The Genius Of James Garner

Nobody did laid-back cool quite like the great James Garner. An underrated star, Garner was probably the first person to move effortlessly between movies and television – something he often did over the course of his career.

Maverick, The Great Escape, Grand Prix, The Rockford Files and The Notebook are just a few of his popular titles, but they’re only the tip of the iceberg. Delve deep and you’ll find treasure trove of films like Move Over Darling, Duel At Diablo, The Americanisation Of Emily, 36 Hours, Up Periscope, Marlow, Hour Of The Gun and Twilight – and those are just a few of the gems. Garner was also a hero off-screen, having been awarded a Purple Heart for injuries received during the Korean War.

The Rockford Files was probably Garner’s greatest screen achievement. Created by Roy Huggins and Stephen J. Cannell, the show ran on NBC from 1974-1980, and it featured a catchy tune by Mike Post and Pete Carpenter. What is interesting about The Rockford Files’ run on television was that it wasn’t cancelled due to poor ratings, but because of star James Garner’s poor health. However, Garner did return to the role for a series of television movies in the mid 90s.