The Rockford Files (TV Series) Feeding Frenzy (1976) User Reviews

Statute of Limitations

[zsenorsock · 8/10 · 6 December 2006]

Once again an old girlfriend gets Jim in trouble. Susan Howard (Donna Krebs on "Dallas") stars as Sandra, an old flame who asks Jim to help her father, bait salesman Charlie (Eddie Firestone in his last and best appearance on the show). Three years ago when working for an oil conglomerate, Charlie stole $500,000. Now the statute of limitations is up and he can't be prosecuted for the crime, but he wants Jim to help him return the money. This of course is NOT as easy as it sounds and gets Jim arrested, beat up and perplexed trying to figure out what's going on.

The hook on the statute of limitations is a very clever idea and makes a nice point in this episode. The scene where Jim deals with the kidnappers is a classic. There's also a clever scene shot at an ice skating rink where Rockford engineers a kidnap exchange that I don't remember ever seeing on any other show (the guy who counts the money for Carbone is Jim's brother Jack). And Beth (the fetching Gretchen Corbett!) has a brief but amusing scene as Jim borrows her car after she's once again got him out of stir. There are also excellent scenes between Sgt. Becker and Rockford as well. The writing in this episode is all very crisp.

Comic actor George Wyner makes his 3rd of 4 appearances (this time as Steinberg) and its one of his strongest performances. The only negatives in this episode are the lack of chemistry between Garner and Susan Howard and the over the top scene-chewing performance of Richard LaPore as Lt. Hall. It would have been better if LaPore toned it down a bit. He really makes you appreciate Lt. Diehl and Lt. Chapman's scorn!

Finally, one note at the end--there's a lot going on in this episode, but if you notice crime does pay.--the Carbone family walks away with the $500,000!

Freshly laundered

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 16 December 2014]

If one were to go through the entire run of Rockford Files episodes we'd have to conclude that Jim Rockford had one active and healthy sex life. The number of beautiful ex-girl friends who keep showing up asking for help is proof of that.

In this story it is Susan Howard whose father Eddie Firestone runs the bait shop at James Garner's favorite fishing pier. But some years before Firestone had an opportunity to seize $300,000.00 and did it. Then he got cold feet and put the money in a safe deposit box and spent not a nickel.

Now the statute of limitations has run out and he wants Garner to return the money for him. But a lot of people have been watching him including a claims investigator for the insurance company, the lieutenant supervising the investigation of the robbery and some loan sharks. Susan Howard also gets herself kidnapped twice, you read it, twice for ransom, the ransom being the robbery loot which because the statue of limitations ran out is now freshly laundered impeccably clean cash.

This was one of the more intricately plotted Rockford Files Show. Joe Santos is a lot of help to Garner in rounding up the various collection of bad guys, one of whom doesn't live to see a trial.

As for Firestone, he gets a most ironic rude awakening at the end of the show which is priceless.

What is wrong with this guy ?!

[ronnybee2112 · 9/10 · 17 January 2023]

Jim Rockford gets a surprise visit from an ex-girlfriend 'Sandy Baylock' who asks him to help her father 'Charley Baylock' with a problem of some-sort.

Jim agrees to at-least hear what the man 'Charley' has to say,and he then agrees to help him.

The dilemma involves a large sum of money that the man stole several years-ago and never got caught for. He is operating under the (mistaken) belief that the statute of limitations for the crime is past and he is basically free and clear-and the money is his to do with as he wishes.

For some unfathomable reason,Charley claims to want to return the money to the people he stole it from !

The bigger problem is that this guy is a very-flaky,weak,and cowardly guy to begin with and there are several other,very-dangerous characters that are flitting-about in the shadows,wanting to get their hands onto the money themselves !

Naturally Jim Rockford isn't told some very important details by good-'ol Charley which puts him in harm's way,etc...

This is a good episode with some talented guest-stars. The actress that portrays Jim's ex-girlfriend later became a fixture on several sucessful,long-running tv series' from the late 70's through all of the 1980's.

The actor that plays the father 'Charley' is a talented veteran actor that does a very convincing job with his part.

I don't want to spoil the whole episode,so please check it out and see for yourself,and tell us what you think about it!

I say an easy 9/10.

very entertaining

[stones78 · 3 February 2011]

This episode of the great Rockford Files has nary a dull moment, and has many entertaining scenes and fun performances right until the conclusion. An old acquaintance of Jim's stole $500,000 a few years back from his old employer, and the statute of limitations is about to expire(3 years), and he needs Jim's help to return the money after years of being sober and true to himself; it turns out he's wary of returning the stolen money himself, because he knows the authorities will ask questions. There are some great shots of houses on the beach, a nice scene with Rocky, and plenty shots of the Firebird. Other than entertaining, it's also a good-looking episode, and all of the scenes are filmed during the day. Oddly enough, I don't recall seeing the trailer, but I digress. There's great chemistry between Jim and Dennis(the latter yells at Jim, but in a funny way)when Jim suspects correctly that a crooked detective is also involved in "re-stealing" his friend's money, yet Dennis is in denial about it, although deep down he probably thinks Jim is correct. The last scene with Charlie(Jim's friend)is an odd one, but it worked for me, as he finds out that the irs wants $250,000 for the 3 years worth of him hiding the money. Soon after, we watch as Charlie starts to scream on the beach in a somewhat confused state, and then the show ends abruptly. I liked how cryptic the episode finished, and we're not sure if it was meant to be funny or sad.

Perhaps(I agree with the other poster here)the only aspect I wasn't terribly impressed with was the character of Sandy, who doesn't add too much for my taste. Supposedly, she and Jim were a couple(not needed here)and her father is Charlie. Their relationship is hardly explained, and their scenes together didn't exude much excitement from me.

The IRS man at the end ruins the whole show

[midnight_raider2001 · 1/10 · 28 December 2012]

This show is great -- up to a point. That point is the very last minute of the show, when an IRS man shows up at the house of a thief and blandly states that the thief, who is a victim and who is clearly at the very end of his rope, that he owes the IRS huge sums of money -- this dissolves into a scene at the end where the man, walking along a beach, gives what is very clearly a death scream (I thought at first that he was walking along a high cliff and threw himself off; he probably drowns himself in the ocean instead. This should be regarded as incitement of suicide during a robbery, and the IRS man should have been picked up and charged with first-degree MURDER, put away for life and be damn glad California did not have a death penalty at the time, and the Los Angeles office of the IRS closed for good and all the agents fired. That is an overreaction big time, but there should be lots of stories on TV about crooked cops ( there is one in this show), crooked Federal agents and ESPECIALLY crooked prosecutors.