Jim Rockford had the Firebird, the trailer at Malibu, and a dad who just wanted him to go straight and drive a truck. But for the first half of the show's legendary run, he had something even more essential: Beth Davenport.
Beth on Rockford Files wasn't just another TV lawyer. She was the one person who could actually keep Jim out of jail—mostly. Played by Gretchen Corbett, Beth was sharp, idealistic, and arguably the only person in Los Angeles who could see through Jim’s "Jimmy Joe Meeker" aliases without breaking a sweat. If you grew up watching the show, you know her departure at the end of Season 4 left a hole that no amount of guest stars could ever quite fill.
Who Was Beth Davenport?
Beth was introduced early in the first season, specifically in "The Dark and Bloody Ground." She wasn't just a plot device to hand Jim cases; she was a legitimate partner in his chaos.
Most 1970s detective shows treated women as either damsels or "femme fatales." Beth was neither. She was an attorney who took pro bono cases and often dragged a reluctant Rockford into them. Honestly, she was usually the one paying his $200-a-day-plus-expenses fee, or at least promising to.
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Their chemistry was... complicated. It was clear they’d dated before the show started. They were "exes" who actually liked each other. Jim would grumble about being used, Beth would roll her eyes at his latest scam, and yet there was this deep, unspoken trust. She provided the legal shield that allowed Jim to operate in the gray areas of the law.
The Mystery: Why Did Gretchen Corbett Leave?
If Beth was such a core part of the show, why did she vanish after 1978?
The answer isn't some dramatic onset feud or a desire to "explore other projects." It was basically a corporate messy divorce. Gretchen Corbett was a contract player for Universal. At the time, Universal and the show’s producers (which included James Garner’s own Cherokee Productions) were in a massive, ugly legal battle over money and "creative differences."
Basically, Universal pulled Corbett off the show as part of the fallout. It was a business move that completely ignored the fans and the narrative.
When Beth disappeared, the show’s dynamic shifted. Jim suddenly felt a lot more isolated. Without Beth to bail him out or give him a moral nudge, the scripts had to find other ways to get him into trouble. We eventually got Kathryn Harrold as Megan Dougherty, the blind psychologist, who was great—but she wasn't Beth.
The Episodes You Need to Re-Watch
If you want to see Beth on Rockford Files at her absolute best, you have to look at "A Portrait of Elizabeth" in Season 2.
It’s one of those rare episodes that really digs into the emotional undercurrents between Jim and Beth. She brings him a client who happens to be her new boyfriend, played by John Saxon. You can see the jealousy radiating off James Garner. It’s subtle, it’s funny, and it’s genuinely human.
Then there's "The Deep Blue Sleep," where Beth needs Jim to find out what happened to a model friend. It shows her loyalty. She wasn't just about the law; she cared about people, which made her the perfect foil for Jim’s cynicism.
Why She Still Matters Today
TV history is full of sidekicks, but Beth Davenport was something else. She represented a shift in how professional women were portrayed on screen. She didn't need Jim to save her—usually—and when she did, she was the first one to point out the legal ramifications of how he did it.
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For many fans, the show peaked during those first four seasons. The banter between Corbett and Garner felt lived-in. It felt real.
What Happened Later?
Thankfully, the story didn't end in 1978. When James Garner finally settled his lawsuits with Universal and returned for those 1990s TV movies, Gretchen Corbett came back too. Seeing an older Beth and Jim on screen together was like a warm blanket for fans. It proved that the bond between those characters was the real heart of the series, right alongside Rocky and Angel.
If you’re diving back into the series on DVD or streaming, pay attention to the way Beth manages Jim. She’s often the only person who can win an argument with him.
Actionable Insights for Fans:
- Track the Evolution: Watch "The Dark and Bloody Ground" (S1) and then "A Portrait of Elizabeth" (S2) back-to-back to see how the writers deepened their history.
- Look for the Legal Loophole: Note how many times Jim avoids a "resisting arrest" charge specifically because Beth is on the phone with Dennis Becker.
- Check Out the Reunion Movies: If you’ve only seen the original series, find the 90s movies like "Friends and Foul Play" to see the character’s proper late-stage development.