Rockford Files Season 4

James Garner's laconic charm as Jim Rockford kept us coming back week after week and finally won him an Emmy in 1977. Garner, who would have been a star in any era, and sometimes seemed as if he would have fit more into films of the 1940's, finally found the perfect role on television as Jim Rockford. He was an ex-con given a full pardon when it was discovered he was innocent after all. Working as a P.I. and parking his gold Firebird in front of his trailor on the L.A. beach, Rockford could never quite shake the ex-con tag, nor could he shake his old cellmate, Evelyn "Angel" Martin.

Stuart Margolin was simply fantastic as the scheming Angel, always with an angle, and always certain to get Rockford into trouble when it backfired. Like Rockford, you just couldn't stay mad at Angel, no matter what con had blown up in his face or how much trouble he would get our favorite TV detective in from time to time. Rockford and Angel remained friends because of that unspoken bond all ex-cons have, and because deep down, Angel was a stand-up guy, though you couldn't always tell it from looking at the surface.

Noah Beery Jr. portrayed Rockford's lovable dad, Rocky. Rocky was a retired trucker who loved to fish, and passed on the hobby to Jim. It was the little moments like fishing that were really the heart and soul of this show when you stop to think about it. There were always a few slice-of-life moments mingled in with the great car chases, glorious con games, and other assorted mischief, as Rockford tried to solve a closed case and stay out of jail at the same time. Some weeks he was just trying to stay alive. Rocky would always give Jim that "look" if he had to come post bail.

Joe Santos was Rockford's often exasperated police pal, Dennis Becker. He was the buffer between Rockford and Becker's superiors, who hated Rockford and wanted any excuse to pull his P.I. license. Becker was a pal, but could only do so much for Jim as he had to stay out of hot water himself. He had a wife and kids to support, and for some strange reason, that sometimes took priority over helping Rockford out of a complicated jam.

Last, but by no means least, was Gretchen Corbett as lawyer Beth Davenport. The relationship between she and Rockford was complicated. They both had a deep affection for each other, which was sometimes complicated by the attorney-client relationship. Her efforts to keep Jim out of trouble with the cops took up a lot of her time. There was a romance of sorts between the two, but it never matured into something that would lead to marriage.

There were always solid guest stars, but it was Garner and his weekly regulars which made the show what it was. Stephen J. Cannell and Roy Huggins created this wonderful series and Juanita Bartlett wrote some of the finest scripts ever done for television. James Garner was absolutely perfect as Jim Rockford, and it has become difficult as the years have passed to separate the two in our minds.

Garner was, and is, a great actor and screen presence who made everything look easy. This was a terrific show and one of the best ever to be beamed into our homes once a week. Everyone loved "The Rockford Files" and couldn't wait to hear Mike Post's great theme music each week. It was recorded and turned into a huge radio hit and launched his career.

For a fourth season, we will get to listen to all those crazy messages left on Jim Rockford's answering machine. Fans never missed the opening of the show because a smile or a good laugh might be missed. You don't want to miss it either.

"This is Jim Rockford. At the tone, leave your name and message and I'll get back to you."

You can't go wrong with Jim Rockford. Season four is another great installment that has all 21 episodes. Unfortunately, it's the last season that has Beth Davenport (Gretchen Corbett). The remaining cast is excellent: Rocky (Noah Beery, Jr.), Dennis Becker (Joe Santos) & the slimeball Angel (Stuart Margolin).

The set opens with "Beamer's Last Case" that guest stars James Whitmore, Jr. (Beamer). Beamer is just a mechanic's gopher who steals Rockford's identity.
"Second Chance" brings back Gandolph "Gandy" Fitch (Isaac Hayes). Gandy has fallen in love with a singer, Theda Best (Dionne Warwick) who has a shady past & a shady husband who's just been released from prison.
"The Dog & Pony Show" has Jim helping a former mental patient.
"Irving the Explainer" is one of the most unique episodes of The Rockford Files. It's directed by James Coburn who elicits some unusual nuances in the Rockford character. This episode is a matter of taste to many Rockford fans.
"The Mayor's Committee From Deer Lick Falls" is directed by Ivan Dixon (Hogan's Heroes). Jim gets involved with four businessmen who wish to commission him in murdering Lauren Ingeborg (Priscilla Barnes of Three's Company's latter days).
"Hotel of Fear" features Angel who has witnessed a murder by a hit man. It's hilarious watching him putting Lt. Chapman (James Luisi) through the hoops.
"Forced Retirement" has Larry Hagman as guest star. Jim is hired to investigate the Minerva Project by Beth.
"The Attractive Nuisance" finds Rocky opening a restaurant with a friend who has an unknown shady past.
"The Gang at Don's Drive-In" guest stars Anthony Zerbe as an old friend of Jim's who will do anything to write another best seller. The running gag of the episode is no one seems to have read past chapter four of "Free Fall to Ecstasy".
"The Paper Palace" has Rita Moreno guest starring as a prostitute who's being stalked.
"Dwarf in a Helium Hat" finds Jim getting involved in a case after he receives a death threat by phone, the thing is it's not Jim being threatened, the caller has called the wrong number. Rick Springfield has a featured role in the episode.
"South by Southeast" has Jim misidentified by the F.B.I. & sent to Mexico to handle a delicate situation.
"The House on Willis Avenue" is a two part episode that features the P.I., Richie Brockleman (Dennis Dugan), who would later be the star of a short lived series starring the same character. Guest stars include Jackie Cooper, Howard Hesseman (WKRP in Cincinnati) & Simon Oakland.

There's a bonus episode from Season five but is that really a bonus? There's also a featurette that names the 10 greatest American detectives from film & television according to an online fan vote. It's nothing more than an advertisement for another cable channel.

One other thing: The subtitles are not completely accurate, there are many instances where the captioning doesn't match the dialog, sometimes with significant differences.

Hard to digest the fact that this is coming out so close to the release of Season 3 (which I just reviewed!) Anyway, I have seen some of these eps on my local TV and the dvd set isn't out yet but I suspect the quality will be as top notch as the previous seasons. What I wanted to weigh in on is the brillance behind the show. How they continuously and yet CREDIBLY (very important) got Jim Rockford into trouble each week is nothing short of amazing... and when I hear Angel Martins quivering voice, no matter what is being said I HAVE to laugh. BRILLIANT! Throw in Becker and Joseph Rockford and you've got a bonafide hit... and of course I saved the "Beth" for last:) Gretchen Corbett my heart is still yours after all these years:)~

TV will never be better than the Rockford Files, and I have to commend Universal on releasing these seasons so quickly, with BEAUTIFUL artwork, and on single sided non-freezing discs... now can you redo the A-Team with similar quality control?? Charging people for discs that play 2 out of 6 episodes should be a crime even Beth couldn't bail you out of. Now, release Season 5 next month:)

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 34 reviews  4.8 out of 5 stars