Another 1960s TV Star, Another Statue
Hollywood actor James "Jim Rockford" Garner, now 77, will remain forever young in bronze in his home town of Norman, Oklahoma.
A 10-foot-tall statue of Garner, decked out in western garb as he was in his 1960s TV role as "The Maverick," was unveiled on April 21. The statue stands in James Garner Plaza, which fronts on James Garner Avenue. A portion of Main Street has been officially designated the "James Garner Corridor."
Unlike other recent bronze tributes to Golden Era TV stars -- Jackie "Honeymooners" Gleason in New York, Elizabeth "Bewitched" Montgomery in Massachusetts, and Andy "Andy Griffith" Griffith in North Carolina -- the James Garner statue was not funded by the Nickelodeon TV network. It was bankrolled by Oklahoma, the first of over a hundred projects planned by the state to commemorate its centennial in late 2007.
Garner told the crowd of Oklahomans who attended the unveiling that he remained loyal to his home state, even though he's spent the past 50+ years living in California.
[05/04/2006]- Address:
- Main St., Norman, OK
- Directions:
- I-35 exit onto Main St. Head east about 2.5 miles. The statue is at the corner of Main St. and Jones Ave., at the railroad tracks, catty-corner to the Sooner Theatre.
