“Favorite police / detective movie” Milkriver Madman saied. At once some images popped up in my head: Mr. Doyle standing in front of a road block watching some dealers coming over a bridge, it’s somewhere at the end of French Connection (Ger., Eng.); Gene HACKMAN (Ger., Eng.) won an Academy Award for this unforgettable Doyle. There is a pretty long chase in this film, but of course the ultimate car chase is to be found in Bullitt (Ger., Eng.). The lone film noir detectives of the Sam Spade kind, Marlowe or Hammer.
From there it is only a small step to the spies and agents. I thought of Charlie Muffin (Ger., Eng.) but found nothing on the web. And it occurred to me that it was a film made for tv and that I watched police or detective series until I threw out the box.
One of the earliest memories is about Stahlnetz, the German version of Dragnet. Here’s the opening of the original:
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Trawling youtube I remembered some of these old series like The Streets of San Francisco, Kojak, The Saint, The Avengers, The Hill Street Blues – and others I had totally forgotten.
But the very best opening is still delivered by Lee MARVIN (Ger., Eng.) of M-Squad: Don’t you just love a man who steps out his car, grabs his 45 and solves a problem? When he gets up and looks over you just KNOW that he hit whatever had to be hit – Frank Ballinger (sic!) was a direct ancestor of Frank Drebin.
So here comes M Squad !
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63 mago 
Oh the memories! “Just the facts maam” Just the facts” Bald headed Kojack sucking on that sucker. There were many police shows. But it seems that back then if one show was doing well someone on another network had to do one.
It may be hard to believe but TV was better then than now, at least to me.
Yeah, Kojak and his lollipop! Columbo always mulled and chew on a cigar.
Diana Rigg made every Sunday night worth waiting for!
A high kicking lady, XL.
Nice choices Mago,
Nice to see you joining in this week. It is a bit cold in here though with all this snow. I’ll send someone over to repair your roof shall I? TV poloce shows were great fun. I really liked the English “Mod Squad” with Joanna Lumley.
Happy Movie Clip Wednesday!
Hey 63mago. Thanks for playing. I’m up late because I screwed up my autopost. Loved the beginning of M-Squad. They music sounds so familiar and the scene with Lee Marvin looks familiar. Might be a taste of that at my place. Loved how the husband fought the bad guy and told his wife to run. Back when men were men.
Fantastic choice. I’m playing today too.
Hey Princess, want me to help you fix this roof? We’re getting buried in here.
I have difficulty following the plot to the teddy bears picnic. Is it snowing in here?
Ahh, Joanna Lumley! She’s sooo absolute fab – thank you reminding me, dear Princess! And I have to see KAZ – hey!
Milk River Madman, I’ll head over asap – and I agree, those were the days when men were men and sheep were nervous … :)
I’ll peep over asap – hey it’s just a bit of snow, nothing serious, no one gets burried in a snowdrift, nothing a little shoveling couldnt clear …
Mitzi, dearest – what teddy bears picnic do you mean? And yes, its is snowing a bit – enough to make dear Princess and Roses shiver and call for houseboys!
Maybe this picnic?
Marvellous, XL, its a delight!
Good morning Mago,
Good choices, I still listened to Dragnet on the radio. If you’re interested it can be found here: http://wamu.org/programs/bb/ it plays at 7:30 PM eastern time on Sunday’s. It’s good for a grin.
Happy clip day glad you played.
Hello Karl, nice to see you again – and thank you for the link, this web-radio thing is something I have to explore. I found a station that plays pre-WWII jazz music, some are dedicated to Blues – there’s seemingly a station for any niche …
Watched all those shows. Have to say Hill Street Blues was one of my faves.
Shovelling? I don’t think so! I’ve done enough of that already this winter!!! Throw a tarp over that roof if you have to, to stop the snow!!!
Yes, Hill Street was a very good show, Ponita. For the first time it was not all that sugar coated, the good did not always win, it had a more realistic approach. I think Joe Wambaugh played a role in creating this series, I liked to read his cop novels very much, even if they were tough shit sometimes.
And hell: These single flakes are not worth a shovel! Ta!
And then there’s Police Squad starring the late Leslie Nielsen.
Exactly, Mistress! Very good link, thank you! Milkriver Madman has put it up in b/w I think.
Of all the cop shows I like, and there have been a lot over the years, one of my faves is Hawaii 5-O!!!
“Hawai 5 O” ! How could I forget about this show? It was broadcasted in the early evening program in the regional station sometimes in the late 70s or early 80s – Thank you for the link, Eroswings!
Man, actors used to speed through their dialogue, didn’t they ?
Hello and welcome, Heff – thank you for your first comment here! TA – old school, Heff – let’s say it fast and get over with.
thank god that drug store delivery guy came by & picked that dame up. jeez, the bad guy would’ve found her and had his way with her!
the music was fabulous on these old shows.
great choice, sugar! xoxoxox
DRAGNET!!!!!!!! I can’t tell you how I loved watching these as a youth. Great pick. You also named most of my favorite cop shows growing up. Especially HILL ST. BLUES. Mr. Boxer and I still say to each other as we leave the hous each morning: “Let’s be careful out there.”
Nice picks. :-)
Yes Norma Desmond, I truely believe that the drug delivery boy is the unsung hero in the Western world. The Dragnet-theme has something beethovian in its monumental simplicity and M-Squad is simply cool jazz.
Savannah – sugar! What else can I do for you?
Ha – another happy reader: Glad that you liked it, Boxer !