The Rockford Files - The Dexter Crisis (1974) - Doctor's Office & Drug Store 10657 Riverside Drive, Los Angeles - University Apartments 10703 Riverside Drive, Los Angeles - 4500 Block of Cartwright ABOVE TWO PHOTOS: Corner of Cartwright & Riverside in Los Angles. 10657 Riverside Drive, Los Angeles, CA. Directed by Alexander Grasshoff. With James Garner, Noah Beery Jr., Lee Purcell, Linda Kelsey. Rockford ends up in the Nevada desert (starting with the bright lights of Las Vegas) searching for a rich guy's mistress and her suitcase of precious 'documents.'
| The Rockford Files | |
|---|---|
| Season 1 | |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of episodes | 23 |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Original release | September 13, 1974 – March 7, 1975 |
| Season chronology | |
| List of The Rockford Files episodes | |
The first season of The Rockford Files originally aired Fridays at 9:00-10:00 pm on NBC from September 13, 1974 to March 7, 1975. James Garner was 46 at the time of airing.
Episodes[edit]
Rockford Files 1974 Pontiac Firebird
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 'The Kirkoff Case' | Lou Antonio | Story by : John Thomas James Teleplay by : Stephen J. Cannell | September 13, 1974 | |
| Rockford, hired by a wealthy young heir (James Woods) to investigate the murder of his parents, tails the late father’s young gold-digger mistress (Julie Sommars), visits a mob-run union headquarters, and discovers that the police are anxious to pin the killings on the heir. With guest Abe Vigoda as the head mobster and Milt Kogan as his assistant. | ||||||
| 2 | 2 | 'The Dark and Bloody Ground' | Michael Schultz | Story by : John Thomas James Teleplay by : Juanita Bartlett | September 20, 1974 | |
| Rockford is hired by his attorney, Beth (Gretchen Corbett), to investigate a murder for which another of her clients has been charged. The killers try to scare him off the case, and when he connects the murder to the lucrative film rights to a bestselling novel, they try to kill him. With Linden Chiles, Nancy Malone, Patricia Smith and Walter Brooke. | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | 'The Countess' | Russ Mayberry | Story by : John Thomas James Teleplay by : Stephen J. Cannell | September 27, 1974 | |
| Rockford is hired by a socialite (Susan Strasberg) to deal with a blackmailer (Dick Gautier). When the extortionist is shot, Rockford not only becomes the prime suspect in his murder, but he also gets on the hit list of mobsters the blackmailer associated with. With Harold J. Stone as a hood, Art Lund as the husband of the countess, and James Cromwell in a small role. | ||||||
| 4 | 4 | 'Exit Prentiss Carr' | Alex Grasshoff | Story by : John Thomas James Teleplay by : Juanita Bartlett | October 4, 1974 | |
| Rockford discovers his client’s murdered husband in a hotel room, but when he reports it to the police they quickly rule it a suicide. To complicate things further, the client (Corinne Camacho) is an old flame of Rockford, her alibi does not check out, and she wants to rekindle their relationship. With Mills Watson as a skeptical detective. | ||||||
| 5 | 5 | 'Tall Woman in Red Wagon' | Jerry London | Story by : John Thomas James Teleplay by : Stephen J. Cannell | October 11, 1974 | |
| Rockford is hired to find a missing colleague by a pushy newspaper reporter (Sian Barbara Allen) who promises he will grow to like her. Rockford learns the missing woman has died but does not believe it. He interviews the doctor who signed her death certificate and mobsters who say she stole money from them, assaults an IRS agent (played by George DiCenzo) who is also on the case, and gets shot while digging up her coffin in the middle of the night. | ||||||
| 67 | 67 | 'This Case Is Closed' | Bernard L. Kowalski | Story by : John Thomas James Teleplay by : Stephen J. Cannell | October 18, 1974 | |
| Rockford’s client (Joseph Cotten) wants him to investigate the man his daughter (Sharon Gless) is about to marry. A trip to New Jersey gets Rockford in trouble with the police there, and on his return to Los Angeles he is abducted by local mobsters. Federal officials pressure him into testifying against the thugs, but when the prospective son-in-law is murdered, Rockford has to re-assess his priorities. Featuring James McEachin as a FBI agent and Eddie Fontaine as a Jersey police lieutenant. Originally shown as a 90-minute episode; later re-edited (with much repeated and redundant footage) into two one-hour episodes. | ||||||
| 8 | 8 | 'The Big Ripoff' | Vincent McEveety | Story by : John Thomas James Teleplay by : Robert Hamner | October 25, 1974 | |
| A dead man’s mistress has hired Rockford to prove that his wife murdered him by arranging for his private plane to crash. When Rockford reports that he does not believe the man is dead, the ex-mistress does not accept his conclusion and does not pay him. Rockford negotiates with the insurance company that paid out on the plane crash for a finder’s fee if he can prove the husband and wife staged it. He trails the ex-mistress to a small town. However she has friends who try to force Rockford to give up the search, and the missing husband is nowhere to be found. The episode features Jill Clayburgh, and has Suzanne Somers in a small role. | ||||||
| 9 | 9 | 'Find Me If You Can' | Lawrence Doheny | Story by : John Thomas James Teleplay by : Juanita Bartlett | November 1, 1974 | |
| A mysterious woman pays Rockford in advance to find someone – herself. She’s the ex-girlfriend (Joan Van Ark) of a mobster (Paul Michael Glaser) who wants to be sure he cannot track her down. However Rockford’s investigation only has the effect of alerting the hood that she may be planning to use the damaging information she knows about him, which puts both her and Rockford on his hit list. | ||||||
| 10 | 10 | 'In Pursuit of Carol Thorne' | Charles S. Dubin | Story by : John Thomas James Teleplay by : Stephen J. Cannell | November 8, 1974 | |
| An elderly couple (Robert Symonds and Irene Tedrow) hires Rockford to find their son, Cliff. To get a line on him, Rockford starts dating a recent prison parolee (Lynette Mettey), Cliff’s ex-girlfriend. But locating Cliff (Jim Antonio) is just the start of the adventure, involving an interested policeman, hidden stolen money, and Rockford having to learn the hard way that the ex-girlfriend may be the most honest person among them. | ||||||
| 11 | 11 | 'The Dexter Crisis' | Alex Grasshoff | Gloryette Clark | November 15, 1974 | |
| Rockford is hired by business tycoon Charles Dexter (Tim O'Connor) to find his much younger mistress, co-ed Susan Parsons (Lee Purcell). Her roommate, Louise Henderson (Linda Kelsey) will only give Rockford information if he allows her to join him in tracking it down, which takes the two of them to Las Vegas. A rival private investigator is following them, and further complications come from Susan’s odd habits at the roulette wheel, and the source of the money she is gambling with. | ||||||
| 12 | 12 | 'Caledonia – It's Worth a Fortune' | Stuart Margolin (Angel Martin) | Story by : John Thomas James Teleplay by : Juanita Bartlett | December 6, 1974 | |
| Jolene Hyland (Shelley Fabares) hires Rockford to protect her share of the $500,000 her husband stole and buried just before he was arrested. Her husband’s ex-partner (Richard Schaal), who Jolene was romantically involved with at the time of the theft, has exact directions to get to the hidden money, Jolene only knows the name of the town. Also after the money are two ex-cons (Sid Haig and William Traylor) from prison. Furthermore, the town sheriff (Ramon Bieri) always seems to be around. | ||||||
| 13 | 13 | 'Profit and Loss: Part 1' | Lawrence Doheny | Story by : John Thomas James Teleplay by : Stephen J. Cannell | December 20, 1974 | |
| A computer programmer for Fiscal Dynamics is abducted just as he is about to hire Rockford. When Jim reports it the programmer denies everything, and Jim is charged with filing a false police report. When the story makes the newspapers, a woman hires Jim to investigate the suspicious death of her husband, who worked at the company. With Ned Beatty as the company CEO, Paul Jenkins as his second in command, and Sharon Spelman as the suspicious widow. Also with guests Val Bisoglio as the owner of the printing shop that produces the company’s documentation, and Michael Lerner as a shifty broker. | ||||||
| 14 | 14 | 'Profit and Loss: Part 2' | Lawrence Doheny | Story by : John Thomas James Teleplay by : Stephen J. Cannell | December 27, 1974 | |
| Rockford is again threatened by the Fiscal Dynamics CEO, but despite his deep suspicions and best efforts he cannot get evidence he can take to the authorities. Rockford is abducted at night by a figure who is clear on what will happen if he continues his investigation. What will Jim do? Holdover guests Ned Beatty, Paul Jenkins, Sharon Spelman and Michael Lerner return from Part One. With Tom Rosqui as a broker who thinks Fiscal Dynamics is a hollow shell of a company, and Albert Paulsen as the genteel but sinister messenger who threatens Rockford’s life. | ||||||
| 15 | 15 | 'Aura Lee, Farewell' | Jackie Cooper | Story by : John Thomas James Teleplay by : Edward J. Lakso | January 3, 1975 | |
| A hitchhiker, Aura Lee Benton (Melissa Greene), is picked up by state senator Evan Murdock (Robert Webber) and they have a one night stand. When leaving the motel he runs down a drunk who stumbled onto the road. The senator separates from Aura Lee and handles the accident with the police. Some time later she is found dead in her apartment. Rockford's old friend Sara Butler (Lindsay Wagner), who was Aura Lee's boss, hires him to fully investigate her death. Jim discovers Aura Lee's connection with Murdock and questions him about it, and he seems unfazed. But soon afterward the senator too is found dead. With Greg Mullavey, Henry Slate and Bill Mumy. | ||||||
| 16 | 16 | 'Sleight of Hand' | William Wiard | Teleplay by : Stephen J. Cannell and Jo Swerling Jr. Based on the novel 'Thin Air' by : Howard Browne | January 17, 1975 | |
| Rockford's girlfriend disappears mysteriously from her home at around the same time her neighbor is murdered, and the evidence does not support Rockford’s version of the day’s events. Lieutenant Diel (Tom Atkins) suspects Rockford is responsible and orders him to stay away from the case. But Jim can't stop until he finds out what happened. Guests include Allan Miller, Gerald McRaney and Lara Parker. | ||||||
| 17 | 17 | 'Counter Gambit' | Jackie Cooper | Howard Berk and Juanita Bartlett | January 24, 1975 | |
| Moss Williams (Eddie Fontaine), a tough convict about to be released from prison, hires Rockford to track down his girlfriend (Mary Frann). After Rockford dumps Moss over his bad temper, Jim is approached by an insurance investigator (M. Emmet Walsh) to be an ‘inside man’ in finding a stolen pearl necklace in the possession of the girlfriend. Everything goes perfectly for Rockford, until Moss goes missing, the insurance company turns out to be non-existent, and the necklace gets stolen with all the evidence pointing to Rockford. Also with Burr DeBenning and Garry Walberg. | ||||||
| 18 | 18 | 'Claire' | William Wiard | Edward J. Lakso and Stephen J. Cannell | January 31, 1975 | |
| Jim's old girlfriend Claire Prescott (Linda Evans) calls him asking for protection from two hoods. There is a missing undercover policeman, Willett (Lane Smith), in the picture, which puts Rockford up against an arrogant Captain Highland (Jackie Cooper) as well as the two thugs (Lance LeGault and Lane Smith). | ||||||
| 19 | 19 | 'Say Goodbye to Jennifer' | Jackie Cooper | Story by : John Thomas James Teleplay by : Juanita Bartlett and Rudolph Borchert | February 7, 1975 | |
| Rockford’s army buddy ‘Mitch’ (Hector Elizondo) is a photographer hopelessly smitten by a model (Pamela Hensley) who was suspected of committing a murder until she died in a car accident. Mitch is convinced he saw her in Seattle and hires Rockford to search for her. Rockford has his own reasons to get out of town, so he accepts the job. With Ken Swofford, Regis Cordic, Katherine Woodville, Len Lesser and Thayer David. | ||||||
| 20 | 20 | 'Charlie Harris at Large' | Russ Mayberry | Story by : John Thomas James Teleplay by : Zekial Marko | February 14, 1975 | |
| Charlie Harris (Tony Musante), Rockford's former cellmate, is suspected of murdering his rich wife and has gone into hiding. He hires Rockford to find his alibi witness, a mystery woman with whom he was having an affair. She turns out to be Linda Bannister (Diana Muldaur), the wife of a multi-millionaire (Warner Anderson) who will kill to protect her secret. To compound matters Linda does not provide a perfect alibi, she is not sure Charlie is innocent, and Rockford gets charged with sheltering the fugitive Charlie. With David Spielberg as the police sergeant who is onto Rockford from the start. | ||||||
| 21 | 21 | 'The Four Pound Brick' | Lawrence Doheny | Story by : Leigh Brackett Teleplay by : Leigh Brackett and Juanita Bartlett | February 21, 1975 | |
| Rocky hires Jim to investigate the death of a rookie policeman, the son of Rocky’s dear friend, Kate (Edith Atwater). With William Watson, Jess Walton and Paul Carr. | ||||||
| 22 | 22 | 'Just by Accident' | Jerry London | Charles Sailor & Eric Kaldor | February 28, 1975 | |
| A businesswoman (Neva Patterson) hires Jim to investigate the automobile crash death of her son, who was a professional driver. The investigation uncovers a cache of phoney birth certificates and a network of insurance scammers. With Steven Keats, Joey Aresco, E. J. Peaker, David Spielberg, Oliver Clark and Gordon Jump. | ||||||
| 23 | 23 | 'Roundabout' | Lou Antonio | Story by : Mitchell Lindemann Teleplay by : Mitchell Lindemann and Edward J. Lakso | March 7, 1975 | |
| Rockford is hired to deliver a $10,000 check to a Las Vegas singer (Jesse Welles) who is living in poverty. However a bank manager (George Wyner) informs them there is an account in her name with $300,000 in it. It has Rockford questioning what her manager (Ron Rifkin) is doing and how accurate the books he keeps are. With Mills Watson. | ||||||
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This week, Jim Rockford (James Garner) becomes a bit of a treasure hunter in this episode written by Juanita Bartlett from a story by Roy Huggins.
The phone gag is a doctor who leaves a message for Jim about the fact that he’s got broken bones in his hand, and is wondering if he had hit someone.
Rockford is hired by Jolene Hyland (Shelley Fabares) to help recover a fortune that her ill and imprisoned husband, Gerry (Don Eitner) hid before he was arrested. Thinking that if she finds the money she’ll be able to help get him out of prison and get him a good doctor, she agrees to Rockford’s fees and they go off to Caledonia.
Right off the bat, Jim realizes they are being followed by a couple of thugs, including cult favorite Sid Haig as B.J.
In the town of Caledonia they come up against a troublesome sheriff (Ramon Bierri) and Rockford leaves the case not intent on messing with the law.
Jolene, on her way home, is confronted by Gerry’s ex-partner and her ex-lover, Len (Richard Schaal), who reviews that he has directions to the fortune, if she knows the place…
Jim gets a cut of the deal, but right off the bat, its obvious Len is going to double cross them any chance he gets.
But before the end of the episode there are more twists and turns coming their way, and not all of them good.
This one was actually a lot of fun, as Jim tries to avoid the sheriff, stay one step ahead of Len, and has a bit of a flirt with Jolene.
Rocky (Noah Beery, Jr.) is sadly missing from the episode, but Jim’s fun dialogue and the plot make up for it.
I also love the fact that Rockford negotiates the larger share of the money for Jolene by promising to only take 5% of the take, but Len believes he’s taking 33.3%, that is when Len isn’t try to screw them over, and betray them so he can take all the cash himself.
The Rockford Files 1974 Movie
Sid Haig, is dreadfully underused, but is suitably threatening when he comes along…
The only thing I had a real problem with this time around, is Rockford’s sweater, I’m used to the blazers, and the shirts, that were emblems of the 70s, and rather reflect his blue-collar sensibilities but I think he can probably pass on this sweater to Rocky.
The end of the episode, as everything gets wrapped up, is rather funny, and leaves us wondering if Jim will ever make more than his $200/day plus expenses.
Next time around is another two-part mystery, Profit and Loss, with each part named appropriately, of course.
The Rockford Files 1974 Firebird
I’m looking forward to digging through more of his files then…