Jim gets called before a grand jury where he promptly gets thrown into jail for contempt.Jim gets called before a grand jury where he promptly gets thrown into jail for contempt.Jim gets called before a grand jury where he promptly gets thrown into jail for contempt.
Noah Beery Jr.
- Joseph 'Rocky' Rockford
- (as Noah Beery)
Robert Sutton
- Carl
- (as Robert Ray Sutton)
John Gowans
- Doctor
- (as John D. Gowans)
Benjie Bancroft
- Bailiff
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe first of only a few episodes where a post script was used. In this instance: "The abuse of the Federal Grand Jury system as dramatized here is currently permissible under existing laws." ("currently" referring to the production date in 1976.) Another episode which utilized a post script was The House on Willis Avenue (1978).
- GoofsWhen Jim Rockford is summoned into the federal grand jury chambers at the beginning of the episode, the bailiff who calls him (played by James Garner's brother Jack) is outfitted with a uniform that says "County Sheriff" on the arm patch. A federal grand jury, however, would not be attended by county employees; security at federal courthouses is provided by the United States Marshals Service.
- Quotes
Jim Rockford: This is Jim Rockford. At the tone leave your name and message, I'll get back to you.
Receptionist: [Beeep] Doctor Salter's office. This is the third time you've cancelled. Now you have to have that root canal. A sore foot has nothing to do with your mouth!
- Crazy creditsDisclaimer before end credits: The abuse of the Federal Grand Jury system as dramatized here is currently permissible under existing laws.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The 29th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (1977)
Featured review
Jailhouse Rockford
While this isn't one of my favorite episodes from this great show, it is typically well written as usual, and there's a lot of story crammed in just under 50 minutes. I normally prefer this show in an outdoor setting, and most of this takes place in court or in jail; I also can't recall any shots of the Firebird and only minimal shots of the trailer, but I digress. Back to the story, Jim is subpoenaed to appear in court because of the disappearance of a local mobster named Frank Sorvino(from Newark?), and the powers that be think Rockford may have helped him to escape because Sorvino did in fact hire Jim. William Daniels is great as the prosecutor questioning Jim, who pleads the 5th, and eventually gets sent to prison unless he testifies. I also noticed a few bit players here from Columbo episodes, although their names escapes me. There are some scenes with Jim, Rocky, and Beth together, Angel, and even Dennis makes a few appearances, the last being a touching scene in the hospital as Jim recovers from a knife wound from prison. It turns out that Sorvino hired Jim using another name, and Jim was unaware who he actually was, and eventually Sorvino and some other thugs get captured at the end of the show. Regarding my personal opinion, I'm not a huge fan of prison films and half of this episode takes place in jail, and the other half basically takes place in court. First Jim plays dumb, and then he quickly gets real smart in front of the jury and I had trouble being convinced that he can make the transformation so smoothly and act smarter than the clever prosecutor. I would still recommend this segment to the big Rockford fan, as it is still very solid and has terrific writing as usual, although it's not my personal cup of tea.
helpful•60
- stones78
- Apr 22, 2011
Details
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content