One of the best Rockford Files episodes was this one where after James Garner gets back from a sunny Caribbean vacation he finds someone has been helping himself to his life. Of course the first thought was that it was Angel Martin. But as it turns out Angel's been doing 30 days on the county farm, so who could it be?
James Whitmore, Jr. plays Freddie Beamer who is an auto mechanic and who has Walter Mitty like dreams of doing a great and adventurous things. Whitmore has indulged in a little too much Mickey Spillane and thinks Garner whose car he's serviced any number of times has the real life. So he moves into Garner's trailer and helps himself to the life of Jim Rockford.
Someone is now shooting at Rockford also Beamer on the theory if we get them both no one to talk. Could it be a matrimonial case involving the failing marriage of Jack Kelly and Bibi Besch. Or a surveillance job with mob connections that lead to Robert Loggia. Or it might even lead to a unique collection service looking for money on the charge account for the various private eye paraphernalia that Whitmore charged on Garner's card? It could even be an angry bar owner not like being stiffed for the tab that Whitmore ran up at his joint under the name of Jim Rockford.
It was nice to see James Garner's former 'brother' Jack Kelly show up in this episode. Garner and Kelly have a couple of nice scenes together as Garner tries to persuade an angry Kelly he's got nothing to do with his wife.
Dennis Becker is more than happy to cooperate here. The last thing he wants is a second Jimbo running around Southern California.
James Whitmore, Jr. plays Freddie Beamer who is an auto mechanic and who has Walter Mitty like dreams of doing a great and adventurous things. Whitmore has indulged in a little too much Mickey Spillane and thinks Garner whose car he's serviced any number of times has the real life. So he moves into Garner's trailer and helps himself to the life of Jim Rockford.
Someone is now shooting at Rockford also Beamer on the theory if we get them both no one to talk. Could it be a matrimonial case involving the failing marriage of Jack Kelly and Bibi Besch. Or a surveillance job with mob connections that lead to Robert Loggia. Or it might even lead to a unique collection service looking for money on the charge account for the various private eye paraphernalia that Whitmore charged on Garner's card? It could even be an angry bar owner not like being stiffed for the tab that Whitmore ran up at his joint under the name of Jim Rockford.
It was nice to see James Garner's former 'brother' Jack Kelly show up in this episode. Garner and Kelly have a couple of nice scenes together as Garner tries to persuade an angry Kelly he's got nothing to do with his wife.
Dennis Becker is more than happy to cooperate here. The last thing he wants is a second Jimbo running around Southern California.
