dabney
Member
Recently while surfing the internet I was researching .38/44 six-guns used in movies and found where one was used in the movie, Electra Glide in Blue. At this site, a couple of nice photos from the movie was used. A motorcycle cop by the character name of "Zipper" was the one packing the HD. The presented images was not clear or close enough for me to tell if the HD was a pre-war or post war model. I was able to tell that it (HD) had the 5-inch barrel. I subsequently went to Youtube, on the net, and found the movie, Electra Glide in Blue, and clicked on it. As I was scanning the movie, trying to locate the cop character and his HD, I located one scene where Officer Wintergreen (Robert Blake) and his partner/friend (Zipper) had their Harley's parked in an isolated area taking a break. Wintergreen, young and hungry for action, like I was 100-years ago, was walking away from Zipper to his Harley and turns and pulls his beautiful two-tone 4-inch Colt Python on Zipper in some dangerous "horseplay" and Zipper pulls out his beautiful blue steel "post war" HD in return. There is a camera close up, from the back-side, of Zippers HD clearly exposing the post war hammer giving identity to the movie star HD. Thanks to this forum I have ascertained that there were several mid-western and western states that utilized the 4 and 5-inch HD's for their State Highway Patrol Services including some PD's and Sheriff Departments.
There are not many movies that has the HD starring. In this movie Zipper, a compromised, lawless cop, has the honor of the Smith & Wesson Heavy Duty. I enjoyed replaying this 1973 movie as it had been many years since I saw it and had forgotten about Zippers HD in it. I don't know if the people who supplied the firearms for the movie were aware of the history of the HD and were trying to get it right, as to the proper six-guns for a mid-western PD, or, maybe they made a lucky guess! Whatever, I'm glad they did, since I last saw the movie years ago, my knowledge on the HD has increased, with many thanks to this forum and its great members! This time, when I replayed Electra Glide in Blue, I was able to appreciate the .38/44 that Zipper had, many times more than my first 1973 viewing of it.
Thank you my friends for all the knowledge you have freely shared with me over the past several years. Thanks to you, I look at my own .38/44 through different, respectful eyes now.
David
There are not many movies that has the HD starring. In this movie Zipper, a compromised, lawless cop, has the honor of the Smith & Wesson Heavy Duty. I enjoyed replaying this 1973 movie as it had been many years since I saw it and had forgotten about Zippers HD in it. I don't know if the people who supplied the firearms for the movie were aware of the history of the HD and were trying to get it right, as to the proper six-guns for a mid-western PD, or, maybe they made a lucky guess! Whatever, I'm glad they did, since I last saw the movie years ago, my knowledge on the HD has increased, with many thanks to this forum and its great members! This time, when I replayed Electra Glide in Blue, I was able to appreciate the .38/44 that Zipper had, many times more than my first 1973 viewing of it.
Thank you my friends for all the knowledge you have freely shared with me over the past several years. Thanks to you, I look at my own .38/44 through different, respectful eyes now.
David
The movie was set in the fictional town of Stockman, AZ, and filmed here in AZ. I know an old retired motor cop who worked traffic/security on the film. He was an extra in one of the bar scenes also. Along with other guns, those revolvers used in the movie were of the type in use at the time by working cops. Although I'd bet not too many could afford a Python like Robert Blake's. The other star of the movie, the Electra Glide, is at a local HD dealer on display with some photos from the set. Classic revolvers and cool bikes, it doesn't get any better....
