The Rockford Files - Episode: Just Another Polish Wedding (1977) Location: Brown Bagger Restaurant

The Brown Bagger Restaurant - Via Dolce and Washington Blvd, Marina del Rey, California

We thank Don for the address:

Brown Bagger Restaurant
303 Washington Blvd.
Marina del Rey, CA 90292

 

________________________________________________

To All The Rockford Files Fans Everywhere.... A very happy and safe Thanksgiving to you and yours...

The Rockford Files - Episode: "The Real Easy Red Dog" 1975

In this episode Stefanie Powers plays the role of Christine Dusseau, who is also a private investigator just like James Rockford. Christine initially tells Jim Rockford she is Jennifer Sandstrom so she can dupe Rockford into taking a case.                       

Rockford eventually finds Christine Dusseau at the below house with the white car parked in its driveway. When Rockford checks Christine's identification the above California drivers license is shown. Ironically the address shown on the license is the actual address of this residence and filming location.  4265 Denny Ave - The D/L says Toluca Lake, CA but when checking this address it comes up to Studio City, CA and also North Hollywood, CA. But either way they used they actual address of the residence they were using for this filming location as the address on her drivers license. Pretty weird!

 

The above image is an actual image from this episode and the below image is from Google Maps and shows the residence as it looks like today. 

The Rockford Files - Episode: Backlash of the Hunter "Old World Restaurant"

 

 

Here is another location we need help with.

The Old World Restaurant, most likely in Los Angeles but there is a chance it isn't also.

Anybody remember this place and where it was located???

DING DING DING! We have another place identified by a blog viewer!

Old World Restaurant is now the Red Rock Restaurant located at

8782 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, West Hollywood, CA.

I personally wish to thank the alert viewer who sent us this information!

James Garner releases his new book: THE GARNER FILES

Actor James Garner pens a memoirJames Garner's memoir is as easygoing and plain-spoken as his acting persona. The Norman, Okla., native, now 83, obviously wouldn't have it any other way.

From Bret Maverick and Jim Rockford on TV — his two signature roles — to The Great Escape's Hendley The Scrounger and The Americanization of Emily's Charlie Madison, the hustler on the big screen, Garner has personified what he describes as "the reluctant hero." He's cool and calm on the outside, but deep down he's a good-hearted maverick. When pushed, he will shove back. He's particularly wary of bullies and bigots, and proudly recalls attending the March on Washington in the summer of 1963, and to this day remains "a bleeding-heart liberal."

Garner recounts growing up fast and hard in Norman during the Depression. In fact, "he was abused, lonely and deprived," as his wife, Lois, succinctly puts it. No wonder Garner (born Bumgarner) escaped to Hollywood after serving in Korea — but not to become an actor. He was just looking for decent, honest work. He fell into acting serendipitously when he ran into fellow Oklahoman Paul Gregory, a producer and agent, who signed him.

Garner had the good fortune to work with Henry Fonda on Broadway in The Caine Mutiny Court Martial (where, as a silent judge, he learned the craft of listening). Later, when actor/director Charles Laughton took over the production, he told Garner that he needed to overcome his fear of being bad. It was a revelation.

But stardom came to Garner on the small screen when he appeared in Maverick from 1957-60. The hit series turned the Western upside down with irreverence. Garner played the con artist with a sense of humor and a code of honor, and the image stuck.

He then honed his persona on the big screen in two World War II dramas: The Great Escape (1963) and The Americanization of Emily (1964). Although the popular Escape is best known for Steve McQueen's famous motorcycle jump, the dramatic highlight is the tenderness displayed between Garner and Donald Pleasence.

Meanwhile, Emily deservedly remains Garner's favorite film, about a coward who ironically becomes a hero. Co-starring Julie Andrews, who also reached new dramatic heights, the brilliant but unsuccessful anti-war drama was scripted by the great Paddy Chayefsky, who had a poetic flair for dialogue.

"Audiences have come around to it, and it's now a cult favorite and a minor classic," Garner says. "Unfortunately, it hasn't put war out of style."

And, unfortunately, Garner is a little too hard on himself about his best scene (a 12-page speech against sentimentalizing war).

However, The Rockford Files (1974-80) embodies everything that Garner represents. His iconoclastic and likable private eye survives every crisis thrown his way. But Garner's devotion to the successful Rockford was more than just an acting job: He also produced it with his own company. Fittingly, it's the highlight of this memoir as well as his career.

The Rockford Files - Episode: This Case Is Closed - Episode Blooper

During the first segment of this episode Jim Rockford was being tailed by another private investigator. Jim loses this tail by going into a gated parking lot. In the above image you can see the two camera men and the two movie cameras on tripods as the scene shows the parking lot entrance/exit gate.

Thank You to Editor Craig Clough of the North Hollywood-Toluca Lake Patch

'Rockford Files' Blog IDs Local Vintage Filming Locations

The Web site has a lot of images of North Hollywood, Studio City, Sherman Oaks and Toluca Lake, but still needs help identifying some other locations. 

Patch received an email recently drawing our attention to therockfordfilestv.blogspot.com. Any fan of the old NBC TV show The Rockford Files or anyone with an an interest in vintage 70s images of the North Hollywood/Toluca Lake/Studio City/Sherman Oaks area should be sure to check it out.
The blog is primarily dedicated to finding and identifying locations around Los Angeles that were used in the show, which starred James Garner as an L.A.-based private investigator and aired from 1974-1980.

Many of the locations identified in the blog are -- or were -- in the East Valley area, including the old Pickwick Drive-in Theater at 1100 W. Alameda in Burbank, the American Coin & Stamp Co. at 12164 Ventura Blvd. in Studio City (closed, now Dilbeck Realtors), the Ventura Car Wash at 13320 Ventura Blvd. in Sherman Oaks (still there), Texaco Dino's Datsun Repair (long gone, as are Datsuns themselves) at 4365 Lankerhsim Blvd. in North Hollywood, and the Little Brown Church/Church of the Valley in Studio City (definitely still there and the subject of a recent profile by Patch).  


But the blog is still seeking help in identifying some locations, such as this one, this one, this one and this one. Also be sure to check out the blog Rockford Files Locations, which reveals several places used on the show in Toluca Lake and Studio City, including St. Charles Borromeo.

Heard some news you want us to check out? Let me know: Craig.Clough@patch.com

The Rockford Files - Episode "The Four Pound Brick" - The Greek Theater in Los Angeles California

The Greek Theater 
2700 North Vermont Avenue
Los Angeles, CA
90027-1298(323) 665-3125

Some more scenes from the episode "The Four Pound Brick"