James Garner makes capable men easy company, especially when they would rather talk their way out of trouble. We value his understated humour; the familiar persona is particularly effective in an ensemble that gives him other temperaments to work against.
Fi1m perspective
In The Great Escape (1963), Garner makes Hendley's resourcefulness feel like something the other men can comfortably depend on. There is no smugness about being the useful one. We warmed to him because he makes competence companionable, without asking us to stop and admire it. That is the pleasure of his acting: he gives a capable man enough good humour to make us want his company. It is a modest-looking skill, and a considerable part of why this ensemble works.
John Sturges gives him good company in return. Steve McQueen's Hilts has the more conspicuous confidence, while Richard Attenborough's Bartlett supplies a seriousness Garner does not need to duplicate. Sturges keeps the men distinct even when the escape effort matters more than any single performance. Garner's understatement leaves space for both co-stars, without making Hendley any less recognisable. The film softens the hardships of captivity, a reservation worth keeping even while enjoying the company.
Television established that familiar figure with Bret Maverick in Maverick (1957–60), before the film work of The Great Escape and The Americanization of Emily (1964). The latter's battle-shy Charles E. Madison fits Garner's preference for men who would rather avoid a fight. Jim Rockford, the world-weary private investigator of The Rockford Files (1974–80), gave him a second major television success. Wit is usually his characters' first recourse. The relaxed delivery helps their reluctance seem reasonable rather than merely a comic excuse.
The limitation is familiarity: once we recognise the amiable reluctant hero, there is less surprise in meeting him again. Garner acknowledged the continuity himself: “If you look at Maverick and Rockford, they’re pretty much the same guy.” Later films, including Space Cowboys (2000) and The Notebook (2004), gave him supporting roles. For a first encounter, we would choose The Great Escape. Watch how comfortably he lets other men take the foreground.
Biography
James Garner, born James Scott Bumgarner, was an American actor. He played Hendley 'The Scrounger' in the 1963 film The Great Escape.
He starred as Bret Maverick in the television series Maverick (1957–1960) and as Jim Rockford in The Rockford Files (1974–1980). His film roles include The Americanization of Emily (1964), Grand Prix (1966), Victor/Victoria (1982) and Murphy's Romance (1985), for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. He also appeared in Space Cowboys (2000) and The Notebook (2004).
Garner was born on 7 April 1928 in Norman, Oklahoma, and died on 19 July 2014 in Los Angeles, California.
