The narrator is my wife’s uncle Art Gilmore. When he died at 99 a representative of the Highway Patrol fan club came to his funeral. According to Art he got stopped by the CHP for a slight speeding infraction and started to recite the opening of Highway Patrol and was given a pass. Art was a great human being. Miss him to this day. His wife died at 106.
What I truly like about this show is all the location shots. These shots bring us back to a different time and allow us to see this area as it was in the 1950s. How things have changed.
I recognized Griffith Park in many episodes and I'm pretty sure El Segundo looks the same. Dragnet, Adam 12, Emergency, and the Rockford Files are how I learned to drive around LA!
I get up at 4:00 in the morning to watch this show. I don't know why I love it so much. Come those hairpin turns on dirt roads that are major highways!
One semiregular on this show was the late William Boyett, a fine actor who is best remembered for his role as LAPD Sergeant William "Mack" McDonald on "Adam-12".
Boy this old stuff is better than the fertilizer they put out today - i'm frankly blessed to be TV-free for almost 15 years now. The best stuff is the old, free stuff.
I remember watching the highway patrol as kids with my brother. It was one of our favorite shows growing up. Broderick Crawford was one of the greats in the industry.
I am french, and I discover these episodes now. Really good. Were never broadcasted in France, as far as I know. I was a kid in the fifties. Broderick is terrific ! And I love those cars... In the sixties, my father had a 1957 Chevrolet...a jewel !...and so extraordinary in France ! Great actors !...
@LACROIX Phillippe . . . that 1957 Chevy is one of the most coveted model years for Chevy collectors. It was also popular among modified oval track racers in the 1960s; where many of them got busted up from those races; which dwindled the numbers of '57 Chevys from then to now.
That Chevys were popular in France is no joke. It was among the top 5 top selling cars in France for years. In Jacques Tati’s film, Mon Oncle, Mr. Hulot’s brother-in-law buy a new Chevy wagon, two-tone green and pink.
I ran into this series years ago while exploring public domain crime series from the 40's-50's, what a time capsule! Now-a-days its a pleasure just to see the old steel rolling and the scenery as it once was. So happy to see that more of these corny gems getting posted, I especially liked Clint Eastwood in 'Highway Patrol Motorcycle A' , S1E27, what a hoot!
I know what you mean! The local library had a complete season on DVD. Looked at the cover, thought: why not? One of my favorite series. Especially appreciate they Dan Matthews' character PSAs at the end of each episode b/c they're spot on. "Slow your roll..."
I can hear my driver’s Ed instructor use the same loaded gun analogy when he introduced us to the automobile in 1965. It is a shame most schools have dropped driver’s ed. Although this series is from the 1950’s, the message is timeless.
Today new drivers have to advertise the fact with signs on the back window as if to warn us that they are still incompitant and will improve over time with practice!
@@fargeeksyou can say that again! Non of this woke garbage! Men who are pretending to be woman going into woman toilets men competing in woman’s sports men wearing woman’s dresses and demanding to be called miss and mamm. Men were men back thenM what the hell is going on with men?
@@billmiller119did you know then and now the 30 min tv programme format consisted of 24 minutes of actual programme. 6 minutes of commercials made up the 30 minute advertised programme.
. . . and he was great at drama AND comedy. Even Westerns. Plus he could take a hell of a beating and make it look so real I still wonder if some of those fights are real.
@@sartainja Y’mean a 1955 station wagon wasn’t fast by the standards of 20 - 30 years later?! Shocking!!😱 Of course most American cars from the late seventies and all throughout the eighties with all their low compression engines and the emissions equipment they hadn’t figured out yet were about the equivalent of a three legged goat so that 55 Ford V8 might actually do ok after all.
Lucky Baldwin: In one episode, the sound FX inserted Crawford grinding the gears in reverse and the sound of a manual transmission accelerating and shifting gears. Oops, V8 and automatic (Dynaflow or Hydramatic).
@@tom7601 Most 55 Buicks had the dynaflow transmission but the Special and Century models could be ordered with three on the tree manuals. The Centurys that the Cal Patrol used had the 322 4V nailhead engine with manual tranny. It was very fast for the day.
I haven't seen this particular episode in about 50 years, but I never forgot it. I especially remember the scenes where Broderick Crawford sees what the offenders do when he hands them his revolver. Oddly enough, Crawford had a severe drinking problem which led to his license being suspended for DUI - - while he was filming Highway Patrol! Sad. Great series.
I heard that Broderick Crawford really wanted to be in films and didn't think much of his role in Highway Patrol. Possibly that resentment added to his snarkyness which strenghened his Police character.
To stay out of jail, he agreed to do the PSAs about driving at the end of every episode. Also, every scene of him driving was either on a private road, or a street shut down to film it.
One of the things with cars back then is you had to actually drive them. They required constant attention and were not forgiving. Many had manual steering, transmissions and brakes and were a hand full. It is unfortunate that today not only are the cars much faster, they require less driver input, thus the reason for so many distracted driving mishaps. I do not say accidents because distracted driving is NO accident but a deliberate act of a person who has no care for or feelings about the safety of others on the road.
Not only that but the light, powerful and agile modern cars enable millions of barely capable drivers to careen around like the aggressive a-holes they are.
The 1950s. This show really brings back my childhood. Watched it from the ages of 5 to 9 when it first aired. Now looking at it, I get a kick out of how baggy those suits were back in the 50s. Do miss men wearing hats, though. That's a style that will probably never come back, unfortunately.
Good point. I have a couple of old time hats but most of the time I wear a baseball cap. That's one of the habits of being in The United States Army you don't get rid of!
What a good episode! The character actors played it well in their roles of the 1950's. Broderick Crawford was ideal in the "Highway Patrol" series: direct, serious, firm and to the point. As to the classic 50's cars - they were great...the Buick Highway Patrol model...a beauty! Jay Leno loves his. I think his father's favorite was that model.
Crawford's heavy drinking increased during the filming of Highway Patrol, eventually resulting in several arrests and stops for driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI), which eventually gained him a suspended driving license.[5] While representing the California Highway Patrol as "Chief Mathews"
I remember this show and that intro music so well. I believe it came on at 9 PM, which was my bed time on school nights. Sure made it tough for me to go to bed.
Our '55 Ford guy aside from speeding also ignores his fuel gauge (below 1/8---jeez!) Owned lots of Ford in my life and you NEVER let them run that low. Their gauges are only about 80% accurate. Learned the hard way and more than once.
In 1970, when I was in High School, my mom went to work for the CHP as a Matron/Dispatcher. All through High School I got to know a lot of our area's Highway Patrolmen. A real top notch group of men. My first car was a '66 Mustang we got from our division's CHP Captain. In '79 when I went to the Academy a couple of our instructors were CHP Officers I already knew. Now, all these years later I've spent my entire adult career in Law Enforcement (Reserve Cop/Parole/Probations/DoD Guard). These good old Highway Patrol shows turned out to be a bigger part of my Life than I ever imagined when watching them as a kid. Nostalgia...
Hello Randy , Broderick Crawford would have been an excellent law enforcement officer in real life , When I was little , I used to watch the show with my parents , It's great to be able to see it again , I've always loved the show and it's a great classic that brings back memories , Especially seeing those vintage cars , At the end of the episode what Broderick Crawford said , A reckless driver isn't driving his car , He's aiming it , Which is true indeed , Back when I was young , I am so thankful I drove carefully , There are several people I knew from high school that drove reckless and cut their lives way short , Two others I know had a wreck and are paralyzed from the waist down , I wish Broderick Crawford was a law enforcement officer instead of an actor , He'd be one of the very best
What academy did you go to? If some of your instructors were CHP Officers then you must of went to a police academy. Because of you went to CHP Academy then ALL of your instructors would of been CHP Officers. That tells me you probably went to Rio Hondo? Am I correct?
If anyone ever notices..Broderick Crawford never seen behind the wheel on a public highway. With so many Drunk Driving violations..they took his license away. So, any scenes with him driving..it's on private dirt/asphalt road. BTW: Studio assigned a baby sitter to keep him sober while filming.
This particular episode is ironic in the fact that for part of this series, Broderick Crawford had his license suspended for excessive DUI's. Some of the scenes had to be shot on back country roads so that he could drive and they had to get most of the dialogue in for the show by noon or he would be drunk in a few hours anyway. The CHP got tired of trying to work with the producers of the show because Crawford couldn't control his drinking during the filming.
Love those vintage cars. That Vet must be worth a fortune today. Those were the good old days when a shade tree mechanic could fix just about everything on a car.
I used to have this Gumout carburetor cleaning kit. Essentially, it runs straight Gumout through the carburetor. This seemed to work on fixing carburetors 90% of the time.@@Glinkaism1
Broderick Crawford was actually an Academy Award winning actor and won the Best Actor Oscar for "All the Kings men", 1949, also Best Picture Oscar. His signature and footprints are out front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. BC was one of the first film actors to do TV to any extent. Back then, TV was considered waaay beneath film acting, and still is by some, but now pays darn near as good depending on the deal they cut.
@@johnbockelie3899 sometimes the best laid plans such as getting up early doesn't always work. Sometimes even getting a motel/hotel room within walking distance or public transportation access to your destination doesn't always work. If you've ever commuted or navigated the thoroughfares and major and minor arteries of a major city like New York, or in my case, Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD you'd know that. Sometimes, you'll be late no matter what you do. Sometimes, you'll get in an accident whether you drive or not. Non-drivers get involved in accidents, many times fatally all the time around my area
Oh yeah! That is a '55 Corvette with the "V8" symbol on the side--they only made 700 of those in 1955, and not all were V8s. I had a friend who had a '55 Corvette with a V8, and what a thrill for me--I got to drive it! In the show, I also noticed the windshield stainless molding was blacked over on some of the cars--they probably didn't want the reflections to bother the cameras!
The writers and crew must have had a few laughs with this episode where the star of the show chastises other drivers for reckless driving considering he was a habitual drunk driver in real life.
What an ironic episode given Crawford's history. CHP abandoned the series early on due to his record. Early credits thanked the commissioner of CHP but that was soon dropped as CHP was embarrassed. It's still a favorite series of mine though. Love the cars, too...
That’s funny because that blonde dude on Chips (from Dukes of Hazard) who replaced Baker got arrested for possession of qualudes. I’m pretty sure after that Chips was canceled because CHP refused to allow the actors to wear the badge and patches. Those badges and patches were actually real.
Yes he was a hardened drunk driver. They had to film some of his driving on private roads. CHiP's were mortified to be connected with him. That said it is a joy to watch. I am ODing on those fab 50's cars. Go Buick! When better cars are built, etc etc. Loving the Ford and the Corvette.
TheLookingOne It must’ve been really bad the 1950s no iPhone no iPad no Satellite TV Ithe cars We’re cool but there were lotta bad things about the 50 1950s
It didn't really matter, as chances are a minor fender bender was fatal anyway. Hit something in one of those cars going 15 and you were in the hospital, 20 and you were dead!
@@jblyon2 I'm 69, had HS drivers Ed in 1966. Back then CHP was lobbying Sacramento big time to get rid of radios in the cars. I haven't used my radio in years. Now look at these cars, mobile communications/entertainment centers! You got in a wreck with those older cars you got shredded and harpooned by that steering column.
I remember watching this show when i was a kid. Nothing like it now, last good cop show was CHiPS..Worked for California Highway patrol inn the 70's.... thanks
@William Thieshen . . . when I was a kid, my step-grandfather had a '55 Buick Special, which my older brother borrowed from time-to-time. The car was impressive with its low-end torque and it was also an impressively fast car for a low-end luxury model. I can understand why the Highway Patrol had them as cruisers. A bit of trivia about the '55 model year Buicks: the ignition starter was not on the dashboard, but was in the gas pedal. The driver had to fully depress the gas pedal to activate the starter. Because of that, my step-grandfather never put a key in the ignition switch; where all he had to do was move the ignition switch dial from off-to-on, then depress the gas pedal to start the car.
The "nailhead" Buick is my favorite vintage engine, actually lighter than a Chevy V8,one of my 55s was a Century ( a special with a high compression engine) mine ran like a raped ape! Street RodderTommy Ivo built a legendary T bucket pickup with a nailhead that ran 12 seconds @ 120 mph ( with a near vertical steering column!)
Did you notice that they showed the Ford Wagon on its side. And the taillights were obscured with people. They didn’t show the front end and they didn’t show the damage. That car on its side could have been a 52-54. ZIV Productions was very cheap and this was a syndicated show. But they got the point across. Remember what Jay Leno says about his 55 Buick Roadmaster. Its the kind of car where if you have an accident, they hose off the dash and sell the car to someone else.
@@richardwest6014 I looked to check exactly the same thing, it was a ‘55. The taillights have that piece of rounded triangular trim above them, the ‘54 and earlier wagons had the taillight at the top of the fender line.
Wow 😲 memory lane,, remember watching this show, Mr Crawford., As a kid, in a small size black and white TV..no remote control, hate to get up to change channels,😆😂,, NEXT i watch,my favorite cartoon, Felix the cat 😂😆, AND his magic black bag.. and mighty mouse. Underdog, captain kangaroo, Bozo,, 🤡, , a, Time gone . that will never come back 😔 blessings, thanks for sharing., watching Patsy cline,, singing 💖, , Tennessee Ford, , Ernest tub., Love country music.,💖💖
@Eddie martinez Yeah. 🤣 And look at all these idiots who have Trump living rent free in their heads and have to bring their deranged political views into the comment section of a television show that was made during the Eisenhower administration. 🥴 Crazy isn’t it? 🤪
I have watched a couple of Broderick Crawford's movies in the past few years and never liked him in any of them. Now, I Love him 100 percent inside and out on his television show, Highway Patrol. In fact, I've got myself a collection of his Highway Patrol TV series from season 1 - season 4. I realized that in his movies, he's only an actor which happens to be a very good actor and is why he can be hated in most of his black and white movies. Again, he is my favorite actor when it comes playing a cop or any kind of law man on tv.
Such realism! You don't see anymore almost as if it's happening to you. I have always loved shows and movies in black in white,the shadows and fades. The very clear telephone pole in the forefront, then 1/2 half mile away a faint telephone pole almost blurred. Maybe it's late November early December. The natural wind works very well in the outside the diner scene. Fantastic!
I lived in Thousand Oaks .Ventura County ,Area outside Los Angeles where Most of these were filmed , Ten years after these were filmed .I loved this show when 8 years old .
I just noticed a good piece of production continuity @11:37 in the video: Several seconds earlier in the video the driver of the station wagon illegally passed a freight truck; then the scene cuts-away to seeing the station wagon pulled over by the Highway Patrol, and then we see that same freight truck drive by. I've seen where TV and movie productions would have overlooked including that truck in the cutaway scene of the station wagon being pulled over; since it was a separate scene, requiring work and expense to set it up for filming.
Showing the truck that was just passed passing the car stopped by the police makes a point. He passed on a double yellow line and was speeding and the truck he passed got to the next town before he did.
This was a show for entertainment and very popular at the time, Broderick Crawford was a very accomplished actor hard-working because he was the star of the show his personal life is brought into the Forefront of public scrutiny. This show send out a public service message highway safety and good public relations of the California Highway Patrol.
I was a CHP officer in 1973, patrolling hwy 12 , graveyard shift, Brought my am/fm radio on those boring nights, after I retired, had a DUI from a fellow officer, no one is perfect. Broderick Crawford was sort of a hero to all of us, even though it was just a show. My dad was a CHP officer from 1950 to 65. he got a DUI after he retired.
Great message about slowing down and driving carefully. Today it's ten times worse, with distracted drivers, cars that can go from 1-60 in a few seconds, and not much enforcement. And aggressive drivers.
Has anyone else noticed that people who pay huge prices for BMWs, Porsche's, Mercedes, etc assume because they bought a $75K sports car it gives them a permit to SPEED and drive recklessly on the roads?
Its true what you said, but cars are also far, far more safe these days too. U.S. traffic deaths went down from approx. 50,000 to 40,000 in the years since safety standards were imposed starting from a few years after this show was made. So overall, we are much better off on the roads now than in the 50's.
DoubleMrE I agree the cars are safer today, but there were far fewer cars on the road in 1956 than there are today. So I wonder how much better off we are. In addition, would you really feel safer in a 2015 Chevy Spark than you would a 56 Buick?
lcar4000 In the 50's and 60's there were on average, 50,000 auto related deaths and it has gone down to around 40,000 per years today---even with all the additional cars on the road. You can't argue with those numbers. We are no doubt safer today on the road. And yes. I would feel safer in a 2015 Chevy than a '56 Buick. The Buick is a huge & heavy car, but it had no safety belt, airbags, or crumple zones. The suspension & steering gear are also highly inferior to modern cars. Those old cars didn't even have independent suspension or tie bars. They didn't even have ball joints, but used the old kingpin steering. And no disc brakes or ABS either. It was far, far easier to lose control in those old cars. They really are downright dangerous in comparison to modern cars.
Everything you say make sense. I recall the steering wheel on a 55 Buick my neighbors owned: in the center of the steering wheel, there was a chromed metal ornament, poised to stab anyone who happened to be thrown forward in a collision. I hate to imagine the kind of damage the tailfins on a 57 Plymouth or 59 Cadillac could inflict. And none of the cars of the fifties, and I don't even think the sixties, had any sort of headrest in the back of the front seat to protect against whiplash. The padded dash, the recessed steering wheel, and seatbelts were all made available on the 56 Ford in a safety push, with the result that sales declined. At least they started making an effort that year. Anyway, as you can tell I'm a fan of these old cars. For all the advances of today's cars, I do wish they'd take a cue from these cars as far as design exuberance, while keeping the modern safety standards and reliability intact.
Been driving over 60 years without an accident and make it a policy to never speed. However I argued with a cop on a comment board a few years ago and he had to admit if simple speed kills then the sport of NASCAR would have been abolished decades ago. There are a lot of factors that cause car crashes besides speed, but its true if you're traveling a bit slower its easier to avoid a crash, BUT sometimes slow drivers end up CAUSING wrecks.
GooglFascists, Today I think the biggest problem we have as a country. Is texting while driving. I drive big trucks, and it's scary to see so many people that think it's more important to text than drive safely. That man in Texas thought texting was so important to driving he killed 13 people when he hit a church bus. I wonder if he still thinks that text was more important than safe driving? He will have a lot of time to think about it in jail
Well, I broke down late one evening on US101 in Northern California in the 1980s and the CHP officer that found me a few minutes later called a tow truck and gave me a lift to a motel. Been driving in California and Oregon since 1954 and never met a highway patrolman who was not polite and fair... and as a young driver, I did meet my share! Decided tickets were costing me too much and quit asking for them in the '60s. Haven't had one since in spite of driving constantly.
Glad I live in a rural state. CA had more driving rules/laws in the 50s than we do here now. No state inspections, no unwarranted checkpoints... I drive safely, 50 years accident-free -don't need or want this level of Nanny State. Great show though!
I don't mind the yearly vehicle inspections here in Virginia. It keeps people "street legal" and their cars in safe condition. Without these, people will not take care of their vehicles at all. Headlights out, bald tires, etc.
@@gordonvincent731 VA Government is just an overflow from the cesspool of DC . sign sign every where sign don't do this don't do that in VA At you next vehicle Inspection WHY DON'T YOU JUST PUT ALL YOUR GUNS IN YOUR TRUNK AND TURN THEM IN TO THE GOVERNMEN TAT THE NEXT VEHICLE INSPECTION ?
tyhere are only 2 or 3 maybe 4 music cues in the whole show used over and over, but they are strong ones..great orchestration and writing by David Rose!
