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

Creators:

Stephen J. Cannell
Roy Huggins
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Release Date:

13 September 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

The cases of an easy going private investigator.

Plot Keywords:

Malibu | Detective | Police | Trailer Home | Sting Operation

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Golden Globes. Another 7 wins & 22 nominations

Cast

James Garner	...	Jim Rockford (122 episodes, 1974-1980)
Noah Beery Jr.	...	Joseph 'Rocky' Rockford / ... (120 episodes, 1974-1980)
Joe Santos	...	Dennis Becker (111 episodes, 1974-1980)

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 (121 episodes, 1974-1980)
Meta Rosenberg	....	executive producer (121 episodes, 1974-1980)
Chas. Floyd Johnson	....	producer / associate producer / ... (103 episodes, 1975-1980)
David Chase	....	producer / supervising producer (67 episodes, 1976-1980)
John David	....	associate producer (23 episodes, 1978-1980)
J. Rickley Dumm	....	associate producer (16 episodes, 1978-1979)
William F. Phillips	....	associate producer (14 episodes, 1974-1975)
Juanita Bartlett	....	producer / supervising producer (13 episodes, 1978-1980)
Jo Swerling Jr.	....	supervising producer / associate executive producer (6 episodes, 1974-1975)
Lane Slate	....	producer (4 episodes, 1975-1976)

Series Original Music by
Pete Carpenter		(118 episodes, 1974-1980)
Mike Post		(118 episodes, 1974-1980)
Artie Kane		(2 episodes, 1974)

Series Cinematography by
Andrew Jackson		(84 episodes, 1976-1980)
Lamar Boren		(37 episodes, 1974-1976)
Steve Yaconelli		(unknown episodes)

Series Film Editing by
George R. Rohrs		(45 episodes, 1974-1979)
Diane Adler		(28 episodes, 1976-1979)
Buford F. Hayes		(20 episodes, 1974-1977)
Rod Stephens		(14 episodes, 1977-1980)
John J. Dumas		(6 episodes, 1974-1975)
I. Robert Levy		(5 episodes, 1975-1976)
John Kaufman		(3 episodes, 1975)
Fred Baratta		(2 episodes, 1974)
Edward A. Biery		(2 episodes, 1974)
Jerry Dronsky		(2 episodes, 1977)

Series Casting by
Dodie McLean		(14 episodes, 1978-1980)

Series Art Direction by
Robert Crawley Sr.		(120 episodes, 1974-1980)
Robert Luthardt		(2 episodes, 1974)

Series Set Decoration by
Robert L. Zilliox		(97 episodes, 1975-1980)
Gary Moreno		(22 episodes, 1974-1975)
Ed Baer		(2 episodes, 1975)

Series Costume Design by
Kent Warner		(33 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 (83 episodes, 1974-1978)
Zane Radney	....	unit production manager (22 episodes, 1978-1979)
Sam Freedle	....	unit production manager (11 episodes, 1979-1980)
Rowe Wallerstein	....	unit manager (4 episodes, 1976)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert Jones	....	assistant director / first assistant director (59 episodes, 1974-1979)
Clifford C. Coleman	....	assistant director / first assistant director (30 episodes, 1974-1979)
Leonard R. Garner Jr.	....	second assistant director / first assistant director (23 episodes, 1978-1980)
David Menteer	....	assistant director / first assistant director (20 episodes, 1976-1978)
Don Wilkerson	....	dga trainee (14 episodes, 1978-1979)
David L. Beanes	....	second assistant director (6 episodes, 1979-1980)
Robert J. Doherty	....	second assistant director (4 episodes, 1979)
Patrick A. Duffy	....	first assistant director (4 episodes, 1979)
Cal Naylor	....	first assistant director (3 episodes, 1979)
Jan R. Lloyd	....	first assistant director (2 episodes, 1979)
Roydon Clark	....	assistant director (unknown episodes)

Series Art Department
Craig Binkley	....	property master (68 episodes, 1974-1978)
William Fannon	....	property master (34 episodes, 1978-1980)

Series Sound Department
John R. Carter	....	sound / sound mixer (105 episodes, 1975-1980)
Walt Jenevein	....	sound effects editor (76 episodes, 1976-1980)
Thomas E. Allen	....	boom operator (22 episodes, 1979-1980)
Vic Carpenter	....	sound (13 episodes, 1974-1975)
John B. Schuyler	....	boom operator (11 episodes, 1977)
John K. Kean	....	sound (2 episodes, 1974)
Barney Cabral	....	adr editor (unknown episodes)
George E. Marshall Jr.	....	boom operator (unknown episodes)

Series Stunts
Tommy J. Huff	....	stunt driver (11 episodes, 1974-1979)
Carey Loftin	....	stunt driver (9 episodes, 1974-1978)
Larry Holt	....	stunts (4 episodes, 1974-1978)
Charlie Picerni	....	stunts (4 episodes, 1978-1979)
Jerry Brutsche	....	stunt double / stunt driver / ... (3 episodes, 1978-1980)
Craig R. Baxley	....	stunt driver (2 episodes, 1975)
Conrad E. Palmisano	....	stunt driver (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 (53 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 (88 episodes, 1974-1978)

Series Editorial Department
Richard Belding	....	editorial supervisor (43 episodes, 1974-1976)
Steve Johnson	....	colorist (23 episodes, 1974-1975)

Series Music Department
Morrie McNaughton	....	music editor (76 episodes, 1976-1980)
Hal Mooney	....	music supervisor (43 episodes, 1974-1976)
Pete Carpenter	....	composer: theme music (21 episodes, 1974-1980)
Mike Post	....	composer: theme music (21 episodes, 1974-1980)

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

Series Other crew
Juanita Bartlett	....	executive story consultant / creative consultant / ... (109 episodes, 1974-1979)
Jack Cole	....	title designer: main titles (43 episodes, 1974-1976)

Production Companies

• Roy Huggins-Public Arts Productions
• Cherokee Productions (in association with)
• Universal TV (in association with)

Distributors

• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1974-1980) (USA) (TV)
• MCA/Universal Television (1974) (USA) (TV)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1980) (USA) (VHS)
• Studios USA Television
• TV Asahi (1975-1979) (Japan) (TV)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD) (seaon one)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD) (season two)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD) (seasons three & four)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD) (season five)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) (season 6)

Other Companies

• Universal Title  titles and opticals

Also Known As:

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

Runtime:

60 min (123 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Malibu, California, USA

Company:

Roy Huggins-Public Arts Productions

Trivia:

Many first season stories were credited to "John Thomas James": that was a pen name for Roy Huggins. The name comes from the first names of Huggins' three sons.

Goofs:

Continuity: Even though Jim Rockford always drives a current model Firebird, many episodes feature stock footage shot with older models, especially in the 1975-77 seasons.

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 "Justified: Ghosts (#4.13)" (2013)

Soundtrack:

The Rockford Files

The theme song is even played at hockey games....

I remember my father watching "The Rockford Files" when it first came on the air, I was too young to remember it then, but was able to catch it on re-runs on A&E a few years back, and it is currently shown on two channels here in Canada. James Garner is the easy-going, laid back Jim Rockford. He has a big heart, yet always seems to come out on the short end of the stick. Garner does an excellent job as Rockford, and while I haven't seen much of his other work, he seems to play the same character. Some great supporting actors as well. Noah Beery as the worried father Rocky, Joe Santos as his put-upon cop buddy Dennis. One of my all-time favorite characters has to be Angel Martin, played perfectly by Stewart Margolin, the con "buddy" of Jim's. Very clever opening to each show, with the answering machine message. Obviously dated by the styles and settings, but still an excellent series that stands up well today. I'd give the series as a whole a solid 5 out of 5 stars.