Happy Broderick Crawford Day -- And {ETA} -- National CB Radio Day, Thanks to Jimmy Carter

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Last edited Thu Oct 4, 2018, 09:43 AM - Edit history (4)

10-4.

[Polly Hennessey]

1. Happy birthday, Brod.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. It's not his birthday; it's Broderick Crawford Day, October 4 -- 10-4.

Broderick Crawford



Crawford in The Interns (1971)

Born William Broderick Crawford, 9 December 1911, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died 26 April 1986 (aged 74), Rancho Mirage, California, U.S.
Resting place Ferndale Cemetery, Johnstown, New York

William Broderick Crawford (December 9, 1911 – April 26, 1986) was an American stage, film, radio, and TV actor, often cast in tough-guy roles and best known for his portrayal of Willie Stark in All the King's Men and for his starring role as Chief Dan Mathews in the television series Highway Patrol (1955–1959).

Until filming All the King's Men, Crawford's career had been largely limited to "B films" in supporting or character roles. He realized he did not fit the role of a handsome leading man, once describing himself as looking like a "retired pugilist". Nevertheless, he excelled in roles playing villains.
....

Highway Patrol

In 1955, television producer Frederick Ziv of ZIV Television Productions offered Crawford the lead role as "Dan Mathews" in the police drama Highway Patrol, which dramatized law enforcement activities of the California Highway Patrol (CHP). ZIV Television Productions operated on an extremely low budget of $25,000 per episode of Highway Patrol with ten percent of gross receipts going to Crawford as per his contract. While the show's scripts were largely fictional, the use of realistic dialogue and Crawford's convincing portrayal of a hard-as-nails police official helped make the show an instant success. Highway Patrol remained popular during its four years (1955–1959) of first-run syndication, and would continue in repeat syndication on local stations across the United States for many years after. For much of the period from 1955 until 1965 most of Crawford's television roles involved ZIV Television, which was among the relative handful of producers willing to accept the occasional challenges inherent with working with the hard-living and hard-drinking Crawford. Years later, Frederick Ziv admitted in an interview, "To be honest, Broderick could be a handful!"
....

Fed up with the show's hectic shooting schedule, Crawford quit Highway Patrol at the end of 1959 in order to make a film in Spain, and try to get his drinking under control.
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Personal life

Throughout his adult life, Crawford was prone to bouts of heavy alcohol consumption, and was known for eating large meals. These habits contributed to a serious weight gain for Crawford during the 1950s. His weight and penchant for heavy drinking contributed to several injuries suffered on the set of Highway Patrol. It became particularly difficult for Crawford to perform certain scenes, such as when he had to enter and exit a police helicopter. In 1958, Crawford broke his ankle while exiting the helicopter and was forced to wear an ankle cast, which may be seen in some episodes.

Crawford's heavy drinking increased during the filming of Highway Patrol, eventually resulting in several arrests and stops for driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI), which eventually gained him a suspended driving license. While representing the California Highway Patrol as "Chief Mathews", Crawford was known with considerable embarrassment by the CHP as "Old 502" due to his habit of driving under the influence of alcohol ("Code 502" was the CHP police radio code for drunken driving). According to the show's creator, Guy Daniels, "We got all the dialogue in by noon, or else we wouldn't get it done at all. He [Crawford] would bribe people to bring him booze on the set." The show used their CHP technical advisor, Officer Frank Runyon, to keep the actor sober: "I was told to keep that son of a bitch away from a bottle. I think his license was suspended. Some scenes had to be shot on private roads so that Brod could drive." Eventually the drinking strained the show's relationship with the CHP as well as Crawford's relationship with ZIV.

How he ended up in Johnstown, I do not know.

[MaryMagdaline]

3. All My Sons, All the King's Men

Great character actor

[mahatmakanejeeves]

4. Not only that, but: 10/4 Is National CB Radio Day, Over

Last edited Thu Oct 4, 2018, 10:31 AM - Edit history (3)

10/4 Is National CB Radio Day, Over

It's the perfect time to brush up on your APCO 10 codes.

This story was originally published 10/4/2014, but we're republishing it because, well, it's National CB Radio Day. -Ed.

BY ZACH BOWMAN
OCT 4, 2018

If it was good enough for the Duke boys, it's good enough for us.

Regardless of your feelings toward Jimmy Carter, I think we can all agree that his finest act as president was the creation of National CB Radio day. Carter designated October 4, 10/4, as a day to honor the citizens band, and to celebrate, we're giving you a chance to brush up on your APCO 10 codes.

Some of them may surprise you. Everyone knows what "10-4" means ... but "10-40" could mean "run silent," "dead animal," or even "mental patient." The possibilities are fascinating. Here are 10 to get you started.

{snip}

How could I not link to this?

Convoy (1978 film)

Convoy is a 1978 action film directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring Kris Kristofferson, Ali MacGraw, Ernest Borgnine, Franklyn Ajaye and Burt Young. The movie is based on the 1975 country and western novelty song "Convoy" by C. W. McCall and Chip Davis. The film was made when the CB radio/trucking craze was at its peak in the United States, and followed the similarly themed films White Line Fever (1975) and Smokey and the Bandit (1977), and the television series Movin' On (1974).
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Production

Convoy was filmed almost entirely in the state of New Mexico. Production began in 1977 when the CB radio/trucking craze was at its peak, made during the same period as such films as Smokey and the Bandit (1977), Handle with Care (1977), Breaker! Breaker! (1977) and High-Ballin' (1978), as well as the television series Movin' On (1974–1976) and B. J. and the Bear (1979–1981).
....

Sam Peckinpah? I hadn't known that.

[A HERETIC I AM]

5. The movie "Convoy" was singularly responsible for doing away with the expression "Good Buddy"...

in common use and instead turning it into a pejorative for a homosexual.

Convoy is in fact, one of the stupidest movies ever made! Let me explain;

Regular, hard working trucker just doing his job is pulled over by dirty cop with a hatred for the regular hard working trucker. A little while later, said trucker is in a diner and said cop comes in with a few other dirty cops. The truckers beat up the cops and run off, thus starting a multi-state, cross country "convoy" of outlaw truckers who at the end of the day, don't accomplish anything except pissing off a shitload of cops.

The end.

Convoy made truck drivers look like violent idiots with no regard for public safety and made many Highway Patrol cops appear as lawless assholes out to make life difficult for truckers.

Both of which are possibly true to a degree, but Convoy made it look as if that's just how it is.

So...if you are ever on a CB, do not EVER say "Ten Four, Good Buddy". You'll sound just like the rube you don't want to be.