Highway Patrol TV show

Remember Broderick Crawford? This has been airing on 2 cable channels I get. It was in production 1955-59. I wonder why they bother showing this series since the police procedures shown are laughably out-of-date (this was long before the Miranda rights and other law enforcement procedures were established). I am amazed at what police officers were allowed to do to suspects back then. Seems like "good ol' boy" justice. Even "Adam-12" (1968-75) is showing its age.

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I never wanted to ever get pulled over by Dan Mathews
I knew a Dove commercial wouldn't save me

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The other day they had a episode where the suspect was already handcuffed and Crawford gave him a hard shove toward the police cruiser. That would be called "badge heavy", "unnecessary force" or "police brutality" now.
 
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The other day they had a episode where the suspect was already handcuffed and Crawford gave him a hard shove toward the police cruiser. That would be called "badge heavy", "unnecessary force" or "police brutality" now.

All to fire up the viewer, nothing else.
 
I loved that show! In fact I still find myself humming it's catchy theme song. I'd forgotten that it had 4 seasons-- 156 episodes!! And I must have seen all of them. They did 39 episodes a year in those days!

Years later I saw his portrayal of Huey P. Long (they used another name) in All the King's Men (1949), which I thought was a great role on his part, and the film was very popular. The part brought him stardom, but with Crawford's gruff Philadelphia accent, he was in actuality nothing like the famous Louisiana Governor, who had a thick Loosiana accent, and was representative of beliefs of the day. I'm sure the producers had no hope of getting Crawford to impersonate a Southerner..:)
 
2 of my friends were arrested by City Police but beat with night sticks first. It was different back then.
They knew how to handle ruffians and not permanently disable them... right!
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what 20 concussions in the 70's anyway.
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How about Dragnet. Talk about outdated and arrogant. "they're smoking pot" OMG OMG OMG 🤣

Remember Emergency? I liked the two actors. But that nurse "Dixie" I think. She was like the only nurse in the hospital. She's in the ER, she's a floor nurse, she's the nurse in surgery.
 
Jack Webb used "Dragnet" as a platform to preach against alcohol and recreational drug use in many episodes, yet he is often seen smoking a cigarette! Talk about a double standard.
Smoking in the 1950s was still considered safe & healthy. The dangers of smoking really didn't come out to the common public until the 1060s.
 

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