty Frame." Had a pretty good laugh from the dialogue of the comical revolutionaries. Funny how even by the 1970s, the "radical chic" of the 1960s was already a big joke. The cutting social commentary--among many other things-- in The Rockford Files and another David Chase series, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, always makes those shows worth watching. Too bad most 1980s shows didn't wickedly skewer that decade's numerous hypocrisies, but then the 1970s were a much different time (for better AND worse).