The Rockford Files (TV Series)

Nice Guys Finish Dead (1979)

James Garner: Jim Rockford

Photos 

Quotes 

• Jim Rockford : Freddy, lemme tell ya somethin', Freddy. There's one thing you never do: you never say "put 'em up." You smile at the guy, then sucker-punch him.

• Lance White : Maybe we should forget about lunch and follow up a lead or something?

  Jim Rockford : Which lead did you have in mind, Lance?

  Lance White : We don't have one, Jim.

  Jim Rockford : [laughing]  Then I guess it would be hard to follow up then, huh?

  Lance White : C'mon, you and I both know that when you need a lead one always shows up. That's the way it works.

  Jim Rockford : [Frustrated]  No, it never just shows up, Lance. Never. Watch my lips: NEV - VER.

  Freddie Beamer : Hey guys, look at this.

  [He gives Rockford a picture] 

  Jim Rockford : What's that?

  Freddie Beamer : I found this last night with the Senator. It was in his hand.

  Jim Rockford : [Disbelievingly]  Sure it was.

  Freddie Beamer : Yeah, I put it in my pocket and forgot about it.

  Lance White : This could be the lead we've been waiting for, Jim.

  Jim Rockford : Wait, wait, wait a minute, let me get this straight.; ten seconds ago we had no leads - nothing, huh?

  Lance White : That's right.

  Jim Rockford : And now Beamer pulls this picture of a band leader or something out of his pocket and says it was in the dead man's hand, and then he tells us it's been in his coat for 18 hours, and it shows up right now when we need it?

  Lance White : That's exactly right, Jim. What's the problem?

  Jim Rockford : Oh, no problem. No, no problem at all. I just want to get it straight. I may want to tell an analyst.

  [Turns and walks away] 

• Jim Rockford : This is Jim Rockford. At the tone leave your name and message, I'll get back to you.

  Frank : [beeep]  Jim, Frank. I put a new outlet in the kitchen. I lay in the cable and the box, then I pulled the breaker, just like you said, and both of my TV sets start burning. What do I do now?

• Jim Rockford : A state senator and a bus driver? What's the connection?

  Lance White : Some things you just have to accept. You know, this is just a hunch, Jim, but I think the bus driver had something on the senator. Maybe the senator was having an affair with the bus driver's wife?

  Jim Rockford : And just where did that come from?

  Lance White : Hunches don't come from any place, Jim, they're just hunches. That's how we solve our cases. We get hunches, they turn out to be right, and the case gets solved. Gee, I don't know how you survive as a private investigator, Jim. You don't seem to know any of this stuff.