6 Movies Starring James Garner
Though primarily known for playing 1970s TV detective Jim Rockford on The Rockford Files and Bret Maverick on the 1950s Western Maverick, James Garner appeared in more than 50 films, some of which are remembered as all-time classics. While he appeared in countless films throughout his long career, Garner hit his peak on the big screen in the 1960s. Here is a list of five films starring James Garner during his heyday.
Already a star thanks to his time on Maverick, Garner returned to films with a supporting role opposite Audrey Hepburn in this tragic psychological drama from William Wyler. In The Children's Hour, Hepburn and co-star Shirley MacLaine played two women in charge of an exclusive all-girls school accused of engaging in a lesbian affair by a mean-spirited student (Karen Balkin). Garner played Hepburn's fiancé, a reputable obstetrician who remains loyal to her despite the increasingly nasty allegations hurled at the two women and a subsequent libel suit that leads to an hard-to-endure trial. Ultimately, Hepburn has to break it off in, though he vows to return. While the film belonged to Hepburn and the doomed MacLaine, Garner was memorable in one of his less flashy performances.
Based on a real-life escape from a Nazi prison camp, The Great Escape featured Garner in a prominent supporting role opposite Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Richard Attenborough, and Donald Pleasance. Garner played Lt. Robert Hendley, also known as The Scrounger for his ability to procure hard-to-find items, who takes it upon himself to help forger Flt. Lt. Colin Blythe (Pleasance) during the escape after going blind for working in candlelight. The Allied prisoners of war make a dramatic escape through a tunnel that turns out to have been dug too short, leading to a quick bit of improvisation that leads to 76 POWs making a run for it. Among them are Hendley and Blythe, who steal a German plane, only to suffer engine trouble before making it to Switzerland. Blythe is killed by the Nazis, but manages to thank Hendley for getting him out. Though McQueen was undoubtedly the star of The Great Escape, Garner stood out from the all star cast to deliver one of his finest performances.
Set in London during World War II, The Americanization of Emily was a dark comedy adapted from William Bradford Huie's novel by acclaimed screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky. Garner played Lt. Cmdr. Charles Madison, a rather cowardly officer who keeps out of harm's way by supplying his superiors with women and luxury goods. He meets war widow Emily Barham (Julie Andrews), who's simultaneously smitten and repulsed by his ability to avoid combat at all costs. But when a mentally unstable Navy admiral (Melvyn Douglas) decides that the first man to die during the D-Day invasion must be a Navy man, Madison finds himself hitting the bomb-shelled sands of Omaha Beach as part of a camera crew. In the end, Madison becomes a hero despite himself and finds happiness with Emily. While some may blanch at the idea of depicting a coward during the D-Day invasion, Garner—who won the role after William Holden backed out—put on a fine display in a film he considered one of his favorites.
By the time he starred in John Frankenheimer's racing actioner, Garner was at the peak of his movie fame and ranked high as one of Hollywood's more popular stars. In Grand Prix, Garner starred as Pete Aron, an American Formula One driver vying for a comeback against a French driver (Yves Montand) nearing the end of his career, an Englishman (Brian Bedford) trying to overcome a bad crash, and an Italian rookie (Antonio Sabàto) at the start of a promising career. Along the way, Aron has a brief affair with the Englishman's unhappy wife (Jessica Walter), while the married Frenchman carries on with a magazine writer played by Eva Marie Saint. Why Garner and Saint weren't paired off remains a mystery, but Grand Prix contained a ton of great racing scenes, as well as a number of real-life Formula One champions. One of the highest grossing films of 1966, Grand Prix triggered a fascination for auto racing that Garner pursued for the remainder of his life.
With his movie career flagging a bit in the late 1960s, Garner scored a big hit with Support Your Local Sheriff, a Western spoof directed by Burt Kennedy. Garner played Jason McCullough, an amiable sort who makes a stop in the fictional gold rush town of Calendar, which is controlled by the nefarious Danby clan. McCullough is on his way to Australia, but happens to be a crack shot with a pistol and suddenly finds himself becoming sheriff. McCullough arrests one of the Danby boys (Bruce Dern) for murder, which triggers a quest for revenge by the clan's patriarch (Walter Brennan). Garner was the perfect choice for the easy going McCullough, as the actor used his laid-back charm to deliver one of his most delightful performances. Garner and much of the cast returned for the sequel, Support Your Local Gunfighter (1971).
1. 'The Children's Hour' – 1961
Already a star thanks to his time on Maverick, Garner returned to films with a supporting role opposite Audrey Hepburn in this tragic psychological drama from William Wyler. In The Children's Hour, Hepburn and co-star Shirley MacLaine played two women in charge of an exclusive all-girls school accused of engaging in a lesbian affair by a mean-spirited student (Karen Balkin). Garner played Hepburn's fiancé, a reputable obstetrician who remains loyal to her despite the increasingly nasty allegations hurled at the two women and a subsequent libel suit that leads to an hard-to-endure trial. Ultimately, Hepburn has to break it off in, though he vows to return. While the film belonged to Hepburn and the doomed MacLaine, Garner was memorable in one of his less flashy performances.
2. 'The Great Escape' – 1963
Based on a real-life escape from a Nazi prison camp, The Great Escape featured Garner in a prominent supporting role opposite Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Richard Attenborough, and Donald Pleasance. Garner played Lt. Robert Hendley, also known as The Scrounger for his ability to procure hard-to-find items, who takes it upon himself to help forger Flt. Lt. Colin Blythe (Pleasance) during the escape after going blind for working in candlelight. The Allied prisoners of war make a dramatic escape through a tunnel that turns out to have been dug too short, leading to a quick bit of improvisation that leads to 76 POWs making a run for it. Among them are Hendley and Blythe, who steal a German plane, only to suffer engine trouble before making it to Switzerland. Blythe is killed by the Nazis, but manages to thank Hendley for getting him out. Though McQueen was undoubtedly the star of The Great Escape, Garner stood out from the all star cast to deliver one of his finest performances.
3. 'The Americanization of Emily' – 1964
Set in London during World War II, The Americanization of Emily was a dark comedy adapted from William Bradford Huie's novel by acclaimed screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky. Garner played Lt. Cmdr. Charles Madison, a rather cowardly officer who keeps out of harm's way by supplying his superiors with women and luxury goods. He meets war widow Emily Barham (Julie Andrews), who's simultaneously smitten and repulsed by his ability to avoid combat at all costs. But when a mentally unstable Navy admiral (Melvyn Douglas) decides that the first man to die during the D-Day invasion must be a Navy man, Madison finds himself hitting the bomb-shelled sands of Omaha Beach as part of a camera crew. In the end, Madison becomes a hero despite himself and finds happiness with Emily. While some may blanch at the idea of depicting a coward during the D-Day invasion, Garner—who won the role after William Holden backed out—put on a fine display in a film he considered one of his favorites.
4. 'Grand Prix' – 1966
By the time he starred in John Frankenheimer's racing actioner, Garner was at the peak of his movie fame and ranked high as one of Hollywood's more popular stars. In Grand Prix, Garner starred as Pete Aron, an American Formula One driver vying for a comeback against a French driver (Yves Montand) nearing the end of his career, an Englishman (Brian Bedford) trying to overcome a bad crash, and an Italian rookie (Antonio Sabàto) at the start of a promising career. Along the way, Aron has a brief affair with the Englishman's unhappy wife (Jessica Walter), while the married Frenchman carries on with a magazine writer played by Eva Marie Saint. Why Garner and Saint weren't paired off remains a mystery, but Grand Prix contained a ton of great racing scenes, as well as a number of real-life Formula One champions. One of the highest grossing films of 1966, Grand Prix triggered a fascination for auto racing that Garner pursued for the remainder of his life.
5. 'Support Your Local Sheriff' – 1969
With his movie career flagging a bit in the late 1960s, Garner scored a big hit with Support Your Local Sheriff, a Western spoof directed by Burt Kennedy. Garner played Jason McCullough, an amiable sort who makes a stop in the fictional gold rush town of Calendar, which is controlled by the nefarious Danby clan. McCullough is on his way to Australia, but happens to be a crack shot with a pistol and suddenly finds himself becoming sheriff. McCullough arrests one of the Danby boys (Bruce Dern) for murder, which triggers a quest for revenge by the clan's patriarch (Walter Brennan). Garner was the perfect choice for the easy going McCullough, as the actor used his laid-back charm to deliver one of his most delightful performances. Garner and much of the cast returned for the sequel, Support Your Local Gunfighter (1971).
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