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| Syd |
 Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2014 5:05 pm |
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Site Admin
Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 12889
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
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daffy wrote: R.I.P James Garner. Another favorite gone.
Garner was born in Norman as James Scott Bumgarner. The street east of me turns into James Garner Avenue one house north of me, and several blocks of Main Street is James Garner Corridor. There's a statue of him just east of where they meet. He married once and it lasted 58 years until his death.
I don't know either why he wasn't a bigger movie star. Support Your Local Sheriff!, Support Your Local Gunfighter and Murphy's Romance were all really enjoyable. |
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I had a love and my love was true but I lost my love to the yabba dabba doo, --The Flintstone Lament |
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| marantzo |
| Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2014 5:54 pm |
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Syd, It seems like the people in Norman are nice people. And my daughter-in-law's father lives in Oklahoma City and he's also a very nice person, maybe all Oklahomans are nice.  |
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| carrobin |
| Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2014 8:36 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 7795
Location: NYC
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| Maybe Garner didn't make the superstar ranks precisely because he was nice. Even James Stewart and Cary Grant could show a sinister edge if necessary. Somehow you couldn't imagine Garner as a bad guy, even if he did get angry and somewhat dangerous when riled. If he ever did play a villain, I missed it--does anyone know if he ever played such a role? |
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| whiskeypriest |
| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 7:57 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 6916
Location: "It's a Dry Heat."
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marantzo wrote: Syd, It seems like the people in Norman are nice people. And my daughter-in-law's father lives in Oklahoma City and he's also a very nice person, maybe all Oklahomans are nice. |
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I ask you, Velvel, as a rational man, which of us is possessed? |
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| whiskeypriest |
| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 7:57 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 6916
Location: "It's a Dry Heat."
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| Double post. |
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I ask you, Velvel, as a rational man, which of us is possessed? |
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| Syd |
| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 8:38 am |
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Site Admin
Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 12889
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
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whiskeypriest wrote: marantzo wrote: Syd, It seems like the people in Norman are nice people. And my daughter-in-law's father lives in Oklahoma City and he's also a very nice person, maybe all Oklahomans are nice. Have you taken a look at their Congressional delegation?
My congressman is Tom Cole, who's Native American and not too bad, although I vote against him. The last time I voted Republican for a congressman was the first time J. C. Watts ran. Unfortunately, my senators are Inhofe and Coburn. I've got some respect for Coburn, who worked with Obama on some legislation, and is not afraid to be a minority of one, though I'm usually opposed to his positions. Inhofe is stupid, sleazy and an embarrassment to the nation. Unfortunately, the wrong Senator chose to retire. |
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I had a love and my love was true but I lost my love to the yabba dabba doo, --The Flintstone Lament |
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| marantzo |
| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 9:28 am |
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whiskeypriest wrote: marantzo wrote: Syd, It seems like the people in Norman are nice people. And my daughter-in-law's father lives in Oklahoma City and he's also a very nice person, maybe all Oklahomans are nice. Have you taken a look at their Congressional delegation?
Yeah, I forgot about the Oklahoma congress. This morning I read about a bio of Garner in the paper, and it mentioned that his step-mother hit him and his brothers whenever she could. His mother died when he was young. So it seems that there are Oklahomans who aren't nice!
Was the bomber who blew-up that building, an Oklahoman? |
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| daffy |
| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 10:15 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 1939
Location: Wall Street
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| Garner never got the props he should have gotten for being such a good actor. He's amazing in The Great Escape. His light comedy scrounge gives way to a real terror in his begging for mercy from the Nazis after his trainer crashes. There's a scene towards the end of The Notebook where Garner watches as his wife descends into an Alzheimer's freakout. She's ranting and raving and there's absolutely nothing he can do as he watches her madness. The despair and helplessness he expresses are heart-wrenching. He should have gotten an Oscar for that scene alone. |
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| Syd |
| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 5:31 pm |
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Site Admin
Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 12889
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
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[quote="marantzo"]whiskeypriest wrote: Was the bomber who blew-up that building, an Oklahoman?
McVeigh was from New York by way of Michigan and Nichols was Michigan born and raised. |
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I had a love and my love was true but I lost my love to the yabba dabba doo, --The Flintstone Lament |
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| marantzo |
| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 6:49 pm |
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| Thanks Syd. I didn't think they were from Oklahoma. |
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| whiskeypriest |
| Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2014 6:48 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 6916
Location: "It's a Dry Heat."
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[quote="Syd"]marantzo wrote: whiskeypriest wrote: Was the bomber who blew-up that building, an Oklahoman?
McVeigh was from New York by way of Michigan and Nichols was Michigan born and raised. |
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I ask you, Velvel, as a rational man, which of us is possessed? |
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| marantzo |
| Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2014 10:46 am |
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| I guess he mixed up "It's a dry cold" with "It's a dry heat". |
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| bartist |
| Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2014 11:04 am |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6943
Location: Black Hills
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| James Rockford has always been one of my favorite tv characters. In fact, I'd say in terms of combining charm and sardonic wit and street smarts, he might be my favorite PI on the small screen. Garner was an icon, indeed. And agree with Daffy that his turn in The Notebook was remarkable and underrated. I can't recall, either, that he ever played a villain...yeah, he emanated too much decency and integrity to really bring it off. But if he did, and I missed it, I'd love to see it! |
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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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| Joe Vitus |
| Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2014 2:34 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 14498
Location: Houston
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| I'd argue Garner was, like Lucille Ball, limited in scope but unbeatable within his range. He wasn't a believable villain, he would have been equally unbelievable as an earnest good guy. He could not express tragedy or nobility of purpose, or greatness of character. His dimensions were not large, which is probably why (again like Lucy) he was at his greatest on the small screen. As a charming rake, a con-artist on the right side of the law, a man who did decent things through indecent means, he was as good as they get. |
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You've got a great brain. You should keep it in your head.
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| carrobin |
| Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2014 2:42 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 7795
Location: NYC
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| Bret Maverick was the perfect role for Garner. I was a "Maverick" fan from the beginning (I wonder whatever happened to Jack Kelly, who had none of Garner's charisma). Efrem Zimbalist Jr., an early and long-time favorite of mine, had his best role on that show as Dandy Jim Buckley, and Richard Long, later of "Bourbon Street Beat," was Gentleman Jack Darby. "My old pappy used to tell me, he who fights and runs away lives to run away another day." I wish I remembered half the stuff I learned in high school as well as I remember that show. |
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