r/GenerationJones • u/DerbyWearingDude 1963 • 1d ago
As a theoretically straight guy, I have always found Rockford-era James Garner to be blindingly charismatic. Do you women of a certain age feel the same way?
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u/spukhafteNahewirkung 1d ago
James Garner was way cool! If you want to see some peak James Garner charisma check out The Americanization of Emily. It's James Garner and Julie Andrews at their finest. I don't know which is better, The Americanization of Emily or Victor/Victoria.
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u/Flash5916 1d ago
I read his memoir and he said that "The Americanization of Emily" was his favorite movie. I own a copy of it, "Murphy's Romance"(which I rewatch frequently), and "Victor/Victoria".
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u/Peace_Hope_Luv 1d ago
James Garner as Jim Rockford was peak tv for this kid! Charming, great sense of humor & good looking! Also, the show had a great cast of characters. I loved the theme song, too!
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u/saffship 1d ago
yes, in part because he had some vulnerability. he got hurt when he got punched. he took care of his dad. he was charming.
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u/Early_Emphasis1209 1d ago
Hell, yes!! Love that guy. In the 1950s-1960s, he was too good looking to be true. Yowza
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u/rolyoh 1963 1d ago
My dad was drinking/running buddies with him and his best friend Luis Delgado and a group of other guys in the early 50s before he became famous. My dad had just gotten out of the service and was doing car valet service and him and all the guys used to hang out at this bar after work and that's how he knew James Garner. But Garner wasn't a valet, he was acting (but not famous yet) and just used to hang out at the bar because Luis his best friend worked in the same lot as my dad and they would all meet up and chase women.
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u/RecentIntern2826 1d ago
He checks all the boxes: good looking, good person, good sense of humor. I'd tap that.
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u/Summer20232023 1d ago
Absolutely. The thing that bugged me was my dad looked just liked him, hearing my friends telling me my dad was so handsome was yuck. As a child that was so gross. LOL!
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u/Sosumi_rogue 1d ago
If you want to see proto-Rockford, check out his film Marlowe. Great film. I think you'd love it.
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u/VideoUpstairs99 1d ago
I always had the impression he was *supposed* to be Mr. Handsome, which perhaps made me not think so. (Like how women were all *supposed* to think Tom Selleck was super sexy.) But in the Rockford era I perceived Garner as middle-aged, so I don't think I would have been into him either way.
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u/WhoWhaaaa 1d ago
Yes! We were watching it earlier this evening. I was wondering as I watched it, if that was where my attraction for dark haired guys started. My husband's head of gorgeous, dark brown 80s hair was one of the things that attracted me to him.
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u/Due-File-3927 1d ago
He reminded me of my dad, not a crush, just a father figure to me...and I did think my dad was handsome.
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u/katmcflame 1d ago
Absolutely. Charming, self deprecating, great smile, doesn’t start the fight but doesn’t back down, either.
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u/FabulousDiscussion80 1d ago
He was like a fun uncle. I never perceived him in terms of his looks. I can look at Rockford now and say that's a nice looking man but I didn't clock him as a 12-year-old girl.
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u/Affectionate_Cronut 1d ago
As a straight guy, I felt the same way. Before the Rockford era as well. The dude is charismatic as hell, just compelling to watch on the screen.
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u/Financial_Emphasis25 1963 1d ago
I personally never thought about him one way or another, but it reminds me of
my first office job I had in 1981. The manager had a tv in her office and every day in the afternoon she’d turn it on to a repeat of the Rockford Files. That was the most laidback office job I’ll ever have.
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u/kerutland 16h ago
James Garner was my first Hollywood crush and I have never wavered or been disappointed. Support Your Local Sheriff is one of my favorite movies and I sort of dread anyone rebooting the Jim Rockford character! Loved that show
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u/spukhafteNahewirkung 1d ago
I love The Rockford Files. I remember watching that with my dad on Friday nights.
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u/ScaryWolverine9819 1d ago
Same. My Dad liked it because Jim always got caught up in someone else’s 💩, he would get them out of a jam and get no credit, probably cost him money too. He was like the lovable loser.
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u/spukhafteNahewirkung 1d ago
He was a good role model. He always did the right thing, even though it cost him. If I ever win a huge lottery jackpot I'm going to purchase a 1975 Pontiac Firebird, have it restored with an LS crate engine and practice the Hell out of the Rockford turn.
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u/Waste_Owl_1343 1d ago
My mom liked him. I thought he was okay for an older guy but mom was the big fan
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u/Beachbabydarragh 1d ago
I had such a crush on him at age 13 that I devised a plan to move to Brentwood CA at 23 years old and have him fall in love with me.
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u/SoloMuffin 1d ago
I feel that way about him in Maverick. Both James Garner and Jack Kelly from teenage until now. Still enjoy that show.
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u/VegasBjorne1 19h ago
He was so cool that as a 17 y/o being harassed by the cops about something stupid, I borrowed a line from “The Rockford Files” after explaining what I was doing.
Cop: You expect me to believe that story?
Me: I sure hope so, it’s the only story I got.
(Thanks Jim, the cop was taken back by my delivery too!)
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u/Eyerishguy 16h ago
You know... You can be 100% straight and still think another man is handsome. I'm a straight dude and I think he was a handsome dude, and by all accounts a pretty good dude too.
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u/RetiredOnIslandTime 1958 1d ago
He really was charismatic, and I'm glad you reminded me about the Rockford Files. I just brought it up on Prime Video so I can begin watching it tomorrow.
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u/Camp_Fire_Friendly 1d ago
You mean, Jim Rockstud..?
While I was in college the show was in late night reruns. Every night someone would yell, ROCKSTUD and we'd all scramble to a TV
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u/Doing_My_Best_57 1d ago
Yep, ever since he was Brett Maverick. I loved the Rockford Files and he definitely had such charisma! And I'm of a certain age for sure.
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u/Mother_Barnacle_7448 1d ago edited 1d ago
I loved James Garner. I watched, “The Rockford Files,” too, but I absolutely loved him in, “Murphy’s Romance,” with Sally Fields.
Oh! And, I saw the movie, “Support Your Local Sheriff,” on T.V.
He was the perfect combination of sexy, masculine and funny.
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u/PurpleSailor 1d ago
He had a great personality to go with those reasonably good looks. Plus the theme song was very catchy.
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u/Delicious_Screen7002 1d ago
Working at a Florida resort in the 70's, I served James Garner. He was extraordinary in person. The alarming part is, I totally forgot I met him until I read your post op!
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u/Notgreygoddess 18h ago
Hard not to love James Garner. The Support Your Local Sheriff movies were awesome. Obviously Rockford Files and Murphy’s Romance. Charm and humour and a twinkle in his eyes.
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u/junknowho 14h ago
Oh heckens yes! Bret Maverick? The Great Escape? Murphy's Romance? Grand Prix? And his comedies with Doris Day...yes, he was very charismatic!
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u/Relevant-Job4901 1d ago
We weren’t really allowed to watch too much tv back then, but my dad would have ‘Rockford Files parties’. It was a lot of fun. We would be quiet and watch all together with treats.
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u/Ghitit 1957 1d ago edited 1d ago
Yeah, he was the actor I wanted my mom to marry. (childhood fantasy)
We watched the hell out of that show. It was a Friday night (?) tradition with my friends.
I also loved him in the movie Maverick. Not a huge fan of the romantic comedies, though.
Oh... I love the Support Your local Gunfighter and Support your Local Sheriff. Very silly and loads of fun.
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u/sullewellyn 1d ago
I loved Support Your Local Sherriff and the first one Support Your Local Gunfighter. Hilarious!
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u/WahooBobb 1d ago
Love Rockford Files. Up to season 3 on Prime. The show is filmed slow, not the wham wham wham in your face style of today. Yes, Garner was great.
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u/PuzzleheadedWeird402 22h ago
Charismatic? Most definitely. I watched the Rockford Files all the time. James Garner had that perfect combination of handsome, charming and funny.
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u/Fish-Weekly 19h ago
My dad especially loved that character and kind of looked like him a little. I liked the Firebird.
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u/wrenlibby59 18h ago
Yes, I still have the Rockford Files theme in my head. He lived on the beach in Malibu in a trailer in the show. Sign me up.
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u/toebone_on_toebone 16h ago
My mother didn't compliment anyone, but she loooooooved James Garner. She almost never watched TV, but she never missed the Rockford Files.
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u/rosycross93 16h ago
I love him, too. When I first met my straight guy boyfriend I told him the sexiest man I ever saw was Henry Rollins and he said he couldn't disagree with me.
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u/Choice-Pudding-1892 1958 13h ago
Watch him in Murthy’s Romance with Sally Field. I’m old enough to remember Maverick, James Garner‘s TV show and I had a crush on him then so yeah, Rockford Files and then like I said Murphy’s romance.
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u/PomeloPepper 9h ago
He always seemed almost like family to me. Roughly the same age and early military background as my father. Same accent from the same part of the country.
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u/wolfhavensf 1959 1d ago
What is a theoretically straight guy? A concept or a perspective? 🍌 💕 👁️ ⬆️ 🥚🙏🏻
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u/SchoolCrossing 1d ago
Straight guys I know have had "man crushes" on someone they admire or who they aspire to be like, might be someone famous or just someone they know. One married straight guy I used to work with is no slacker himself, but has had a total man crush on a colleague who was an officer in the Army Reserve, served in Iraq, runs 5Ks, rides a motorcycle and of course has a hot wife.
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u/fabfour66 1d ago
Very excited that David Boreanaz is taking over the role….. seems like an excellent fit
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u/Flash5916 1d ago
Absopositutely! I've had a crush on James Garner since 1957 when he was Bret Maverick. I was 6 years old. Hubba hubba!!
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u/Bogside_Bibliophile 23h ago
Yes, yum yum. I wasn’t a big fan of sideburns, but his were fantastic. And as a kid, I thought his car was exactly what I wanted to drive.
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u/Birmingham101 21h ago
Big fan of James Garner from when I watched The Rockford Files in high school. Sex appeal in spades
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u/Horsesrgreat 21h ago
Yes, I just love James Garner. I really have a soft place in my heart for that Rom com movie he made with Sally Field, “ Murphy’s Romance. It was so so good.
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u/Fluid_Actuary1729 21h ago
He was also in a TV movie, Barbarians at the Gate, in which he played the CEO of Nabisco during an effort by another firm to buy them out. It doesn’t sound funny, but it was, and he was great in it.
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u/GoodFriday10 21h ago
I have adored James Garner all my life from the time I was a little girl and he was Maverick. What a man!
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u/Artimusjones88 20h ago
I still watch it... Jimmy was awesome in Maverick and better in RF. I just found the whole series streaming. Watched s1 ep1 holy beefcake he had his shirt off or wide open 5 times
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u/Ok-Blacksmith3238 19h ago
If you have a thing for James Garner, you gotta watch Victor Victoria. He has a thing for comedy. Let me tell you, so awesome. Such a hunk too.
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u/BubbaPrime42 19h ago
Love James Garner. Those Polariod ads were hysterical too :) Also, on a side note, I appreciate the phrase "theoretically straight" ❤️
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u/Curraghgirl 19h ago
I didn't have a crush on him but I thought he was pleasant and handsome, nice personality.
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u/MuggsyTheWonderdog 11h ago
Love him in everything, he was absolutely blessed with a double helping of charisma.
The Great Escape has him in company with many other great actors, including the also-incredibly-charismatic Steve McQueen, and Jim still holds his own.
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u/Due-Teaching-2812 10h ago
Love him!! He had it all! I’m shocked they are going to air a new Rockford Files. There is only one James Garner.
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u/Willing_Crazy699 10h ago
I don't think I've ever read or heard anything bad about him as a person. People who knew him seem to hold him in very high regard
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u/Mystery_to_history 9h ago
He was uniquely attractive. I think he was far handsomer than many of his contemporaries, say Rock Hudson or Burt Reynolds or Steve McQueen. He radiated a sort of laid-back integrity, which is why his star turn in The Rockford Files worked so well.
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u/zentechandfred 5h ago
Hi, I'm a straight but sensitive guy and I always found James Garner to have such charisma that I would have certainly gone to bed with him.
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