The Rockford Files
(1974–1980)
Jim helps a young girl (Lindsay Wagner) whose father was murdered and LAPD has closed the case on without finding the killer.
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Title: Backlash of the Hunter (27 Mar 1974)
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Cast
| Episode cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| James Garner | ... | ||
| Lindsay Wagner | ... | ||
| William Smith | ... |
Jerry Grimes
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| Nita Talbot | ... |
Mildred Elias
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| Joe Santos | ... | ||
 |
Robert Donley | ... | |
| Stuart Margolin | ... | ||
| Bill Mumy | ... | ||
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Pat Renella | ... |
Morrie Talbot
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| Michael Lerner | ... |
Dr. Ruben Seelman
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| Ted Gehring | ... |
Norm Mitchell
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Joshua Bryant | ... |
Capt. Harry Dell
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| Bill Quinn | ... |
Harry Butler
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| Robert Williams | ... |
Arnold Demura
(as Robert B. Williams)
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Claude Johnson | ... |
Officer
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Plot Summary
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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. Written by Marty McKee <[email protected]>
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
27 March 1974 (USA) See more »Company Credits
Production Co:
Roy Huggins-Public Arts Productions, Cherokee Productions, Universal Television See more »
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Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
4:3
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[...]
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Did You Know?
Trivia
Robert Donley, portrayed Joseph "Rocky" Rockford, only in this pilot. The role for the entirety of the series was played by 'Noah Beery Jr'. See more »Goofs
During the car chase near the end of the show (just before the airplane shows up), the rear window of Rockford's car is missing and then reappears. The window continues to disappear and reappear several times. See more »Quotes
Jim Rockford: [Jim notices Jerry Grimes is again following, so, he drives to the Mayfair Theatre in Santa Monica.Jim sits at the bar, until Jerry comes in, then he goes to the men's room, where, he gets the only other customer to leave, as Jim is planning something. Jim takes the soap dispenser off it's wall bracket, and pours it on the floor - especially in the space between him, and where Jerry will be. Then, Jerry comes into the bathroom, as well. Facing Jim, Jim - smirkig - goes into action] You got to be...[...]
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Frequently Asked Questions
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"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.