The Rockford Files

The Big Ripoff - S1-E8

Revealing mistake: During the opening set in Switzerland, all the cars have Swiss license plates from Lausanne with the Vaud canton emblem, but every single one of them has them mounted on license plate holders of the wrong size, showing that they all are cars from a different region/market.

Sammo

This Case Is Closed - S1-E7

Revealing mistake: Torrance Beck and his men load Rockford on the car to dispose of him. They get ambushed, with 2 cars suddenly turning 90° blocking the road. Unexpected? Perhaps, but look at the asphalt; apparently it's a regular thing in that part of the road. There are already skidmarks reproducing the exact same movement. (00:33:30)

Sammo

The Rockford Files mistake picture

The Countess - S1-E4

Revealing mistake: When the car falls off a cliff at the end, it's an entirely different looking model with different headlights (square vs round), and empty (at least nobody in the passenger seat for sure). (00:46:30)

Sammo

The Countess - S1-E4

Revealing mistake: In the climax of the episode, the car goes off a cliff when Rockford steers abruptly. Definitely not your ordinary maneuver, but other people must have chosen to commit suicide in that spot, since there are previous tire marks of a sudden turn in that exact spot. (00:49:20)

Sammo

The Dark and Bloody Ground - S1-E3

Revealing mistake: In another attempt to his life, Rockford has to somehow stop his car when his brakes have been sabotaged. However, at the end of its run the brakes are activated, suddenly locking the back wheels, causing the car to stop, and not the slow-down determined by the dirt mound. (00:25:15)

Sammo

The Rockford Files mistake picture

The Kirkoff Case - S1-E2

Revealing mistake: During the car chase in the golf course, Rockford gets ahead of Muzzy Vinette and has to turn the car to block his path. You can see in the grass, in that precise spot, different marks from previous takes of the scene. Obviously not a maneuver golf carts perform, and right there. (00:43:40)

Sammo

The Kirkoff Case - S1-E2

Revealing mistake: Rockford checks out of the publication featuring the bulletin article about the Greens headed for the Greek Islands. The camera lingers on it, and you can read it's all filler gibberish about investigations and such. (00:17:35)

Sammo

Backlash of the Hunter - S1-E1

Revealing mistake: During the whole climactic duel between plane and car, despite the setting in the desertic outskirts of Vegas, aerial view show already from the beginning several tire tracks from previous takes. (01:30:00)

Sammo

Backlash of the Hunter - S1-E1

Revealing mistake: The exterior shot of the house of the rich Miss Elias preceding Dr. Ruben Seelman's phone call, is a zoom on a static photography with a visible line on it. It is reused later in the episode (after Jim pulverizes his own picture in the phone book), with the exact same telling line. (00:30:20)

Sammo

More mistakes in The Rockford Files

Jim Rockford: Hey, I'm sorry Dad, you just caught me at a bad time. Reading that detective fiction doesn't help. I mean things aren't like that you know? They're not black and white. They're aren't any heroes left, they die young. (pointing to a book cover) His gun is deadly? Mine's in a cookie jar.

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