James Garner did not get along with Charles Bronson during the filming of, The Great Escape, 1963. I read his autobiography, The Garner Files, published in 2011 and the dislike towards Bronson lasted his entire life. According to Garner it was reciprocated.
From everything I’ve read on James Garner he was a decent human being who insisted on being treated well and fairly. He also insisted on treating others the same. He did not see this in Bronson and described him as, ‘’A pain in the ass. He used and abused people and I didn’t like it.’’
According to another biographer, at the time of filming Garner was a major tv star due to Maverick and was doing well on the big screen with, Up Periscope, and, Children’s Hour. Bronson had been in the business longer, had worked extremely hard, but his career was really going nowhere at this stage. He seemed to have a chip on his shoulder where he felt, perhaps with some justification, that he was as good as some of the actors in the star-studded production.
What annoyed Garner was his lack of fairness as regarded a bit player.
One day, about a year after filming had been completed there was a poker game at Garner’s house with Bronson present. Garner was not a participant, only an onlooker. The hand was down to Bronson and an unknown extra. Bronson bet $50, then, realising he had probably made a mistake went to take the cash back. Garner pointed out he was not allowed to do this while everyone else in the group stayed silent. Bronson started to complain but Garner insisted the money be returned to the pot and, as it turned out, the young extra won the hand. It probably represented a great deal of money to him.
Garner wrote that Bronson took it badly and bad-mouthed him after that. He promised never to work with Garner again.
James finished the piece by writing. ‘’Throughout my life, there have been a few guys who didn’t like me because I was outspoken. Hell, I never thought I was outspoken, I just told the truth.”
A true gentleman and real hero.