User reviews

... and in fact I've been doing just that with the new DVD releases of the show! Each episode was built for a half-hour TV slot in the 1950's, so in fact they run about 25 minutes apiece. I think they kept things quite inventive with all kinds of different crimes, with the chief of Highway Patrol, Dan Matthews, played by Broderick Crawford, heading the investigation in each case. You've got truck hijackers stopping their prey by faking accidents, a couple of brothers robbing stores and restaurants that cash payroll checks and using a hot-rod to outrun the police, and even a typhoid carrier. You can start watching in any episode since there is really no story continuity to trip you up. Dan Matthews is a very impersonal presence as he outsmarts the crooks, questions witnesses that are often overly chatty about things that have nothing to do with the crime, and sets up road blocks that often catch the criminal. Ironically, most of the "backstory" in each episode usually involves the criminals, often one of which is rather a reluctant accomplice and wants to give himself/herself up.

The atmosphere is great with all of those shots of the open road and those late 50's cars, any one of which makes today's cars look like dixie cups on wheels. Then there are all of those independent motels, cafés, and gas stations, just a brief time before they all became just a series of plain vanilla homogenized chains. Although it is never clearly stated that this is the California Highway Patrol, it is implied by the geography and some of the cities mentioned. Check it out if you are a fan of 50's TV.

Although I often watch this show because I remember watching it as a little girl and still enjoy the plots and acting, my husband watches because he enjoys seeing all of the 1950's cars. He drools over them because they are in pristine condition, a condition that is impossible to find even at car shows. He especially likes the the late 50's Chrysler Corporation cars. He also enjoys seeing the Los Angeles area locations, especially Griffith Park where so many of the chases take place. He also enjoys all of the train stations. Many of them are no longer there, and the ones that remain aren't in the beautiful condition they are in this show. Surprisingly quite a few shows have people getting on and off passenger trains. I would recommend this show if you enjoy police procedural and 1950's ambiance.

Nearly everyone who grew up watching Highway Patrol remembers its opening stentorian narration, "Whenever the laws of any state are broken a duly authorized law enforcement agency swings into action...". Fifty years ago this show was everywhere on the small screen, and it remained a favorite in syndication for many years to come.

It's easy to see why. Academy Award winner Broderick Crawford brings his charisma along as chief Dan Mathews, and he appears in every episode. However the semi-doc style of the series emphasizes the story, not the star, thus the focus is seldom on Crawford himself. As Crawford was overweight, drinking heavily at the time, and, to the perceptive viewer, an east coast big city fish out of water in the then still heavily rural California of the 1950s, this is just as well. On the plus side, Crawford was, for reasons I still can't fathom, a riveting performer even when he was doing very little. With a lesser player, this still would have been an excellent show, but it's Crawford's brusque, ineffable authority that puts it over.

The episodes themselves are, from what I've seen of them lately, uniformly good, and some are better than that. Wisely, the producers chose to shake things up a good deal, thus some shows focus on cold-blooded criminals, others on lost children, some deal with cops in trouble, and there are those that feature amateur or accidental criminals, decent people who have, for various reasons, got in over their heads. Producer Fred Ziv filmed this one on the cheap, as was his custom, and he made a fortune from it. The series channels the style of the semi-documentary films Louis de Rochemont made in the late 40s,--House On 92nd Street, Boomerang!, Street With No Name--while the late Art Gilmore's opening and closing narration at times gives the show the feel of old-time radio. Crawford's closing remarks, as himself, not Dan Mathews, are priceless, the most famous one being "leave your blood at the Red Cross, not on the highway".

I remember watching this series with great fascination as a youngster in Montevideo, Uruguay in 1962. We didn't have a TV set yet, but we looked at shop windows displaying TV sets. In Spanish it was called "Patrulla de Caminos". Although I can't give a current evaluation of its quality, I do remember liking this show much more than others. It's a great shame that America, who gave us so much quality TV doesn't appreciate it enough to show it to new generations. How else can vintage TV and films be "preserved" except by showing the stuff? There's too much fascination with new, with color and high resolution than with QUALITY. But even regardless of quality, exposure to "old stuff" has its own charm. Show the darned show, will you! And show "Mama" and "The Goldbergs" and "Our Miss Brooks" and all the golden oldies that I missed. I started watching TV on a regular basis at age 23!!! I need to catch up with the old shows I missed, and which are so much better than the recent ones.

"Highway Patrol" episodes are especially compelling because they are almost all action. There is very little talk. Compare it to "Dragnet," which is almost all talk and very little action. "Highway Patrol" episodes generally start with a crime, and when Dan Mathews and his team are called in, they snap to and get busy. There is no banter around the police station.

Part of this is because of the 30-minute format. There just wasn't time to set everything up. They had to use every minute to develop and resolve the story.

The compelling drama makes it hard to get up, even for a minute. I wish TV shows were still like this. "24" was like this, but just about every other crime drama wastes a lot of screen time with banter and nonsense.

Just about every episode of "Highway Patrol" is a good ride.

I was 12 when this season came out and had already made it clear that I wanted to go into Law Enforcement when I crew up. This show was short but exciting to watch even though all in black and white. We did not know much color back then on TV. Lucky to have a TV. I did spend 20 years as a deputy sheriff in a large county and am thankful for Broderick Crawford though I never could have been like him, he was better.

For anyone who is interested, Amazon.com is now selling all four seasons but season 1 is the only expensive one and the other three are in short supply but at least available.

I only wish the U.S. was like it was back then.

The acting is terrible, the camera angles are awkward, and the stunts are laughable. That's what makes the show great. This was an era before special effects and computer enhancements. What you see is what you get. The cast and crew did the best with what they had. It is a genuine show with some interesting storylines. It is proof that it wasn't a perfect world in the post war era. People were just as crooked then as they are now. Best of all, not all episodes end with a warm fuzzy feeling as they do in many TV series today. Given the choice between watching this or CHiPs, I could binge watch this and never get bored.

In 1950's Television, Syndicating of TV half-hours was truly was big business. By 'Syndication' we mean the sale of programming to individual stations in different markets for showing over said station at the individual managers' pleasure. This is much like a newspaper syndicate distributes comic strips or feature articles to various papers.* And the King of these Syndicated programs was ZIV Television Productions. What with Such entries as "SEA HUNT"', "SCIENCE FICTION THEATRE", "I LED THREE LIVES", "MacKENZIE'S RAIDERS", "WEST POINT" and others. They racked 'em up and kept 'em going', and in the process, became the independent TV stations' best friend.

Although syndicated shows were usually looked down upon as being sub-par to the typical Network Programming, ZIV managed to get some shows out there that topped the "Webs" (Show Biz Jargon for Network) showings. Our featured Highway Patrol show was one of the most successful series in syndication, and was so for the vast majority of its run.

The producers took a half hour and managed to weave in all kinds of criminal activity, all with Captain Dan Matthews (Broderick Crawford, Oscar Winner in 1950 for his lead performance in ALL THE KING'S MEN. There were many rank and file Patrolmen, who had come and gone during the series life on the air, and B.S.** But at least one member of the Highway Patrol was destined to become a career man in Law Enforcement. That Guy was William Boyett, a burly, athletically built sort of "Man's Man" of an actor who portrayed Sgt. Ken Williams. A few years later, in A.D. 1968, the rugged character actor retained his Rank of Sergeant, but being transferred to the Los Angeles Police Department and became Sergeant MacDonald on the non-syndicated Drama of Uniformed Big City Cops in Jack Webb's and R.A. Cinader's Mark VII, Ltd. & Universal Studios "ADAM 12" (1968-75).

As far as the filming, Captain Matthews*** & Company were for the most part (if not completely) on location. These locations would be on the open Highways in Southern California, and in the Truck Stops, Greasy Spoon Grills, Public Kybos and the small towns dotting each route, like Pearls on a necklace. For this the series closely resembled the over-all look of films like WHITE HEAT, THE WILD ONE and so many of those American International epics that kept the Drive In Theatres.

And as far as the realism is concerned we must remember that all Policemen, regardless of their locale or type of assignment, can and do run into all sorts of law-breaking and wrong-doers. Although the real Highway Patrols/State Police are usually assigned to the safe-guarding the highways and byways of our States, with the particular special attention to Traffic Enforcement, Accident Investigation and Safety Inspections of Commercial Traffic.

And please remember, there is no such thing as that "Routine Traffic Stop" that we hear so much about on the 10:00 Newscast. The vast majority of serious, forcible felonies committed in the U.S. make some use of the automobile in facilitating their anti-social behaviour. A Cop doesn't know who he's stopping, so cut him some slack the next time when you're stopped.

Who knows, maybe you'll even get a pass! NOTE:* In reality, the series are not "sold"to the individual stations, but rather rented or leased for a certain period of time.

NOTE:** Now relax, it's not that B.S.but rather the abbreviation for "Before Syndication". Re-runs of successful shows would be sent out via the syndication route to the individual stations for another bite at the Old Apple. Often these re-run episodes had alternate series titles; like "BADGE 714" for "DRAGNET". "SAN FRANCISCO BEAT" for "THE LINEUP" and for our "HIGHWAY PATROL", we had "10-4", Captain Matthews's favourite tag-line.

NOTE*** Broderick Crawford's Captain Dan Matthews became so much of a figure in American Pop Culture, that he made an uncredited appearance as himself, a motorist stopped by Ponch and John for traffic violation! That was in the 9th episode that first year entitled, "Hustle"

This show reminds me a bit of Dragnet. It has the same no frills approach to law order and the criminals who are arrested. Starring Oscar winner Broderick Crawford.

20 years before Erik Estrada and Larry Wilcox started issuing tickets to motorists on California's highways, we had the Highway Patrol series that starred Broderick Crawford for four years. His role of Inspector Dan Matthews became one of two signature roles for him, the other is his Oscar winner from the big screen Willie Stark in All The King's Men.

This man was a criminal investigator and he commanded searches for criminals on California's highways. Be it looking for a radioactive part or a fleeing fugitive Matthews was out on the job directing the CHIPS officers in whatever case he was assigned.

Crawford's style was no nonsense, a lot like Jack Webb without the staccato speech pattern. The half hour stories were mini- documentaries unto themselves. And in those more innocent days, Crawford always nailed his quarry.

I'm surprised no one ever revived this on the big or small screen.

One of my favorite shows and fun memories as a kid. I watch the first three runs in the 60s. It's becoming trademark with me even today. The thing was I would always watch highway patrol in the afternoon sitting in front of the TV with the TV tray and my mom would give me my favorite lunch tuna sandwich. So even today at my friends comment whenever I get a tuna sandwich we're going to watch Highway Patrol cuz they know that it was an important thing in my life. Also brings me back to a much much better time. Living in the sixties seventies eighties in Southern California. All the places we used to go things we used to do and all the Deer family members who are all gone now. I'm pretty much the only one left supernet in a nephew. I get very lonely quite often. I always think back to the good old days the people places in the TV shows that meant so much to me and wish somehow that I could go back and do it again but have the same mind I have now.. So I could really enjoy it that much more from current perspective reliving it would make it so much richer. I'm sure many of you have the same kind of feelings I understand. The world in this country will never see another time like we grew up in today is so pathetic. Let's do the best you can to keep remembering the good old days and to have as much good times with our friends that we have today try to make special things happen. I just thank the Lord Jesus for the life he's giving me and what he has for me in the future and all those who trust in him. Thank you all may God's blessings be upon you. 2150 to headquarters! Ok

This is a very-good to excellent tv series. It is a well-written,well-made show that will hold your interest from start to finish.

The cases are gritty,unvarnished and the writers pulled no punches. The crimes are usually pretty serious,the criminals are pretty callous. The highway patrol relies on methodical, logical procedures firstly,but they often end-up in shootouts with armed criminals before it is over-with.

The crimes presented are almost always rather serious,there is no time spent on expired license plates or burned-out tail-lights for example.

Of course the show isn't perfect but it really is a standout for it's time and it still holds up today as a solid show. 9/10.

Let me be brutally frank, the only attraction of this series is its nostalgic attributes, specifically the old cars and the young actors and actresses just starting out in their careers. I wholeheartedly disagree with all the glowing reviews made by people who are dazzled by the nostalgic value without paying attention to the bad acting and completely unbelievable plots.

Broderick Crawford is terrible actor and proves it with his wooden bland performance. His demeanor is unchanging from one episode to the next.

Dan Matthews is supposedly the chief of the highway patrol, yet he has a small desk in a dinky office in a small storefront office. He also rides around in patrol cars and investigates the most insignificant crimes. Someone is mugged on the street, Chief Matthews is on it, mobilizing the entire highway patrol. It goes on like this episode after episode, trivial crimes being investigated by no less than the chief of the entire highway patrol.

Then there is the ridiculous manner in which Dan barks an order to notify everyone in a city or rural area to be on the lookout for some suspicious person or vehicle. Of course everyone gets the information and within moments someone phones in a tip!

This not the worst TV police show ever broadcast, but it very near the bottom of the list. Its ONLY redeeming qualities are the great old cars and the young actors and actresses at the dawns of their careers.

This series did for the California Highway Patrol what "Dragnet" did for the LAPD; i.e. established a mythology and a standard of professional conduct. I knew two retired CHP officers (both retired in the late 1960s) who loved this series. It is no small joke that in the Dan Aykroyd movie comedy Dragnet, Harry Morgan is watching "Highway Patrol" on TV when Aykroyd's character calls him on the phone. I, too, wish the old tapes had been saved for posterity.

This classic show is run weekdays at 5:00AM EST on the MeTV network, just before Dragnet (1967-70). The only downside is the ending "public service" lines like "Leave your blood at the Red Cross, not on the way" are excised.

Made with the cooperation of the California Highway Patrol at first, they soon jumped ship, and for just cause. It was clear, as in Art Gilmore's bare-knuckled narration, that "Highway Patrol" was only a metaphor for any police enforcement agency, including 'the militia' which isn't a state agency at all. The ZIV gods were not interested in stories restricted between two highway lanes. So Broderick Crawford rapidly expanded into performing police duty in the city, the country, and even the air. So much to admire and more to be amazed at in this time capsule of Americana. Look at how rural so much of Los Angeles was, even as late as 1959. Those country shacks are now someone's million-dollar home. Look at the smog covering the hills. Reviews dated 20 years ago are now outdated by technology. Once "lost", this series is now available in a wide variety of formats, including YouTube. I'm watching on METV, who time compress it and edit out Crawford's hey-pal-listen closers, but are still fun. Lots of early career actors to spot. The plots are as bare-bones as HP's detection skills. It seems Crawford's hunches are always right, and he's rarin' to pull out his gat and start blasting away. The body count is pretty high. Google "Fearless Fosdick" if you like. But when your TV screen was only a 13-inch circle, it must have been great fun! Still is.

Buddy Morrow composed and conducted this most effective theme music any TV show will ever have. I saw CHP officers in the 1960s rise from their seats when it was played over a public address system. It may be about as effective as the song "Dixie" in stirring emotions.

I was five years of age when this series hit the air. I watched as often as possible and through the entire series run. As a result I grew up to believe the California Highway Patrol was the finest law enforcement organization ever conceived; totally dedicated to preserving the peace and protecting honest citizens from predation and poor driving habits. Most importantly they accomplished this with an air of efficiency and natural superiority. You were lucky to have one pull you over on the highway to correct your aberrant road behavior. This they did with courtesy and ease. You left the encounter feeling the better for it.

Such is the power of myth.

I just discovered this show about a month ago on the MeTV lineup. I love the show, the history of its creation, and Broderick Crawford as the lead character. I also see that William Boyette, also from Adam-12 and Dragnet was in it, along with Stuart Whiteman. I read about other stars to be were in it but haven't seen them yet; well, maybe Eddie Foy III, as he was in one that was on. I record the episodes so I can watch them later in the day, and sometimes watch them more than once. I hope MeTV keeps it in its lineup for a long while.

It's great to sit back and watch this old show. Born in 1960 I don't remember it. But I do remember Broderick Crawford. I'm sure when this first aired it was very serious. But watching it all these years later, some parts are a little comical. I'm watching this on ME TV. And I'm looking forward to the daily episode. Thoroughly enjoyable.

If you like history, watch only for the cars, wardrobe, hairstyles, telephones, home interiors, and exterior shots of Los Angeles. The 1950's is perfectly and entirely depicted in this crime drama, but the 30 minute episodes make it extremely watchable in 2021. My favorite vintage tv network called DECADES is currently running a weekend marathon, and as I write this, I hate to see it end!

You'll see Mulholland drive, the streets of Silverlake, Chatsworth, Pasadena, The Valley, Malibu, Griffith Park, and since it is an anthology style show about the highway (CA freeways don't play a role at all) there are cars cars cars speeding and bouncing around everywhere. Often, a crazy looking transparent bubble helicopter joins in the pursuit. Much of the crime seems quaint and mundane, but there is some gritty behavior, and guns are brandished often. The cops seem to shoot at every criminal for any reason. Yet, most every shooting victim is grazed only with a flesh wound for the sake of the plot. Similarly, there are lots of car chases, but very few crashes, and the Highway Patrol always outwits the criminal in the last 2 minutes. Still, Broderick Crawford's acting, to me, is very strong and believable. He's got a strange rapid fire delivery, but he is pretty real. There are various men and women guest stars in each episode, but an interesting imprint of history too, is that the entire recurring cast and production team in the credits seems to be male. It's "A ZIV TELEVISION PRODUCTION" .

And, no joke, the visuals are incredible, even more so in black and white, perhaps. Wardrobe is nothing super fancy but of the era and thus beautiful to see...AND...if you like vintage cars, my goodness, you would be in hog heaven with this show.

I grew up with Highway Patrol as a child and we watched it every week - it was a weekly staple including Bonanza , Wagon Train and The Virginian.

I think that this show is really done well and Broderick Crawford is the best person for the main character I was the inky little girl that wanted and received a highway patrol metal toy car got Christmas! .

I got to tell you I became anxious and the feeling of being rushed I when I hear him speak

He speaks 100 miles a minute and it just makes me feel like where's the fire? Where is the fire? And all the other actors seem to be very calm in their script but someone should've told him to a little speak slowly and clearly and even when he's being empathetic to some of the other characters, he is just 100 miles a minute in his speech. I can barely watch it and I think it's a great show.

I had to look up his death to see if it was a heart attack. I guess no one told him because he had a high financial stake in the proceeds.

When I was in grade school during Highway Patrol's run, our local station aired it late on Saturday night; but my parents knew I was a car nut even at that young age. They also knew it was no more violent than the westerns that were all over prime time back then. I always looked for all the different brands of cars they were using as patrol cars and as criminal's cars and victims cars.

Now that MeTV is showing the entire series, with most of them in good to excellent condition, it's like a trip back in time to my childhood. I sure would love to have some of those old convertibles that were new back then.

The main thing I noticed on the patrol cars was how many mid to upper level brands were used as patrol cars. I never in my life encountered a Buick, Oldsmobile, or even a Mercury as an official patrol car. But the ones in the series sure acted like the real deal; especially when they went up into the hills on those lousy dirt roads. Those cars took a beating and kept on going.

I also love seeing future TV stars in their very early careers obviously getting some early credits for their resumes later on.

Dan keeps his hat on even in doors, how rude. I guess he is trying to save a millisecond. In what world does a police car have only 2 doors? Since when do police sit 3 in the front seat with the criminal in the middle? Dan talks so fast i don't know how anyone can understand his orders 10-4. His snide rude comments are unbecoming of a police officer 10-4. Why does Dan not have a rank. Everyone is Sargent, lutenant, officer, but Dan is Mr. Matthew's. 95% off thier collars would never hold up in court. No evidence, never a warrant.. No matter what, they come out shooting. Guns drawn at all times. Shoot first, get evidence later, that's Dan's motto. This is the most unrealistic show I've ever seen. I suppose if I'm a 9 year old boy in 1955 this show might look cool With guns blazing. How in God's name did Broderick win an academy award, it must have been a slow year. The show is good for a laugh!!!

This show was my very favorite as a boy, and had such an influence on me, that I grew up to become a Pennsylvania State Trooper. I recently retired from the force after a rewarding career. The stories and action of the Highway Patrol always showed the good guys, the police, prevailing over the bad guys. I also enjoyed the open highway atmosphere in which these stories took place. I would very dearly love to get tapes of this show for old times sake, but have not been able to do so.