MovieChat Forums > The Rockford Files (1974) Discussion > Actor Van Williams 1934-2016 Age: 82

Actor Van Williams 1934-2016 Age: 82


Hollywood Confidential
9 hrs ·

R.I.P Van Williams
(February 27, 1934 – November 28, 2016)
Williams was best known for his television role as Britt Reid/the ''Green Hornet'' and his earlier leading role as Kenny Madison in the television detective series ''Bourbon Street Beat'' (1959) and its sequel, ''Surfside 6'' (1960).

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Too bad he appeared on the worst Rockford episode ever.

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Ok Fletch, why is the worst episode? I want to know your reasons. Not that I'm doubting you, in fact the reverse, I consider you the Rockford guru on this board. So why is LOVE IS THE WORD, so bad? Please explain?
BTW, Williams retired from acting after this episode. He did an appearance in The Bruce Lee Story, 14 years later and that was it.

Spenser with an "S", like the poet.

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Almost completely actionless, Rockford acts too wimpy, and it has an uncharacteristic soap opera feel to it. This is the only episode like this. One of our local stations aired the show (prior to MeTV picking it up), always skipping over this one. When I finally saw it again (on TVLand) I realized why.

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I guess both episodes with Kathryn Harrold are really bad. That's sad, cause she a solid actress and very easy on the eyes. Sometimes the best actors don't click together.
My least favorite episode is The Return Of The Black Shadow.

Spenser with an "S", like the poet.

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I don't mind "Black Mirror". It has some suspense to it, and Charlie Martell is pretty humorous.
"Return of the Black Shadow" I think is pretty good. I can see how some might not be into it, but I've watched a couple of biker films in the past. Coop's pretty good, I always thought he should've continued on the series.

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I liked the character Coop. He even got to leave a message on the machine.

Spenser with an "S", like the poet.

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Oh, yah.
Something to do with joining a card game, but the address he was given was some type of business. The humor is lost because I can't recall what it was.

What a waste he never appeared again after "Black Shadow".

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He leaves a message that he arrived at the address for the card game but it's a gas station in the middle of nowhere and now he's out of gas and on his last dime for the pay phone so Jim better call him at...And then he gets cut off halfway through giving the phone number iirc

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There we go.
Pretty humorous.

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Heck, I would have liked for Coop to have been spun off into his own show.



Annoying the world since 1960!

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I would've watched it. I watched the Brockelman show.

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