https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/stuart-margolin-dead-rockford-files-1235280888/?fbclid=IwAR2k7to_V1V3YRatFJIkVrhRQ8amSuh3XqTCdWpiAykgj3e9_LaioZrAXLc

Hard to be a "Files"ophile--and I'm one to this day of the hardest-core, at least regarding the first four seasons or so, before the comedic aspects of that sterling serio-comic series started overwhelming its dramatic elements--and not feel great pain about this one.

When he didn't overplay his Angel Martin role--or it wasn't overwritten for him--during those final seasons, the late Margolin was one of the numerous delights in that terrifically delightful NBC detective series.

BRYAN STYBLE/Florida

In article <1521add0-0f63-45b0-8752-a8d338553ffdn@googlegroups.com>,
<"radioacti...@gmail.com"> wrote:

> Hard to be a "Files"ophile--and I'm one to this day of the hardest-core, at
> least regarding the first four seasons or so, before the comedic aspects of
> that sterling serio-comic series started overwhelming its dramatic
> elements--and not feel great pain about this one.
>
> When he didn't overplay his Angel Martin role--or it wasn't overwritten for
> him--during those final seasons, the late Margolin was one of the numerous
> delights in that terrifically delightful NBC detective series.
>
> BRYAN STYBLE/Florida

I don't think I've ever seen The Rockford Files. Mr. Margolin was much
better known to me as one of the small troupe of actors who played many
parts in the short pieces between segments of Love American Style.

A Friend <nope@noway.com> wrote:
> In article <1521add0-0f63-45b0-8752-a8d338553ffdn@googlegroups.com>,
> <"radioacti...@gmail.com"> wrote:
>
>> Hard to be a "Files"ophile--and I'm one to this day of the hardest-core, at
>> least regarding the first four seasons or so, before the comedic aspects of
>> that sterling serio-comic series started overwhelming its dramatic
>> elements--and not feel great pain about this one.
>>
>> When he didn't overplay his Angel Martin role--or it wasn't overwritten for
>> him--during those final seasons, the late Margolin was one of the numerous
>> delights in that terrifically delightful NBC detective series.
>>
>> BRYAN STYBLE/Florida
>
>
> I don't think I've ever seen The Rockford Files. Mr. Margolin was much
> better known to me as one of the small troupe of actors who played many
> parts in the short pieces between segments of Love American Style.

I was a Rockford-phile,as TV Guide put it.
I only recall LAS as where the "Barney Miller" pilot aired.

Obits etc. of Stuart Margolin mention other roles he played,
and decades ago I remember an article about his working on the
pilot of "Lanigan's Rabbi" (the miniseries based on Harry Kemelman's
"___day the Rabbi [did something]" books) with Janet Margolin,who
played his wife but was not related to him,and saying he pronounced
the name Mar-GO-lin and she MAR-go-lin.
(she died years ago,and the remaining installments had someone
else play the Rabbi because Stuart had schedule conflicts).

I believe I recall him as a guest in the one episode of "The Associates"
I watched,with Martin Short(a regular) telling Margolin's producer
character he was free to insist on his cut of a television show the
network wanted to drastically change,which had Margolin's character
praising Short's lawyer,and then go on to make clear that the network
was also free to refuse to pay for it,which had Margolin say this
had been a short friendship and make an altered version.Both versions
of the show-in-show (with John Ritter) were shown,the original being
funny and the second very funny because you knew what had changed.

-=-=-
The World Trade Center towers MUST rise again,
at least as tall as before...or terror has triumphed.

In article <tnau0f$fm0$1@reader2.panix.com>, Louis Epstein
<le@top.put.com> wrote:

> A Friend <nope@noway.com> wrote:
> > In article <1521add0-0f63-45b0-8752-a8d338553ffdn@googlegroups.com>,
> > <"radioacti...@gmail.com"> wrote:
> >
> >> Hard to be a "Files"ophile--and I'm one to this day of the hardest-core, at
> >> least regarding the first four seasons or so, before the comedic aspects of
> >> that sterling serio-comic series started overwhelming its dramatic
> >> elements--and not feel great pain about this one.
> >>
> >> When he didn't overplay his Angel Martin role--or it wasn't overwritten for
> >> him--during those final seasons, the late Margolin was one of the numerous
> >> delights in that terrifically delightful NBC detective series.
> >>
> >> BRYAN STYBLE/Florida
> >
> >
> > I don't think I've ever seen The Rockford Files. Mr. Margolin was much
> > better known to me as one of the small troupe of actors who played many
> > parts in the short pieces between segments of Love American Style.
>
> I was a Rockford-phile,as TV Guide put it.
> I only recall LAS as where the "Barney Miller" pilot aired.
>
> Obits etc. of Stuart Margolin mention other roles he played,
> and decades ago I remember an article about his working on the
> pilot of "Lanigan's Rabbi" (the miniseries based on Harry Kemelman's
> "___day the Rabbi [did something]" books) with Janet Margolin,who
> played his wife but was not related to him,and saying he pronounced
> the name Mar-GO-lin and she MAR-go-lin.

I remember Janet. Absolutely lovely. IIRC she was married to Ted Wass
(the dad on Blossom, the early Mayim Bialik series) at the time of her
death.

> (she died years ago,and the remaining installments had someone
> else play the Rabbi because Stuart had schedule conflicts).

Stuart Margolin played the rabbi in the pilot; Bruce Solomon played him
in the remaining four episodes. Stu was off making two movies -- The
Big Bus and Futureworld.

Louis Epstein <le@top.put.com> wrote:
>A Friend <nope@noway.com> wrote:
>>radioacti...@gmail.com wrote:

>>>Hard to be a "Files"ophile--and I'm one to this day of the hardest-core, at
>>>least regarding the first four seasons or so, before the comedic aspects of
>>>that sterling serio-comic series started overwhelming its dramatic
>>>elements--and not feel great pain about this one.

>>>When he didn't overplay his Angel Martin role--or it wasn't overwritten for
>>>him--during those final seasons, the late Margolin was one of the numerous
>>>delights in that terrifically delightful NBC detective series.

>>>BRYAN STYBLE/Florida
>>I don't think I've ever seen The Rockford Files. Mr. Margolin was much
>>better known to me as one of the small troupe of actors who played many
>>parts in the short pieces between segments of Love American Style.

>I was a Rockford-phile,as TV Guide put it.
>I only recall LAS as where the "Barney Miller" pilot aired.

ABC had a pilot-only anthology series Just For Laughs in summer 1974.
The pilot of Barney Miller aired on that, just Hal Linden and Abe Vigoda
in the pilot's cast played their characters on the tv series.

The Happy Days pilot aired on Love American Style.

>Obits etc. of Stuart Margolin mention other roles he played,
>and decades ago I remember an article about his working on the
>pilot of "Lanigan's Rabbi" (the miniseries based on Harry Kemelman's
>"___day the Rabbi [did something]" books) with Janet Margolin,who
>played his wife but was not related to him,and saying he pronounced
>the name Mar-GO-lin and she MAR-go-lin.
>(she died years ago,and the remaining installments had someone
>else play the Rabbi because Stuart had schedule conflicts).

I just posted about this in the tv newsgroup. Leonard Stern had adaptation
rights to Friday the Rabbi Slept Late only. He did not have adaptation
rights to the other Rabbi David Small novels by Herb Kemmelman. The four
Bruce Solomon episodes were on the Sunday Mystery Movie, replacing Quincy
which got its own time slot, were original scripts for television. They
kept Janet Margolin.

Art Carney was in the cast and the police chief was made the lead
character because Leonard Stern got a network note that he couldn't have
the rabbi as the lead character. Also, he was asked to make the rabbi
"less Jewish".

The Mel Brooks gag never dies.

>I believe I recall him as a guest in the one episode of "The Associates"
>I watched,with Martin Short(a regular) telling Margolin's producer
>character he was free to insist on his cut of a television show the
>network wanted to drastically change,which had Margolin's character
>praising Short's lawyer,and then go on to make clear that the network
>was also free to refuse to pay for it,which had Margolin say this
>had been a short friendship and make an altered version.Both versions
>of the show-in-show (with John Ritter) were shown,the original being
>funny and the second very funny because you knew what had changed.

Missed THAT particular TV Guide coverage--though its longtime late critic, the ever-elegant essayist Robert MacKenzie*, perspicaciously wrote about TRF several times--so I'm hereby again indebted to you, Louis; "Rockford-phile" is light-years better than my lame "'Files'-ophile".

STYBLE/Florida
============* A recurrent and favorite guest** on "The Pontiac Insomniac with Bryan Styble", as well as my subsequent commercial newtalk radio call-in broadcasts.
** Whom San Francisco Bay Area viewers also knew as literate, local Channel 2/Oakland TV personality Bob MacKenzie; as to why MacKenzie for many years worked under dual yet nearly-identical names*** is a question I never got around to asking him; inexcusable broadcast incompetence on my usually earnest part.
*** George Will (or maybe I should type George F. Will) has long done the same thing, to this day deleting his columnist's superfluous middle initial for his numerous TV work; I've met him twice so far--first out in Southern California during the '80s, and then again in 1992 up near the Bay Area), but never probed that curiosity in either chat; ANOTHER serious newsbiz reportorial omission.

Adam H. Kerman <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:
> Louis Epstein <le@top.put.com> wrote:
>>A Friend <nope@noway.com> wrote:
>>>radioacti...@gmail.com wrote:
>
>>>>Hard to be a "Files"ophile--and I'm one to this day of the hardest-core, at
>>>>least regarding the first four seasons or so, before the comedic aspects of
>>>>that sterling serio-comic series started overwhelming its dramatic
>>>>elements--and not feel great pain about this one.
>
>>>>When he didn't overplay his Angel Martin role--or it wasn't overwritten for
>>>>him--during those final seasons, the late Margolin was one of the numerous
>>>>delights in that terrifically delightful NBC detective series.
>
>>>>BRYAN STYBLE/Florida
>
>>>I don't think I've ever seen The Rockford Files. Mr. Margolin was much
>>>better known to me as one of the small troupe of actors who played many
>>>parts in the short pieces between segments of Love American Style.
>
>>I was a Rockford-phile,as TV Guide put it.
>>I only recall LAS as where the "Barney Miller" pilot aired.
>
> ABC had a pilot-only anthology series Just For Laughs in summer 1974.
> The pilot of Barney Miller aired on that, just Hal Linden and Abe Vigoda
> in the pilot's cast played their characters on the tv series.

As I recall the plot featured a hostage situation at the precinct.
> The Happy Days pilot aired on Love American Style.
>
>>Obits etc. of Stuart Margolin mention other roles he played,
>>and decades ago I remember an article about his working on the
>>pilot of "Lanigan's Rabbi" (the miniseries based on Harry Kemelman's
>>"___day the Rabbi [did something]" books) with Janet Margolin,who
>>played his wife but was not related to him,and saying he pronounced
>>the name Mar-GO-lin and she MAR-go-lin.
>>(she died years ago,and the remaining installments had someone
>>else play the Rabbi because Stuart had schedule conflicts).
>
> I just posted about this in the tv newsgroup. Leonard Stern had adaptation

To be clear,you mean Leonard B. Stern (1922-2011) and not
billionaire Leonard N. Stern of Hartz Mountain (born 1938).

> rights to Friday the Rabbi Slept Late only. He did not have adaptation
> rights to the other Rabbi David Small novels by Herb Kemmelman. The four
> Bruce Solomon episodes were on the Sunday Mystery Movie, replacing Quincy
> which got its own time slot, were original scripts for television. They
> kept Janet Margolin.

I know the books started with Friday the Rabbi Slept late,and once the
week had been completed with Thursday Kemelman continued with Someday
the Rabbi Will Leave...and only in checking lately did I discover he
continued after that.
In any case,more books than TV derivatives and only one TV film based
on a book.

> Art Carney was in the cast and the police chief was made the lead
> character because Leonard Stern got a network note that he couldn't have
> the rabbi as the lead character. Also, he was asked to make the rabbi
> "less Jewish".
>
> The Mel Brooks gag never dies.
>
>>I believe I recall him as a guest in the one episode of "The Associates"
>>I watched,with Martin Short(a regular) telling Margolin's producer
>>character he was free to insist on his cut of a television show the
>>network wanted to drastically change,which had Margolin's character
>>praising Short's lawyer,and then go on to make clear that the network
>>was also free to refuse to pay for it,which had Margolin say this
>>had been a short friendship and make an altered version.Both versions
>>of the show-in-show (with John Ritter) were shown,the original being
>>funny and the second very funny because you knew what had changed.

-=-=-
The World Trade Center towers MUST rise again,
at least as tall as before...or terror has triumphed.

radioacti...@gmail.com <radioactiveseattle@gmail.com> wrote:
> Missed THAT particular TV Guide coverage--though its longtime late critic,
> the ever-elegant essayist Robert MacKenzie*, perspicaciously wrote about TRF
> several times--so I'm hereby again indebted to you, Louis; "Rockford-phile"
> is light-years better than my lame "'Files'-ophile".

The term appeared in a Fall Preview Issue introducing the Bret Maverick
series starring Garner...target pretty straight at me since it was how
I learned RF had been cancelled...
"and as for that other series...sorry,Rockford-philes."
With Rockford italicized.

> STYBLE/Florida
> =============
> * A recurrent and favorite guest** on "The Pontiac Insomniac with Bryan
> Styble", as well as my subsequent commercial newtalk radio call-in
> broadcasts.
> ** Whom San Francisco Bay Area viewers also knew as literate, local Channel
> 2/Oakland TV personality Bob MacKenzie; as to why MacKenzie for many years
> worked under dual yet nearly-identical names*** is a question I never got
> around to asking him; inexcusable broadcast incompetence on my usually
> earnest part.
> *** George Will (or maybe I should type George F. Will) has long done the
> same thing, to this day deleting his columnist's superfluous middle initial
> for his numerous TV work; I've met him twice so far--first out in Southern
> California during the '80s, and then again in 1992 up near the Bay Area), but
> never probed that curiosity in either chat; ANOTHER serious newsbiz
> reportorial omission.

Without the initial one is prone to Will-or-Won't jokes.

The science fiction community is prone to multiple names as well:
Wilson Arthur Tucker wrote as Wilson Tucker and was Bob Tucker to fans;
Harry Clement Stubbs wrote as Hal Clement and was Harry Stubbs as a fan
(and George Richard as an artist,and was once a guest at a convention
under all three names);
Algirdas Jonas Budrys was particular about always being bylined as
"Algis Budrys" but referred to as "A.J." as a person.

-=-=-
The World Trade Center towers MUST rise again,
at least as tall as before...or terror has triumphed.

Louis Epstein <le@top.put.com> wrote:
>Adam H. Kerman <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:
>>Louis Epstein <le@top.put.com> wrote:
>>>A Friend <nope@noway.com> wrote:
>>>>radioacti...@gmail.com wrote:

>>>>>Hard to be a "Files"ophile--and I'm one to this day of the
>>>>>hardest-core, at least regarding the first four seasons or so,
>>>>>before the comedic aspects of that sterling serio-comic series
>>>>>started overwhelming its dramatic elements--and not feel great pain
>>>>>about this one.

>>>>>When he didn't overplay his Angel Martin role--or it wasn't
>>>>>overwritten for him--during those final seasons, the late Margolin
>>>>>was one of the numerous delights in that terrifically delightful
>>>>>NBC detective series.

>>>>>BRYAN STYBLE/Florida

>>>>I don't think I've ever seen The Rockford Files. Mr. Margolin was much
>>>>better known to me as one of the small troupe of actors who played many
>>>>parts in the short pieces between segments of Love American Style.

>>>I was a Rockford-phile,as TV Guide put it.
>>>I only recall LAS as where the "Barney Miller" pilot aired.

>>ABC had a pilot-only anthology series Just For Laughs in summer 1974.
>>The pilot of Barney Miller aired on that, just Hal Linden and Abe Vigoda
>>in the pilot's cast played their characters on the tv series.

>As I recall the plot featured a hostage situation at the precinct.

I've only seen the second pilot "Ramon", which does have a hostage
situation. The script was revised from the first pilot.

>>The Happy Days pilot aired on Love American Style.

>>>Obits etc. of Stuart Margolin mention other roles he played,
>>>and decades ago I remember an article about his working on the
>>>pilot of "Lanigan's Rabbi" (the miniseries based on Harry Kemelman's
>>>"___day the Rabbi [did something]" books) with Janet Margolin,who
>>>played his wife but was not related to him,and saying he pronounced
>>>the name Mar-GO-lin and she MAR-go-lin.
>>>(she died years ago,and the remaining installments had someone
>>>else play the Rabbi because Stuart had schedule conflicts).

>>I just posted about this in the tv newsgroup. Leonard Stern had adaptation

>To be clear,you mean Leonard B. Stern (1922-2011) and not
>billionaire Leonard N. Stern of Hartz Mountain (born 1938).

Ok

>>rights to Friday the Rabbi Slept Late only. He did not have adaptation
>>rights to the other Rabbi David Small novels by Herb Kemmelman. The four
>>Bruce Solomon episodes were on the Sunday Mystery Movie, replacing Quincy
>>which got its own time slot, were original scripts for television. They
>>kept Janet Margolin.

>I know the books started with Friday the Rabbi Slept late,and once the
>week had been completed with Thursday Kemelman continued with Someday
>the Rabbi Will Leave...and only in checking lately did I discover he
>continued after that.
>In any case,more books than TV derivatives and only one TV film based
>on a book.

Correct

>>Art Carney was in the cast and the police chief was made the lead
>>character because Leonard Stern got a network note that he couldn't have
>>the rabbi as the lead character. Also, he was asked to make the rabbi
>>"less Jewish".

>>The Mel Brooks gag never dies.

>>>I believe I recall him as a guest in the one episode of "The Associates"
>>>I watched,with Martin Short(a regular) telling Margolin's producer
>>>character he was free to insist on his cut of a television show the
>>>network wanted to drastically change,which had Margolin's character
>>>praising Short's lawyer,and then go on to make clear that the network
>>>was also free to refuse to pay for it,which had Margolin say this
>>>had been a short friendship and make an altered version.Both versions
>>>of the show-in-show (with John Ritter) were shown,the original being
>>>funny and the second very funny because you knew what had changed.