Accidental Hero

James Garner became an actor by accident.

Born James Scott Bumgarner, TV fans would recognize him as Bret Maverick, the articulate cardsharp who ruled the small screen during the late 1950s. Garner's wit made him a charming leading man. He was also the star of War and Western movies. He would be most remembered for "The Great Escape" (1963), an adaptation of Paul Brickhill's book about British and Commonwealth airmen imprisoned in Stalag Luft III, a German prisoner of war camp near the town of Sagan (now Żagań in Poland). They made numerous attempts to escape, one of which involved the building of an underground tunnel passing through the wired fence and shy of the tree line. It took months, where Brickhill was involved in the tunneling, but he wasn't one of those tens of captives who break out due to claustrophobia. Charles Bronson's Flight Leiutenant Danny Velinski was the closest to the author, while Garner was Robert Hendley, who aided Colin Blythe (played by Donald Pleasance) due to his deteriorating eyesight. They were overshadowed by Steve McQueen, who played the tough and cool Virgil Hilts. Garner don't seem to mind, as his next project was the big-screen version of William Bradford Huie's "The Americanization of Emily" (1964), which he called his favorite.

Garner portrayed Charlie Madison, a United States Naval Reserve who became an unlikely hero. Huie's book was set during World War II, where death and suffering turned survivors into cynical individuals. It prompted Lieutenenant Commander Madison to be a practicing coward.

"I don't trust people who make bitter reflections about war, Mrs. Barham," he said, in part. "It's always the generals with the bloodiest records who are the first to shout what a hell it is. And it's always the widows who lead the Memorial Day parades."

Garner, who grew up in Norman, Oklahoma, drew from his experience during the Korean War, where he was awarded the Purple Heart twice. After the war, he was working at several jobs. He was driving on La Cienega Boulevard in Los Angeles when he met Paul Gregory, an agent and a theatrical producer. It was a chance encounter that led Gregory to hire Garner for a part in his production of Herman Wouk's "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial" (1955), which starred Henry Fonda. The first Hollywood break came when Garner was casted in a small part in the Western TV series "Cheyenne". This and other bit roles led to a contract with Warner Bros.

"I was never enamored of the business, never even wanted to be an actor, really," he said during one interview. "It's always been a means to an end, which is to make a living."

Garner's notable works included Joshua Logan's "Sayonara" (1957), Blake Edwards's "Victor Victoria" (1982), and Martin Ritt's "Murphy's Romance" (1985), where he earned an Academy Award nomination (for Best Actor). He also had a part in Richard Donner's "Maverick" (1994), which was based from his hit TV series.

Garner passed away on July 19.