Before I write a single word, I should disclose that I have been a fan of James Garner’s work since I was a little kid. I used to watch “The Rockford Files” with my own Jim, my father, every week, unfailingly trying to guess the storyline, before it would unfold on NBC. We never could get ahead of the show’s clever writers. But we tried.
We would also (I can’t believe I’m admitting this publicly) speak out loud, along with the answering machine that picked up at the start of every episode: This is Jim Rockford. At the tone leave your name and message, I’ll get back to you. Hey, this was new technology, back then. For my father and I, this was a form of early rap. We were excited.
But most of all, we loved the characters. I loved Angel (played by Stuart Margolin, who also directed a lot of the time). My dad loved Gandolph Fitch (played by Isaac Hayes). My dog is now named Gandolph Fitch, in honor of that character. And together, Dad and I both shared a love of Garner’s character, Jim Rockford. I mean, who can’t get behind an ex-con, private eye who never sees a payday and never fires his gun?
I should also disclose that I am good friends with Jim Garner’s daughter, Gigi Garner, though this is quite by coincidence. In fact, some time went by before I made the connection. After all, California is a big place, I am far from a celebrity seeker, and Garner is hardly an uncommon name (though I will admit now that I was more than a bit tickled when I figured it all out).
These two factors make me a more critical reader, however, than not. I have countless friends who written every variety of book — memoirs, novels, exposés, histories and even sexual how-to guides (I am not making that last one up). Some of these works have been outstanding. Most have not. Which leaves me in the rather uncomfortable position of telling folks the truth. Because I refuse to do otherwise.
I have also had occasion, in my line of work, to meet many of my Hollywood heroes and it is, more often than not, a disappointment. They turn out to be too short, too skinny, too full of themselves, too stupid for a meaningful conversation, too famous for any real intimacy or simply trying too hard to live up to their larger-than-life image. I have been pleasantly surprised by some — character actors, or those superstars whom I have been least excited to meet.
James Garner would not be among those. He is as far from a character actor as they come. Garner is one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, with longevity to rival Eastwood and Redford. He has always had the easy good looks of a man who is not vain (for precisely that reason). He has been willing to change with the times, where other actors simply fall out of our consciousness.
As for being excited to meet him, I have deliberately avoided it, precisely because James Garner stands at the very top of my list of Hollywood icons. And I am one of those rare Americans who doesn’t much get excited about celebrities. There aren’t many people on my list.
So when it was time to review his newly published book “The Garner Files,” I cringed, fearful that yet again I would be disappointed. And that, if I was, I would have to tell the truth about it. I would rather watch “Maverick” and “The Rockford Files” (my father-in-law and I actually own all 122 episodes, between us) or download “The Americanization of Emily” from NetFlix, take in Garner’s cool charm and leave the rest of his personal storyline to my imagination.
Wouldn’t you?
Well, don’t. Because if you do, you will miss a memoir of honesty and depth — the story of Hollywood’s Golden Age told with grace and clarity. These days, when things are dreary and downtrodden, it is lovely to be carried back to a time of style and romance. My kids actually go out and walk the streets in their pajamas; I’ve been known to do it too. But Garner takes us back to a time — not so long ago – when men were men and women were both glamorous and tough.
I like the way he writes about the women in his life. His daughters, his wife, but also his co-stars, Rita Moreno, Mariette Hartley and Julie Andrews, who, in turn, writes a heartfelt introduction to the book. These are the women who inspired me in my girlhood, and they clearly inspired Jim Garner, too. And why not? These were women who didn’t get all bent out of shape if a man held the door for them, because there were bigger issues worth fighting over and for.
In fact and surprisingly, the most moving part of the book (and there are many) is the chapter entitled simply “Politics.” Garner, it turns out, is cut from the celebrity cloth of “Do Something” rather than the other more familiar swatch: “Lay Low Lest Political Action Hurt Me At The Box Office.” This dichotomy still exists, though now celebrities are more skilled at selecting safe pet causes to avoid seeming self-absorbed.
And, to be fair, the world is more complicated. In Garner’s day, the choices were presented starkly — literally, in black and white (Garner walked hand in hand with the entertainer Diahann Carroll at the civil-rights landmark March on Washington, August 28, 1963). Garner he made the courageous choice, every time.
Garner also served his country: He served 14 months in the Korean War in the US Army and was wounded twice, for which he was twice awarded the Purple Heart.
As I was writing this review, my hairdresser — a strong, handsome, straight, African-American fifty-something man — looked down at the book jacket and immediately recognized Jim Garner. I mentioned all those traits above to emphasize Garner’s cross-over appeal.
“Hey,” he exclaimed, “That’s James Garner! “The Rockford Files.” I used to love that show! … And 'Maverick…'”
He trailed off, remembering the good old days.
Then he said, “They just don’t make ‘em like that anymore.”
And he was right.
Jami Floyd is a nationally renowned anchor for cable and network news. After a successful career in law and politics, Ms. Floyd’s professional path turned to television when she was asked to serve as a legal analyst for KPIX-TV in San Francisco. She subsequently became an anchor and correspondent for ABC News, and co-anchored "World News Now" and the "Early Morning News." Ms. Floyd was named Law & Justice Correspondent from 1999 to 2001, and was the youngest person ever to serve in the position. In 2005, she left for Court TV and until 2010 hosted "Jami Floyd: Best Defense," a live news, political and legal talk show that aired daily on Court TV.
Since 2010, Ms. Floyd has served as a guest host on WNYC, where she also appears as a legal analyst. She is regular contributor to the WNYC website “It’s a Free Country,” and the PBS website “Need to Know.” Ms. Floyd also appears regularly, as a political and legal analyst, on MSNBC. In June 2011, Ms. Floyd was named Managing Editor of "The Global Game World Report," the weekly news, politics and sports tip sheet, to which she also contributes as Chief National Correspondent.
