It isn’t easy for an actor to have one successful television series, let alone two. And it’s even more difficult to combine those with a thriving movie career. Usually someone succeeds at one medium, but not the other. But, then, James Garner is not your typical actor.
For one thing, Garner’s been married to the same woman for 54 years. In Hollywood that achievement alone is worthy of an Oscar. He’s also from humble origins, a decorated Korean War veteran, and beloved by many of the true stars of the industry. Garner is someone who will fight for what he believes (sometimes literally) yet will bend over backwards to keep a working set happy and contented. It is not surprising that he has endured a long, successful career on both the large and small screen.
Garner has captured it all in his memoir, “The Garner Files.” If you enjoy his TV shows, his movies, a true rags-to-riches story, or simply how Hollywood operates in general, his book will not disappoint. Garner has experienced so many adventures in his life that his memoir does not have a dull moment.
He was born in Norman, Okla., right before the depression and dust bowl ravaged the state. His parents weren’t exactly lovey-dovey so he and his two brothers did not have much direction (or money) growing up. In fact his father divorced his mother and his step-mother enjoyed beating young Jim at every opportunity.
His tough and difficult upbringing set the tone for his early adulthood. He held several odd jobs and ended up in Los Angeles simply because he had relatives there. He literally stumbled into acting simply because it was another job opportunity.
Before his budding acting career began Garner served in the Korean War and he found himself in the thick of combat.
He was wounded in battle and lucky to survive. He relates one harrowing experience where it was sheer luck that he wasn’t captured by the enemy. The irony of his war experience is that because of a paperwork snafu he didn’t receive his purple heart until 30 years after the conflict ended.
Once he began his new career, he combined talent and luck to eventually become one of Hollywood’s icons. His first hit TV series, “Maverick,” was the adventures of a hustler/ good guy in the Old West. The role fit Garner’s personality and shot to No. 1 in the ratings. After four years he decided it was time to focus on movies.
His favorite movie is “The Americanization of Emily,” which was made in 1964.
It’s an anti-war story of an American officer in England during World War II who falls in love with a young Brit (Julie Andrews). He loves his role as the officer because it has the unusual twist that he is essentially a coward. He also LOVES Julie Andrews and working with her was one of the highlights of his professional life.
Garner has appeared in several other films, including the highly acclaimed “The Great Escape,” “Grand Prix,” “Victor Victoria” (working again with Julie Andrews), and “The Notebook” (another personal favorite). In the 1970s he hit it big on TV again with the highly popular “Rockford Files.” The key to both his successful TV series was that his characters were flawed, but with good hearts.
Garner has strong opinions about many things in life, including politics, civil rights, acting, Hollywood moguls, and golf. He lays it out there for all to see. He even admits that his passion for golf went overboard and he threw his clubs all the time.
Garner portrays himself as an “old curmudgeon” but that would be misleading.
A better description would be reflective, passionate and amazing. He has managed to stay true to himself, be successful, and retain many devoted friends and admirers. It would be hard to top a life like that.
Columns
Book Notes: Garner’s memoir: never a dull moment
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In These Otsego Hills: Continuing on from 1986 ...
We continue this week by answering the question we asked if anyone remembers the old Cooperstown National Bank? On May 13, we wrote: “Martha Dickison, Delaware Street, called to tell us about the Cooperstown National Bank where she worked at her first ‘real job’ after her graduation from school.
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Up On Hawthorn Hill: Spring inventions
The second line of Lawrence Durrell’s novel “Justine” reads as follows: “In the midst of winter you can feel the inventions of Spring.” I first read all four novels of his magnificent Alexandria Quartet during the year I traveled from Saigon to Paris after working in Vietnam for a refugee organization for several years.
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From Fly Creek: Revving up for spring
Time to bring you up to date on Fly Creek’s happy clambering into Spring. First, the eatery scene. “Is Jerry’s open yet?” The answer is, “Oh, yes!” The porches are freshly stained; the lawns a uniform green, and the hop vines are already climbing the posts on the covered side deck. Blue and I went up there to lunch earlier this week, and I celebrated spring with my traditional bacon, onion and Swiss cheese hamburger. We two sat on the deck, enjoying the broad view and some spectacular clouds marching across, up toward Schuyler Lake.
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In These Otsego Hills: More from 1986 ...
This week we continue with the discussion of telephone service from the pre-dial days. On March 12 we noted that: “No one has yet produced a telephone directory from pre-dial days, but Doug Preston of New Hartford recalls that some business (which one?) in the village had the phone number 7.”
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Home Notes: Celebrations abound at the Thanksgiving Home
April was a month of celebrations and much to appreciate. We had a 90th birthday celebration for Wanda Noyes on April 4 including her family and friends. Personal care staff Dee Bouck worked with residents to hand paint Easter eggs for the tree in the activity room.
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In These Otsego Hills: 1986 continues ...
This week we continue our journey through the columns of 1986 with the answer to the question “for whom, according to tradition, was Hannah’s Hill named?”
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Book Notes: Baseball book features local contributors
Baseball is part of the nation’s fabric. Most kids have a memory of the game either from playing Little League, attending a major league contest or meeting a favorite player. In Cooperstown that feeling is magnified since we are the official home of baseball. We get to see firsthand what has made the sport the national pastime.
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From Fly Creek: Ya really wanna know?
SETTING: Fly Creek General Store. CAST: Assorted seated geezers, drinking coffee. [Door opens, enter heavy-set geezer; walking slowly with wide stance, maybe prostatitis.]
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In These Otsego Hills: Returning to 1986 ...
For the past several years now we have undertaken sharing some of the area’s oral history we have collected over the years that we have written this column. Therefore, this year, we would like to go back to 1986 to share that rather unusual year. Those who were here then no doubt remember that it was that year that the village celebrated the bicentennial of its founding.
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From Fly Creek: For reasons unknowable
[Jim’s reached back to 2002 to share one of his favorite columns.] My father was born as the last century began into a river village in tidewater Maryland. He told me once of a man there in his boyhood who, like so many, made a thin living tonging for oysters in the cold months and, in the hot and humid ones, crabbing and raising vegetables.
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In These Otsego Hills: CCS balancing act ... side two
Last week we shared a number of activities in which students at CCS can participate. We thought it was an impressive, if not overwhelming, list. And we are indeed pleased that the young people of our area have these opportunities. However, we think it is also important to keep in mind that these undertakings do have a cost associated with them. They are not free. In fact there are, no doubt, those who would say they do not come cheap.
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From Fly Creek: A graceful crowd
Make of this what you will, friends. I feel I’m really meant to share it with you. Despite good medication for my Parkinsonism, every four or five weeks I can sensethe symptoms building up on me, giving me more than ordinary trouble. Lately it’s been falls, and last week brought a typical one. I’d gone out to get the paper, moving along with penguin steps on the snowcoved ice patches, and usingmy spike-tipped cane the waya climber uses an ice axe. But circumstances overcame me. Parkinson’s wipes out the possibility of multi-tasking.
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In These Otsego Hills: This and that and the other side ...
We note that the CCS Class of 2012 is presenting its senior class play, “Snow White” by Tim Kelly, this week with performances 7:30 p.m Thursday and Friday, March 29 and 30, and at 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 31. All performances will be at the Nicolas J. Sterling Auditorium at the Middle/High School.
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In These Otsego Hills: That green thing ...
Of late we have noticed that our email inbox has been much busier than usual. In fact, we find ourselves hard pressed to keep up with all the various messages we receive. As a result we suspect we have not answered some in as timely a fashion as might be thought appropriate.
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From Fly Creek: What you need to know
In their last Sunday’s bulletins, all 84 churches of Otsego County were to have carried announcements of an important meeting; most of them did. But because the announcement is so important, and not just to the churched, here it is again.
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Book Notes: Living the magic of ‘Hoosier’
A lot of people consider “Hoosiers” the best sports film of all time. The 1986 classic follows the exploits of a fictional small town Indiana high school basketball team in 1952 as it attempts to achieve the impossible dream of a state championship. The story is inspired by the true life achievement of the 1954 Milan team, who with an enrollment of only 161 students shocked big city power Muncie Central on a last second shot to win the state title. It’s the kind of sports story that represents something that is hard to grasp unless you live in a small town.
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In These Otsego Hills: The most perfect village... home to heavy industry?
We suspect we would get a whole lot more accomplished if we spent less time thinking, pondering and musing about things. In fact, there is a good possibility we might actually have completed our goal of cleaning the basement if we only focused on the task at hand, instead of trying to figure out the world around us. It almost makes us wonder if it is possible to think too much about things. We certainly hope not because should that be the case, we are in deep trouble.
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Up On Hawthorn Hill: The past in the present
Clichés abound about the value of photographs. Most are probably true at least to a certain extent. What I do know about an image is that it represents something of the past that is not the pastitself. But that is the power of any image. It represents something that once was. The beauty of an image, revisited, is that it functions as a catalystfor reliving in the present a past experience. My own view, one that I thank the Spanish writer Jorge Luis Borges for, is that all we ever can experience is the present.
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Home Notes: Workshops held for Thanksgiving Home residents
We welcomed Linda Keller, Ph.D. of the Bassett Research Institute and Ida Baker of NYCAMH who presented a six-week workshop for residents and staff.
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From Fly Creek: Late-winter hamlet news
Well, at least I’m “guessing” it’s late winter now — in the winter that wasn’t. But, if not snow, I can provide a flurry of Fly Creek news to share with you, scooping Associated Press, Reuter’s, and United Press International, not to mention all local news services except our General Store.
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In These Otsego Hills: Continuing on from 1986 ...
