Code Two (1953)

I was an LAPD Explorer in the late 1960"s and had shot on the Academy pistol range. The movie showed the Los Angeles Police Department Headquarters (outside) before Parker Center was built. It also showed the real Academy with the pool, parade ground, a fenced area, indoor training area, dispatch, and pistol range. The part that was not real was the dining room. The dining room looked like a movie set. Some of the the motorcycle training looked real too like laying down the bike and driving through the cones. Like I learned during my motorcycle training course (civilian), it does not take much of a rider to go fast. The trick is how slow can you go!. It was also interesting how the movie gave a plug for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The movie had everything I like bikes, guns, and cops. What else is there.

Solid little programmer from MGM's B period. The documentary influence of TV's Dragnet (1951-1959) is apparent in the early police training segment that looks like it was done at the actual Academy. Three trainees buddy-up there, but later switch to the better-paying motorcycle division. There they get involved with black market beef haulers and excitement ensues. Director Wilcox keeps things moving smoothly, while the filming in and around LA lends a realistic feel. Then too, Wynn gets to practice his tart brand of sarcasm as a tough but fair training officer, lending helpful color. As could be expected, the girls (Forrest and Stewart) are strictly secondary, as wife and girlfriend, respectively.Meeker gets to play a cocky trainee in what could have been a warm-up for his classic Mike Hammer in Kiss Me Deadly (1955). I hope they paid him double for all his stunt work at the end. He earns it. For fans of two-wheelers, there's a lot of motorcycle cross-country action that shows off their rugged versatility. And what a coincidence, as another reviewer points out, that so many of the male cast went on to cowboy starring roles on TV—look for Chuck Connors as a deputy sheriff in an office scene about 2/3 of the way through. All in all, it's a solid programmer of the sort soon to migrate to TV, but holds interest, nevertheless.

CODE TWO – 1953A somewhat bottom end, for MGM Studios, that is, tale of three rookie cops who join, The Los Angeles Police Department. The three, Ralph Meeker, Robert Horton and Jeff Richards become friends as they work their way through the training.Meeker is the cocky one who can't wait to see some action. Horton is married with a young son. Richards joined because his father had been killed in the line of duty on the force. In charge of rookie training is, Lt. James Craig and Sgt Keenan Wynn. The smart arse, Meeker is nearly washed out the first week for not being a "team player". Wynn however sees something under all the bravado and gives him a second chance. The three make it through basic and are sworn in as L.A. Police Officers.They are all assigned to various mundane tasks such as stock taking, school crossing guard etc. This is rather boring and they really what to get to the rough and ready action. All three volunteer for the motorcycle unit. This means more cash, a fancy uniform and out of the office time. That is after several more weeks of training. Meeker and Richards both take a shine to Horton's sister in-law, Elaine Stewart. Meeker hound dogs her while Richards is more laid back. Stewart eventually picks Richards and they become an item. The trio of rookies all pass the course and get assigned to traffic duty. Traffic stops and accident calls fill their day. Meeker fills his date book with numbers from the tickets he hands out to pretty girls. This happy life ends when Richards pulls over a truck one night for running a stop sign. The driver, Jonathan Cott and his passenger, William Campbell have a truckload of hot cattle. They truck cattle stolen from small ranches etc to an out of town slaughterhouse. The cattle are good for $275 a head. Campbell belts Richards across the back of the head with a monkey wrench. He then backs the truck up over Richards a few times. Then they drive off into the night. Meeker and Horton take the murder of their friend hard and ask for special duty in the hunt for the killers. They cruise throughout L.A. looking for the truck a witness saw. The pair of officers pull over every truck that even remotely looks like the suspect vehicle. No joy there, so they go plainclothes on disguised motorcycles. One evening, Meeker lucks onto the right truck and trails it. The two in the truck cab, driver Cott and his buddy, Campbell, manage to shake Meeker off their tail. Meeker quickly realizes he has lost the truck and backtracks. He follows a small dirt rode off the highway and spots the truck. It is offloading some cattle at a small slaughterhouse. Meeker hides his bike in the brush and heads in for a closer look see. He sees all he needs to and is about to head back to his bike to radio for backup, when he is discovered by Campbell and company. Meeker manages to get in a couple of punches and then draw his revolver. Shots are exchanged with Campbell getting blown down for a ten count. A full-fledged, drag out fistfight between Cott and Meeker is needed before Meeker can get away. Meeker hotfoots it to his bike and calls for some pronto type help. Horton, Keenan Wynn and several carloads of LA's finest, arrive in the best tradition of the cavalry to save the day. All the bad guys are rounded up and their operation closed down. This one starts out like a recruitment film for the L.A. Police Department. It does change pace at about the 35 minute mark and goes quickly from first, to fourth gear. It then plays out for the next 35 like a fast paced cops and robbers film of the 40's. I must admit I was not expecting much from the film but was pleased with the bang-up ending. The shootout and fight in the darkened slaughterhouse is handled very well. It was interesting to see an unbilled Chuck Connors (RIFLEMAN) with a small bit as a LA cop. Running for only 69 minutes, it does not overstay its welcome. The director of this quickie was Fred M Wilcox. Wilcox only made 10 films of which LASSIE COME HOME and FORBIDDEN PLANET would be the best known. The d of p was Ray June. June, a long time MGM hand, worked mainly on comedy features. Some of these include, I DOOD IT, A SOUTHERN YANKEE, CALLOWAY WENT THAT AWAY, HOUSEBOAT and THE COURT JESTER. He did touch on film noir with SHADOW ON THE WALL.

I saw this movie as a kid when i was about 13 or so. I remeber this as one of the coolest movies I have ever seen. I am sure, now it would seem a little less dramatic, but it has stayed with me all these years. There is one scene where the truck hijackers are stopped by a cycle cop and when they get the chance to knock him out they do. They then take him and put him under the tires of the big rig and {pretty violent for back then} back up over him. A young chuck Conners, Ralph Meeker and Keenan Wynn make this a must see for biker, crime and film noir fans. I believe Ted Turner owns this movie and I wish he would release it on video. Enjoy the film if you can ever see it.