Code Two (1953) User Reviews (18)

On two wheels

[TheLittleSongbird · 6/10 · 23 August 2020]

Have for a while been on a roll tracking down and watching not so well known (near-obscure in some cases) films from filmographies of actors/actresses that varied from very famous to practically forgotten today. In 'Code Two's' case Ralph Meeker and Keenan Wynn were the best-known of the cast. Also have always really liked the genre and liked the concept, so they were further reasons for wanting to see 'Code Two'. If it weren't for me seeing a few of Meeker's films recently, this film's existence would still be unknown to me.

On the whole, 'Code Two' is worth tracking down, even non-motorcycling fans should find some worth (speaking as one but appreciate them), and that it is near-forgotten today is not that deserved. It is not a great film, or an essential, and is a film of two halves in my view, one a good deal stronger than the other. There are though a lot of strong things about it and anybody that loves the genre should see it for at least completest sake.

'Code Two' isn't perfect. Some of the first half is nostalgic and amusing and the atmosphere of the academy is done accurately, but it is also rather exposition-heavy, thin on plot and takes too long to set up. The second half is certainly much better, but it did mean that it was like seeing two films in one and of two different tones, one more nostalgic and light-hearted and the other grittier and more tough.

Meeker does give a confident performance in the lead and it is the sort of role that suits him well, sadly though Chuck is agreed quite obnoxious and not easy to get behind. The very end felt on the cheesy side and jarred by the quite suspenseful build up.

However, 'Code Two' has a very effectively noir-ish look in especially the second half. The semi-docmentary look of the truly startling and quite brutal opening is also incredibly effective and hits hard. The music serves its purpose well and fits at least, not over-emphasising the mood. The direction is assured and a good mix of affectionate and unyielding on the most part, apart from some lapses in momentum in more expositionary moments. The motorcycles are very cool and will be a treat for anybody that has an interest in them.

The script has entertainment value and tautness and while the first half was for me flawed the film did start off brilliantly with an opening that as said hits hard. The second half, also as already said, is the stronger and much more consistent half. It isn't earth shattering originality wise, but more than makes up for it with its tight pace, its grim tension and its non-holding back atmosphere. Meeker, despite his character, carries the film well and is very well supported by Wynn (as a contender for the most interesting character), sympathetic Elaine Stewart and Robert Horton.

All in all, uneven but above average curiosity. 6/10

Take off those white suites! They make perfect targets!

[sol-kay · 7/10 · 25 May 2010]

(Some Spoilers) Making the grade as LAPD motorcycle policemen the "Three Musketeer" biker cops Chuck Russ & Harry, Ralph Meeker Robert Horton & Jeff Richards, where now well on their way to keep he peace on the streets and highways of L.A County.

Eariler a rivalry developed between Chuck & Harry when the third member of the trio's, Russ, pretty sister-in-law Jane Anderson, Elaine Stewart, dropped the sure of himself, with women, Chuck for the shy and meekly Harry to be her partner at the LAPD police biker graduation dance. Even though she promised, or so he thought, that she'll be Chuck's date at the dance. Whatever falling out Chuck had with the totally innocent Harry, whom Jane was using to get under Chuck's skin, soon ended with Harry losing his life when he was both knocked out and run over by a pair of cattle rustling truckers whom he stopped for running a red light in the city.

Feeling guilty and responsible for his friend's Harry's death in that it was his not Harry's call to ticket the tuckers, not knowing at the time that they were rustling cattle, Chuck took it upon himself to track them and their cattle rustling gang members down and bring them to justice. Going undercover as a renegade biker much like Marlon Brando's Johnny in the movie "The Wild One" Chuck tracks the cattle rustlers down outside L.A city limits where their in the process of slaughtering for market their ill gotten gains the stolen cattle. Trying to act cool and nonchalant when he's caught by the cattle rustling gang Chuck's cover is blown when his LAPD issued motorcycle is spotted hidden by one of the gang members!

It's then that Chuck takes matters into his own hands and ends up getting shot twice for it but in the end he puts the guy-William Campbell-who murdered his friend in a boiling pit of quicklime, with a judo flip, when he tried to do the same to him. Now fighting for his life Chuck, with two bullets drilled into him, holds off the rest of the gang until help arrives! Chuck's former LAPD drill instructor, who was one of those LAPD cops who came to his rescue, Jumbo Culdane (Keenen Wynn) who thought of him to be a wise guy who disliked taking orders soon realized that his instincts was right on about the now straight as an arrow Chuck. All he needed was to be shown the errors of his way and in him knowing them Chuck and only Chuck thus ended up correcting them.

Movie cops soon to become TV cowboys

[dinky-4 · 6/10 · 10 June 2003]

The first half of this modest 69-minute movie tells, in semi-documentary fashion, of the training of rookie cops in early 1950s Los Angeles. Needless to say, all these rookies are white males but it's the "dated" quality of the movie which lends it a curiosity value as an artifact of its time. Police buffs should enjoy looking over the equipment, the uniforms, the training techniques, the investigation methods, etc.

A let's-catch-the-cop-killers plot takes over in the second half. It's minor stuff but affords an opportunity to look over a cast soon to find greater success in TV westerns. There's Robert ("Wagon Train") Horton and Jeff ("Jefferson Drum") Richards and -- in a small part -- Chuck ("The Rifleman") Connors. Rounding out the cast of cops are Ralph Meeker and Keenan Wynn. There's a certain "fetish" appeal in seeing these men in boots and leather jackets and motorcycle pants, and Meeker, Horton, and Richards also do a "beefcake" scene by a lake where they appear in swimsuits. (Richards must have tipped the wardrobe department to give him the snuggest-fitting suit.)

A few scenes appear to be shot on actual L.A. streets but much of it is recognizable as the MGM back-lot. Somewhere, on one of those hills, Robert Horton would soon be stripped to his shorts and tortured by North Korean guards in "Prisoner of War."

Director Fred Wilcox later helmed the classic "Forbidden Planet."

Great bad guy vs. motorcycle cops! Lots of old Harley's!

[ihunt4u · 23 July 2000]

I saw this movie as a kid when i was about 13 or so. I remeber this as one of the coolest movies I have ever seen. I am sure, now it would seem a little less dramatic, but it has stayed with me all these years. There is one scene where the truck hijackers are stopped by a cycle cop and when they get the chance to knock him out they do. They then take him and put him under the tires of the big rig and {pretty violent for back then} back up over him. A young chuck Conners, Ralph Meeker and Keenan Wynn make this a must see for biker, crime and film noir fans. I believe Ted Turner owns this movie and I wish he would release it on video. Enjoy the film if you can ever see it.

I like this movie for the vintage motorcycles

[dataresources · 6/10 · 16 December 2008]

This is a decent old movie with several future TV stars. It even has an almost unrecognizable Chuck Connors who looks like a teenager. It depicts the training that the motorcycle officer take. The actual plot is pretty weak but that's OK. I have a pretty good copy of it from TCM.

I am trying to remember the name of a similar 50s B&W movie about LAPD recruits who end up on motorcycles. In an early scene, one of the soon to be cops is a swimming pool cleaner and flirts with a babe in a swimsuit. This is about all I can vaguely remember except that there were some decent motorcycle scenes.

Anybody have a clue on the title or any of the actors?

Second Half Is Worth The Wait

[LeonLouisRicci · 7/10 · 22 November 2013]

Motorcycle Cops and Motorcycles are the Main Thing in this Mainstream Movie of the Docu-Types that were Prolific in the Early Fifties. This one has the Whole First Half Devoted to a Behind the Scenes Look at the Police Academy Training. Intriguing to Some it is quite a Boring Affair unless Ogling the Vintage Bikes is Your Thing.

It Zeroes in on Three Recruits and Their Initiation with some Youthful Playfulness and getting the Babes is Forefront. In the Second Half it is a much Better Movie as these Rookies are Thrust into a Crime Investigation and in the Third Act it Becomes a real Barn Burner with some Hard-Edged Violence and Believable Danger.

Ralph Meeker Melts the Screen with His Macho Egomania and Foolish Behavior but in the Space of the Film's Short Running Time Matures into a Full Blown Police Officer, however never Losing Sight of the Ladies.

Kind of a 1950s version of CHiPs

[a_chinn · 6/10 · 22 October 2017]

Corny but enjoyable crime story about rookie LA motorcycle cops, Ralph Meeker and Jeff Richards. It's kind of a 1950s version of "CHiPs." Meeker and Richards face typical street cop challenges, but the film turns a bit serious when Richards is killed and Meeker goes after those responsible. I enjoyed the use of real-life locations and I always enjoy Meeker, so that was enough to elevate the cornball script.

A B-movie from MGM....and an enjoyable one at that.

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 27 November 2017]

"Code Two" is a film that lost money at the box office. Despite that as well as a few clichés in the story, it's a dandy film and worth your time.

The movie follows a trio of men, particularly Chuck O'Flair (Ralph Meeker), from the police academy to their first assignment in Los Angeles. Chuck is a very stereotypical guy--much like the sorts of guys William Haines played in the 1920s and 30s. In other words, he is very skilled but even more full of himself! And, when it comes to women, he thinks they'll all swoon at his boorish ways. However, his obnoxious veneer is challenged when his partner is murdered on the job...and Chuck not only blames himself but insists on tracking down the killers.

This film runs at under 70 minutes and its stars are Meeker and Keenan Wynn...minor stars but typical of the sorts of assignments they'd get from the studio. Look past how obnoxious the writer made Chuck (that is a major problem in the film) and you'll be able to enjoy a decent cop film.

Lovable lout gets serious

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 21 November 2017]

Code Two from MGM's B picture unit is the story of three rookie cops at the Police Academy and then their first assignments on motor patrol with the LAPD. This is not a Police Academy film by any means, it could have been done by Jack Webb. At Warner Brothers in the Thirties the rookie with the big mouth and attitude would have been played by Jimmy Cagney.

And the training officer would have been played by Pat O'Brien. Here at MGM in the Fifties the parts are played by Ralph Meeker and Keenan Wynn respectively. The other two rookies are Jeff Richards and Robert Horton.

All three opt for motorcycle patrol and within days of being assigned Richards is killed when he stops a truck doing a little smuggling. After that Meeker loses the attitude and he and Horton take leave just to find Jeff Richards' killers.

Code Two is a combination of a long Dragnet episode and one of those basic training military films. Meeker is kind of a lovable lout who gets real serious as the occasion calls.

There's some good Los Angeles location photography and nicely staged action sequences. All in all an acceptable B programmer.

A motorcycle officer does more than just hand out tickets....

[mark.waltz · 5/10 · 30 November 2013]

This crime drama with smidgens of elements of film noir in it starts off as a view of the training that motorcycle policemen go through before being sent out onto the road. That takes up almost half of the film's very short running time, and by the time the rookie (Ralph Meeker) is on the road, he's only got one crime here to deal with, that of the capture of a gang of smugglers who killed another rookie and left him dead in the middle of the highway.

For the first half, exposition is the theme, and you get lots of training footage and arguments between Meeker and one of his trainers (Keenan Wynn, who also narrates). Once the plot thickens, then the action really occurs, the murder of the cop actually pretty brutal and the discovery of who is behind it very clever. The conclusion is also very graphic, involving a tub of lye that threatens to instantly dissolve whatever lands in it. For that, the film is worth putting up with the slow first half, which makes it seem as if this was intended as the start of a "B" series which never took off.

Just like being back at the Academy!

[swojtak · 9/10 · 13 July 2014]

I was an LAPD Explorer in the late 1960"s and had shot on the Academy pistol range. The movie showed the Los Angeles Police Department Headquarters (outside) before Parker Center was built. It also showed the real Academy with the pool, parade ground, a fenced area, indoor training area, dispatch, and pistol range. The part that was not real was the dining room. The dining room looked like a movie set. Some of the the motorcycle training looked real too like laying down the bike and driving through the cones. Like I learned during my motorcycle training course (civilian), it does not take much of a rider to go fast. The trick is how slow can you go!. It was also interesting how the movie gave a plug for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The movie had everything I like bikes, guns, and cops. What else is there.

Quite Dated but Okay Overall

[Uriah43 · 5/10 · 21 January 2022]

This relatively short film (approximately 69 minutes) begins in a documentary fashion with the narrator showcasing traffic accidents in the Los Angeles area to highlight the need for motorcycle traffic cops. From that point, the film focuses on three young men by the names of "Chuck O'Flair" (Ralph Meeker), "Harry Whenlon" (Jeff Richards) and "Russ Hartley" (Robert Horton) who have just joined the Los Angeles Police Academy. Although they have never met before now and the each have much different personalities, they quickly become fast friends. So much so, that not long after graduating they all apply for duty with the motorcycle division. And it's during this time that they are tested like they have never been before. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that that was a low-budget, grade-B movie which is quite dated and suffers from some rather bad dialogue-in particular as it relates to Chuck O'Flair. Fortunately, the acting is solid and the plot picks up after the first 30 minutes so that everything manages to come together quite well by the end. That being said, while certainly not a blockbuster by any means, this turned out to be an okay film and I have rated it accordingly. Average.

Tribute to the Cop on the Cycle

[kidboots · 8/10 · 14 February 2013]

By 1953 Hollywood's biggest threat was television, much like radio had been in the twenties. Films were coming up with different gimmicks, like 3D and widescreen ie Vista Vision etc but television came up with some interesting ideas as well, like the proliferation of realistic police shows such as "Dragnet" (which actually was developed from the noir movie "He Walked By Night"). It seemed that every crime division had a series - "Racket Squad", "Federal Men", "Decoy" had Beverly Garland as an undercover cop and there was even a "Code 3" series which was a nitty gritty show on police procedure that producers hoped would compete with "Dragnet" - but it didn't.

This movie starts with some graphic scenes of the aftermath of crashes, some statistics and some grim commentary - "this woman was on her way to the beauty parlour - she won't be so beautiful now", then the titles come up, trying to fool the cinema audience into thinking that they were watching a movie length "Dragnet" - but they were not fooled for long. This film was a tribute to the motorcycle cop and after 20 minutes showing the basic training of the rookie cop, it soon got bogged down in their personal lives - until the last 20 minutes. There are three buddies, Russ Hartley (Robert Horton), happily married but who can't bring himself to tell his wife he has applied for motor cycle duty, Harry Whenlon (Jeff Richards) whose father was killed in the line of duty and O'Flair (Ralph Meeker) a wise guy and skirt chaser. Keenan Wynn plays tough but fair Jumbo Culdane who can see O'Flair has the makings of a good cop.

It takes the death of Whenlon for O'Flair to come to his senses and the last part of the film has all the action as he tracks down and follows the cattle truck to it's destination. There are a couple of realistic fights and a shoot out all played out around a vat of quick lime. William Campbell, billed as "the killer" is not so lucky - he is one of the first to go. There is a pretty cheesy ending as luscious Elaine Stewart, whose performance in the film should have been a kick start to better things, promises to visit O'Flair in hospital again, but two seconds later he proves he has not lost his sleazy ways as he quickly chats up a nurse.

Sally Forrest, who had the very thankless role of Mary, Hartley's wife, was a discovery of Ida Lupino's and proved she was up to the high dramatic performances in some of Ida's ground breaking films. However when Ida stopped directing, Sally became just another pretty leading lady and "Code Two" was the beginning of the end. The rest of the cast was made up of actors who would make their own name in TV (Robert Horton, Chuck Connors in a bit part) and James Craig, probably hoping this would lead to a comeback.

With his easy going style (usually hiding psychotic tendencies) and his natural acting, it was hard to believe Ralph Meeker was not a film veteran when he made this. He was a stage veteran though and went on to star in the Broadway production of "Picnic". I always thought he was the perfect "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" leading man, starring in the very first episode "Revenge".

Better than you would Think

[gordonl56 · 8/10 · 24 November 2013]

CODE TWO – 1953

A somewhat bottom end, for MGM Studios, that is, tale of three rookie cops who join, The Los Angeles Police Department. The three, Ralph Meeker, Robert Horton and Jeff Richards become friends as they work their way through the training.

Meeker is the cocky one who can't wait to see some action. Horton is married with a young son. Richards joined because his father had been killed in the line of duty on the force.

In charge of rookie training is, Lt. James Craig and Sgt Keenan Wynn. The smart arse, Meeker is nearly washed out the first week for not being a "team player". Wynn however sees something under all the bravado and gives him a second chance. The three make it through basic and are sworn in as L.A. Police Officers.

They are all assigned to various mundane tasks such as stock taking, school crossing guard etc. This is rather boring and they really what to get to the rough and ready action. All three volunteer for the motorcycle unit. This means more cash, a fancy uniform and out of the office time. That is after several more weeks of training.

Meeker and Richards both take a shine to Horton's sister in-law, Elaine Stewart. Meeker hound dogs her while Richards is more laid back. Stewart eventually picks Richards and they become an item.

The trio of rookies all pass the course and get assigned to traffic duty. Traffic stops and accident calls fill their day. Meeker fills his date book with numbers from the tickets he hands out to pretty girls. This happy life ends when Richards pulls over a truck one night for running a stop sign. The driver, Jonathan Cott and his passenger, William Campbell have a truckload of hot cattle. They truck cattle stolen from small ranches etc to an out of town slaughterhouse. The cattle are good for $275 a head. Campbell belts Richards across the back of the head with a monkey wrench. He then backs the truck up over Richards a few times. Then they drive off into the night.

Meeker and Horton take the murder of their friend hard and ask for special duty in the hunt for the killers. They cruise throughout L.A. looking for the truck a witness saw.

The pair of officers pull over every truck that even remotely looks like the suspect vehicle. No joy there, so they go plainclothes on disguised motorcycles. One evening, Meeker lucks onto the right truck and trails it. The two in the truck cab, driver Cott and his buddy, Campbell, manage to shake Meeker off their tail.

Meeker quickly realizes he has lost the truck and backtracks. He follows a small dirt rode off the highway and spots the truck. It is offloading some cattle at a small slaughterhouse. Meeker hides his bike in the brush and heads in for a closer look see.

He sees all he needs to and is about to head back to his bike to radio for backup, when he is discovered by Campbell and company. Meeker manages to get in a couple of punches and then draw his revolver. Shots are exchanged with Campbell getting blown down for a ten count. A full-fledged, drag out fistfight between Cott and Meeker is needed before Meeker can get away.

Meeker hotfoots it to his bike and calls for some pronto type help. Horton, Keenan Wynn and several carloads of LA's finest, arrive in the best tradition of the cavalry to save the day.

All the bad guys are rounded up and their operation closed down.

This one starts out like a recruitment film for the L.A. Police Department. It does change pace at about the 35 minute mark and goes quickly from first, to fourth gear. It then plays out for the next 35 like a fast paced cops and robbers film of the 40's.

I must admit I was not expecting much from the film but was pleased with the bang-up ending. The shootout and fight in the darkened slaughterhouse is handled very well. It was interesting to see an unbilled Chuck Connors (RIFLEMAN) with a small bit as a LA cop. Running for only 69 minutes, it does not overstay its welcome.

The director of this quickie was Fred M Wilcox. Wilcox only made 10 films of which LASSIE COME HOME and FORBIDDEN PLANET would be the best known. The d of p was Ray June. June, a long time MGM hand, worked mainly on comedy features. Some of these include, I DOOD IT, A SOUTHERN YANKEE, CALLOWAY WENT THAT AWAY, HOUSEBOAT and THE COURT JESTER. He did touch on film noir with SHADOW ON THE WALL.

AN OLD FRIEND FROM LONG AGO

[tcchelsey · 10/10 · 2 December 2021]

CODE TWO has been around forever, and rightly so. This was a great movie to watch during the long summer or late night, and with a dynamic cast. It has aged a bit, but the story remains fresh, all about rookie cops, going through the police academy, then their real deal life and death tests. Old pro Keenan Wynn shines as the tough as nails veteran cop/ slash recruit trainer up against smart ass newcomer Ralph Meeker. What a team they make! The ending, and best not gone into, is worth the wait. BUT beware of the thug with the butcher knife! Enough said!! Reportedly based on a true story, with shades of DRAGNET and just plain ole fun to watch over and over again. Also a terrific, albeit vintage warning about speeding and reckless driving! Look fast for Chuck Connors in an early role as a desk sergeant. Shot on location at the then remote LA Police Training Academy (watch Wynn and his crew jog along the old roads) which in a few years would be a neighbor to Dodger Stadium! Finally on dvd and turning up a lot on tv once again. Hooray!

Motor-Cross Meets Dragnet

[dougdoepke · 27 November 2013]

Solid little programmer from MGM's B period. The documentary influence of TV's Dragnet (1951-1959) is apparent in the early police training segment that looks like it was done at the actual Academy. Three trainees buddy-up there, but later switch to the better-paying motorcycle division. There they get involved with black market beef haulers and excitement ensues. Director Wilcox keeps things moving smoothly, while the filming in and around LA lends a realistic feel. Then too, Wynn gets to practice his tart brand of sarcasm as a tough but fair training officer, lending helpful color. As could be expected, the girls (Forrest and Stewart) are strictly secondary, as wife and girlfriend, respectively.

Meeker gets to play a cocky trainee in what could have been a warm-up for his classic Mike Hammer in Kiss Me Deadly (1955). I hope they paid him double for all his stunt work at the end. He earns it. For fans of two-wheelers, there's a lot of motorcycle cross-country action that shows off their rugged versatility. And what a coincidence, as another reviewer points out, that so many of the male cast went on to cowboy starring roles on TV—look for Chuck Connors as a deputy sheriff in an office scene about 2/3 of the way through. All in all, it's a solid programmer of the sort soon to migrate to TV, but holds interest, nevertheless.

The Precurser to "Highway Patrol" and "Chips"

[jawlaw · 8/10 · 13 September 2017]

I watched this old film on Turner Classic Movies recently. I had no intention of watching it, but after a few minutes it drew me in. A very young Ralph Meeker, Keenan Wynn, and Robert Horton were in it before they each hit their stride as film and TV stars. It is a surprisingly good low budget 'film noir" piece. Although it is predictable, and formulaic, it still has appeal. It was sort of like the rough draft for the show "Highway Patrol" and "Chips."

Urgent situation proceed immediately

[jarrodmcdonald-1 · 20 May 2022]

This MGM crime flick unfolds in three parts. The first part concerns itself with a bunch of recruits at the Los Angeles Police Academy. Primarily, the action focuses on a trio played by Ralph Meeker, Robert Horton and Jeff Richards. Meeker is a brash upstart who can't seem to follow orders or hold on to a woman; Horton is a stable family man with a worried wife and young son; and Richards is the sensitive type who gets in over his head. These are different men, but they bond.

Away from training they socialize at Horton's home or spend lazy weekends at a city park. After their training concludes, they are all assigned to menial jobs they detest. Longing for action, they sign up for a course that will turn them into traffic enforcers, basically motorcycle cops. There are sequences that depict them learning to operate motorbikes efficiently.

The instructors are played by MGM stalwarts James Craig and Keenan Wynn. While Mr. Craig's role is merely an extended cameo, Mr. Wynn has considerably more to do. This is because he decides to take Meeker under his wing, seeing the same rough edges in him that he had when started on the force in the late 1930s. Wynn is very good in this film, providing one-liners and paternal wisdom.

The second part of the film sees the young men now full-fledged motorcycle cops. There are bits with them on their bikes, pulling people over for speeding, etc. At the end of a shift one fateful day, Richards and Meeker are riding together when a suspicious truck is seen speeding. Meeker's bike stalls, so Richards goes after the truck alone. In a shocking scene he is murdered by the truckers after pulling them over to investigate what's in the back of their rig.

Of course Meeker feels guilty about what happened, since he was not with his buddy at the time of the murder. Richards has left a few clues behind. Meeker and Horton ask to be put undercover to bring the culprits to justice. At the same time, Horton's wife (Sally Forrest) is still getting used to her husband's dangerous career.

The third part of the film involves a climactic sequence where Meeker has caught up to the truckers and followed them to a hideout. It is revealed the truckers are mixed up in a cattle rustling scheme. At the hideout, Meeker calls for backup and the operator issues a Code Two, which alerts Horton and other officers that this is an urgent situation and to proceed immediately.

Before Horton and additional backup arrive, Meeker and the killers engage in a huge brawl inside a warehouse. One of the killers falls into a vat full of quicklime and dies a most gruesome death.

In some ways this procedural police film seems inspired by Jack Webb's "Dragnet" which had already been a hit on radio and early television. It has elements of noir and melodrama. Incidentally, the police codes used by law enforcement were initially developed in the 1930s, then were significantly revised in the 1970s. If you are listening to police radio, you may hear a Code Two being issued.