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The Garner Files: A Memoir

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I've enjoyed watching James Garner through the years and so I was eager to read his memoir (this review is based on the Kindle edition, available before other editions shipped.).

Fans looking for biographical details about Garner should be satisfied. For example, who would have guessed that Garner hates public speaking and had to battle this to work on screen? He never grew fond of acting on stage.Readers can discover how and why he grew to dislike performing live, an adversion rooted in traumatic childhood experiences.

Although there are plenty of fascinating gems about Garner in his book it is a slow read at first. Garner starts with recollections of his childhood and then moves on to his first love, time spent in the military, and struggles as an actor in the 50's - alongside Clint Eastwood and others who weren't yet famous. The book does pick up speed and finally falls into a comfortable pace.

I felt that the section about his childhood and family roots could have been tighter, focusing more on the pivotal moments rather than drier parts about his family tree. Looking at these sections from the perspective of prospective readers it is likely that they'll be eager for events to " cut to the chase" sooner.

It was inspiring to see how Garner's tenacity serves him well, keeping him from giving up when even respected acting coaches told him he'd never succeed. Friends such as Henry Fonda allowed Garner to observe and pick up valuable techniques.

All in all, well worth reading for anyone interested in Garner's take on life and acting.

Bonus features: introduction by Julie Andrews and a special section where family and friends include recollections of Garner. They include Doris Day, Tom Selleck, and Joel Grey.

Reading "The Garner Files" James Garner's long awaited memoirs written with Jon Winokur is like being in the room with Jim having a "one on one" conversation. Jim's voice comes through loud and clear (Very loud when the need arises). Having spent two years on the set of "The Rockford Files" I can attest that Jon Winokur does an excellent job of letting Jim do the talking. Jim's wonderful sense of humor, dry wit and yes his shyness comes through revealing a man who in my opinion is so good at his craft, he doesn't have to brag about his talents, he lets the work speak for itself.

His love of golf and his "Antics" on the links are some of the funniest moments of the book. Reading Jim's telling of his ability "To bury a golf club in the turf" I swore I was sitting in Jim's motor home on the set of "Rockford" laughing along with everyone else. I am so thrilled that Jon Winokur was able to do what biographers for years have been unable to do. To get James Garner to talk about...James Garner.

Whether he's Rockford, Maverick, Murphy Jones, Charlie Madison or any of the other wonderful characters Jim has played in over fifty years of acting, in "The Garner Files" you get Jim Garner, and his no holes barred approach to life, love, acting, politics all in that warm voice that comes off the page and touches our hearts like James Garner has done for 83 years.

First of all, I have to say that I have been waiting and hoping that this book would be written for the past 20 years. I bought the Kindle version for PC and stayed up until 3:30AM this morning reading this quality work. You can hear Jim's voice through the words written and I thoroughly enjoyed his self-effacing comments on and about his career choices. His descriptions of how other actors' personalities were in real life were refreshing to read. Usually every year around the holidays, I watch the entire Rockford Files collection that I have on DVds, a marathon of sorts! It is going to be much better this year since I know so much more about my favorite actor. If you want to read about how a real 'Maverick' came to be an actor, movie star and frustrated golfer than this is a book you won't want to put down...I didn't...Thanks again for a great book Jim and one that I will be able to reread every year around the holidays...!!

James Garner is one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, with longevity to rival Clint Eastwood and Robert Redford. He has always had the easy good looks of a man who is not vain (for precisely that reason). He has been willing to change with the times, where other actors simply fall out of our consciousness. But when I heard about his new memoir, "The Garner Files," I hesitated to read it. I was afraid I might be disappointed. I thought I might prefer to just watch "Maverick" and "The Rockford Files" or download "The Americanization of Emily" from NetFlix, take in Garner's cool charm on screen, and leave the rest of his personal storyline to my imagination.

Wouldn't you?

Well, if you would, don't.

Because James Garner is not only a good actor, he's great story teller and an even better person. To skip this book would be to miss a memoir of honesty and depth -- the story of Hollywood's Golden Age told with grace and clarity. The Garner Files is a lovely trip back to a time when guys were guys, and gals were both glamorous and tough.

I especially enjoy the way Garner writes about the women in his life. His daughters, his wife, but also his co-stars, Rita Moreno, Mariette Hartley and Julie Andrews, who, in turn, writes a heartfelt introduction to the book.

Another surprisingly moving part of the book is the chapter entitled simply "Politics." Garner, it turns out, is cut from the celebrity cloth of "Do Something" rather than the other more familiar swatch: "Lay Low, Lest Political Action Hurt Me At The Box Office." In Garner's day, the choices were presented starkly -- literally, in black and white. Garner marched on Washington, for example, in 1963, a highly controversial move; he tried to make the moral choice, every time.

They just don't make stars of the Silver Screen quite like that anymore. But if you are feeling nostalgic for a hero, read "The Garner Files."

I fell in love with James Garner when I was 4 years old and saw him on TV in an old movie on with Doris Day. For me it was love at first sight.

I watch all his movies whenever they are on TV and I was so happy to see him in films on the big screen such as the NoteBook. So I was very eager to find out more about this man I've had a crush on since I was 4.

The book was very interesting to me and I couldn't put it down. I read it in 3 days. I would have never guessed he had such a tough childhood and that the demons of that childhood would plague him for his entire life. He makes acting look so easy and he is such a strong presence on screen it was fascinating to learn how hard it is for him.

If you are a fan you will not be disappointed in this book. If you are not a fan of Mr. Garner you will be by the end of this book. I've read the reviews by people who complained he didn't speak badly of anyone. I respect him for that. Given his childhood and how he was able to become one of hollywoods best actors I would think he would be too grateful to focus on the negative. Plus he has always been a good guy, a man's man, and someone who was never in the tabloids. I suspect he did his job, went home and if he knew of anyone's secrets he figured that's their business not mine.

I'm really happy to learn more about the man who stole my heart at age 4

You gotta love James Garner. Just like his most famous screen roles (Maverick, Rockford), he never took himself too seriously. He's an actor, and while others may make a fuss over him because of that, he views it as a trade. It's his job, and he does it well.

The Garner Files is tailor-made for his fans. You're not going to find the man dishing dirt or pontificating on his life. He tells his story in the same sort of frank, down-to-earth manner for which he is so famous and appreciated. I was surprised, even shocked, to learn he once snorted cocaine with John Belushi (and lived to tell!), but there aren't many revelations for those who've read interviews with him through the years. But it's still a very enjoyable read, and it's interesting to get his take on some of his co-stars, like Julie Andrews (whom he adores and who wrote the intro), as well as Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, and his Rockford Files co-star Stuart Margolin. Garner even grades his films, from one to five stars, and is, I think, a bit modest. Surely, the hilarious "The Wheeler Dealers" deserves more than 2 and a half stars, and I'm not sure I'd give five stars to "The Notebook" (only "The Great Escape" ranks as high in his view), but to each his own.

Garner says he'd like people to be able to smile when remembering him. He can rest assured he's already achieved that ambition.

Brian W. Fairbanks

I delighted in reading "The Garner Files" and learning about his struggles and successes. James Garner's humility is rare for an actor and allowed me to relate to him as a human being, not just a Hollywood icon.

I consider James Garner to be America's answer to Laurence Olivier, our country's top multi-faceted actor. There is no one else who infuses a sense of believability and realism into a role as he does. Sitting on a porch whittling and saying "I'm working on it" brought alive an otherwise silly, mediocre episode of the "Maverick" TV series, giving that half hour a depth that made it live. Even fifty years later, his performance is fresh and pumped with low-key energy. In the later movie with Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster, Garner stole every scene with an understated yet completely real portrayal of both character and story -- the screen disappears and the audience is standing with James Garner in that time and place. He brings roles to life with a finely nuanced understanding of the character, showing thought and emotion on the human face.

Each year I delight in watching again my all-time favorite movies, "The Americanization of Emily" and "Grand Prix." Garner's roles in these films demonstrate the enormous range of his talent. He effortlessly moves from a caring, charming "dog-robber" who understands the utter pointlessness of war, even against Hitler, to an aggressive, ambitious Formula One driver.

If you're of a certain age -- probably a Social Security and Medicare recipient like the present reviewer, or close to it -- James Scott Bumgarner, later James Garner -- will always be Bret Maverick or Jim Rockford. For me it was "The Rockford Files," airing from 1974 to 1980. My friends knew better than to interrupt my Friday evenings with phone calls.

I would never have imagined Jim Rockford as a curmudgeon -- his dad Joseph "Rocky" Rockford, played by Noah Beery Jr.,well, yes, but Garner's co-author Jon Winokur of "The Garner Files: A Memoir" (Simon & Schuster, 288 pages, two sections of black & white glossy photos, $25.99 is widely known for a series of books on curmudgeons, including "The Portable Curmudgeon."

My treasured and well thumbed "Webster's II New Riverside University Dictionary" (you'll have to pry it from my cold, dead fingers! defines curmudgeon as "a cantankerous person", leading me to look up cantankerous: "ill-tempered or disagreeable." No way would I consider Jim Garner in that light! But he certainly can play a curmudgeon, he's a pro.

Born in Norman, Oklahoma on April 7, 1928, Garner admits to certain anger management issues, including throwing golf clubs (he was an avid, low handicap golfer until arthritis made him give up the game a few years ago) and even going after a heckler with his fists at a golf tournament. Unlike actor Jack Nicholson, he never used a golf club to smash another person's car, as Nicholson infamously did in 1994 when Nicholson used a golf club to bash the roof and windshield of Robert Blank's Mercedes-Benz in a road rage incident. The resulting trial yielded a reported $500,000 settlement from Nicholson, who almost ten years later starred in a movie called "Anger Management."

"The Garner Files" features an introduction by Julie Andrews, his co-star in the 1964 Arthur Hiller- directed, Paddy Chayefsky-written film "The Americanization of Emily," (Garner's favorite film) and much later in "Victor/Victoria" (1982) directed by Blake Edwards, Andrews' husband.

Garner is the kind of man women love and men admire, a good combination, which -- along with his versatility and willingness to work in both feature films and TV -- has contributed to his long and successful career. He's made more than 50 movies. The back of the book contains a filmography and a number of comments about Garner called "Outtakes" from friends, family and co-workers, including his co-author who explains how they met and how his books on curmudgeons cheered up the ailing actor.

Garner's father had a drinking problem and Garner's stepmother liked to beat him with a spatula, until, at the age of 14 he decked her. Garner eventually left high school before graduating, heading for California, a brief stint in the Merchant Marine until seasickness made him quit and army service in Korea where he was wounded by shrapnel and friendly fire. The first Korean War draftee from Oklahoma, Garner in 1983 finally received his Purple Heart. He's a big backer of more recognition to Korean "conflict" veterans, noting that as many military people died in Korea in three years as did in many more years in Vietnam.

Garner is a liberal Democrat who changed the political identification of his character in the 2000 movie "Space Cowboys" from Republican to Democratic. He says his wife of many decades, the former Lois Clarke, would "leave him" if he played a Republican. Lois contributes to the book's "Outtakes" section. Garner was born into what he called a "fair weather Methodist" family -- they would go to church if the weather was good -- and his wife is Jewish. They met at a rally for Democratic presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson in the summer of 1956.

"It was love at first sight," he writes, "the 'thunderbolt'. She was as beautiful as she was sweet. She reminded me of Audrey Hepburn, only full bodied, like Sophia Loren. And she was obviously a good Democrat. I was nuts about her from the moment we met. Still am."

Garner treats Kimberly, Lois' daughter from a previous marriage, and Greta "Gigi" Garner, their daughter, the same way, as their comments in "Outtakes" reveal. I had no problem liking Jim Rockford and I'm sure I'd like Jim Garner, too. In my years in California, I never met him, as I did his friend the late, great Dennis Weaver. I liked Weaver from the start.

Garner recounts the many injuries received on the job filming "The Rockford Files" and his health problems. I was surprised that the actor did many of his own stunts, which down through the years contributed to his physical problems, including many knee problems that led to joint replacements. He comes across as a workaholic, no doubt reflecting growing up poor in Oklahoma.

Garner has nothing but contempt for the "suits" of Hollywood, and his book recounts in considerable detail his lawsuit against Universal Studios for back money Garner believed due him for his work in "The Rockford Files." He writes that Lew Wasserman and Universal didn't invent "creative accounting" --- "they just made it a science." The studio -- employing the form of accounting the Industry is infamous for -- claimed that the wildly popular show was not as profitable as it obviously was. The suit was settled out of court in 1989 for a sum that Garner can't disclose: "It's been reported that I walked away with somewhere from $9 million to $20 million," he says.

Winokur and Garner have managed to capture what most people would visualize as the real Jim Garner. He's a car nut who raced in the Baja 1000 and formed his own racing team, and the kind of actor who doesn't look like he's acting -- the mark of a true professional. If you're a fan of movies like "Grand Prix" (1966) -- where he did his own driving and stunts -- or "The Great Escape" (1963) or "Support Your Local Sheriff" (1969) with the wonderful Joan Hackett -- you'll find much to enjoy in "The Garner Files." I just named my three favorite Jim Garner movies, but I find something to like in all of them. Nobody could accuse Garner of phoning in his performances, but if you want his frank opinion of some actors who did -- or actors Garner had issues with -- you find them in this memoir.

In a brief prelude to this book, James Garner tells the reader he has resisted writing a book because "I think I'm pretty average and I didn't think anyone would care about my life."
Well, a lot of people do and he writes about his life in a way you'd expect from Bret Maverick/Jim Rockford/James Garner. The Maverick/Rockford shows are television classics. Garner notes Maverick wasn't really an antihero, as he is sometimes portrayed, but a reluctant hero. He didn't like to see people cheated or taken advantage of. He had the heart of a white knight but was able to make a profit in his adventures.
Maverick (and Rockford) did not like violence, which is Garner's philosophy. His favorite movie is "The Americanization of Emily" in which he plays a coward. The film, Garner notes, is not anti-war but anti the glorification of war. A veteran of the Korean War, Garner says veterans should not be glorified but should be recognized for their dedication and service. A fine line, he concedes, but one that he wants to make.
Garner tells amusing tales of his time in television and movies. Steve McQueen was a friend but at times difficult to get along with. Charles Bronson was a pain in the neck. And Garner tells when he punched a producer (who was stealing ideas from Rockford scripts)
Garner was a real life Maverick/Rockford. He sued the Hollywood studios due to their "creative accounting" which is a nice way of saying theft and stealing. He won. And whenever he felt a fellow actor was being bullied on the set, he stepped in. So much so that a few high officials were afraid of the amiable actor
Many critics noted that Garner made acting look easy but it took a lot of hard work for the Oklahoma native to make it look that easy.
He admits he's a "bleeding heart liberal" but the only quibble I have in the book is his views on Ronald Reagan. I think history will show Reagan was one of our better presidents. And history will show Garner was one of our best actors and an honorable man.
He is a pretty good writer too. An excellent memoir.

I was born at the end of the Depression and the start of WWII. In San Bernardino
CA my grandmother had two cafes and a gas station on Highway 66. My grandfather
had acres of orange groves. I remember the sad stories told to me about the people
with only the clothes on their backs heading to California during the Depression
and the Dust Bowl, hoping to find a better life for their families and themselves.
My grandparents gave them food, work and helped them on their way. Jim's story is
very straight forward, dealing with his family and the loss of his mother. It proves he had a plan to better himself at a very young age. He overcame his personal problems and became a great movie star and a considerate and thoughtful person.

He doesn't pull any punches about Hollywood. We learned what the "Big Shots" that
ran the studios and Hollywood were really like. Sure, he made some mistakes, but
he quickly corrected them. He loves and respects his wife and daughters. His 55
year old marriage is very unusual in Hollywood!

I have most of his movies and television series in my collection. He and all the
actors he worked with have produced fantastic work that will live forever.

Thank you Jim, you are a real straight shooter!