Breaking: James Garner, Legendary Actor (& Democrat), Dead at 86

[Hissyspit]

Last edited Sun Jul 20, 2014, 08:18 AM - Edit history (13)

Source: TMZ

LEGENDARY ACTOR
JAMES GARNER
DEAD AT 86

44 Minutes Ago

EXCLUSIVE

Legendary actor James Garner -- star of "The Rockford Files" and "The Notebook" -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us an ambulance was dispatched to the actor's home in Los Angeles around 8PM Saturday evening ... and he was dead when they arrived on scene.

We do not know his cause of death at this time.

Garner was one of the first actors to amass success in both television and film ... and he starred in a long list of classic films -- as well as a co-starring role in the '94 big screen version of "Maverick" starring Mel Gibson. Garner was the original Bret Maverick from 1957-1960 ... as well as the same character in a short lived '80s remake.

Read more: http://www.tmz.com/#Article/2014/07/19/james-garner-dead-dies-maverick-rockford-files

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From Wikipedia:

On August 28, 1963, Garner was one of several celebrities to join Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the "March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom." In his autobiography, Garner recalled sitting in third row listening to Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech.

For his role in the 1985 CBS miniseries Space, the character's party affiliation was changed from Republican as in the book to reflect Garner's personal views. Garner said, "My wife would leave me if I played a Republican".

Prior to the entry of ex-San Francisco Mayor (later U.S. Senator) Dianne Feinstein, there was an effort by Democratic party leaders, led by state Senator Herschel Rosenthal, to persuade James Garner to seek the 1990 Democratic nomination for Governor of California.

I love/d "The Rockford Files." He was also in 'The Americanization of Emily,' 'Murphy's Romance,' 'Marlowe,' and 'Barbarians at the Gate.'

[onehandle]

1. One of the greats... nt

[Uncle Joe]

2. RIP James, thanks for the entertainment and your service.

Thanks for the thread, Hissyspit.

[Hissyspit]

4. I actually just choked up a little reading his wiki page.

[Uncle Joe]

7. I hear you, Hissyspit, James Garner was an actor that could make you feel warm and comfortable.

[BlueMTexpat]

12. Me too ...

It is like reading a TV history of my youth! We only began to get TV consistently in the late 1950s in northern MT.

He played parts in so much that I remember of 20th-century TV, as well as in some memorable films.

[MADem]

3. He was a nice guy in real life, as well. What a shame. Wish he could have had a few more years. nt

[defacto7]

5. Oh, he will be missed.

One of my favorites.

....

[Contrary1]

6. Damn

One of my favorites from way back in the 50's. Thanks for the many hours of sheer entertainment, Mr. Garner.

[Behind the Aegis]

8. NOOOO!

He was a very nice man. I met him in the early 80's on the set of a movie and he was very polite...and very TALL! He was a genuinely nice man.

[BlueMTexpat]

9. Some months back, I saw him in the

film Grand Prix (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Prix_(1966_film)) on Turner Classic Movies. Although I knew - and loved him in practically anything he appeared in, including TV commercials LOL - I had totally missed that one in the 20th century.

Apparently he did his own driving in the film and it left him with a fascination for race car driving that he actually followed up.

He was a genuine and good human being and we need every one of those we can get.

RIP, Mr. Garner! You are missed already.

[Cooley Hurd]

10. Cross gently, Mr Garner...

GREAT actor!!!!

[Cha]

11. I was just thinking about him the other day.. wondering what he

was up to. RIP James Garner Such a sweetheart.

[freshwest]

13. Aw, I loved him. He was a good part of that era. Enjoyed the Rockford Files, too.

[pnwmom]

14. RIP, James Garner. A genuinely nice guy. n/t

[DeSwiss]

15. RIP

[center][/center]

[Bigredhunk]

16. RIP Jimmie Garner

He was one of my favorites. Old Hollywood is so much cooler than today's lot. I like a lot of his work. "Murphy's Romance" was great! Mr. Garner was also a good liberal. He writes about his politics a bit in his recent memoir, "The Garner Files." It can be had at Barnes & Noble in the nonfiction bargain book section for $2.99 right now (free shipping if you spend $25 or have a B & N membership).

[Blue_In_AK]

17. Oh, man, I LOVED him.

The only part that sucks about getting old is that all your childhood favorites die before you do.

[longship]

18. Also, a great role in "The Great Escape"

[shenmue]

19. Rest in peace

[LibDemAlways]

20. Garner's integity always shone through.

Terrific actor who made it look effortless. He will be missed.

[OKNancy]

21. I love him so much. He is from my hometown... my grandmother taught him in high school

or maybe Jr. High.. LOL can't remember. She said he was ornery.
The Bumgarner family was friends with my family.

[Hissyspit]

22. From Wikipedia:

His mother, who was of part Cherokee descent, died when he was five years old.[6][7] After their mother's death, Garner and his brothers were sent to live with relatives. Garner was reunited with his family in 1934, when Weldon remarried.

Garner grew to hate his stepmother, Wilma, who beat all three boys, especially young James. When he was fourteen, Garner finally had enough of his "wicked stepmother" and after a particularly heated battle, she left for good. James' brother Jack commented, "She was a damn no-good woman".[8] Garner stated that his stepmother punished him by forcing him to wear a dress in public and that he finally engaged in a physical fight with her, knocking her down and choking her to keep her from killing him in retaliation. This incident ended the marriage.[9]

Shortly after the breakup of the marriage, Weldon Bumgarner moved to Los Angeles, while Garner and his brothers remained in Norman. After working at several jobs he disliked, at sixteen Garner joined the United States Merchant Marine near the end of World War II. He fared well in the work and with shipmates, but suffered from chronic seasickness. At seventeen, he joined his father in Los Angeles and enrolled at Hollywood High School, where he was voted the most popular student. A high school gym teacher recommended him for a job modeling Jantzen bathing suits.[10] It paid well, $25 an hour, but in his first interview for the Archives of American Television,[11] he said he hated modeling and soon quit and returned to Norman. There, he played football and basketball, as well as competed on the track and golf teams, for Norman High School.[12] He never graduated from high school, explaining in a 1976 Good Housekeeping magazine interview: "I was a terrible student and I never actually graduated from high school, but I got my diploma in the Army."[7]

[Cha]

28. Thanks for that, Hissy. Interesting turn of events throughout his life.. He

had such a rough beginning with his stepmother being who she was but I'm so happy he was able to a have long prosperous life with his wife, Lois, and their two daughters.

James Garner is one actor I kept track of over the years.. from his early movies to his TV shows and then his later movies. And, then when I saw him on tv during the bush-Gore debacle saying he was a Democrat.. I practically fell out of my chair with gratitude. Bouncing around the next day.. "James Garner is a Democrat!" It figures!

[Cha]

29. Cool! I knew from a long time ago that he was from Oklahoma and his given

name was Bumgarner. He was "ornery" because he was a little maverick.. didn't like school. My theory.

[Skittles]

23. handsome guy, great actor

my favorite: his role in Murphy's Romance - absolutely outstanding

[SkatmanRoth]

24. RIP James Garner

You will live on forever in the Rockford Files.

[Rhiannon12866]

25. Awwww! Damn! I was just thinking about him, has always been a favorite...

I just watched the first few episodes of The Rockford Files again last week.

[Cha]

30. That's what happened to me, too. Upthread, I

mentioned I was just thinking about him the other day and wondering what he was up to. James Garner liked his cookies and milk on Rockford Files. I can still hear my son saying when he was little.. Mommy, can we watch Rockford Files? Of course we can!

Rhiannon James Garner

[Rhiannon12866]

32. I've always him! He was likeable in any and everything he appeared in

When I couldn't sleep a couple of weeks ago when I was visiting, I found The Rockford Files on Netflix and started watching it from the beginning. It was comforting to know that he was still around, never seemed to change. My mother was also a big fan, think they were the same age.

[Cha]

33. I liked his looks too.. don't think I'm shallow. :) He was such

a cutie! I enjoyed watching his face. I hadn't seen Rockford Files or a pic of him or anything.. he just popped into my head a few days ago. Like I said elsewhere.. he was one I liked to keep track of.. and now so many years have passed that James Garner has passed on.

I'll have to watch the Netflix Rockford Files now, too. Mahalo Rhiannon

[Rhiannon12866]

35. Oh, I totally agree! He was devastatingly good looking!

But he was so likeable that it was just part of the package. And the car! I knew that whenever I learned how to drive, I wanted a Firebird, LOL. As it is, I have a Pontiac, always thought they must be the best cars... *sigh*

[maddiemom]

72. True that any guy (let alone an actor), who was that good-looking could come across

as that approachable and a genuinely nice guy. It was all part of the whole Garner package, and not that usual before or since. There were few, if any, rumors to the contrary throughout his life. I only remember onetime stories concerning a legendary, somewhat older and still-living actress making a play for him and causing a few problems in his marriage---by her own account, in part.

[Dustlawyer]

26. My mom always had a half joking agreement with my dad that if James Garner came along and was

"Interested" she could kiss him (version us kids got)! She is going to be devastated to hear the news!
I LOVED the Rockford Files, and pretty much everything he did, even though I never liked the idea of him "kissing" my mom! Didn't know he was that big of a Democrat and close to MLK that he would be at the "I have a Dream" speech! Like him even more now!

[shanti]

61. hah!

my mother, who's 82, had a crush on him too. he was one of her favorite actors.

[Hissyspit]

27. Kick nt

[Duppers]

31. Gulp...hope he knew how much he was appreciated...

and loved.

[Judi Lynn]

34. Very thoughtful announcement of a sad event. Thank you. n/t

[CBGLuthier]

36. Great Oklahoman Too

If you want to see the definition of charisma, watch a little James Garner.

[BumRushDaShow]

37. Oh geez.

So many shows, so many appearances, so so sad. Used to watch "The Rockford Files" all the time and of course the show's theme song became a classic.

R.I.P. and condolences to his family. He will be sorely missed.

[sendero]

38. Last year..

.... I worked through all 100 (I think it was 100) episodes of The Rockford Files, which I consider a landmark in TV dramas. You have a detective who actually has money problems and lives in a trailer. He has a father who he actually interacts with from time to time.

He rarely carries a gun though almost always finds a reason to throw a couple punches. But, he is as likely to get the snot beat out of himself as he is to beat the snot out of someone else.

This show broke all the rules for this kind of show and it was great. And nobody could have done it better than James Garner.

[Botany]

39. He was a pro and a solid talent

Last edited Sun Jul 20, 2014, 09:14 AM - Edit history (3)

James and Mary Taylor Moore were brilliant in the TV movie "Heartsounds."

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087398/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_46

[awoke_in_2003]

67. I am straight, but have to say that...

damn, he was a good looking guy.

[Robbins]

40. Sad day

It's not a total surprise because they had been reports last year he didn't have much time left.

As he himself said In My fellow americans it's always say when another good Democrat dies

In 1996 for playing ex-president In My fellow american's where he played a Clintoneque dem he siad thank god I didn't have to play
republican.He left that to another great now gone who was In real life a lifelong democrat Jack Lemmon

In 2000 asked who he was voting for he said he couldn't tell you it Is a secret balle but said it Isn't republican.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

42. From around the time of "Space Cowboys"

Garner said in an interview, "At my age I don't even buy green bananas."

I've used that line a lot over the years.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

41. And, of course, "Support Your Local Sheriff"

[Bluenorthwest]

43. My personal favorite....

so funny.

[kentauros]

52. Loved that one and "Support Your Local Gunfighter" too!

Both movies are full of wonderful character actors. The writing was great!

Seems like I saw one of them in the theater, and I think it was Support Your Local Sheriff. I recall the scene with Garner shooting through the washers more than any other part

[onecent]

44. He will be missed. RIP!!

We loved you!!!
I just watched "Notebook" last week. wow...

[awoke_in_2003]

68. I can't watch the last bit of that movie...

I cannot imagine the horror one feels when the person you spent your life with has no idea who you are. He did a good job of conveying that, but I cannot watch it. It is my greatest fear.

[onecent]

75. Yes, that is a very

big concern for me also. I did watch it until the end...but I understand what you are saying!!

[awoke_in_2003]

76. It is on every so often...

and the wife will watch it. I have seen it to the end once- that was enough.

[Bluenorthwest]

45. His craft was invisible, his performances seamless.

It does not get any better than James Garner.

[Zoonart]

46. R.I.P. Jimmy

LOVED James Garner.
As and artist, I especially appreciated THE ART OF LOVE. It's a hysterical satire of the artist, manager relationship, co-starring Dick Van Dyke. If you've never seen this one- check it out.

[Cartoonist]

47. One place I will not go

Freeperland. I am still sickened by their ugliness when Walter Cronkite died. Since Jim was a liberal, I am sure he is getting the same treatment. I get Maverick on my cable, just watched it last night. I expect a marathon soon, so send over some pizza and tissues.

[Aristus]

48. One of the all-time greats. He was a family favorite.

And I love that this tough, craggy Oklahoman was such a staunch progressive Democrat!

RIP, Mr. Garner...

[840high]

66. ....

[Gothmog]

49. May he rest in peace

[theHandpuppet]

50. We'll miss you, Jim

[Rhinodawg]

51. Bye Jim Rockford...we'll miss you.

[daleo]

53. At the tone, leave your name

Thanks for everything, Jim. Miss you.

[John1956PA]

54. My favorite is "Up Periscope" (1959).

James Garner and Andra Martin pictured in B/W promotional photo for the movie.


Up Persisope (1959) is a beautifully-filmed Technicolor WWII submarine adventure movie with memorable scenes of the U.S. Hawaii naval base, the workings of the submarine, and a one-man mission in which James Garner's character sets out to destroy a radio tower on a Japaneses-occupied island. The plot is brisk and suspenseful, and the pacing always struck me as being similar to that of the Great Escape (1963).

[lastlib]

80. My favorite Garner product as well!

(personally, I found Rockford files trite and boring--what little of it I watched). The "Maverick" gig was decent, and "Support Your Local Gunfighter" was well above average for Hollywood. But Up Periscope rocked!)

[Erda]

55. Rest in peace

dear sweet man.

[glinda]

56. Kick n/t

[Brother Buzz]

57. He will always be Maverick in my world, the only Maverick

My Pappy always said, "A coward dies a thousand deaths, a hero dies but one." A thousand to one is pretty good odds. - Bret Maverick

[gussmith]

58. Loved the Man

James Garner touched my heart as an actor; I remember reading that he hated the Rockford Files though. So easy to think of him as the likeable Maverick. I did not know his politics but he sure did. RIP good man.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

65. IIRC his problem with Rockford Files was really against the studio.

They screwed him out of participating in the net profits by (as is Hollywood accounting custom) making sure Rockford Files never showed a profit. Particularly, I think there was some issue with paying for the Firebird several times over even though they just kept patching up the same one.

[Hissyspit]

69. Also, the shooting was very physically tough.

I think that was when he kept having to have the knee surgeries.

[shanti]

59. RIP mr garner

one of the good ones.

[Larkspur]

60. RIP James

I grew up watching the Rockford Files. Loved him and that show.

[immoderate]

62. He was a great man.

--imm

[NikolaC]

63. RIP

Such a loss. He was a good man and actor. My husband is a fan and is watching one of his favorite movies, The Great Escape, right now. Our condolences to his family.

[calimary]

73. The Great Escape - what a GREAT movie!

James Garner was a real class act. His heart was in the best place, too. Safe passage, Mr. Garner.

[RedSpartan]

83. He helped make it much more than an action film.

When Donald Pleasance, who he swore to protect, dies blind and helpless in his arms, the crushing pain on Garner's face is almost too much to bear. Great acting and a great man.

[Kali]

64. awww I am sad

[LoisB]

70. Loved James Garner.

[xxqqqzme]

71. "..And I'm in love

for the last time in my life."
Melted my heart all over again.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

74. I met him in the 80s at a party hosted by Dan Aykroyd....

Unlike a lot of Hollywood types he was taller than you would expect.

[mountain grammy]

77. Rest in peace, dear James. You will always be one of my favorites...

[Kennah]

78. RIP, kind sir. You will be missed.

I always loved how, in so many of his roles, he was a kind, compassionate, human being who could also kick some ass when needed.

"If that gun had gone off, it'd of blowed right up in my face."

"Now it wouldn't have done my finger a hell of a lot of good either, would it? What can I do for you, Mr. Danby?"

In the 1994 film, Maverick, while his time on-screen was minor compared to that of Mel Gibson, IMHO, his performance overshadowed Gibson.

[yuiyoshida]

79. Maverick. Dunking Mel Gibson in a bath tub

[catchnrelease]

81. No one mentions

Victor/Victoria as one of his films. It's always been one of my favorites--funny, great cast and good music. His conflict over his feelings for the androgynous Julie Andrews is funny and well done. The wonderful character Toddy played by Robert Preston and Garner's bodyguard played by Alex Karras are excellent as the supporting cast. I watch it whenever I see it's on.

Cheers to an exceptional man.

[customerserviceguy]

82. RIP to a man who gave so much to so many n/t

[americannightmare]

84. Great actor, great man, and the Rockford Files...

had one of the best themes ever...

[amandabeech]

85. James Garner has been on my "hotties list" for years and years.

It's good to know that he was a good guy off the screen, too.

I hope that his passing was not too difficult, and that he may rest in peace.


"The Great Escape" is one of my all time favorite movies, and Garner was terrific in it.

[leftyladyfrommo]

86. James Garner and Paul Newman.

Sigh.

These new young guys just don't do anything for me.

James Garner was a pot head for years and years. I helped the pain in his back. I don't think he made any bones about it. I liked him for that.

[RussBLib]

87. Alan Colmes ran a nice piece on Garner on Liberaland

May have already been noted because I didn't open every reply to this thread.

http://www.alan.com/2014/07/20/james-garner-an-appreciation-of-a-liberal/