So I was watching an old movie tonight 'Scene of the Crime' with Van Johnson and Gloria De Haven. Johnson plays an LAPD Homicide LT. Opening scene is a body with an M&P laying by it Johnson and the other cops are all carrying snub M&Ps in cross draw holsters.

It was actually a good movie to relax and watch, one of the best lines is after the first shooting a ballistics man tells Johnson it was a Smith & Wesson .38 special Great now if I can find 1 out of a hundred thousand guns I can catch the killer.

In the end he catches them all.

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Stan

I like anything that features old '40s-'50s L.A.

L.A. used to be one HECKUVA nice place to live.

Love the line in Roger Rabbit. "This is Los Angeles. We have the best public transportation system in the world." We laugh because at one time it was true. Mom & I used to ride the bus to Santa Monica every weekend...

Watching Bill Holden in "Sunset Boulevard" gives me a good idea of how great it was back then.

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I'm with the banned ...

Favorite Cop Movie: "Newman's Law" starring George Peppard.
speaking to a dinner table full of Department "Desk Bound Commandos"
"Why aren't you dip ****s out patroling the streets"?

Richard Widmark starred in some very good ones.
Ragards, Ray

Naked City - 1948


there are 8 million stories..........

Every cop movie has the detective as "lieutenant" something or other. I was a detective and later a lieutenant assigned to the investigations division. Believe me it is the detective that works the case out on the street and questions witnesses and suspects. The lieutenant keeps the squad running and ensures that the real cops have what the need by way of resources to do their jobs.

So much for movie reality!

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

I too am a big fan of the gritty b&w film noir
"Cops & Robbers" movies as much as the Westerns.
It just so happens that Sterling Hayden star's
(on both sides of the law) in a few of my favorites.*

The Asphalt Jungle - (1950)

The Killing - (1956)

Suddenly - (1954)

~ Joe

I always liked "Eltra Glide in Blue" with Robert Blake as Big John Wintergreen. Blake made Detective and got off the bike and got to wear a suit and boots. Jeff

Yep. That was one of the best cop movies ever. It spawned one of the best TV cop-shows ever.

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Why, I aughta.....

Pretty much anything Sam Spade or Phillip Marlowe.

Bullit, Magnum Force!

Couple recent ones:

L.A. Confidential
Mulholland Falls

The original "The Narrow Margin" was among the best of the B-Film Noir cop movies.

Check it out if you get a chance. You won't be disappointed!

My wife really likes Angela Lansbury’s Murder She Wrote.

I wore myself out explaining that the vast majority of homicides are on the bad side of town and involve drug gangs.

Finally I told her “if I ever see that lady when traveling I will immediately leave that town. Some average guy, often in a suit, will die this week”.

The highest homicide rate is the south side of Chicago. And then only one or two people are killed each night. Angela Lansbury could wander the streets of south Chicago every night and never hear of or see any homicides. And certainly never find anyone who would talk to her about it. She would get robbed a lot but never see or hear of a killing.

But I loved Baretta, back when he was young and innocent looking. However his main snitch (eyes and ears) was the pimp Rooster. And pimps keep the prostitutes as sex slaves by keeping them hooked on and supplying them with drugs. In the real world Baretta was condoning and enabling the worst criminal on the block.

At least Jack Webb had the right sound. He was believable. He was honest. “Just the facts mam” will never measure up with Eastwood’s “make my day” but the early days honesty was gone. No policeman ever carried any 44 magnum in any city. Didn’t happen, that dog won’t hunt. In the real world when Eastwood shot it out with the bank robber, the sidewalk behind the bank robber would be crowded and dirty hairy would have at least injured several, and been a big embarrassment. And the criminal would not be shooting birdshot at his legs.

Not as bad as Mel Gibson’s first Lethal Weapon scene where he is chasing the bad guy spraying bullets - and holds his gun around the corner and fires several shots before looking around the corner……

Then Perry Mason was always right and the Prosecutor always had the wrong guy in jail?

So the kids learn tourist history in our schools - and we must be the bad guys because everyone else in this world is some kind of trading partner we do not want to offend, or protected minority.

Hill Street Blues was nice until it became obvious that every policeman was being scripted to be a drunk, gambler, stress disorder, or something else. After a couple of years they ran out of normal policemen. Obviously part of the Hollywood plan.

The really old crime movies were far more honest.

No wonder so many people today want to outlaw guns and embrace some kind of socialism.

Not movies, but my earliest memories of cop tales were the B&W series "The Untouchables" and "Highway Patrol".

Broderick Crawford was great as Chief Matthews.

The only movies that come to mind weren't really cop movies. I'm still a fan of the "The Thin Man" series of movies.

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GOA
USA Shooting Supporter

1. "The Narrow Margin" - Marie Windsor, mmmmmm.
2. "The Big Heat" - Gloria Grahame, DOUBLE mmmmmm.

Really? Rochester, Indiana used to carry Model 29's.
So as not to hijack the thread, He Walked By Night was a great LAPD/film noir flick.

Jimmy carried a S&W Model 29 6" as a "City Cop" and a S&W Model 29 4" as a Deputy Sheriff

No votes for Police Squad?

All the Dirty Harrys
McQ
Brannigan
The Seven Ups
The New Centurions
Serpico
Bullit
Extreme Prejudice

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Cheers, Charles
SWCA #2442

"Police Squad", yeah!

Actually I've read some threads along this line where actual LEO's insist that the most realistic cop show on TV was "Barney Miller".

I liked "Hill Street" but preferred "NYPD Blue" after David Caruso left the show. Don't know why, but the man irritates the polyester fiberfill out of me.

Remember the guy Belker on "Hill Street" was always booking in for boosting? The guy would have stolen ridiculous stuff like a trombone, and would always give Belker smarta** answers when asked his name. Once he gave his first name as "Curtis". Belker asked, "Curtis what?", and the guy answered "Curtis Interruptus." Pretty racy for those days.

And the Red Car from Compton.

Not really "noir" and a little later but "The Detective" really stands out for good movie making. I only saw bits & pieces on late night tv until I took a film class in college. I never thought much of Sinatra's acting but he nailed it in this film. Very edgey for it's time, fairly honest portrayal of home life spinning out of control while he's trying to solve the murder. Good stuff in my view.

I give up. This is not Dirty Harry in Downtown San Francisco but you win.

This Rochester Community only had 6,218 people in 2010 census? And there is no legal definition saying what is a town and what is a city in this country.

This itty bitty town has a few police who qualify with 44mag.

Yup, Officers can buy their own. Any caliber. Little towns like to save money.

In other word there is no big crowds downtown. A policeman’s bullet is not likely to go through several people after hitting or missing the criminal. No deep pockets to attract lawyers going after millions of dollars in lawsuits.

Beacon tops tax break forecast - The Rochester Sentinel. - Rochester, IN

But I am a humble person. When wrong I admit I am wrong. Sorta……

So as to not hijack the thread I will nominate "Support Your Local Sheriff" as the best cop movie.

I agree the 1948 the naked city.
the FBI story with james stewart
G men with cagney

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God save the SOUTH

I got me a dvd set of the old Highway Patrol show with Broderick Crawford, and I really enjoy it a lot. It kind of takes you back to the good old simple days. I enjoy the show almost as much as I enjoy Gunsmoke, which takes you back to even older, better,and simpler days.

Dizzy Detectives with Larry, Curly and Moe.

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LIVE FROM THE DAWGHOUSE

What,Boston Blackie didn't even get an honorable mention? Or, am I just too old? Nick

Nobody remembers the transition from radio to television anymore. Nobody remembers the transition from ice boxes to refrigerators anymore. Or the first washing machines.

Old people nowadays remember the first microwave ovens.

Boston Blackie was good, as was Cecil the Seasick Sea Serpent. Honorable mention for Thunderbolt the Wonder-colt.

Good clean television existed in the 1950's and will never be back. Ed Sullivan is gone. Get over it.

Jerry Lewis was a great comedian mostly because the returning war vets were tired of violence and wanted slapstick. And the returning war vets set the tone.

Nowadays everything is designed to warp the minds of teenagers and younger. Okay, now I am depressed.

I gotta go back to my search for the perfect handgun now.

There is a photo of me somewhere imitating Boston Blackie. I had a coat and hat that resembled his the best I could find, and my pose was a very aggressive drawn snub nose cap pistol of some sort. I really like Blackie.

.. Hey Fellas' I just spotted "Suddenly" on TCM this
afternoon 3:30' (Pacific Time)
.. Dont usually watch tv this time of day but I'v been
nursing a dang broken foot.

Check out Sinatra' as the Bad Guy' in this classic*

~ Joe

My favorite Dragnets were the ones with Harry Morgan. Joe Friday never said "Just the facts, maam" in any of those episodes. Only on the radios shows and in the black and white episodes with Ben Alexander.

And as far as .44 mags: PLENTY of big city cops carried them in Detroit and I never heard of innocent bystanders being hit by over-penetrating .44 rounds. And back in those days, even more cops carried .357's. And since hollowpoints wen't allowed, you were just as likely, if not more, to be hit by an overpenetrating .357 semi-jacketed wadcutter than a .44. I think you're concerns about over-penetration are exaggerated an incorrect.

Back in the 70's-early 80's it was not uncommon to see Houston Police, Harris County Sheriff's deputies, and most of the smaller agencies in southeast Texas to be packing S&W Model 29's with four or six inch tubes in flap "widowmaker" holsters...they didn't carry no 'light loads' like Dirty Harry. Full power jacket hollowpoints in loops or speedloaders.

After a while, the fad faded... the .44 Mags were often too much for use in an urban enviroment.

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The Last Standing Knight

I know of a few Chicago cops who carried .44 Mags and the .41 Mag was authorized by then Supt. Orlando Wilson.

In the Heat of the Night (1967). "I got the motive which is money and the body which is dead". "They call me Mr Tibbs". I guess I would like this one since it was partly filmed where I live.

Gosh it sounds like the only one not carrying a 44 mag was Clint Eastwood. A documentary on it mentioned he really used a 357 in filming because the 44 mag did not "look right".

One small city I lived in some police did not bother carrying guns. The only problems were the lumberjacks recreationally fighting in the bars. They always paid damages. No one would have dared using any weapon because the lead man was really tough. Everyone needed to be able to show up for work the next work day. Everything had unwritten rules.

One day in the 1980's I mentioned to my retired police sgt friend about the (1960's?) law making police a 24 hour a day thing. He got furious about the time he was in trouble for not breaking up a fight in a bar. He said he was on his own time, both guys wanted to fight - it was going to be a good fight - and he wanted to watch it. Now he was in trouble for doing nothing on his own time. He was one of the cities alcoholics and now he had to be the cop in the bar on his off time?

He was one of the legendary cops of that old gold mining, lumber harvesting, apple growing area. Once there was an armed robbery and the robbers got a flat tire leaving town. He stopped and ask if they needed any help, and talked awhile. Being strangers he noted their cars license number. No police radios back then but he was told of the robbery as he returned to the center of town. He called the next city 30 miles down the road and gave them the license number and descriptions of each guy and what they were wearing. They were quickly arrested on arrival.

Some people in some towns did not need no 44 magnums. The only criminals were strangers and the police had it all worked out.

Anyway I liked the Andy Griffith show and Mayberry Town. He was one of my favorite sheriffs and Barney Fife was a concerned honest loyal deputy.

Obviously it was a good environment for his kid Opie to grow up. Obviously Aunt Bee was a great cook.

Before .45 autos were authorized, the .45 colt Model 25-5 and the acp 25-2 were the guns of choice for many. .357's were popular in the mod. 66 and then came .44 mags and .41's. Usually in 4" bbl. length. I have a 3" .44 and the hair-raising recoil is greatly exaggerated. I never had a problem firing 3 rounds in 2 seconds on target. In fact, the recoil of the .357 K frames along with the loud report was more obnoxious to me than the N-frame .44's with their "boom" instead of "crack".

The old cop movies were funny at times. Ever notice when shooting, they'd give a flick of the wrist or arm just to give the bullet a couple hundred feet per second help.--lol
Bob

That "throwing motion" they used was really kid friendly almost vaudeville stuff. When TV was new a lot of the new actors came from vaudeville or the circus. Some looked and sounded like carnival booth game hustlers.

In the real world all those ex-civil war vets put their heads down almost behind the horses head and put the pistols barrel up next to the horses ear.

And that short "breaking sound barrier" crack - as the bullet out-runs the speed of sound, compressing the waves briefly, is probably much more hazardous to ear nerves. Typical 45 auto pistol bullets do not break the speed of sound. Neither does 158 grain 38 special.

Unfortunately decibel meters only measure average sound, not brief peaks.