James Garner, DEAD at 86

SamuelKhan · Jul 20, 2014

I remember watching this show every Friday night...

http://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-james-garner-20140721-story.html

James Garner, a master of light comedy who shot to fame in the 1950s as the charming and dry-witted gambler on the hit TV western "Maverick" and later won an Emmy Award as the unconventional L.A. private eye on "The Rockford Files," has died. He was 86.

Garner was found dead Saturday at his home in Brentwood, Los Angeles police Officer Alonzo Iniquez told the Associated Press. Garner underwent quintuple bypass heart surgery in 1988 and suffered a stroke in 2008, but the cause of death was not immediately known.

Once described by Washington Post TV critic Tom Shales as having "embodied the crusty, sardonic and self-effacing strain of American masculinity" in his iconic roles as Maverick and Rockford, the Oklahoma-born Garner amassed more than 80 movie and TV-movie credits during his more than 50-year career.

desdemona · Jul 20, 2014

I always enjoyed his acting and his sense of humor. RIP.

paracarl44 · Jul 20, 2014

I always enjoyed watching Maverick on Sunday nights when I was a kid. RIP James Garner.

maniactickler · Jul 20, 2014

Nooo! not Jimmy! i loved the Rockford Files.

tklfeather10 · Jul 20, 2014

Is it true that in real life he was well decorated after the Korean war, or have i got that wrong.
rip a very nice guy

sonnymadler · Jul 20, 2014

tklfeather10 said:
Is it true that in real life he was well decorated after the Korean war, or have i got that wrong.
rip a very nice guy

Not sure. I do know that he was a war veteran. He operated as a scrounger when as a POW in Korean camps, or something of the sort. And he used his knowledge for his role as POW scrounger Hendley in the Great Escape. RIP. Great man.

General Zod · Jul 20, 2014

sonnycrockett said:
Not sure. I do know that he was a war veteran. He operated as a scrounger when as a POW in Korean camps, or something of the sort. And he used his knowledge for his role as POW scrounger Hendley in the Great Escape. RIP. Great man.

From Wiki.
Later, he joined the National Guard serving seven months in the United States. He then went to Korea for 14 months in the Regular Army, serving in the 5th Regimental Combat Team in the Korean War. He was wounded twice, first in the face and hand from shrapnel fire from a mortar round, and second on April 23, 1951 in the buttocks from friendly fire from U.S. fighter jets as he dove headfirst into a foxhole. Garner was awarded the Purple Heart in Korea for the first injury. For the second wound, he received a second Purple Heart (eligibility requirement: "As the result of friendly fire while actively engaging the enemy"), although Garner received the medal in 1983, 32 years after his injury.[10][13][14][15] Garner was a self-described "scrounger" for his company in Korea, a role he later played in The Great Escape[16] and The Americanization of Emily.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Garner#Early_life

Mitchell · Jul 20, 2014

Mr Garner was a wonderful actor. My late grandfather loved The Rockford Files.

RIP, Mr Garner.

TheTickleMonster · Jul 21, 2014

I'm not gonna lie, I did shed a tear when I found out he died. It was very sad news. I loved watching The Rockford Files reruns when I was a kid.

milagros317 · Jul 21, 2014

He was a fine actor. Rest In Peace, Mr. Garner.

PiedPiper · Jul 21, 2014

One of my life-long favorites.

Dussicar · Jul 21, 2014

All the real actors are going away too soon.

Bugman · Jul 21, 2014

My earliest memories of James Garner are from watching Maverick reruns in the 60s, and later his early films. The Rockford Files is still one of my favorite TV shows. They don't make them like James Garner anymore. R.I.P.

SlaverTickler · Jul 22, 2014

Man had an awesome life. I believe he only wed once and it was "till death do we part". Never saw the Notebook, and I never will, but it seems like he was perfect for the roll he was given.

SlaverTickler · Jul 22, 2014

Bugman said:
My earliest memories of James Garner are from watching Maverick reruns in the 60s, and later his early films. The Rockford Files is still one of my favorite TV shows. They don't make them like James Garner anymore. R.I.P.

Heard he once thumped Charles Bronson because Bronson refused to pay off guy who beat him at poker during filming og the Great Escape. Can you imagine any actor taking up for a best boy or a key grip like that.

devioustickler · Jul 23, 2014

Always liked James Garner... he had many great performances from not so great movies like the move Maverick, Fire in the Sky.

"Decaf, you pussy!" - James Garner as President Douglas, My Fellow Americans

love feet · Jul 24, 2014

Dussicar · Jul 24, 2014

SlaverTickler said:
Heard he once thumped Charles Bronson because Bronson refused to pay off guy who beat him at poker during filming og the Great Escape. Can you imagine any actor taking up for a best boy or a key grip like that.

The first sentence made sense.

The second? lulwut???

James Garner, DEAD at 86

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