"The Rockford Files" (1974) TV series 1974-1980

User Rating:

8.5/10   

Creators:

Stephen J. Cannell
Roy Huggins
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Release Date:

13 September 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

The cases of an easy going private investigator.

Plot Keywords:

Police | Detective | Answering Machine | Sting Operation | Malibu

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Golden Globes. Another 6 wins & 17 nominations

Cast

James Garner	...	Jim Rockford (122 episodes, 1974-1980)
Noah Beery Jr.	...	Joseph 'Rocky' Rockford #2 / ... (121 episodes, 1974-1980)
Joe Santos	...	Police Det. Dennis Becker / ... (109 episodes, 1974-1980)

(more)

Series Directed by
William Wiard		(28 episodes, 1975-1979)
Lawrence Doheny		(12 episodes, 1974-1976)
Ivan Dixon		(9 episodes, 1975-1979)
Jerry London		(8 episodes, 1974-1977)
Russ Mayberry		(7 episodes, 1974-1977)
Reza Badiyi		(7 episodes, 1977-1979)
Meta Rosenberg		(6 episodes, 1976-1978)
Lou Antonio		(5 episodes, 1974-1976)
Jackie Cooper		(5 episodes, 1975-1976)
Jeannot Szwarc		(3 episodes, 1975-1977)
Stephen J. Cannell		(3 episodes, 1977-1979)
Corey Allen		(3 episodes, 1978-1979)
Stuart Margolin		(2 episodes, 1974-1977)
Alexander Grasshoff		(2 episodes, 1974)
Harry Falk		(2 episodes, 1978)
Arnold Laven		(2 episodes, 1978)
John Patterson		(2 episodes, 1979)
Lawrence Dobkin		(unknown episodes)

Series Writing credits
Stephen J. Cannell		(122 episodes, 1974-1980)
Roy Huggins		(122 episodes, 1974-1980)
Juanita Bartlett		(35 episodes, 1974-1979)
David Chase		(20 episodes, 1976-1979)
Gordon T. Dawson		(9 episodes, 1975-1979)
Rudolph Borchert		(5 episodes, 1975-1980)
Chas. Floyd Johnson		(4 episodes, 1975-1978)
Don Carlos Dunaway		(4 episodes, 1975-1976)
Edward J. Lakso		(4 episodes, 1975-1976)
Lester Wm. Berke		(3 episodes, 1976-1980)
Donald L. Gold		(3 episodes, 1976-1980)
Walter Dallenbach		(2 episodes, 1976)
James Crocker		(2 episodes, 1977-1978)
William R. Stratton		(2 episodes, 1977)
David Taylor		(2 episodes, 1977)
Rogers Turrentine		(2 episodes, 1979)
Marshall Lindemann		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Stephen J. Cannell	....	supervising producer / producer (107 episodes, 1974-1979)
Meta Rosenberg	....	executive producer (107 episodes, 1974-1979)
Chas. Floyd Johnson	....	producer / associate producer / ... (86 episodes, 1975-1980)
David Chase	....	producer / supervising producer (63 episodes, 1976-1980)
John David	....	associate producer (18 episodes, 1978-1980)
J. Rickley Dumm	....	associate producer (16 episodes, 1978-1979)
William F. Phillips	....	associate producer (12 episodes, 1974-1975)
Juanita Bartlett	....	producer / supervising producer (10 episodes, 1978-1979)
Jo Swerling Jr.	....	supervising producer / associate executive producer (6 episodes, 1974-1975)
Lane Slate	....	producer (3 episodes, 1975-1976)

Series Original Music by
Pete Carpenter		(105 episodes, 1974-1980)
Mike Post		(105 episodes, 1974-1980)
Artie Kane		(2 episodes, 1974)
Dick DeBenedictis		(unknown episodes)

Series Cinematography by
Andrew Jackson		(77 episodes, 1976-1980)
Lamar Boren		(29 episodes, 1974-1976)
Steve Yaconelli		(unknown episodes)

Series Film Editing by
George R. Rohrs		(37 episodes, 1974-1979)
Diane Adler		(26 episodes, 1976-1979)
Buford F. Hayes		(16 episodes, 1974-1977)
Rod Stephens		(14 episodes, 1977-1980)
John J. Dumas		(7 episodes, 1974-1975)
I. Robert Levy		(4 episodes, 1975-1976)
Fred Baratta		(2 episodes, 1974)
Edward A. Biery		(2 episodes, 1974)
Jerry Dronsky		(2 episodes, 1977)
John Kaufman		(unknown episodes)

Series Casting by
Dodie McLean		(1 episode, 1978)

Series Art Direction by
Robert Crawley Sr.		(100 episodes, 1974-1980)
Robert Luthardt		(2 episodes, 1974)

Series Set Decoration by
Robert L. Zilliox		(85 episodes, 1975-1980)
Gary Moreno		(10 episodes, 1974-1975)

Series Costume Design by
Charles Waldo		(37 episodes, 1974-1978)
Kent Warner		(29 episodes, 1978-1980)

Series Makeup Department
Dave Grayson	....	makeup artist (unknown episodes)
Allen Payne	....	hair department head (unknown episodes)

Series Production Management
Lester Wm. Berke	....	unit manager (63 episodes, 1974-1978)
Zane Radney	....	unit production manager (19 episodes, 1978-1979)
Rowe Wallerstein	....	unit manager (4 episodes, 1976)
Sam Freedle	....	unit production manager (unknown episodes, 1979-1980)
Bill Carroll	....	unit production manager (unknown episodes, 1979)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert Jones	....	assistant director / first assistant director (44 episodes, 1974-1979)
David Menteer	....	assistant director / first assistant director (20 episodes, 1976-1978)
Leonard R. Garner Jr.	....	second assistant director (19 episodes, 1978-1980)
Clifford C. Coleman	....	assistant director (16 episodes, 1974-1977)
Patrick A. Duffy	....	first assistant director (2 episodes, 1979)
Jan R. Lloyd	....	first assistant director (2 episodes, 1979)
David L. Beanes	....	second assistant director (unknown episodes)
Lamar Card	....	assistant director (unknown episodes)
Roydon Clark	....	assistant director (unknown episodes)
Michael J. Kane	....	first assistant director (unknown episodes)
Cal Naylor	....	first assistant director (unknown episodes)
Reuben L. Watt	....	second assistant director (unknown episodes)

Series Art Department
Craig Binkley	....	property master (68 episodes, 1974-1978)

Series Sound Department
John R. Carter	....	sound / sound mixer (82 episodes, 1975-1979)
Walt Jenevein	....	sound effects editor (65 episodes, 1976-1979)
John B. Schuyler	....	boom operator (11 episodes, 1977)
Vic Carpenter	....	sound (8 episodes, 1974-1975)
Barney Cabral	....	adr editor (unknown episodes)
Albert D. Cuesta	....	sound (unknown episodes)
George E. Marshall Jr.	....	boom operator (unknown episodes)

Series Stunts
Larry Holt	....	stunts (4 episodes, 1974-1978)
Jerry Brutsche	....	stunt double / stunt driver / ... (3 episodes, 1978-1980)
Conrad E. Palmisano	....	stunt driver (2 episodes, 1978)
Charlie Picerni	....	stunts (2 episodes, 1978)
May Boss	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Steven Burnett	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Mickey Caruso	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Roydon Clark	....	stunt coordinator (unknown episodes)
Jean Coulter	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Jeannie Epper	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Bob Herron	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Regina Parton	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Rick Sawaya	....	stunt double (unknown episodes)
Dick Warlock	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
James Winburn	....	stunts (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Charles R. Young	....	camera operator (55 episodes, 1977-1980)
Earl C. Williman	....	lamp operator (23 episodes, 1974-1975)
Howard Block	....	camera operator (unknown episodes)
Reggie Newkirk	....	key first assistant camera (unknown episodes)
Steve Yaconelli	....	camera operator (unknown episodes)

Series Casting Department
Dodie McLean	....	casting (18 episodes, 1978-1979)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Charles Waldo	....	costumes / costumes: women (26 episodes, 1974-1976)

Series Editorial Department
Richard Belding	....	editorial supervision / editorial supervisor (23 episodes, 1974-1976)
Steve Johnson	....	colorist (23 episodes, 1974-1975)

Series Music Department
Morrie McNaughton	....	music editor (72 episodes, 1976-1980)
Hal Mooney	....	music supervision (20 episodes, 1974-1976)
Pete Carpenter	....	composer: theme music (8 episodes, 1974-1980)
Mike Post	....	composer: theme music (8 episodes, 1974-1980)

Series Transportation Department
Chris Haynes	....	production driver / driver (17 episodes, 1976-1979)
Frank Khoury	....	driver (10 episodes, 1974)

Series Other crew
Juanita Bartlett	....	executive story consultant / creative consultant / ... (90 episodes, 1974-1979)
Jack Cole	....	main title design / title designer: main titles (24 episodes, 1974-1977)

Production Companies

• Cherokee Productions
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC)
• Roy Huggins-Public Arts Productions
• Universal TV

Distributors

• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1974-1980) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• MCA/Universal Television (1974) (USA) (TV)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1980) (USA) (VHS)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Cherokee Productions
• Public Arts/Roy Huggins Productions
• Studios USA Television
• TV Asahi (1975-1979) (Japan) (TV)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) (season 6)

Also Known As:

"Jim Rockford, Private Investigator" (USA) (syndication title)

Runtime:

60 min (123 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company:

Cherokee Productions

Trivia:

David Chase, a writer/producer for "Rockford," went on to create "The Sopranos" (1999). An episode from "The Sopranos" first season shows a scene in a retirement home where the inhabitants are watching television. We can't see what they're watching but we can hear the theme to "Rockford" playing clearly.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Throughout the series, the Los Angeles Police Department responds to calls at Rockford's trailer in Malibu although it is not part of their jurisdiction. The Los Angeles County Sheriff would be the proper agency.

Quotes:

Jim Rockford: What's wrong?
Joseph 'Rocky' Rockford: I am THROUGH talking to you! Look at you, an inch or two to the right and you'd be missing that eye!
Jim Rockford: Yeah, but look at it this way, an inch or two to the left and he'd have missed me completely.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Mitchell (#6.12)" (1993)

Soundtrack:

The Rockford Files

Reality Private Investigating

This show destroyed the Private Detective show formula.

At the time, most TV PI's had cutie pie secretaries (Mannix' secretary Gail and Barnaby Jones' ex Miss America Lee Meriweather in particular), Jim Rockford had an answering machine...

All TV PI's had nice offices with dark wood paneling, Rockford's office was the living room of his decaying mobile home parked in the lot outside a diner...

It took at least 3 guys fighting dirty to subdue the average TV PI, even short, fat, aging Cannon. Jimmy was always the one getting his head handed to him unless he figured a way to sucker punch his opponent...

At the climax, other TV PI's would pull their guns, shoot it out with the baddies and save the day. Rockford's gun, often as not was still at home in his cookie jar...

TV PI's always had a friend on the police force who would gladly do favors, looking up DMV records, etc. Rockford's friend on the force was always getting in trouble for even knowing Rockford. The Captains & Lieutenants on the force universally viewed Jim as low life scum & not worth the time of day...

The average detective would go about his business, assembling clues to solve this weeks mystery. That is the way it was with Rockford except that he was always dealing with hustlers, con men, ex-convicts and the occasional ex-girlfriends, every one of whose purpose in life seemed to be the bedevilment and aggravation of Jim Rockford. Not to mention the recurring role of Jim's dad Rocky (deftly played by that Trojan actor, Noah Beery) who was always after Jim to give up PIing and do something "respectable" like truck driving.

When this show appeared on TV, every other PI looked dull and one by one they disappeared as they lost ground in the ratings.

This is also the show that put Steven J Cannell on the map. Nothing that he ever did subsequently equaled this. In fact most of it was crappy formula detective shows.

The Rockford Files is the REAL DEAL!

Simon Sez, CHECK IT OUT!