Backlash of the Hunter (27 Mar. 1974)

Jim helps a young girl who's father was murdered and LAPD has closed the case on without finding the killer.

Director:

Richard T. Heffron

Writers:

Stephen J. Cannell (teleplay), Roy Huggins (story)

Stars:

James Garner, Lindsay Wagner, William Smith

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
James Garner	...	Jim Rockford
Lindsay Wagner	...	Sara Butler
William Smith	...	Jerry Grimes
Nita Talbot	...	Mildred Elias
Joe Santos	...	Dennis Becker
Robert Donley	...	Joseph 'Rocky' Rockford
Stuart Margolin	...	Angel
Bill Mumy	...	Nick Butler
Pat Renella	...	Morrie Talbot
Michael Lerner	...	Dr. Ruben Seelman
Ted Gehring	...	Norm Mitchell
Joshua Bryant	...	Capt. Harry Dell
Bill Quinn	...	Harry Butler
Robert Williams	...	Arnold Demura (as Robert B. Williams)
Claude Johnson	...	Officer

Storyline

Private investigator Jim Rockford is hired by a beautiful young woman to solve the murder of her father, a homeless man found beneath a pier two months earlier. The killing was never solved by the police.

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Plot Keywords:

james rockford | car chase | private detective | tv series pilot

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 March 1974 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Malibu Pier, Malibu, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Roy Huggins-Public Arts Productions, Cherokee Productions, Universal TV

Technical Specs

Runtime:

72 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

4:3

Did You Know?

Trivia

Robert Donley, who played Joseph "Rocky" Rockford, only played him in this one (pilot) episode. The role subsequently went to Noah Beery Jr.

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Goofs

There are no bullet impacts in the sand during most of the strafing runs in the desert, but in a couple of the shots there is, so there should be impacts seen from most of the runs.

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Quotes

Jim Rockford: You got to be one of the dumbest looking apes I ever saw.

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Connections

Followed by The Rockford Files: If the Frame Fits... (1996)

User Reviews

And no answering machine in sight.

"The Rockford Files" was never a big ratings success, but it found its audience during its six-year run, and to this day is liked by many who watched it in first-run episodes and repeats. The pilot TV movie has all of the elements that made the series so well-remembered; James Garner's performance as wrongfully imprisoned ex-con and now private investigator Jim Rockford; the laid-back Southern California settings; his supportive-if-old-cootish dad Rocky (played here by Robert Donley instead of Noah Beery), police contact Becker and parolee friend Angel; and Stephen J. Cannell's writing (David Chase may get a lot of the credit these days because of "The Sopranos," but the fact that Cannell's best known creation is "The A-Team" overlooks his having more in his arsenal than just the four members of a crack commando unit). The mystery - a pre-Jaime Sommers Lindsay Wagner hires our hero to find out who killed her father - and the characterisation exist side by side, and if it isn't exactly hardboiled it does make you want to watch more episodes of the series. Pilots have to introduce the characters, make you want to see more of them, and tell good stories. The cast, director Richard T. Heffron, Cannell and the late Roy Huggins (aka John Thomas James) succeeded on all three counts.