James Garner (born James Scott Bumgarner (1928 – 2014) was an American actor. After several feature film roles, including Sayonara with Marlon Brando, Garner got his big break playing the role of professional gambler Bret Maverick in the comedy Western series Maverick from 1957 to 1960.
In the 1970s, writer/ producer Roy Huggins had an idea to remake Maverick, but this time as a modern-day private detective. Huggins teamed with co-creator Stephen J. Cannell, and the pair tapped Garner to attempt to rekindle the success of Maverick, eventually recycling many of the plots from the original series. Starting with the 1974 season, Garner appeared as private investigator Jim Rockford in The Rockford Files. He appeared for six seasons, for which he received an Emmy Award for Best Actor.
James Garner also starred in more than 50 films, including The Great Escape (1963), The Americanization of Emily (1964), Grand Prix (1966), Support Your Local Sheriff (1969), Victor Victoria (1982), Maverick (1994), Space Cowboys (2000), and The Notebook (2004).
He was Oscar nominated Best Actor for the movie Murphy's Romance (1985) opposite Sally Field. Director Martin Ritt had to fight the studio, Columbia Pictures, to have Garner cast, since he was regarded as a TV actor by then.
On April 21, 2006, a 10-foot-tall (3.0 m) bronze statue of Garner as Bret Maverick was unveiled in Garner's hometown of Norman, Oklahoma, with Garner present at the ceremony. [Wikipedia]
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| Darby's Rangers (1958) |
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| Up Periscope! (1959) |
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| Cash McCall (1960) |
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| The Great Escape (1963) |
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| The Thrill Of It All (1963) |
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| The Wheeler Dealers (1963) |
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| Move Over, Darling (1963) |
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| The Americanization of Emily (1964) |
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| 36 Hours (1965) |
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| A Man Could Get Killed (1966) |
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| Duel At Diablo (1966) |
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| Grand Prix (1966) |
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| Grand Prix (1966) |
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| Mister Buddwing (1966) |
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| Hour of the Gun (1967) |
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| The Pink Jungle (1968) |
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| Support Your Local Sheriff (1969) |
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| Support Your Local Sheriff (1969) |
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| Marlowe (1969) |
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| Skin Game (1971) |
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| Support Your Local Gunfighter (1971) |
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| One Little Indian (1973) |
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| The Castaway Cowboy (1974) |
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| Victor Victoria (1982) French poster |
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| Tank (1984) |
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| Murphy's Romance (1985) |
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| Sunset (1988) |
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| Maverick (1994) |
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| My Fellow Americans (1996) |
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| Space Cowboys (2000) |
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| The Notebook (2004) |
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| James Garner (1928-2014) |
Nice tribute to one of Hollywood's most underrated actors. I love the Up Periscope poster....he gets billed as James "Maverick" Garner. I am sure many younger people have no idea about that tv show...they probably think it has something to do with Top Gun.
ReplyDeleteI have seen many of these movies...but the posters have me motivated to check out some Garner movies. Nice addition to your collection. He will be missed!
Thanks for commenting Bruce always appreciated. One of my favorites too. Such a charismatic actor. So sad he's gone. There are a few films here I don't think I've seen and would like to see.
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