Can we talk?

James Garner

         On a more serious note, I am sorry to hear of the passing of actor James Garner. I always thought he was a good looking man, even when I was very young. I remember the first role I saw him in other than Maverick was a black and white film called Mister Budwing. I was in college at the time, and they ran old movies free on campus on Saturday night. So we weren't upset that it wasn't in color. He was dashing, and I loved seeing him do something other than cowboy stuff.

         Even Maverick was different from other cowboy shows. He was charming and funny, and the audience loved him. But he wasn't a hero. He wasn't a good guy. He was a card shark, a trickster, slightly short of the law.He was a lovable bad guy. He was an "anti-hero".

         I loved him in Space Cowboys and in The Notebook. Even his commercials were entertaining, like the Polaroid ads with Mariette Hartley. He served in the military and received two purple hearts in Korea. He was part of the Greatest Generation.

         Maybe the most amazing thing is that he was married to the same woman for 58 years. In tinsel town, that is truly an amazing feat. Several actresses said he was always a family man, and had an excellent reputation when so many of their male co-stars did not.

         James Garner was never arrogant, or tough despite his size. His ego never got the best of him. His humility and comedic touch always made him seem at ground level. Average people could relate to him and love him. He will be missed.