This episode was directed by James Coburn. Allegedly. Since it's his only directing credit. Maybe he just dropped by the set that week to visit ol' buddy James Garner to reminisce about The Great Escape.
That's not even the craziest thing about this episode. The opening credits feature B&W footage of the little guy with the funny moustache and the stiff-arm salute. As if the cold opening with the lovely blonde writer searching for a Natsie-sympathizing Hollywood director from the 30s wasn't clear enough. "Oh, THOSE Natsies."
The entire episode is basically exposition. Really, really boring exposition. Well, Rockford gets in a bit of a wrestling match with a couple of henchmen. And there's a car chase involving Frenchie police inspectors driving a Peugeot or Citreon or something.
My guess is that David Chase (of Sopranos fame) sold the producers a script he had laying around and they let him shape it into a goofy Rockford Files episode. A really terrible Rockford Files episode.
I'd like to know if it was Coburn's idea to have Rockford pronounce it, ''Bee-ography" or to call the Austrian painter's henchman, "HAR-mehn Gore-ing." Or whether Garner just didn't care anymore.
I know it barely took me until the 26th minute until I didn't care anymore.