This is a really great episode,the whole show just clicks along. By now,the cast and crew were familiar and comfortable with each other and they could all concentrate their efforts on doing their best at their jobs. Plenty of action,danger,and humor. The show was in it's heyday when they made this episode,in my opinion. The production,music,
pacing,acting,
direction all work together very well.
One of the very best.
7 Reviews
Angel in My Pocket
zsenorsock8 December 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Jim has lunch with his bookie, David Marcone (Vincent Baggetta) and mentions he hasn't seen Angel Martin (Stuart Margolin) in three months. David tells him Angel died--"Tomorrow, Wednesday at the latest."
Jim goes to see if he can find Angel and warn him about what he just heard--David is part of the Marcone mob family-- and finds him moving into a penthouse, flush with cash and a 60% owner of something called the Indian Head River Land Development Company. Next thing you know, someone's trying to bump off Angel and Jim's in the middle of it.
This is a really well written episode by Cannell. It has a good overall story and is full of good character and comedy moments. The scene where Jim goes golfing with Dominic Marcone (Robert Loggia, just great here) is both funny and menacing at the same time. Cannell writes another great scene between Uncle Dom and David that is full of tension, menace and implied threat. Cannell also gets away with pushing the standards and practices envelope at the time by having Angel tell Jim that David was "giving him the pole".
Garner is great both as a concerned friend and then later getting aggravated with Angel, which gets Angels response "You ain't taking this too well." It's a terrific moment.
Rockford's solution once he figures out exactly what's going on is to commit Angel to the Lynwood sanitarium which results in some very good moments as well. Very good writing. And kudos to Lawrence Doheny for bringing it all together.
Gretchen Davenport is terrific as Beth, Garner is in top form (except for some reason in the golf scene where he has his shirt unbuttoned WAY too far--its kind of odd) and Stuart Margolin is great playing Angel as "Angelo", throwing money around, then as the cowardly Angels we all know.
At this point the "Rockford Files" seemed to be firing on all eight cylinders, giving us some of the best episodes in the series.
Jim goes to see if he can find Angel and warn him about what he just heard--David is part of the Marcone mob family-- and finds him moving into a penthouse, flush with cash and a 60% owner of something called the Indian Head River Land Development Company. Next thing you know, someone's trying to bump off Angel and Jim's in the middle of it.
This is a really well written episode by Cannell. It has a good overall story and is full of good character and comedy moments. The scene where Jim goes golfing with Dominic Marcone (Robert Loggia, just great here) is both funny and menacing at the same time. Cannell writes another great scene between Uncle Dom and David that is full of tension, menace and implied threat. Cannell also gets away with pushing the standards and practices envelope at the time by having Angel tell Jim that David was "giving him the pole".
Garner is great both as a concerned friend and then later getting aggravated with Angel, which gets Angels response "You ain't taking this too well." It's a terrific moment.
Rockford's solution once he figures out exactly what's going on is to commit Angel to the Lynwood sanitarium which results in some very good moments as well. Very good writing. And kudos to Lawrence Doheny for bringing it all together.
Gretchen Davenport is terrific as Beth, Garner is in top form (except for some reason in the golf scene where he has his shirt unbuttoned WAY too far--its kind of odd) and Stuart Margolin is great playing Angel as "Angelo", throwing money around, then as the cowardly Angels we all know.
At this point the "Rockford Files" seemed to be firing on all eight cylinders, giving us some of the best episodes in the series.
Angel the mark
bkoganbing21 July 2014
This Rockford Files episode is one of those Angel's in a jackpot stories and when that happens you know he goes to his old prison buddy to bail him out. The twist here is that James Garner finds out about a planned hit on Stuart Margolin through a buddy who is in organized crime. His source is Vincent Baggetta who is bookmaker and nephew of the local Don, Robert Loggia. Baggetta's loose lips sinks the plan to have Margolin killed.
Of course Margolin is living large at an expensive hotel suite, 'partner' in some big real estate deal which is a mob scam. Gretchen Corbett explains the whole thing and I have to say it's nice to see a conman conned. Still Margolin can thank his lucky stars that he has Garner for a friend though you know he never will.
Really good Rockford Files episode, my favorite ones always involve Angel Martin.
Of course Margolin is living large at an expensive hotel suite, 'partner' in some big real estate deal which is a mob scam. Gretchen Corbett explains the whole thing and I have to say it's nice to see a conman conned. Still Margolin can thank his lucky stars that he has Garner for a friend though you know he never will.
Really good Rockford Files episode, my favorite ones always involve Angel Martin.
had a blend of everything
stones783 March 2011
This is a terrific segment of the great Rockford Files, and has many aspects, including excellent writing, which make this episode a very memorable one. It's quite surprising how this was fit into a program which lasts only an hour; on my season 3 DVD disc, it barely went 50 minutes. Without writing the entire plot, it basically revolves around Angel buying a piece of land, and the local mob wanting him out of the way. Robert Loggia is very effective playing the boss, and has a few terrific scenes with Rockford on the golf course, and another with his nephew, who is ordered to kill Angel to prove his loyalty; the nephew(forget his name at the moment)plays the nervous mobster quite well, and is good friends with Jim, and that confounds matters. They share an interesting scene in the trailer when he tells Jim he needs to kill Angel, who's stashed in Jim's bedroom, and you can tell the man is both confused and scared; there's also a small dose of Rocky and Beth, but not until the latter parts. The scenery, especially when both Jim and Angel travel in Jim's car while looking for the latter's "property", is excellent. There's something about Jim Rockford in his car cruising the roads on a warm and sunny day which I enjoy very much to watch. I highly recommend this episode if you get the chance to watch it.
Superb!
hmoika27 March 2019
As I mentioned in some review of an earlier episode, I watched this show during its first run; but only sporadically, and really only because my parents loved it.
Now I have the DVD box set, and am working my way through season 3. Drought at Indianhead River is, in my opinion, the first perfect episode. As another reviewer mentioned, the script is wonderful, tight beyond belief; the guest cast is absolutely spot on; and all of the regulars shine. Who can blame them? With a script, and direction, and guest stars such as these, how could the show go wrong?
Absolutely loved it!
Now I have the DVD box set, and am working my way through season 3. Drought at Indianhead River is, in my opinion, the first perfect episode. As another reviewer mentioned, the script is wonderful, tight beyond belief; the guest cast is absolutely spot on; and all of the regulars shine. Who can blame them? With a script, and direction, and guest stars such as these, how could the show go wrong?
Absolutely loved it!
From penthouse to sanitarium
whiteh523 July 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Outstanding episode where Jim hears about an upcoming hit on Angel and goes about trying to save his life. Angel shines once again as we first see him in a penthouse only to wind up in a sanitarium for the mentally ill. During his descent, Angel displays all the slinty eyed fear that we have come to love. He is both arrogant and clueless. Robert Loggia is great and he shows some of the flash that he displayed seven years later in the film Scarface. Other highlights include seeing James Garner display his fine golf swing, Angel yelling 'it's tough at the top', and the final 1970's freeze frame ending. Sit back, grab some snacks, and don't forget to look at all the classic cars every time there is a street scene.
One of the best.
kindofblue-782213 July 2022
This episode really rocks. It's got everything.
Angel is perfect. His observations about shrinks is spot on.
"they all speak in German and can't stop running their hands together, but I'm the one with personality problems" You said it Angel.
This story never let's up and its one of the very best. Yes its that good.
Angel is perfect. His observations about shrinks is spot on.
"they all speak in German and can't stop running their hands together, but I'm the one with personality problems" You said it Angel.
This story never let's up and its one of the very best. Yes its that good.
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