User Reviews

Warren Weeks (Ron Rifkin, who starred as Prince John on "When Things Were Rotten") is a sniveling intellectual who's in trouble and comes to Jim for help. Ordinarilly Rockford wouldn't have anything to do with a guy like Weeks, but he's Beth's cousin and when Beth gives him "the look" and says please, how can he resist?

So Jim quickly finds himself in the middle of a murder case, is arrested three different times in this episode, and has to solve the case by setting a trap for the killer, basically conning him into showing himself.

While this is a really well written mystery in which the viewer's obvious main suspect is suddenly and surprisingly killed off, Rifkin isn't all that interesting as Weeks. Rifkin appeared in an earlier episode as another character (Tom) in "Roundabout" but as Beth's cousin he really doesn't pop. Part of it is the way his character is written, part of it is Rifkin. Perhaps someone like Freddie Beamer (season four opener) would have been better in the part.

Former Playboy centerfold Anne Randall appears as Katherine Lefcourt, the woman Warren is having an affair with and is pretty good (especially for a centerfold turned actress). Gretchen Corbett is good as always even though she's given little to do but worry and look concerned over Warren. James Luisi cements his role as Rockford's new police nemesis and there's a nice scene where he reveals he's heard all about Rockford from his predecessors.

Also good is the scene where Rockford gets information from a suspect while helping him fix his car and when Rockford escapes a police chase by ducking into a wedding. It's just too bad the casting of Weeks wasn't as strong as this script.

This is an excellent episode with lots of good screen time for the lovely Gretchen Corbett as Beth, always an asset to any episode!

A couple classic old automotive clunkers show up in this entry, with Weeks driving a hideous AMC Pacer, and he and Jim making a get-away in an equally horrible (and cleverly pinched) Dodge Colt, complete with faux wood paneling AND a roof rack, that Jim describes to the wedding parking valet as a "company car"! The amazing thing is the way the Pacer speeds through scenic residential curves eluding police pursuit. One scene is clearly sped up through camera trickery to make it appear to be going even faster. By the way, the Pacer must have had a Maaco paint job at some time or other, as the blue exterior is revealed to be a re-paint over its original red color when the door is opened!

Rocky and Jim have another precious exchange of dialog around minute 23 (on the TV broadcast, not the DVD) when Jim is preparing lunch "al fresco" for the two of them:

Rocky: (suspicious) "Sayyyyy, these... these potatoes real?"

Jim: (defensively) "Whaddaya MEAN 'real'?"

Rocky: (plaintively) "You know I don't like those ready-made potatoes all cold, and frozen."

Jim: (dripping sarcasm) "The Galloping Gourmet.... Just EAT, will ya?"

The Rockford Files is always pleasant viewing and brings back the nostalgia back time. This episode was broadcast one month after Gerald Ford lost the election to JImmy Carter, but Jim Rockford makes no mention of this in this intriguing episode featuring Gretchen Corbett. I love the atmosphere in every episode of The Rockford Files.

The Trouble with Warren is not a classic but a like able episode. What works with The Trouble with Warren is the character of Warren. The usual Beth needs a favor from Jim investigation episode. Beth or Angel drag Jim into a pickle every second episode. What works here is the memorably unlikable character of Warren . Warren is high I Q but low E Q personality. Warren likes to practice math problems and can not properly socially interact with other people and there is a real life feel for this character.. Warren does one not to swift move after another to be framed for murder, and drags Jim into the mess. There is a Wedding scene which is a classic and other quick cons help Jim solve the why? Worth watching once. 6 stars.

To begin with, credit where credit's due; the title isn't mine. Another reviewer came up with the name a few episodes back. Anyway, good episode, where Jim gets dragged into trouble once again by one of his acquaintances. This time, it's Beth's turn again, as she beseeches Jim to help her cousin Warren, who's being sought on suspicion of murder. Is it just me or are Jim's friends nowadays getting him into more jams than his clients? Does he even have time for clients, seeing as he's always working friends' cases and spending half his days being interrogated or in a cell?

I'm really here, though, to join in with the chorus and hail Beth's small but perfectly formed attributes. One of my joys in watching an episode with her in it is seeing just how many wonderful (at least for the 70s) outfits she can make cling to her perpetually braless upper half.

Can you believe three weeks ago I saw a film entitled "She's Dressed to Kill" which came out only three years after this episode, in which she plays a woman whom everyone regards as fat and ugly, including herself. Even her own mother is ashamed of her. Fair enough, it's a film about murder among fashion models (of which her character is not one) and she's surrounded by 5'9"+ model/actresses like Connie Selleca and Cathie Shirriff, but still!

Then two weeks ago I watched a season 4, 1983, episode of Magnum in which she's a DJ who all men fantasize about because of her sexy voice. But it's always a huge let-down when they actually see her. She says they give her "The Look," betraying their disappointment at her appearance. Admittedly, she's been inflicted with a truly hideous 80s perm in the episode, but still!

So, everyone, please join me in a toast to the always smokin' Gretchen Corbett (as I try to forget that she's exactly three months younger than my mother.)