The Rockford Files (TV Series) The Queen of Peru (1977) User Reviews

Hoosiers

[zsenorsock · 8/10 · 17 January 2007]

This is the episode where an Indiana family touring the country in an RV takes Jim's barbecue, not knowing that the fabulous Borland diamond is hidden in the coals.

The script by David Chase takes a big chance mixing a diamond exchange caper with a domestic comedy, but I have to say it works.

Rockford is brought on to advise on a diamond exchange between the crooks who stole it and the insurance company, represented by Steven Kalifer (George Wyner, in perhaps his best appearance on "the Rockford Files"). What Rockford and Kalifer don't know is the crooks offering to make the exchange stole the diamond from their partners and are making the exchange without their knowledge.

In the meantime Carl Wronko (Ken Swofford, also back for his third appearance) and his family have parked their RV (named "the Queen of Peru") next to Jim's trailer. They are a constant source of annoyance. Jennifer Markes plays Wronko's hotty daughter Shareen and she looks like she's about to grow up to be a real beauty, but according to the IMDb she never appeared on TV or movies again.

Hunter Von Leer appears again as Skip, the lifeguard. It makes sense that a guy who lives on the beach would know the lifeguards, and Skip seems primed to become a regular character while giving the show "youth appeal". But Skip is so sleazy and Von Leer is so charmless at the part, the character soon disappeared. Again, it points out how skilled Stuart Margolin was at presenting a weaselly character yet making him likable.

In a moment that is almost lost in time, Garner gets a chance to be part of the CB craze that swept the country in the 1970's as he uses it to look for the Wronkos.

Jim's brother Jack also makes a brief appearance as a guy who backs his RV into the Firebird, leading to Rockford driving the Queen of Peru in a chase with the bad guys on Pacific Coast Highway.

Why Jim Isn't Married With Children.

[Resurgum · 9/10 · 22 May 2013]

This is a very funny episode. The Wronko family parks next to Jim's trailer in Paradise Cove one morning. The family immediately starts annoying Jim, whether it's the teenage son riding his dirt bike or the family patriarch Carl Wronko running his outboard motor etc....

In one LOL scene, Mrs. Wronko asks Jim if their teenage daughter can use his bathroom. Mrs. Wronko tells her daughter, right in front of Jim no less, to be sure to "spray everywhere." By the way, a previous reviewer stated the mom told her to spray after she used the bathroom. That's incorrect, she's suppose to spray everywhere BEFORE she uses Jim's bathroom!

There's also some funny interaction between Jim and the actor George Wyner who plays an insurance agent. There is also some funny "CB" dialogue. Overall, just a very funny episode.

National Lampoon's Rockford Files

[safenoe · 7/10 · 13 August 2020]

Nostalgia reigns in The Rockford Files, and here we see tourists who cause a few or so problems for Jim Rockford when they set up camp next to his trailer. It's something that could have inspired National Lampoon's Family Vacation several years later.

I like the the fact it never rains in The Rockford Files.

10-4, Rockford

[stones78 · 18 March 2011]

This episode has just about everything I like for this show, namely how Rockford portrays both a funny and angry side, several Firebird shots, and many excellent shots of sunny California. It is a pleasing episode to watch, and has interesting aspects revolving around a visiting family from Indiana, and a diamond heist. Ken Swafford stars as the ambitious rv driver, who, along with his quirky family decide to embark on a major trip to the west coast(guess who they end up parking next to?); Swafford has the distinction of starring in the final Rockford Files episode that was filmed, in 1979. There's a seriously funny scene when the daughter needs to use Jim's bathroom; you have to see his face as he sits on the steps waiting for her, as her mother tells her to spray when she's done. Anyway, Rockford is hired as a consultant with an insurance man(George Wyner)trying to make a deal with the men who stole the diamond, but things go awry, and now another crew is after the jewel, led by a man with a strange accent which appeared slightly out of place, but I digress. Watch as Rockford operates a cb(remember them?)when trying to locate the family, and adds a phony accent to make it even funnier. Lastly, there's a cool scene with Dennis and Chapman interrogating Jim and the insurance man, when Jim gets thrown into the drink while the other man walks away, much to the bewilderment of Jim. Add a bbq and Rocky and we have a winner here.

Reason why California hate tourist season.

[mm-39 · 8/10 · 10 March 2019]

Another classic Rock Ford episode. Jim is going through a diamond recovery case, with guns and a real hard negotiations. The insurance company has a perfect accountant type with no human skill during the negotiations. Jim see what will happen vs the accountant looking at dollars on a ledger. What makes The Queen of Peru exciting, in my opinion, is the real life experience of the arrival of the R V family. There is a reason why Californians hate tourist season. The beach is Jimmy's home and the R V which parks by Jim's trail, has dirt bikes, and out board motors etc just making a racket which wakes Jimmy up. The ugly out of state tourist family which the Californians hope just visit and go back home is the perfect dysfunctional family, which steal Jim's B B Q which has the diamond in it. The recovery operation goes haywire. The bottom third of the episode is pure adrenaline. Great casting of the family and bad guys. The bickering and personal problem of the family is balanced with the straight detailed thugs behaviors of wanting the money. Great ending where the jerk R V dad gets his just deserts. 8 out of 10 stars.