The other star of the show?
Who would that be? A real, live 1967 Plymouth Belvedere black & white police car, that's who.
Reed has managed to follow Malloy to the car. Malloy introduces Reed to the car with this speech; delivered in pure, Jack Webb, rapid-fire delivery:
Pete Malloy: You
know what this is?
Jim Reed: Yes sir, it's a police car.
Pete Malloy: This black and white patrol car has an overhead valve V8
engine. It develops 325 horsepower at 4800 RPM's. It accelerates from 0 to 60
in seven seconds; it has a top speed of 120 miles an hour. It's equipped with a
multi channeled DFE radio and an electronic siren capable of admitting
three
variables, wale, yelp, and alert. It also serves as an outside radio speaker
and public address system. The automobile has two shotgun racks, one attached
to the bottom portion of the front seat, one in the vehicle trunk. Attached to
the middle of the dash, illuminated by a single bulb is a hot sheet desk.
Fastened to which you will always make sure is the latest one off the teletype
before you ever roll.
Jim Reed: Yes sir.
Pete Malloy: It's your life insurance and mine. You take care of it and
it'll take care of you.
Jim Reed: Yes sir. You want me to drive?
No, Reed, he does not want you to drive. Ever! After this, Lt. Wangsgard tells Pete that the Captain will be at the station later that evening and he can resign in person then.
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| Out of my way, Reed! |
Next, Reed learns that "hats go in the back" because the roof is too low in the car. Then he learns how to use the radio.
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| Really? |
 |
| Here, let me do it! |
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| A real police radio. They never use this radio again. Notice the silver tape covering "Motorola". Silver tape covering trademarks is a Mark VII trademark. |
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| Let's roll! |
I love Malloy's speech about the police car. " You take care of it and it'll take care of you." This part is so true. How many times do they use the car to protect themselves during shoot outs or when they save Ed Wells after he was shot.
ReplyDeleteMalloy is so passionate about the car; there is no way he should be leaving the force.
The look after Reed says "you want me to drive" is priceless as well as using the finger flip when he comes back to get in the car after talking to the Lt.
Now here comes another one of my fave Adam 12 lines. When Malloy tells read to say 1 Adam 12 Roger and says it in the sort of child like way so that Reed will get it and then Reed says it back the same way Malloy said it. Way more comedy than I ever thought would be in this show.
I read somewhere that taking hats off in the car was not standard until after the show was out for awhile and then officers started taking their hats off. Some one did their dissertation about how TV affects real life. I can't remember what Adam 12 site I read that on.
Did you read the thing about the hats on lapdcops.com? I read on that site that Reed and Malloy removed their hats because the lights from the camera mounted to the tow car reflected off of the shiny hat bills.
DeleteI also love that part where Malloy demonstrates for Reed how to clear them.
I love the face Malloy gives Reed when he asked "Do you want me to drive?" Malloy then gives him this face of "What did you just say?"
ReplyDelete