TV Blooper

[old man emu]

I was attracted to this piece of TV memorabilia due to the title and being an early appearance of Clint Eastwood. I watched it all the way through and got the biggest laugh right at the end. If you don't want to watch the whole show, fast forward to the 20:30 minute mark and watch right to the end.

[droptopford]

Thanks for posting that old Highway Patrol episode. I watched and enjoyed every minute of it from the vending machines to the '56 Mercury Cop cars. But what am I missing? Didn't catch whatever the "TV Blooper" was. Unless you're referring to a Highway Patrol bike with no windshield or front fender? Or the deluxe solo seat on the LEO's bike under the truck? Or the fact that nobody shoved that shotgun up Bernie's a$$...

[RUBONE]

Thanks for posting that old Highway Patrol episode. I watched and enjoyed every minute of it from the vending machines to the '56 Mercury Cop cars. But what am I missing? Didn't catch whatever the "TV Blooper" was. Unless you're referring to a Highway Patrol bike with no windshield or front fender? Or the deluxe solo seat on the LEO's bike under the truck? Or the fact that nobody shoved that shotgun up Bernie's a$$...

He is talking about the jump when he tries to start it in gear.

[droptopford]

Good eye! I totally missed that. Thanks

[RooDog]

At least he was actually trying to kick that bike, and it wasn't cut out of the final print.

[old man emu]

I know that you Yanks talk funny, but was cycle sounding like sickle just a TV term or common usage back in April 1956?

The episode owes a lot to the incident in the summer of 1947 when a gang of 4,000 motorcyclists (known as the Angelenos and possibly the forerunners of the Hell's Angels) destroyed the small town of Hollister, Calif. That incident was the idea behind Marlon Brando's The Wild One. But Brando's Johnny was a pussy. Lee Marvin of the "Chinos" was top cat.

Ironically, the star of the show, Broderick Crawford, was a recidivist drunk driver, so much so that the California Highway Patrol nicknamed him Old 502, which is a reference to the California Statute 502 which deals with DWI.

In the episode I posted, the truck driver was charged with manslaughter over the death of the policeman. It is interesting that as the use of motor vehicles, and the subsequent numbers of road fatalities involving drunk drivers rose during the 1960s, juries were reluctant to convict for manslaughter, usually on the basis of "there but for the grace of God go I".

Legislators began to create special laws to deal with people whose actions while driving lead to the deaths of others in order to secure convictions. I believe in the USA it is now called Vehicular Homicide. Where I live it was called Culpable Driving, but now it seems to have come down to Dangerous Driving Causing Death. However, people can still be prosecuted for manslaughter if the driving behaviour and other related circumstances produce causation that is way above the standard. Being high on drugs, and drunk, and excessive speed coupled with dangerous manoeuvres will bring on a manslaughter charge.

[droptopford]

I know that you Yanks talk funny, but was cycle sounding like sickle just a TV term or common usage back in April 1956?

Settled once and for all by Arlo Guthrie in 1967

[RUBONE]

At least he was actually trying to kick that bike, and it wasn't cut out of the final print.

Since the series ran from '55 to '59 it would have been hard for him to start it any other way. There are lots of MC shots in the series. Also a good one is the movie "Code 2".

[droptopford]

Some classic Keenan Wynn there. But I can't watch him without thinking "You're gonna have to answer to the Coca Cola company."

[RooDog]

At least he was actually trying to kick that bike, and it wasn't cut out of the final print.

Since the series ran from '55 to '59 it would have been hard for him to start it any other way. There are lots of MC shots in the series. Also a good one is the movie "Code 2".

There were many other options: Not attempting to start it at all. Have it already running. Cut the scene and re do it outta gear.
But they chose to leave it in place.
I don't suppose anybody on this site has ever committed that faux pas, no?

[old man emu]

Settled once and for all by Arlo Guthrie in 1967

He got the answer at Alice's Restaurant.

I doubt if any of the production staff saw it, or realised the significance. Who really looks at the background action? Or maybe the film editor rode a Harley and had a perverse sense of humour.