- DIRTY MONEY, WHITE LIGHT
Original Air Date: April 1, 1977
Synopsis. Beth hires Jim to find a woman who allegedly could clear her client, pro football player Davey Woodhull, of first-degree murder charges. Meanwhile, just as Woodhull’s trial begins, Beth is harassed by crank phone calls, stalkings, and a series of sexually explicit gifts sent to her through the mail. When Woodhull’s mystery woman is murdered shortly after Rockford locates her, Jim suspects Woodhull of masterminding an insidious scheme that covers all bets in case he’s convicted—by showing that Beth was distracted, Woodhull could appeal on the basis that she could not render an effective defense. Rockford must prove that Woodhull orchestrated the harassment. The second of two episodes directed by Stuart Margolin, “Dirty Money, Black Light” features some very effective P.O.V. shots. For example, the sequence where Angel is being questioned by the two federal agents is shot from Angel’s perspective: the agents are filmed with the camera tilted slightly upward, as if the viewers are looking at the agents from where Angel is seated. Also, because Angel speaks quickly and acts very nervously throughout this scene, the camera frequently cuts back and forth from one agent to the other.
LEARN MORE about this episode in the revised third edition of 45 YEARS OF THE ROCKFORD FILES, featuring more than sixty new pages of never before published information about both the original Rockford Files and the CBS reunion movies, including twenty new interviews and six new appendices. 25 percent of the net proceeds from the sales of 45 YEARS OF THE ROCKFORD FILES will be donated to The James Garner Animal Rescue Fund, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising funds to help rescue organizations, shelters, individuals, fosters, and veterans with emergencies, evacuations, medical care, adoptions, training, pet supplies, shelter, rehabilitation, boarding, transportation, food, and other pressing needs. JGARF is one way for Garner fans to honor Jim’s memory and extend his legacy. Plus… if you order 45 YEARS OF THE ROCKFORD FILES directly from Black Pawn Press, you will receive an exclusive bonus gift. Go to Rockford45.com for more details.
Ed Robertson
Author ● Journalist ● Radio Host ● Collaborative Writer
Roy Huggins
This date in MAVERICK TV History: Claude Akins guest stars in “Burial Ground of the Gods,” airing Mar. 30, 1958
- BURIAL GROUND OF THE GODS
Original Airdate: March 30, 1958
Synopsis. Bart hunts down Paisley Briggs, a scoundrel who robbed our hero of $850. Maverick’s search leads him to the Waconda Mountains in Wyoming, where Briggs attempts to pull off a $5,000 fraud involving the whereabouts of escaped convict Philip Stanton.
Claude Akins stars as Paisley Briggs in this episode, which also introduces the Pappyism “Flattery is like perfume—smell it, but don’t swallow it.”
LEARN MORE about this episode in the revised third edition of Maverick: Legend of the West, featuring more than 100 pages of new information about the show that made James Garner a star. 25 percent of the net proceeds from the sales of the third edition will be donated to The James Garner Animal Rescue Fund, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising funds to help rescue organizations, shelters, individuals, fosters, and veterans with emergencies, evacuations, medical care, adoptions, training, pet supplies, shelter, rehabilitation, boarding, transportation, food, and other pressing needs. JGARF is one way for Garner fans to honor Jim’s memory and extend his legacy. The revised third edition of Maverick: Legend of the West is available both in softcover and, very soon, as an eBook through Black Pawn Press, Amazon.com, and wherever books are sold online.
This date in MAVERICK TV History: William Schallert and Peggy King guest star in “The Strange Journey of Jenny Hill,” airing Mar. 29, 1959
- THE STRANGE JOURNEY OF JENNY HILL
Original Airdate: March 29, 1959
Synopsis. Bret’s effort to clear Mike McComb of a murder charge becomes complicated when he falls in love with saloon singer Jenny Hill.
The final episode produced by Roy Huggins, “The Strange of Jenny Hill” features singer/actress Peggy King (The George Gobel Show) and longtime character actor William Schallert (The Patty Duke Show, Get Smart, Dobie Gillis).
LEARN MORE about this episode in the revised third edition of Maverick: Legend of the West, featuring more than 100 pages of new information about the show that made James Garner a star. 25 percent of the net proceeds from the sales of the third edition will be donated to The James Garner Animal Rescue Fund, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising funds to help rescue organizations, shelters, individuals, fosters, and veterans with emergencies, evacuations, medical care, adoptions, training, pet supplies, shelter, rehabilitation, boarding, transportation, food, and other pressing needs. JGARF is one way for Garner fans to honor Jim’s memory and extend his legacy. The revised third edition of Maverick: Legend of the West is available both in softcover and, very soon, as an eBook through Black Pawn Press, Amazon.com, and wherever books are sold online.
This date in ROCKFORD FILES history: Lindsay Wagner, Bill Mumy, Nita Talbot, and William Smith star in “The Rockford Files,” the 90-minute pilot for the classic TV series, airing Mar. 27, 1974. LEARN MORE in 45 YEARS OF THE ROCKFORD FILES, available in softcover paperback and now as an eBook through Black Pawn Press
JAMES GARNER
in
THE ROCKFORD FILES
An NBC World Premiere Movie
Original Air Date: March 27, 1974
Synopsis. Rockford reluctantly agrees to investigate the death of Harvey Butler, an elderly derelict whose body was found beneath the Santa Monica pier two months ago. (Although the police consider the case unsolvable, Butler was strangled to death by a man named Jerry Grimes, a karate expert with a mean streak.) Butler’s daughter Sara (played by Lindsay Wagner) thinks there’s a connection between her father’s death and socialite Mildred Elias (Nita Talbot), who has been putting Sara’s brother, Nick (Bill Mumy) through medical school. Although his initial investigation leads him nowhere, Rockford becomes curious when he discovers Grimes tailing him shortly after the private eye interrogates Mildred Elias.
The sequence in which Rockford literally upends Jerry Grimes (William Smith) not only demonstrates how Rockford will often use elemental means to work his way out of trouble, it also showcases the character’s droll sense of humor. It’s an important scene that encapsulates what The Rockford Files is all about. As is the case with many of the other staples of the series, the development of that sequence was the collaborative effort of Roy Huggins and Stephen J. Cannell.
LEARN MORE about this episode in the revised third edition of 45 YEARS OF THE ROCKFORD FILES, featuring more than sixty new pages of never before published information about both the original Rockford Files and the CBS reunion movies, including twenty new interviews and six new appendices. 25 percent of the net proceeds from the sales of 45 YEARS OF THE ROCKFORD FILES will be donated to The James Garner Animal Rescue Fund, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising funds to help rescue organizations, shelters, individuals, fosters, and veterans with emergencies, evacuations, medical care, adoptions, training, pet supplies, shelter, rehabilitation, boarding, transportation, food, and other pressing needs. JGARF is one way for Garner fans to honor Jim’s memory and extend his legacy. Plus… if you order 45 YEARS OF THE ROCKFORD FILES directly from Black Pawn Press, you will receive an exclusive bonus gift. Go to Rockford45.com for more details.
This date in MAVERICK TV History: “The Forbidden City,” the episode that introduced Robert Colbert as Brent Maverick, aired on Mar. 26, 1961
- THE FORBIDDEN CITY
Original Airdate: March 26, 1961
Synopsis. The first of Robert Colbert’s two appearances as Brent Maverick, Bret and Bart’s younger brother.
Little is known about young Brent Maverick, the “other brother” who came and went after only two appearances. Whatever background Brent may have, it can’t be anywhere nearly as interesting as that of the actor who played him. The path that led Robert Colbert to film and television—and, eventually, Warner Bros.—is a remarkable story in which a radio commercial, a poem, and actor Mickey Shaughnessy all play pivotal parts.
LEARN MORE about this episode in the revised third edition of Maverick: Legend of the West, featuring more than 100 pages of new information about the show that made James Garner a star. 25 percent of the net proceeds from the sales of the third edition will be donated to The James Garner Animal Rescue Fund, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising funds to help rescue organizations, shelters, individuals, fosters, and veterans with emergencies, evacuations, medical care, adoptions, training, pet supplies, shelter, rehabilitation, boarding, transportation, food, and other pressing needs. JGARF is one way for Garner fans to honor Jim’s memory and extend his legacy. The revised third edition of Maverick: Legend of the West is available both in softcover and, very soon, as an eBook through Black Pawn Press, Amazon.com, and wherever books are sold online.
This date in ROCKFORD FILES history: Joseph Mascolo and Conchata Farrell star in “Crack Back,” airing Mar. 25, 1977. LEARN MORE about this episode in 45 YEARS OF THE ROCKFORD FILES, available in softcover paperback and now as an eBook through Black Pawn Press
- CRACK BACK
Original Air Date: March 25, 1977
Synopsis. Beth hires Jim to find a woman who allegedly could clear her client, pro football player Davey Woodhull, of first-degree murder charges. Meanwhile, just as Woodhull’s trial begins, Beth is harassed by crank phone calls, stalkings, and a series of sexually explicit gifts sent to her through the mail. When Woodhull’s mystery woman is murdered shortly after Rockford locates her, Jim suspects Woodhull of masterminding an insidious scheme that covers all bets in case he’s convicted—by showing that Beth was distracted, Woodhull could appeal on the basis that she could not render an effective defense. Rockford must prove that Woodhull orchestrated the harassment.We mentioned earlier that James Garner was an avid fan of the NFL’s Oakland Raiders. As a teenager, he played linebacker and punter for Norman High School in Norman, Oklahoma.LEARN MORE about this episode in the revised third edition of 45 YEARS OF THE ROCKFORD FILES, featuring more than sixty new pages of never before published information about both the original Rockford Files and the CBS reunion movies, including twenty new interviews and six new appendices. 25 percent of the net proceeds from the sales of 45 YEARS OF THE ROCKFORD FILES will be donated to The James Garner Animal Rescue Fund, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising funds to help rescue organizations, shelters, individuals, fosters, and veterans with emergencies, evacuations, medical care, adoptions, training, pet supplies, shelter, rehabilitation, boarding, transportation, food, and other pressing needs. JGARF is one way for Garner fans to honor Jim’s memory and extend his legacy. Plus… if you order 45 YEARS OF THE ROCKFORD FILES directly from Black Pawn Press, you will receive an exclusive bonus gift. Go to Rockford45.com for more details.
This date in MAVERICK TV History: The BRET MAVERICK episode “The Eight Swords of Dyrus and Other Illusions of Grandeur” originally aired on Mar. 23, 1982
- THE EIGHT SWORDS OF DYRUS AND OTHER ILLUSIONS OF GRANDEUR
Original Airdate: March 23, 1982
Synopsis. Professional illusionist The Great Malooley is also a professional killer whose performance at the Red Ox masks a plan to exhume the legendary Kirschfeld Diamonds, which he believes are buried underneath the saloon. To keep Maverick out of the way, Malooley frames him for the murder of a drunk who had threatened Bret the night before.
The third of three attempts to resurrect Maverick in the late ’70s and early ’80s, Bret Maverick (NBC, 1981-1982) saw James Garner reprise the role that originally made him a star.
LEARN MORE about this episode in the revised third edition of Maverick: Legend of the West, featuring more than 100 pages of new information about the show that made James Garner a star. 25 percent of the net proceeds from the sales of the third edition will be donated to The James Garner Animal Rescue Fund, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising funds to help rescue organizations, shelters, individuals, fosters, and veterans with emergencies, evacuations, medical care, adoptions, training, pet supplies, shelter, rehabilitation, boarding, transportation, food, and other pressing needs. JGARF is one way for Garner fans to honor Jim’s memory and extend his legacy. The revised third edition of Maverick: Legend of the West is available both in softcover and, very soon, as an eBook through Black Pawn Press, Amazon.com, and wherever books are sold online.
This date in MAVERICK TV History: Ruta Lee and Patricia Crowley guest star in “Betrayal,” airing Mar. 22, 1959
- BETRAYAL
Original Airdate: March 22, 1959
Synopsis. Bart is among the passengers who are victimized by two men who hold up a stagecoach bound for Virginia City. Bart suspects a connection between the robbers and another passenger, Anne Sanders (she told them where Bart hid his money), so he trails Anne in the hopes that she will lead him to the holdup men (and the $1,500 they took from him). Bart’s suspicions are well-founded: after he captures the two men, Anne not only fails to identify them, but enables them to escape.
LEARN MORE about this episode in the revised third edition of Maverick: Legend of the West, featuring more than 100 pages of new information about the show that made James Garner a star. 25 percent of the net proceeds from the sales of the third edition will be donated to The James Garner Animal Rescue Fund, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising funds to help rescue organizations, shelters, individuals, fosters, and veterans with emergencies, evacuations, medical care, adoptions, training, pet supplies, shelter, rehabilitation, boarding, transportation, food, and other pressing needs. JGARF is one way for Garner fans to honor Jim’s memory and extend his legacy. The revised third edition of Maverick: Legend of the West is available both in softcover and, very soon, as an eBook through Black Pawn Press, Amazon.com, and wherever books are sold online.
This date in ROCKFORD FILES history: Susan Strasberg stars in “A Bad Deal in the Valley,” airing Mar. 19, 1976. LEARN MORE about this episode in 45 YEARS OF THE ROCKFORD FILES, available in softcover paperback and now as an eBook through Black Pawn Press
- A BAD DEAL IN THE VALLEY
Original Air Date: March 19, 1976
Synopsis. Rockford dates Karen Stiles (played by Susan Strasberg), whose father Sam Stiles served time with him at San Quentin. Karen, a real estate agent, asks Rockford to deliver a suitcase containing escrow papers for a major property transaction—but doesn’t tell him that the suitcase actually contains $100,000 in phony money. Later, after Rockford’s release from jail, Karen is apparently abducted. But when Jim learns that Karen’s father was a premier plate artist, he deduces that Karen staged her abduction so that the authorities would not suspect her of the counterfeit money fiasco. After linking Karen’s real estate deal to a $500,000 jewel theft, Rockford tries to trip up Karen by recovering the jewels himself and collecting the finder’s fee.LEARN MORE about this episode in the revised third edition of 45 YEARS OF THE ROCKFORD FILES, featuring more than sixty new pages of never before published information about both the original Rockford Files and the CBS reunion movies, including twenty new interviews and six new appendices. 25 percent of the net proceeds from the sales of 45 YEARS OF THE ROCKFORD FILES will be donated to The James Garner Animal Rescue Fund, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising funds to help rescue organizations, shelters, individuals, fosters, and veterans with emergencies, evacuations, medical care, adoptions, training, pet supplies, shelter, rehabilitation, boarding, transportation, food, and other pressing needs. JGARF is one way for Garner fans to honor Jim’s memory and extend his legacy. Plus… if you order 45 YEARS OF THE ROCKFORD FILES directly from Black Pawn Press, you will receive an exclusive bonus gift. Go to Rockford45.com for more details.
This date in MAVERICK TV History: “Triple Indemnity,” Peter Breck’s first appearance as Doc Holliday, airs on Mar. 19, 1961
- TRIPLE INDEMNITY
Original Airdate: March 19, 1961
Synopsis. Bart wins $800 from George Parker, the mayor and owner of the town of Parkerville—and a notoriously bad loser. After George has Maverick robbed and beaten, George’s younger brother, Bill, who has long held a grudge against his sibling, convinces Bart to help him even the score. After Bill and his mother set up Maverick as a cattle buyer, Bart takes out a $100,000 life insurance policy, then arranges to have himself “killed.” George, who owns the company, discovers Bart’s plan and refuses to pay the claim. But as Maverick points out, that move could cost the company millions in canceled policies, so George is forced to keep Bart alive. But the charade backfires when a greedy undertaker tempts Doc Holliday into killing Maverick for $50,000.
“Triple Indemnity” marks the first of Peter Breck’s five appearances as Doc Holliday, the legendary gunslinger whom Gerald Mohr had previously played in two first-season episodes.