Posted on 07/20/2014 2:09:01 PM PDT by rey
There was more to James Garner than just his acting and racing careers. The beloved actor, who died July 19 (read about his career, life and death in this related Inquisitr article) left behind a legacy of political activism.
Like the vast majority of the people in the TV and movie industries, James Garner was a staunch, lifelong Democrat. That’s hardly unusual — according to this article in Suite, Hollywood gives five times more money to Democrats than to Republicans. But where many Hollywood Democrats like to talk the talk, Garner walked the walk — sometimes literally.
On August 28, 1963, Garner was photographed by the New York Daily News walking hand-in-hand with black actress Diahann Carroll during the March on Washington — a peaceful demonstration that was a watershed moment in the Civil Rights Movement. At the time, the very act of a white man holding hands with a black woman would have been outrageous. But that did not matter to James Garner; throughout his career, he stuck to his strongly democratic principles, even incorporating his beliefs into his acting career.
For the 1985 CBS miniseries Space, Garner asked that the political affiliation of the lead character be changed from Republican to Democrat, saying, “My wife would kill me if I ever played a Republican,” according to a 1985 Boston Globe article that is not currently available online, but is cited on Garner’s Wikipedia page.
Interestingly, when principled Democrat James Garner had to work with “ultraconservative” Mel Gibson on the 1994 film version of Maverick, there was no friction between the two actors. He later told The Village Voice: “Mel and I got along fine.
In his 2011 memoir The Garner Files, James dished on Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger, two notable Hollywood Republicans. As quoted in Variety:
“In my opinion, Arnold Schwarzenegger wasn’t qualified to be governor of California. Ronald Reagan wasn’t qualified to be governor, let alone president.”
Also in his memoir, James recounts being approached about running for U.S. Congress as a Republican in 1962.
“It didn’t stop them when I told them I was a Democrat…. They just thought I could win.”
He was again approached about running for office, this time for Governor of California in 1990, and again turned the opportunity down.
“There’s one difference between me and [Schwarzenegger and Reagan]: I know I’m not qualified.”
What is your opinion of entertainers such as James Garner, Tim Robbins, and Natalie Maines mixing politics with entertainment? Let us know in the comments.
This thread sure brings out the stupids and PC on race crowd
Typical
Are you sure?
You probably know more about him than I do. From my vantage point he seemed a respectable kind of guy.
Well said. Thank you. My dad (age 89) does not believe half of what I tell him about Democrats today. It is only in recent years (ie after Clinton) that he began to change his voting habits.
You are a person that gives a good lesson in facts.
So many people have heard the twisted version of the civil rights movement that they would be in complete denial as to what you have written and that is utterly appalling.
Maybe I’m a bit slow....but all I ever got from Garner on-screen was good acting, laughing entertainment and inspiration. In fact....the characters he played and how he played them might have led me to think he was a plain old middle of the road American.
Hope Jimmy gets a big hug from Rocky when he arrives in Heaven. I care not about his politics. Rest in peace Mr. Garner, I will always enjoy your character.
He was married to the same woman for some 50-odd years. He couldn’t have been too awful bad. A lot of people that grew up during the depression believe it was Hoover’s fault and that FDR got us out of it. That doesn’t make it so.
The guy who played his Father did look remarkably like him. They had the exact same nose.
In just a few episodes at the very beginning he had a different and very much more unpleasant guy portraying Rockford’s Father.
It was the trailer that had the other guy playing his father.
Rocky was a key role to the Rockford files success.
I have all 6 seasons on DVD, watch them regularly, they remind me of a much simpler time.
I notice that the DrudgeReport has yet to mention his passing.
I could care less that he was a Democrat. What really gets me is that Garner was a Sooner fan!
Yeah, I am an orange blooded Cowboy. We Okies will miss him, and he never forgot where he was from.
+1
I can appreciate a great actor even if his political views stink. Who here can watch “Cool Hand Luke” and hate Paul Newman for being a lib?
Yes, of course.
There’s Polaroid commercials with the two of them posted on youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xqHCooHAKw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgO5yKdJRAg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UV8rEEvfh3g
Really had no idea about his political leanings.
My experience with James Garner.... Around 1980 or 81 I worked basically as a labourer as a greensman assistant on a James Garner film.
We travelled to Lethbridge Alberta for several months to film the movie, the film was a comedy Western with the working Title as Pure Escape.
Starred James Garner, Donna Dixon and Billy Dee Williams, and was Directed by Stuart Margolin (Angel from RockFord Files, also a wonderful character actor that was in almost every 1970`s sitcom at some point) Great guy BTW.
James Garner used to tell jokes out loud to everybody during waiting periods.
I was only 18, I only spoke to him once I was under the influence of alcohol one evening, was quite a bit of drinking after hours with the crew. I remember saying Hey James, while I was quite inebriated, dont to this day no what he said in return, but I dont think it was friendly.
I never held it against him.
I did have breakfast with Stuart Margolin in the hotel restaurant with the Greensman, he was very down to earth and fun and easy to talk with. I told him of all the shows I had seen him in, he was flattered because he said he was most remembered for Rockford Files.
At any rate several months into filming the financial backers pulled out and the film was never finished
My favorite James Garner film is probably...Support your local sheriff , if it has not been mentioned yet, TCM is going to show 24 hours of James Garner as a tribute, anyday now.
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