An episode written by David "Sopranos" Chase one element of this story is a witty and quite subtle light parody of Watergate. Jim becomes aware that several local PIs have had their licences revoked and sets out to prove that a large corporate investigative agency is trying to ruin the opposition. One of the ironies is that the case can be solved by breaking into the Waterbury (Watergate - get it) building. Becker even asks Jim who his "secret source" (Deep Throat!) is. At Waterbury a John Dean-esquire character asks his boss who casually resembles Nixon "Do you want him killed?" "I never said that" says the boss! The Watergate spoof adds an element of realism to a story which otherwise wouldn't seem very plausible. After all nobody guessed at the truth behind the Watergate break-in when it first broke. Excellent.
The Rockford Files (TV Series)
Sticks and Stones May Break Your Bones, But Waterbury Will Bury You (1977)
User Reviews
Review this title11 Reviews
Little Guys Vs Corporate Giant
Resurgum23 April 2013
Warning: Spoilers
A corporate private investigations firm named Waterbury is trying to put the competition in the Los Angeles area out of business by setting them up resulting in their PI licenses being yanked. Fellow PI Billy Merrihew played by Cleavon Little comes to Jim for Help. Furthermore, fellow PIs Vern St. Cloud and Marvin A. Potemkin, played by Simon Oakland and Val Bisoglio respectively, also seek Jim's help.
What really stands out in this episode is the humor, in particular Simon Oakland as Vern St. Cloud. Vern's dialogue is very funny. His scenes where he is forced to work at a shoe store because he lost his PI license are a highlight. Another highlight is a car chase between Jim and his Pontiac Firebird, and a Corvette.
What really stands out in this episode is the humor, in particular Simon Oakland as Vern St. Cloud. Vern's dialogue is very funny. His scenes where he is forced to work at a shoe store because he lost his PI license are a highlight. Another highlight is a car chase between Jim and his Pontiac Firebird, and a Corvette.
Who is disgracing the PIs of LA?
bkoganbing24 March 2015
This episode starts out with fellow private investigator Cleavon Little asking Jim Rockford to check out a former client who put him into a jackpot and Little lost his license. What's really interesting here is that during the course of the investigation James Garner runs into both Simon Oakland and Val Bisoglio also colleagues in the Private Investigator profession have also gotten themselves in jackpots and have lost their licenses. There's a woman who has the same description that seems to be at the bottom of all of these and is a common denominator.
Usually that's what it takes, find the common denominator. She works for this posh investigation agency that only the rich and famous can afford. But they are a paranoid bunch who want to eliminate all the competition even these guys who charge $200.00 a day plus expenses.
It gets serious when one of Rockford's colleagues turns up dead. But Garner and the other two work out a beautiful scheme to break into their posh building that the posh investigation agency owns. You have to see what they pull off.
Nicely put together with villains you love to hate.
Usually that's what it takes, find the common denominator. She works for this posh investigation agency that only the rich and famous can afford. But they are a paranoid bunch who want to eliminate all the competition even these guys who charge $200.00 a day plus expenses.
It gets serious when one of Rockford's colleagues turns up dead. But Garner and the other two work out a beautiful scheme to break into their posh building that the posh investigation agency owns. You have to see what they pull off.
Nicely put together with villains you love to hate.
Sticks and Stones and Rockford
stones787 July 2011
This clever episode has many familiar faces you should notice, like Simon Oakland, Cleavon Little, James Karen, and Val Bisoglio and it revolves around a plot causing the private detectives to lose their licenses, and we later find out that a large company named Waterbury is behind the scheme. Rockford is hired, and after some hard work, uncovers the unusual plot to discredit these poor guys trying to earn a living; one of them works in a shoe store, and another is collecting unemployment and has fallen on hard times. Oakland is his usual funny and boisterous self, although Little was more subdued for much of the latter half of the episode, which was curious; Bisoglio shows up about halfway and unfortunately gets beaten to death, which visibly upsets Rockford. I thought the diversion the 3 men create is a great scene to get inside Waterbury to steal a file which eventually gets the company in serious trouble. In what may be the best moment of the series, watch as Rockford's Firebird smokes a Corvette as it does the famous 180 which leaves the other car with the thugs in the dust. This is a very solid episode and the show is running more smoothly than the earlier seasons.
Guest starring Cleavon Little
safenoe24 July 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Cleavon Little, who should have won an Oscar for his momentous role in Blazing Saddles, features in this episode written by David Chase. It's a send-up of Watergate (this episode was broadcast just days before Jimmy Carter was inaugurated). The chemistry between Jim and the ex-PIs is entertaining to watch. I always have time for The Rockford Files.
Far-fetched but entertaining and funny!
ronnybee211217 January 2021
The main story is not very easy to believe.
(Dennis Becker even says so,out loud,and he's right.) However... What we do have is a lively + entertaining episode that has several good laughs mixed in with some rather grim and harsh situations. This isn't one of the very best episodes but it is not one of the worst ones either,as it does indeed have it's moments. I liked it. 8/10.
(Dennis Becker even says so,out loud,and he's right.) However... What we do have is a lively + entertaining episode that has several good laughs mixed in with some rather grim and harsh situations. This isn't one of the very best episodes but it is not one of the worst ones either,as it does indeed have it's moments. I liked it. 8/10.
Decent Rockford Episode
jeremy325 October 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Cleavon Little did not seem to have many lines. However, Simon Oakland was given a bigger role, and was very believable as a hard luck former PI. The main thing that interested me was the Brian Libby character named MacCreery. He looked stunningly like Adam Baldwin from My Bodyguard and Ordinary People. Although these movies were made just three years later, Adam Baldwin was born in 1962 and would have been just 14 at time. Creary went on to play in such films as The Shawshank Redemption. I love the Rockford Files. This would be considered an average episode in the middle part of the series. This episode wasless glamorous and showed the more dull day to day life of a PI.
Worth watching just for Cleavon Little!
atomicis17 May 2024
Mr. Little shows his excellent "minstrel acting" chops that we will all adore in "Blazing Saddles" here, hilariously actin' the foo' in a little shoe-store back-room banter with "Beloved Character Actor" Simon Oakland (I had no memory of this guy's name, but if you're a fan of '70s TV, you'll certainly recognize him). Also of note is that Linda Dano was a complete smokeshow back then... I think that the producers had gotten wind of the audience's interest in the vehicular acrobatics of "The Rockford Files", because this episode is heavy on the stunt driving, very cool! Really great installment of "The Rockford Files"! I know this review is less than succinct, but IMDB has "Standards" (I.e., minimum character count)...
Not bad, has more humor in this one!
mm-396 July 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This episode has a bit less mystery and more humor. Several P I s are being set up and Jim comes back from holiday to investigate. The other P I's see why Jim is a great investigator, but the other characters flaws adds humor for investigation. As the story unfolds the flaws get bigger and the humor starts as the stress intensifies. Jim has a humor con/plan which is memorable. Not a great mystery but a more humorous episode. Well written, directed, and performed. The Waterbury episode is good episode.
Jim saves the careers of his fellow Private Investigators
james-17526 December 2006
Warning: Spoilers
A classy number from David Chase. Cleavon Little (the Gucci Saddled Sheriff from Blazing Saddles) makes a rare and welcome appearance as a fellow PI who has lost his license after being set up by a "client" on a breaking and entering charge. Things get stranger as Rockford comes across other PIs in the same boat, including Vern St. Cloud (played with obnoxious class by Simon Oakland - did David Chase bring him in from Kolchak?) It transpires that the Waterbury detective agency - a large corporate concern - has a covert honey-trap plan to discredit LA PIs to increase its market share, operating from a secret 13th floor of its headquarters.
P.I. Rally
zsenorsock19 December 2006
Warning: Spoilers
This episode should be better than it is. It features a pretty good script by David Chase in which someone is setting up a number of private eyes so they lose their license; it features Simon Oakland making his first appearance as the old fashioned, boisterous and loud Vern St. Cloud (he would reappear, still loud and obnoxious but less racist in two future episodes) and it has Cleavon Little as Billy Merrihew, only three years removed from his success in "Blazing Saddles".
However, the show falls a little flat mostly due to the lack of chemistry between Garner and Little. There is none of the familiar back and forth one gets with Garner and Gossett. Little only gets one small chance to break out, when Merrihew makes fun of St. Cloud's racist attitude, but the moment is brief and seems a bit forced.
Jack Garner (Jim's brother) is back as a bartender and the lovely soap star Linda Dano makes another brief appearance as Gwen Molinaro (she was also in "In Hazard" and "Aura Lee, Farewell"). Val Bisoglio, who plays Murf on David Chase's "The Sopranos" makes his second "Rockford" appearance here (he was in "Profit and Loss"), this time as a P.I. named Marv. Coincidentally, Bisoglio dies in both episodes!
Incidentally the "Sticks and Stones" in the title refers to the security company's "special projects" unit (read covert/illegal ops).
However, the show falls a little flat mostly due to the lack of chemistry between Garner and Little. There is none of the familiar back and forth one gets with Garner and Gossett. Little only gets one small chance to break out, when Merrihew makes fun of St. Cloud's racist attitude, but the moment is brief and seems a bit forced.
Jack Garner (Jim's brother) is back as a bartender and the lovely soap star Linda Dano makes another brief appearance as Gwen Molinaro (she was also in "In Hazard" and "Aura Lee, Farewell"). Val Bisoglio, who plays Murf on David Chase's "The Sopranos" makes his second "Rockford" appearance here (he was in "Profit and Loss"), this time as a P.I. named Marv. Coincidentally, Bisoglio dies in both episodes!
Incidentally the "Sticks and Stones" in the title refers to the security company's "special projects" unit (read covert/illegal ops).
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