Code Two | |
---|---|
Directed by | Fred M. Wilcox |
Produced by | William Grady Jr. |
Starring | Ralph Meeker |
Cinematography | Ray June |
Edited by | Fredrick Y. Smith |
Color process | Black and white |
Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date |
|
Running time | 69 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $472,000 [1] |
Box office | $711,000 [1] |
Code Two is a 1953 American film noir crime film about men training to be motorcycle cops. It stars Ralph Meeker, Sally Forrest, Elaine Stewart, Robert Horton, and Keenan Wynn, and was directed by Fred M. Wilcox.
Classmates at the Los Angeles police academy, Chuck O'Fair, Russ Hartley and Harry Whenlon bond as friends. When they socialize at one's house, Russ and his wife, Mary, observe as the extroverted Chuck expresses an interest in Mary's sister, Jane, who seems to prefer the shy Harry instead.
The three rookie cops become bored on the job. Seeking more action and excitement, they perk up after hearing from Sgt. Jumbo Culdane about the police department's motorcycle squad. Mary is skeptical, fearing for Russ's safety, but all three take the necessary training and are assigned to the motorcycle highway patrol.
While chasing a truck together, Chuck's cycle stalls so Harry proceeds by himself. He is knocked cold by one of the men in the truck, which then backs over him. Chuck is devastated by Harry's death and persuades his superiors to let him work undercover to find the culprits.
Discovering that the men he's looking for are modern cattle rustlers, Chuck confronts them and kills one before he is wounded. The other is taken into custody, and Chuck and Russ soon go back to work.
According to MGM records the movie earned $365,000 in the US and Canada and $346,000 elsewhere, making a loss to the studio of $37,000. [1] Often referenced as the first modern motorcycle stunt film, released 8 months before The Wild One. [2]
Francis Xavier Aloysius James Jeremiah Keenan Wynn was an American character actor. His expressive face was his stock-in-trade; and though he rarely carried the lead role, he had prominent billing in most of his film and television roles.
The Rookies is an American police procedural series created by Rita Lakin that originally aired on ABC from September 11, 1972 to March 30, 1976. It follows the exploits of three rookie police officers working in an unidentified city for the fictitious Southern California Police Department (SCPD).
The Absent-Minded Professor is a 1961 American science fiction comedy film directed by Robert Stevenson and produced by Walt Disney Productions. It is based on the 1943 short story "A Situation of Gravity" by Samuel W. Taylor. The title character was based in part on Hubert Alyea, a professor emeritus of chemistry at Princeton University, who was known as "Dr. Boom" for his explosive demonstrations. The film stars Fred MacMurray as Professor Ned Brainard, alongside Nancy Olson, Keenan Wynn, Tommy Kirk, Leon Ames, Elliott Reid, and Edward Andrews. The plot follows Brainard as he invents a substance that defies gravity, which he later exploits through various means.
William Carey Loftin was an American professional stuntman, stunt coordinator and actor in the U.S. film industry. He is considered to be one of the film industry's most accomplished stunt drivers. In a lengthy career spanning 61 years, his body of work included classic films such as Thunder Road, Bullitt, Vanishing Point, Duel, and The French Connection. He was posthumously inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2001.
Maniac Cop is a 1988 American slasher film directed by William Lustig, written by Larry Cohen, and starring Tom Atkins, Bruce Campbell, Laurene Landon, Richard Roundtree, William Smith, Robert Z'Dar, and Sheree North. Z'Dar plays the title character, a murderous ex-police officer returned from the dead, and seeks revenge on the people who wronged him. It is the first installment in the Maniac Cop film series. Maniac Cop was released on May 13, 1988 and grossed $671,382 worldwide on a budget of $1.1 million. The film was followed by two sequels, Maniac Cop 2 (1990) and Maniac Cop III: Badge of Silence (1993).
Ralph Meeker was an American film, stage, and television actor. He first rose to prominence for his roles in the Broadway productions of Mister Roberts (1948–1951) and Picnic (1953), the former of which earned him a Theatre World Award for his performance. In film, Meeker is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Mike Hammer in Robert Aldrich's 1955 Kiss Me Deadly.
Reefer Madness is a musical satire of the 1936 propaganda film and cult classic Reefer Madness that opened in Los Angeles in 1998. The book and lyrics were written by Kevin Murphy and the book and music by Dan Studney.
Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical, also known as Reefer Madness, is a 2005 American made-for-television musical comedy film directed by Andy Fickman, written by Kevin Murphy and Dan Studney, and produced by the three. It is a film adaptation of the trio's 1998 musical of the same name, itself based on the 1936 exploitation film also of the same title. It premiered on Showtime on April 16, 2005. The film also received a limited theatrical release overseas, and grossed $8,972 in its short run.
The Golden Boot Awards were an American acknowledgement of achievement honoring actors, actresses, and crew members who made significant contributions to the genre of Westerns in television and film. The award was sponsored and presented by the Motion Picture & Television Fund. Money raised at the award banquet was used to help finance various services offered by the Fund to those in the entertainment industry.
The Fuzzy Pink Nightgown is a 1957 American romantic comedy film made by Russ-Field Productions and released by United Artists. It was directed by Norman Taurog from a screenplay by Richard Alan Simmons, based on a novel of the same name by Sylvia Tate and the jazzy music was composed and conducted by Billy May.
Take the High Ground! is a 1953 American war film directed by Richard Brooks and starring Richard Widmark and Karl Malden as drill sergeants who must transform a batch of everyday civilians into soldiers during the Korean War.
Satan's Sadists is a 1969 American outlaw biker film directed by Al Adamson and starring Russ Tamblyn.
Men of the Fighting Lady is a 1954 American war drama film directed by Andrew Marton and starring Van Johnson, Walter Pidgeon, Louis Calhern and Keenan Wynn. The screenplay was written by U.S. Navy Commander Harry A. Burns, who had written a Saturday Evening Post article, "The Case of the Blinded Pilot", an account of a U.S. Navy pilot in the Korean War, who saves a blinded Navy pilot by talking him down to a successful landing. Men of the Fighting Lady was also inspired by another Saturday Evening Post article, "The Forgotten Heroes of Korea" by James A. Michener. The original music score was composed by Miklós Rózsa. It is also known as Panther Squadron. It is not to be confused with the 1944 documentary The Fighting Lady, which was mainly filmed aboard the USS Yorktown (CV-10).
Arson, Inc. is a 1949 American film noir directed by William Berke. It is also known as Firebug Squad and Three Alarm Fire.
Hijack! is a 1973 American made-for-television action drama thriller film directed by Leonard Horn and starring David Janssen, Keenan Wynn and Lee Purcell.
Desperate Search is a 1952 American adventure film directed by Joseph H. Lewis from a novel by Arthur Mayse. It stars Howard Keel, Jane Greer, Patricia Medina and Keenan Wynn in a drama revolving around two lost children in the Canadian north.
The Man Is Armed is a 1956 American film noir crime film directed by Franklin Adreon starring Dane Clark, William Talman, May Wynn and Robert Horton. It was produced and distributed by Republic Pictures.
Birds of Prey is a 1973 television film directed by William A. Graham and starring David Janssen, Ralph Meeker, and Elayne Heilveil. The screenplay was written by Robert Boris from a story by Boris and Rupert Hitzig. It is a crime action film depicting a radio station helicopter traffic reporter who, witnessing an armored car robbery, engages in a chase when the suspects flee in a vehicle and then switch to their own get-away helicopter.
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman is an American television film based on the novel of the same name by Ernest J. Gaines starring Cicely Tyson as the titular heroine. The film was broadcast on CBS on Thursday, January 31, 1974.