James Garner dead at 86

[a6m5]

From TMZ

"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.

Garner, who was 86 years old, also played the older version of Ryan Gosling's character in "The Notebook."

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Bummer. Grew up watching lot of his films, and of course, the Rockford Files. He'll be missed, even by the Hollywood standards.

 

[Azure Flare]

 

[TenEightyOne]

That's very sad, he always struck me as one of the few Hollywood actors with uber-Alpha capacity who wasn't also a complete d**k. RIP

 

[BobK]

Sad to hear, indeed. Gonna have to drag out my copy of Tank! and watch it again, and/or Grand Prix.

 

[Mikeybc]

Loved to watch the Rockford Files as a kid...and "pulling Rockfords" in snowy parking lots as a teenager.

R.I.P. James Garner

 

[mister dog]

Grand Prix.

 

[PeterJB]

Sad to hear, indeed. Gonna have to drag out my copy of Tank! and watch it again, and/or Grand Prix.

Watching it on BBC2 as we speak.

 

[Baron Blitz Red]

Loved to watch the Rockford Files as a kid...and "pulling Rockfords" in snowy parking lots as a teenager.

R.I.P. James Garner

We did a lot of "Rockfords" too, see something and "oh gotta try that"... was good fun and he will always be associated with that good fun. Sad news indeed.

RIP

 

[playnthru]

RIP James Garner

Actor/Road racer/Baja Legend

 

[a6m5]

I dug out the DVD copy of Grand Prix after posting this thread. I hadn't seen it in years, and I forgot the film was directed by one of my all-time favorites, John Frankenheimer. It also featured another one of my all-time favorite actor, Mifune Toshiro.

It is long(two discs), and I'm still working on the first disc this morning, but man, what a film. It's immediately Monaco GP as soon as the film begin, and it is so beautifully shot.

RIP, James Garner.

Edit:

I just finished watching Grand Prix, also the documentary. The film was even better than I remembered it. The documentary from the DVD special features, which I never got around to watching before, and it was excellent:

1) F1 personnel felt that film crews got in their way, and were annoyed by the "Grand Prix" production.

2) Steve McQueen was supposed to star in the film. He and the film production had a falling out, and the studio backed James Garner as the replacement & Frankenheimer accepted.

3) Ferrari initially didn't want anything to do with the film, asking they be omitted from the film entirely. Frankenheimer won Ferrari over with his presentation of the early footage from the film(I think they said 30 min. long). Ferrari not only embraced the film, but allowed Frankenheimer full access, including inside the Maranello facility.

4) Towards the end of the documentary, Garner thanks McQueen for having opened up the opportunity for Garner by backing out of the film. He then reveals that they were next door neighbors. According to Garner, McQueen finally saw the film when he took his son to see it, something like a year later. "Went to your movie.....", McQueen told Garner. "Pretty good picture, pretty good picture....". Garner then joked that, that's about all you could hope to get out of "Steve". 👍

 

[JockeP22]

Must watch Grand Prix again this weekend to honor Garner.
And also Frankenheimer, Montand, Mifune, Celi and Watson who are no longer with us.
They all made this film special.