Jim Suva's blog

Rockford Files: The Juanita Bartlett Story

Rockford Files: The Juanita Bartlett Story

Written by Jim Suva

Picture from TV Guide. Juanita is on the right in the blue dress.

Juanita Bartlett was born in San Francisco and her family moved to Honolulu, Hawaii, where she spent her early years. At the age of ten she moved back to San Francisco for a while. Her next move was to Los Angeles, when she was in high school. Juanita had planned to go to a university, but she had to go to work instead.

She started working in a script typing department. Later she went to New York with a friend and started to work for a woman who had a radio interview show.

Juanita always had aspirations of being an actor. She got herself an agent and he got her a screen test at RKO Studios. Her agent told her she would have to follow his orders, one of which was that she would have to get a facial everyday for a week. She thought that was a great idea! She had never had a facial before. Then she had her first facial, which turned out to be not very enjoyable. After that she called her agent and told him that she no longer wanted to do this. Her agent said, “What I am I suppose to do with the screen test?” Juanita told him that if he had other people that wanted this opportunity, he could give the screen test to one of them.

Juanita then went to work as a secretary for Meta Rosenberg. Meta was James Garner’s agent at the time. When Meta left the agency to work directly for James Garner, Juanita went with her. One of Juanita’s jobs was to read scripts that were submitted for Jim’s approval. She started to read one of those scripts. As she read it, she was disgusted with it and threw it down. She thought maybe she should continue to read it, just in case it got better. It didn’t. In fact she threw it down several times! Jim came in and asked Juanita how the script was. She said she couldn’t finish it because it was so bad. Jim then picked it up and read it for himself. Needless to say, he never did that movie!

When The Rockford Files series began, Juanita did not have a lot of money. Her car at the time was in such bad shape she was afraid to wash it, fearing the dirt was the only thing holding the car together! The first time it broke down, she didn’t know how she would get home and then get back to work the next day. Someone told her she should take one of Jim’s Firebirds home. They gave her the “picture” car. The picture (or hero) car was used as the main car for close up filming. She was so nervous driving the car that she took great care and drove it very slowly! After all, everyone was counting on the Firebird for shooting the very next day. She also remembers driving the tow car another time when her car broke down again.

Throughout her career, Juanita has been a writer, a story consultant, a producer and an executive producer. Nichols, The Rockford Files, New Maverick, Ten Speed and Brown Shoe, The Greatest American Hero, and Spencer For Hire are just some of the shows she has worked on. These shows were some of my favorites when I was growing up!

I asked Juanita if she had a favorite show that she worked on. She said she really loves them all, although she loved working with Jim Garner. Jim is a wonderful friend who is very protective, loyal, fair, and dependable, just like a big brother. He was always making sure everyone was taken care of. Jim is someone that if he asked you for something, you would do your very best to get that done. Juanita told me she just loves James Garner.

Working with Stephen J. Cannell was also a wonderful experience. She loved him with all her heart! He was so generous, kind and talented. He was always there to help and to boost people up when they were down. Juanita remembered how they would sit in his office behind closed doors, and put stories together. They would be falling on the floor laughing, with what they had come up with!

Currently Juanita lives in New York City. Her daughter lives close by and she enjoys the view of Bergdorf Goodman, an upscale department store, from her current residence. She admits that she has been blessed with a wonderful life. To be able to do what you enjoy and get paid very well for doing it, is wonderful!

I must say that having the opportunity to talk to Juanita has been great. She, as well as others that were involved with The Rockford Files, are such down to earth regular people. It is no wonder that The Rockford Files was such a wonderful show!

May 21, 2012 3:32:53 PM

853 OKG Car Club

Pat McKinney and I have started a Facebook page dedicated to the vehicles of “The Rockford Files”. If you have a screen used vehicle or a replica or just a fan, please join/like our page. 853 OKG Car Club.

http://www.facebook.com/853OKG

May 19, 2012 7:50:04 PM

Rockford Files: On The Set in 1979

Rockford Files On The Set in 1979

By Jim Suva

I recently had the pleasure to talk to Michael Mundy. Michael is a big fan of James Garner and "The Rockford Files". He was kind enough to share some stories and these pictures from the set of the "The Big Cheese" episode. Michael and his Mom your visiting the set back on 11/5/79, when he took the following pictures.

Notice the picture below of Michael and Rocky's Truck. On the bluff above you can see two Firebirds and two Police cars.

The Firebird ready for the next scene in front of The Sandcastle.

After the scene was filmed Michael ask Jim to take a picture with him. Below is the picture as well as a picture of Luis Delgado's Trans Am.

In memory of Michael's Mom, Mary Mundy here is a picture of her and Noah Beery Jr. on the set. Mary was born the same year as James Garner and Shirley Temple.

Now the pictures below were taken in 1981 in Toluca Lake. James Garner rented this house across the street from Bob Hope.

The picture below is Luis Delgado's van parked in Toluca Lake in 1981 by Jim's house. Mary Ann Rea's red VW can also be seen parked two cars behind the van.

This last picture was taken at the LA Covention Center in 1979 of Michael with James Garner's 4 passenger race car.

This last picture was taken by Michael as Jim was entering NBC studios to appearing on "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson" back in 1978. He was promoting "The Rockford Files". Jim was rushing in when Michael asked to take a picture. He said: Let me finish this candy bar first. He then was kind enough to pose for this picture.

I would like to thank Michael for sharing these picture with us. If anyone else has a good story about James Garner with pictures, please contact me at jimsuva34@aol.com.

Apr 23, 2012 12:01:18 PM

Rockford Files and Vista Group

Rockford Files and Vista Group

Written by Jim Suva

I recently had the opportunity to interview Eric Dahlquest and Chuck Koch of Vista Group. They gave me the insight into the vehicles of The Rockford Files. Eric Dahlquest is the President and founder of Vista Group. Vista Group is a product placement, public relations and marketing company. Chuck Koch has worked for and has done contract work with Vista Group since 1978.

Jim S: How did James Garner and you decide on the Pontiac Firebird Esprit? Plus how did Vista Group get involved with the show?

Eric: Jim Garner and I didn’t decide on the Firebird Esprit. Vista Group didn’t get involved with the show until later, after the Pontiacs were established. I think the original deal was made with Jim Graham, Pontiac’s Marketing Director. I recall speaking with Jim Graham about this and I think it was because the Esprit was a new model and could use the help to gain awareness.

We got involved with the show through Vick Hickey whom I had known from my days when I was an editor on Hot Rod Magazine, 1964-68. We did stories on Vic’s cars and trucks that he had developed mostly for Chevrolet because that’s where he had been a Development Engineer. Vic had worked with Jim Garner when Jim had his race team, American International Racers (AIR). If memory serves, I met Jim at Vic’s shop.

Regardless, during these years AIR fielded teams in off-road, Le Mans, Daytona and Sebring and when I left Hot Rod to become Editor of Motor Trend, I spent a lot of time with Vic and Jim on their various programs.

When I left Motor Trend in 1975, Vista Group’s first GM public relations client was Pontiac and shortly thereafter Vick recommended us to GMC Truck’s visionary Sales Promotion Manager, Jim McLane who hired us to do all kinds of promotion programs including movies and television. It was a natural step from there to The Rockford Files because we had all worked together before. Pontiac dealers sold GMC trucks, so it was an obvious product tie-in and the topper was our boss at GMC was a native Oklahoman, as was Jim Garner. It was like the perfect “old-boys” storm.

Jim S: Were the Firebirds and GMC pickups given to Cherokee Productions, Universal, or another company, or were they purchased?

Eric: I just looked though our files and didn’t find the original loan agreements, but I think it was Cherokee Productions. But if it wasn’t, it was Universal Studios, since they would have the biggest liability. No vehicles were “given”, everything was on loan for a specific time on a specific loan agreement with insurance documentation.

Chuck: Ownership was retained by General Motors for $1.00 fee for 1 year. Cherokee or Universal had to pay taxes, license plates and insure the vehicles. In fact, the support vehicles for Cherokee Productions were all GMC. These vehicles were with James Garner through The Rockford Files and a number of his movies.

In fact, Vista Group worked with Jim on his movies like “Murphy’s Romance”. They purchased an older GMC pickup for him to drive to keep him with the GMC brand. They also worked with Jim on the Indy Pace truck and the red GMC pickup “Sportside” that Jim drove and was used in The Rockford Files. The red pickup was used in the episode titled “Material Difference”.

Jim S: I know that there were 3 Firebirds per season, until the 79 Firebird style changed. Were there 3 pickups per year too?

Eric: I think there were just two pickups, but Chuck would know that.

Chuck: They had two trucks for the series. They were not replaced every year.

Jim S: Since Mr. Garner stayed with the 78 Firebirds, did Universal purchase additional Firebirds from a local dealership?

Eric: No, I remember them just keeping them [cars from the previous year] in company inventory.

Jim S: The Firebirds were painted the same color each season. What company painted them and repaired them if they were damaged?

Eric: A guy named Vince (Carriage Craft) painted the GMC’s I’m not sure about the Pontiacs. But, why wouldn’t he have done both?

Jim S: The GMC pickups were customized with Vic Hickey equipment. Who did the work?

Eric: If they had Hickey Equipment, then Vic probably put it on.

Jim S: Any cool stories about working with James Garner?

Eric: Stories? Yeah, there’s probably a million of ‘em. Unfortunately, I can’t remember the details except for a few.

When we worked on “Maverick, the Movie”, (the stagecoaches were GMC’s) with Jim and Mel Gibson and Jody Foster, I was sitting with Jim in his dressing trailer remembering some of the old times with AIR racing and Rockford, and how he got into the movie business in the first place. I recall Jim said something to the effect that even after the first Maverick hit television series where he became a star, he wasn’t sure if acting was going to be his lifetime career. At that point, 1959, he had been doing it full time for about five years. “So”, he said, “I thought, I’ll give it another five years and see what happens.”

Well, five years turned into another five years, and another five, and here we were in 1994, so I said, “What about now? Jim paused for a moment, “I think I’ll give it another five”, he said with smile.

Chuck: To expand on Eric's comments about the GMC stage coaches in the movie version of "Maverick" and mine about the vintage GMC truck in "Murphy's Romance" to maintain brand identity with Jim. In the late 1980s, I think, they did a TV remake of "Maverick" wherein Jim's character owned a saloon/gambling parlor. We wanted to maintain the GMC identity with Garner, so, working with Luis Delgado, we arranged for the building next to the saloon to have a sign that read "General Mercantile Company" with the G, M, and C letters being much larger and darker than the others so you could plainly read GMC. I always got a kick out that.

All dealings were done on a handshake basis, which is unheard of in Hollywood. Most of the dealings were with Luis Delgado, Jim’s friend and partner. Luis played Officer Billings on Rockford. Jim worked with charities where they would raffle off small roles on “The Rockford Files”. Plus the winners had lunch with Jim.

Jim S: The Rockford Movies had GMC pickup trucks. Did Vista Group help get them for the movies?

Eric: If it was before 1998, yes.

Jim S: I have heard that several of the Firebirds and at least two pickups were sold to individuals connected to the show. Do you know anything about this?

Eric: If they were sold, they were sold through a dealer, but I don’t specifically recall.

Chuck: The vehicles from The Rockford Files were usually sold by GM at dealer auctions to local dealerships. In some cases, if someone wanted to purchase a vehicle, they would contact GM and they would set a price and if you wanted it, that is the price you paid.

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I would like to thank both Eric and Chuck for their time and information on this story. They are both big James Garner and Rockford fans.

Apr 16, 2012 6:58:35 PM

CHATEAU JIMBEAUX CHARDONNAY

James and Lois Garner owned a vineyard for a short period of time. Mr. Garner purchased the vineyard to live on when he retired. Of course he never retired and sold the vineyard.

This is the latest item to add to my collection.