HIGHWAY PATROL THE T.V. SHOW

Highway patrol was a syndicated action crime drama on television. The show originally aired from 1955 to 1959. During those years 156 episodes were made. It was one of the most popular syndicated series in television history.

A syndicated T.V. series is a program that is developed by an independent production company. The program is than sold to multiple television stations everywhere. It is not tied to a specific network or a time it will be shown.

Highway Patrol starred Broderick Crawford as Dan Matthews head of the Highway Patrol in a western state. Their job was to fight crime on the highways and in the small towns in their territory.

Crawford had been an actor on Broadway and was also in the movies. In 1949 he won the Oscar for best actor. The movie was called All the king's men.

As Dan Matthews he played a gruff fast-talking chief. He always wore a suit, tie and hat. He worked very hard seemed to have no personal life and probably worked seven days a week. Most of the crimes were robberies of small banks, gas stations, grocery stores and jewelry stores along with a fair number of stolen cars. Dan Matthews and his men would race up and down the highways and back roads pursuing the bad guys. They would talk back and forth to each other on two-way radios in the highway patrol cars. Dan would bark orders and would always end his calls by shouting 10-4. The numbers 10-4 were a code which meant did you get my orders? Do you understand? They must have always understood because they always responded 10-4.

In the 1950's it became kind of a joke to answer a question or request from someone by saying 10-4. Dan always kept a small gun in his suit pocket. I don't know if that is where detectives kept guns in those days or the producers did not want to spend money on a holster. When he did shoot a bad guy no one said anything about an investigation or writing up a report. They just arrested people and put them in the back seat and drove off. Dan and his men had solved another case. By the way I don't know what the name of the song was, but the show had a very good theme song.

Watching Highway Patrol I think is actually relaxing, entertaining even a little funny when you compare it to the dramatic and violent program's we see on television today. It almost seems like you are watching people on another planet.

Try to watch some episodes of Highway Patrol. I think most people will enjoy the show.

Don't forget 10-4

WRITTEN BY

RON TURETT

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