Noah Beery, Jr. Movies
Born in New York City while his father Noah Beery Sr. was appearing on-stage, Noah Beery Jr. was given his lifelong nickname, "Pidge," by Josie Cohan, sister of George M. Cohan "I was born in the business," Pidge Beery observed some 63 years later. "I couldn't have gotten out of it if I wanted to." In 1920, the younger Beery made his first screen appearance in Douglas Fairbanks' The Mark of Zorro (1920), which co-starred dad Noah as Sergeant Garcia. Thanks to a zoning mistake, Pidge attended the Hollywood School for Girls (his fellow "girls" included Doug Fairbanks Jr. and Jesse Lasky Jr.), then relocated with his family to a ranch in the San Fernando Valley, miles from Tinseltown. While some kids might have chafed at such isolation, Pidge loved the wide open spaces, and upon attaining manhood emulated his father by living as far away from Hollywood as possible.After attending military school, Pidge pursued film acting in earnest, appearing mostly in serials and Westerns, sometimes as the hero, but usually as the hero's bucolic sidekick. His more notable screen credits of the 1930s and '40s include Of Mice and Men (1939), Only Angels Have Wings (again 1939, this time as the obligatory doomed-from-the-start airplane pilot), Sergeant York (1941), We've Never Been Licked (1943), and Red River (1948). He also starred in a group of rustic 45-minute comedies produced by Hal Roach in the early '40s, and was featured in several popular B-Western series; one of these starred Buck Jones, whose daughter Maxine became Pidge's first wife. Perhaps out of a sense of self-preservation, Beery appeared with his camera-hogging uncle Wallace Beery only once, in 1940's 20 Mule Team. Children of the 1950s will remember Pidge as Joey the Clown on the weekly TV series Circus Boy (1956), while the more TV-addicted may recall Beery's obscure syndicated travelogue series, co-starring himself and his sons.
The 1960s found Pidge featured in such A-list films as Inherit the Wind (1960) and as a regular on the series Riverboat and Hondo. He kicked off the 1970s in the role of Michael J. Pollard's dad (there was a resemblance) in Little Fauss and Big Halsey. Though Beery was first choice for the part of James Garner's father on the TV detective series The Rockford Files, Pidge was committed to the 1973 James Franciscus starrer Doc Elliot, so the Rockford producers went with actor Robert Donley in the pilot episode. By the time The Rockford Files was picked up on a weekly basis, Doc Elliot had tanked, thus Donley was dropped in favor of Beery, who stayed with the role until the series' cancellation in 1978. Pidge's weekly-TV manifest in the 1980s included Quest (1981) and The Yellow Rose (1983). After a brief illness, Noah Beery Jr. died at his Tehachapi, CA, ranch at the age of 81. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
In the final first-season episode of Murder She Wrote, Jessica (Angela Lansbury) travels to Wyoming to attend the funeral of an old family friend. At the same time, a wealthy Wyoming rancher draws up papers leaving his entire estate to a somewhat nasty stranger, completely disinheriting his embittered daughter. Before long, the stranger is found hanging in the rancher's barn--and of course Jessica takes it upon herself to solve the murder, which turns out to have been something of a team effort! Appearing in a key supporting part is William Windom, who would join the cast of Murder She Wrote during its second season in the recurring role of Dr. Seth Hazlitt. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In this easily predictable romantic comedy, Gail (Anne Archer) is a no-nonsense geologist from the East Coast and John (Terry Jastrow) is a down-home, intuitive Texan whose expertise lies in guessing where petroleum is located -- Gail, as a geologist, is not in the habit of guessing. As the two meet and work together on a wildcat well in Texas, their romantic and financial fortunes are transparently tied together, and nothing at all comes as a surprise after their first initial meeting and disagreement. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anne Archer, Terry Jastrow, (more)
- 1982
A wilderness-loving man must clear himself of a wrongful murder charge and rescue his daughter who may be sent to an orphanage in this made-for-TV movie. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dan Haggerty, Chuck Connors, (more)
- 1982
In this sci-fi adventure, space aliens try to convince a couple of cynical Earthlings to come and help them establish a new colony on a better world. The film is also known as Follow Me If You Dare. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1981
Cindy Lewellyn (Anne Bloom) hires Magnum (Tom Selleck) to locate her father Floyd (Noah Beery Jr., who has been missing for ten years, but who has suddenly begun trying to reconnect with her. It turns out that Floyd is a small-time crook who insists he has a lot of good reasons for remaining out of circulation. This, of course, does not satisfy Magnum--especially since there's a mysterious character out there who is determined to put Floyd away for keeps! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
In this made-for-TV farce, the urban phenomenon of the traffic jam and the effect it has on the lives of the participants is examined. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
Season six of The Rockford Files marks the return of James Garner as wryly humorous ex-con turned private eye Jim Rockford -- but not for long. Weary of the role, fed up by constant quarrelling with the production staff over story values and working conditions, and racked with pain from a variety of job-related injuries, Garner abruptly quit the popular series just before shooting wrapped. With no star, there was no Rockford Files, and the show was canceled -- leaving one announced episode, "Never Trust a Boxx Boy," uncompleted and abandoned. But before this could happen, the season opens with "Paradise Cove," highlighted by the much-publicized guest appearance of Mariette Hartley, who was then appearing with Garner in a series of popular camera commercials. (The warm rapport between the two actors was so persuasive that many viewers assumed they were married, prompting Hartley to half-seriously go around wearing a sweatshirt emblazoned with the message "I am not Mrs. James Garner!".) This is followed by the two-parter "Lions, Tigers, Monkeys, and Dogs," with guest-star turns by Hollywood icons Lauren Bacall and Dana Wynter. Other highlights during the series' final season are the return appearances of Tom Selleck as the insufferably lucky P.I. Lance White in "Nice Guys Finish Dead," James Whitmore Jr. as casually unscrupulous detective Fred Beamer in the same episode, and Rita Moreno in her Emmy-winning role as troublesome prostitute Rita Capkovic in "No Fault Affair." And speaking of Emmies, Rockford Files co-star (and occasional writer and director) Stuart Margolin this season walked home with his second gold statuette for his portrayal of Jim Rockford's delightfully untrustworthy former cellmate Angel Martin. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Garner, Noah Beery, Jr., (more)
- 1978
This fun film is based upon the classic O. Henry tale about a bratty kid who kidnappers find to be more than they can handle, so they're happy to de-kidnap him. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1978
Produced for the syndicated "Operation Prime Time" series, The Bastard is the first of John Jakes' "Kent Family Chronicles" (followed by The Rebels and The Seekers). Presented in two parts, the story begins in 1771, with 17-year-old French commoner Philippe Charboneau (Andrew Stevens) discovering that he is the illegitimate son of a British Duke. He goes on a long journey, girdling several countries, to claim his birthright, with his mother (Patricia Neal) along for the ride. Settling in America in 1772, our hero--now known as Phillip Kent--becomes involved with the American Revolution. The all-star cast includes Buddy Ebsen, Barry Sullivan, Harry Morgan, Lorne Greene, Donald Pleasence, Tom Bosley (as Ben Franklin), William Shatner (as Paul Revere) and William Daniels (as Samuel Adams). Distributed nationally beginning May 22, 1978, The Bastard was re-titled Kent Family Chronicles in the more conservative TV markets. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
James Garner is back as Jim Rockford, an ex-con turned private eye with a penchant for righting old wrongs (and a predilection for getting beaten up by those who don't want those wrongs righted) in season five of The Rockford Files. Also returning are Noah Beery Jr. as Jim's dad Rocky, Joe Santos as his "friendly enemy," police detective Dennis Becker, and Stuart Margolin as Jim's delightfully duplicitous former cellmate Angel Martin, a role that would earn Margolin an Emmy award this season. And though Gretchen Corbett, who played Jim's attorney girlfriend Beth Davenport, is no longer on the series, her function as "legal liaison" has been filled by Bo Hopkins as disbarred lawyer John Cooper. Also introduced this season is Jim Rockford's bete noir, dazzlingly handsome rival private detective Lance White, whose incredible luck (vital clues seem to literally appear out of nowhere at all the right moments) and irritatingly unerring intuition is a continual source of outrage and embarrassment for Mr. Rockford. Lance White is superbly played by Tom Selleck as sort of a dry run for his more famous starring portrayal of Magnum P.I. in the TV series of the same name. Additionally, Rita Moreno makes a return appearance in her Emmy-winning role as abrasive "working girl" Rita Capkovic in the cleverly-titled episode "Rosendahl and Gilda Stern Are Dead"; and Dennis Dugan is back as boyish, baby-faced private eye Richie Brockelman (a role he also played in his own spin-off series) in the two-part "Never Send a Boy King to Do a Man's Job." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Garner, Noah Beery, Jr., (more)
- 1977
A lost teenager and solitary murderer form an unusual friendship in this film. ~ All Movie Guide
Ex-con turned private eye Jim Rockford (James Garner) continues serving the cause of justice by reopening closed cases in his own cynical, deceptively disheveled fashion in season four of The Rockford Files. The proceedings begin with "Beamer's Last Case," in which Jim must deal with someone who is impersonating him -- and taking all of his business in the process! The guest stars on this one include James Whitmore Jr. as the titular Fred Beamer, as well as James Garner's former Maverick co-star Jack Kelly. Later on, Isaac Hayes returns in the role of enterprising ex-convict Gandolph Fitch, this time in the company of Dionne Warwick, in "Second Chance." Also: veteran kiddie-show host and voice-over expert Chuck McCann is seen as a comedian whose precious collection of jokes is "kidnapped" and held for ransom in "Requiem for a Funny Box"; a pre-Dallas Larry Hagman appears in "Forced Retirement"; a post-M*A*S*H Larry Linville shows up in "A Deadly Maze"; and the two-part season closer "The House on Willis Avenue" serves to introduce Dennis Dugan as baby-faced greenhorn private eye Richie Brockelmann, who would soon be spun off into his own series. Best of all, "The Paper Palace" showcases Rita Moreno in her Emmy-winning performance as troublesome prostitute Rita Capkovic. In addition to Moreno, The Rockford Files itself was also honored with an Emmy this season, for Outstanding Drama Series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Garner, Noah Beery, Jr., (more)
- 1976
Francis Gary Powers: The True Story of the U-2 Spy is a TV dramatization of the notorious Cold War incident of 1960. The story is told from the point of view of Powers (Lee Majors), an American pilot who was shot down over Russia while taking photographs on behalf of the CIA. The event occurs just before a crucial summit meeting between American President Dwight D. Eisenhower (James Flavin) and Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev (Thayer David). Eisenhower tries to cover up the incident, allowing Khrushchev to make propagandistic hay of the whole affair. Robert E. Thompson's teleplay tends to depict the Americans as jerks, and the Russians as essentially good guys; even Powers' Soviet interrogator, portrayed by Nehemiah Persoff, comes off comparatively sympathetic. Also in the cast are Noah Beery as Powers' father and Lew Ayres as Allen Dulles. Francis Gary Powers: The True Story of the U-2 Spy was originally telecast September 29, 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
James Garner won an Emmy for his continuing performance as disheveled, cynically humorous ex-convict turned private detective Jim Rockford during season three of The Rockford Files. This honor may very well have been due to Garner's work in the season's best and most pungent episode, "So Help Me God," in which Rockford finds himself enmeshed in a maze of governmental bureaucracy when he is forced to testify before a grand jury -- a nightmarish situation which, as noted in the episode's closing titles, could happen to anyone in the audience! Also in the cast this season are familiar supporting players Noah Beery Jr., as Jim's dad Rocky; Gretchen Corbett as Jim's attorney girlfriend Beth Davenport; Stuart Margolin as Rockford's humorously untrustworthy former cellmate Angel Martin; and Joe Santos as Rockford's police department pal (and severest critic), Detective Dennis Becker. New to the cast is James Luisi as Dennis' superior Lt. Doug Chapman, who, like his predecessor Alex Diehl, seems to have a permanent grudge against the insouciant Mr. Rockford. As for the season's guest stars, Sharon Gless -- long before Queer as Folk -- makes a return appearance in the opening episode "The Fourth Man"; Burt Young of Rocky fame is seen in "The Family Hour"; Veronica Hamel (Hill Street Blues) and Ned Beatty are in "Return to the 38th Parallel"; Oscar-winner Strother Martin plays the title character in the two-part "The Trees, the Bees, and T.T. Flowers"; comic actress Joyce Van Patten is cast against type as a dangerous obstreperous "police groupie" in another two-parter, "To Protect and Serve," and finally, "The Becker Connection" serves to reunite James Garner with his former Maverick co-star Jack Kelly. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Garner, Noah Beery, Jr., (more)
Tennessee Sheriff Buford Pusser and his trusty club return in this sequel. As with the first, he continues his single handed crusade against organized crime. Violence ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1975
This half-hour sequel to the famous O. Henry tale The Ransom of Red Chief finds our hero, the little boy who pretends to be a legendary American Indian named Red Chief, using his powers of deception to outwit a group of con artists. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
James Garner is back as rumpled, wryly humorous ex-con turned private eye Jim Rockford in season two of The Rockford Files. In addition to established supporting players Noah Beery Jr. (as Jim's dad Rocky), Gretchen Corbett (as Jim's lawyer girlfriend Beth Davenport), Stuart Margolin (as Rockford's delightfully larcenous former cellmate Angel), and Joe Santos (as our hero's "friendly enemy," Detective Dennis Becker), Wayne Tippett makes several appearances this year as pushy federal agent Dan Shore. The season begins with "The Aaron Ironwood School of Success," guest-starring James Hampton as a self-made millionaire who cynically takes advantage of his long friendship with Jim Rockford. Other season two guest stars include musical artist Isaac Hayes in the first of two appearances as enterprising ex-convict Gandolph Finch in "The Hammer of C Block"; veterans Rosemary de Camp and Jack Kruschen in the two-part "Gearjammers"; all-purpose leading lady Stefanie Powers in "The Real Easy Red Dog"; Ray Danton as -- what else? -- a gangster in "Chicken Little is a Little Chicken"; future Oscar-winner Louis Gossett Jr. in "Foul on the First Play"; and Rob Reiner (minus his All in the Family toupee!) and football pro Dick Butkus in "The No-Cut Contract." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Garner, Noah Beery, Jr., (more)
- 1975
At the height of his fame as "The Meathead" on All in the Family, Rob Reiner accepted a guest-star assignment on this episode of The Rockford Files. Reiner is cast as Larry "King" Sturtevant, a second-string quarterback for the Southern Illinois Warriors football team. Jim Rockford (James Garner) is brought into the story when Sturtevant accuses the detective of blackmailing him with some compromising audio tapes, which are conveniently missing. In his efforts to clear himself, Jim essentially becomes his own client, and in so doing exposes himself to more physical abuse than usual. Former pro footballer Dick Butkus appears as himself in a party scene. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
- PG
In this western, an outlaw is wounded in battle and manages to escape to the home of two helpful runaways who help him recuperate. During this time, the outlaw regales them with thrilling tales of his adventurous exploits. His stories inspire the lads to form a gang of their own; the outlaw is more than happy to help and become their leader. They rob a few banks and have great fun until the outlaw becomes a turncoat and begins hunting them for a generous bounty. But one of the boys decides to get revenge and rootin' tootin' mayhem ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1974
The guest-star cast in this episode is studded by several seasoned movie-western veterans, including Jim Davis, Noah Beery Jr and Harry Carey Jr.--not to mention comparative newcomer Sam Elliott. The plot involves a rodeo rider whose biggest professional rival is his own brother. It so happens that the brothers are also rivals in love, both vying for the attentions of the same woman--who is married to one of them. Inevitably, murder gallops into the rodeo ring, and that's when Stone (Karl Malden) and Keller (Michael Douglas) become involved in the intrigue. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
This comedy western is the failed pilot for a TV series based on the 1971 feature film Skin Game. Like the original, this tells the story of two bungling con artists, one white the other black, who ride around trying to collect an outlaw bounty and outsmart slave traders. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Introduced as a 90-minute TV movie in March of 1974, The Rockford Files began its weekly, hour-long series run in September of that year. The opening episode, "The Kirkoff Case," finds ex-con turned private eye Jim Rockford (James Garner) trying to prove that his earnest but obnoxious young client (played by James Woods, Garner's later co-star in the made-for-TV feature My Name is Bill W.) did not murder his parents as claimed. In the first season's second episode, Gretchen Corbett is introduced as Jim's lawyer girlfriend Beth Davenport, who hires our hero to clear her client of a murder charge. Throughout the rest of the season, Jim is aided and abetted by his crusty dad Rocky (Noah Beery Jr.), his likeable (if not entirely honest) former cellmate Angel (Stuart Margolin), and, reluctantly, by his police-department contact Detective Dennis Becker (Joe Santos). Meanwhile, Dennis' superior Lt. Alex Diehl (Tom Atkins) can't shake himself of the conviction that Jim's prison record was somehow deserved -- especially when the private eye utilizes unorthodox methods to get results. Although the main focus is on star Garner, season one of The Rockford Files affords generous screen space to a variety of guest stars. A pre-Cagney and Lacey Sharon Gless is seen along with Joseph Cotten in the two-part "This Case is Closed"; a young Jill Clayburgh shows up in "The Big Ripoff"; Joan Van Ark (Dallas) and Paul Michael Glaser (Starsky & Hutch) are seen in "Find Me if You Can"; Shelley Fabares, halfway between The Donna Reed Show and Coach, guests in "Caledonia -- It's Worth a Fortune"; Linda Evans, likewise 'twixt and 'tween The Big Valley and Dynasty, appears in "Claire"; and future Bionic Woman Lindsay Wagner can be seen in "Aura Lee, Farewell." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Garner, Noah Beery, Jr., (more)
