The Rockford Files was exceptional television. I studied Mass Media Studies when I was in college, and this was one of the TV shows we discussed. It stood out because it took a well-known genre and then subverted it in clever, touching and insightful ways.
The hard-boiled detective is a well-known stock character but, as played here by James Garner, he is a very human individual, more known for his vulnerability than his being hard-boiled. He has a loving relationship with his father, he has money problems, he is not necessarily always confident or has all the answers, & he often displays gentleness. His relationships with women tend to be complex, respectful and affectionate. His approach to life resembles what you and I probably evince -- a degree of bewilderment, frustration, surprise, etc. This is a very human character.
This particular episode always stood out for me because, as a two-parter where Garner plays opposite the great Lauren Bacall, he has more of a chance to really develop his character within the arc of a specific story. This episode also stood out for me because of the interesting motivation behind the attempted killing.
The plot, in a nutshell, is that a princess hires Rockford to find out who's trying to kill her best friend. The princess and the best friend are both from lower middle class America who "did good." Dana Wynter married a European prince, and Lauren Bacall became something of a high society hostess/socialite, albeit one who's had financial ups & downs. The two women are extremely close, but very different. Dana left her middle class background behind her to become completely immersed in being royalty; Lauren never lost sight of who she was and has no problem reconciling this with the person she's since become.
The princess has a love/hate complex for her friend; they're sisters in terms of their emotional bond, but the princess cannot forgive Lauren for never letting her forget where she came from. Dana Wynter plays this "madness" beautifully because that, in fact, is what it is. So she hires somebody to assassinate Lauren Bacall. As a motivation for murder, this is unusual and, admittedly, fragile but no less fascinating for all that. As a matter of fact, it's a very realistic motive for murder (just read some crime cases and you'll see the extent to which people commit murder for subtle, psychological reasons).
There are some who don't like this episode, saying it drags on too long (it's a 2 parter) and that the motivation is weak, but I disagree. The acting is great -- Garner, Bacall & Wynter all hail from the Golden Era of Hollywood and they're a class act. Saw this when it first aired on TV well over 30 years ago, and it's stayed with me ever since!
The hard-boiled detective is a well-known stock character but, as played here by James Garner, he is a very human individual, more known for his vulnerability than his being hard-boiled. He has a loving relationship with his father, he has money problems, he is not necessarily always confident or has all the answers, & he often displays gentleness. His relationships with women tend to be complex, respectful and affectionate. His approach to life resembles what you and I probably evince -- a degree of bewilderment, frustration, surprise, etc. This is a very human character.
This particular episode always stood out for me because, as a two-parter where Garner plays opposite the great Lauren Bacall, he has more of a chance to really develop his character within the arc of a specific story. This episode also stood out for me because of the interesting motivation behind the attempted killing.
The plot, in a nutshell, is that a princess hires Rockford to find out who's trying to kill her best friend. The princess and the best friend are both from lower middle class America who "did good." Dana Wynter married a European prince, and Lauren Bacall became something of a high society hostess/socialite, albeit one who's had financial ups & downs. The two women are extremely close, but very different. Dana left her middle class background behind her to become completely immersed in being royalty; Lauren never lost sight of who she was and has no problem reconciling this with the person she's since become.
The princess has a love/hate complex for her friend; they're sisters in terms of their emotional bond, but the princess cannot forgive Lauren for never letting her forget where she came from. Dana Wynter plays this "madness" beautifully because that, in fact, is what it is. So she hires somebody to assassinate Lauren Bacall. As a motivation for murder, this is unusual and, admittedly, fragile but no less fascinating for all that. As a matter of fact, it's a very realistic motive for murder (just read some crime cases and you'll see the extent to which people commit murder for subtle, psychological reasons).
There are some who don't like this episode, saying it drags on too long (it's a 2 parter) and that the motivation is weak, but I disagree. The acting is great -- Garner, Bacall & Wynter all hail from the Golden Era of Hollywood and they're a class act. Saw this when it first aired on TV well over 30 years ago, and it's stayed with me ever since!