One-Adam-12, One-Adam 12, see the man...

It seems like very few police shows/movies ever show the officers packing a back-up gun. One exception would be the Chuck Norris film "Code of Silence", where one burned-out old cop mistakenly shoots a kid in a dark hallway & pulls his BUG out of an ankle holster & plants it on the kid as a throwaway.
I never realized until recently how many uniformed officers carry BUGs (for example a 25 auto in an ankle holster or a j-frame in the pants or jacket pocket), or how long that practice has been going on. I wonder if the police advisors to those shows requested that not be shown so as not to fore-warn the criminal element what to watch out for?
 
Last edited:
It seems like very few police shows/movies ever show the officers packing a back-up gun. One exception would be the Chuck Norris film "Code of Silence", where one burned-out cop mistakenly shoots a kid in a dark hallway & pulls his throwaway gun out of an ankle holster & plants it on the kid.
I never realized until recently how many uniformed officers carry BUGs (for example a 25 auto in an ankle holster or a j-frame in the pants or jacket pocket), or how long that practice has been going on. I wonder if the police advisors to those shows requested that not be shown so as not to fore-warn the criminal element what to watch out for?

I remember the character "Popeye Doyle" (Gene Hackman) in the 1971 movie The French Connection pulling a S&W J-frame revolver out of his ankle holster. At the time, I was not aware that such holsters existed, and it was a surprise to see this portrayed. Of course, those were my days of innocence...:D

John

popeye_doyle_zpsba3cd336.jpg
 
I think it was a target model 36 - why not?

I admit to being a mere mortal of very limited physical capabilities. Upon observing such scenes, and Rico Tubb's similarly fantastic shooting expoits, I am often heard exclaiming "oh, come ooonnnn..."

I think there was a Kojak episode years ago where he emerged from a warehouse looking for a BG. The BG was about 150 yards away standing on a building connector. Kojak violently threw down his RCA TacTec portable (cringe, eeek, ouch) to whip out his M36 and blast the BG off the connector oh-so-far away. "puhleasssssseeeeeeee...."

Drives my wife crazy. I cannot enjoy a movie where the technical pieces do not add to the believability of the plot. "Can't you just enjoy the story?" No! Not if it requires me to believe that physics has been suspended. I am even worse with aviation movies.
 
I believe Martin Milner played a Navy ensign in charge of shore patrol in the movie Mister Roberts with Henry Fonda, quite a few years before Adam 12. He used a really slow southern drawl to describe the crew's antics on liberty as they tore up a rear echelon base.

Much later Kent McCord played a character on an episode or two of the TV show Battlestar Galactica (late 70's).
 
You are correct about Martin Milner, good pick up. That was a great movie, BTW.

I believe Martin Milner played a Navy ensign in charge of shore patrol in the movie Mister Roberts with Henry Fonda, quite a few years before Adam 12. He used a really slow southern drawl to describe the crew's antics on liberty as they tore up a rear echelon base.

Much later Kent McCord played a character on an episode or two of the TV show Battlestar Galactica (late 70's).
 
The thing I remembered the most about about Adam 12 is that it always amazed me that no matter how many calls they went on or how many arrests they made, you never saw them writing any reports! I served in the pre-computer days. I wrote a LOT of reports and carried a briefcase too! Never see them carrying a briefcase.

I remember my very first day on the job. I saw the cops coming in off the road and going out on duty. They were all carrying briefcases. I had never seen this before and couldn't imagine why cops would be carrying a briefcase. I soon found out, but up until then that was my perception of law enforcement. Probably from watching too many cop shows on TV! :rolleyes:

But, I must admit, I did enjoy the cop shows of the period, even Dragnet, as corny and robotic as the dialogue was. Sgt. Joe was the man!

Okay, I'm done! :D
 
I've seen them carrying briefcases out to the car at the start of shift, and putting them in the trunk.Somehow Reed's lunch never gets put in the trunk-- that wouldn't leave any oportunity for a little comedy relief when it gets sat on in the back seat.
 
Last edited:
I've seen them do reports back at the station, sometimes they'll even bring them in to "Mac" for approval. Then again, a show about how much paperwork cops (or doctors) have to do on a day to day basis would be a sure cure for insomnia.

I've seen them carrying briefcases out to the car at the start of shift, and putting them in the trunk.Somehow Reed's lunch never gets pout in the trunk-- no chance for a little comedy relief when it gets sat on in the back seat that way.
 
Shoot.....Now-a-days we live on an iPhone.

HD pictures and videos and texts and emails. After looking at that little screen sixty hours a week, no wonder I can't shoot well anymore. They say I takes pretty good pictures though......and all my forms are spell checked!
 
Amen to that on portraying all the report writing would lead to insomnia.......as both a retired/disabled Commander of a Volunteer Search/Rescue/EMS agency and a retired/disabled security officer, reports was a good portion of the job. Seemed like they were never ending.
 
I remember the character "Popeye Doyle" (Gene Hackman) in the 1971 movie The French Connection pulling a S&W J-frame revolver out of his ankle holster...........

Just watched that movie on satellite, it looked like the Chief was his primary weapon (not a BUG). He carried it in an ankle holster on the outside of his right ankle which seems awkward for a right-handed person-- or for a lefty too for that matter. It sure looked awkward when he was trying to pull it out while laying on the ground behind a tree of something trying to hide from someone sniping at him from the rooftops.
 
Last edited:
This is speech that Malloy gave in Episode 1,

This black and white patrol car has an overhead valve V-eight engine. It develops 325 horsepower at 4800 RPMs. It accelerates from 0-60 in seven seconds. It has a top speed of 120 miles an hour.

It’s equipped with a multi-channel VHF radio...


Actually, there was an error in Malloy's spoken lines. Instead of "VHF Radio" he says "DFE Radio"

I was never really sure where that "DFE" error came from. Maybe it just got twisted up in Milner's (pretty good) attempt to do a Joe Friday rapid fire speech.

And for what it's worth, that pilot episode shows a whole bunch of uniform cops carrying their briefcases out of the locker room to the inspection in the parking lot.

"And remember, in this division, you can cut yourself on those shirt creases"

Just re-verified on hulu -
Watch Adam-12 | Log 1: The Impossible Mission online | Free | Hulu


Sgt Lumpy
 
Turns out that we are both wrong. DFE stood for "Dual Front End" radio. The radio had two separate receiver sections to allow for monitoring more than one channel at a time. This replaced the dual radio system in use prior to that. If you watch Dragnet, you'll see two Motorola control heads.

There's a decent explanation of the radio system here. The DFE radios were special product (SP) radios made by Motorola for LAPD. Motorola would make SP radios for clients who were big enough and had enough money. Among other things, they made some pretty interesting stuff for the Secret Service back in the same time frame.

As it turned out, the only real users of the DFE radios were the "G Unit" ambulances run by the city at the time and some detectives. Patrol officers didn't use it because apparently there was to much radio traffic.

The picture about half way down the page that shows the control head is interesting because the channel selector knob is missing. It was a black knob like the squelch and volume knobs. I'd guess that they removed it because it cast a shadow or somehow obscured the channel labels.





Actually, there was an error in Malloy's spoken lines. Instead of "VHF Radio" he says "DFE Radio"

I was never really sure where that "DFE" error came from. Maybe it just got twisted up in Milner's (pretty good) attempt to do a Joe Friday rapid fire speech.

And for what it's worth, that pilot episode shows a whole bunch of uniform cops carrying their briefcases out of the locker room to the inspection in the parking lot.

"And remember, in this division, you can cut yourself on those shirt creases"

Just re-verified on hulu -
Watch Adam-12 | Log 1: The Impossible Mission online | Free | Hulu


Sgt Lumpy
 
Last edited:
When I started, we had those old Motorola radios. Two primary channels, one talk around and one county frequency. There was also a box under it that let you scan. 154.00 mghz.

Handi talkies were big black and chrome GE radios. Usually worked. Made a dandy impact weapon. (Maybe why they only usually worked).
 
Back
Top