Noah Beery Jr., Dad On `Rockford Files'

TEHACHAPI, Calif. - Character actor Noah Beery Jr., who played sidekicks in movies and television for decades and then teamed up with James Garner in "The Rockford Files," has died at 81.

Mr. Beery's wife, Lisa, was at his side when he died last night at his ranch about 10 miles from Tehachapi, said family friend Linda Fowler.

Mr. Beery underwent surgery on Sept. 18 for bleeding in his brain; doctors were unsure what caused it. He had been in ill health since a stroke in the mid-1980s.

Mr. Beery became best known as "Rocky," the genial, folksy father of private eye Jim Rockford. The role earned Mr. Beery two Emmy nominations in the 1974-80 series. A new Rockford made-for-television production is in the works, Linda Fowler said. Although Mr. Beery was not able to perform in it, he will appear in flashback scenes.

Mr. Beery, who had a 60-year film-and-television career, was born into a family of great Hollywood character actors.

He was the son of Noah Beery Sr., a popular screen villain during the silent era, and the nephew of Wallace Beery, who won the Academy Award for his 1931 role in "The Champ."

Born on Aug. 10, 1913 in New York City, Noah Beery Jr. made his screen debut as a child in the 1920 silent film "The Mark of Zorro," which starred his father and Douglas Fairbanks.

The actor's film credits also include the Howard Hawks movies "Red River" and "Only Angels Have Wings," the Billy Wilder film "The Spirit of St. Louis," and the 1960 courtroom drama "Inherit the Wind," based on the Jerome Lawrence play.