''Code Two'' is a 1953 American

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...

crime film Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine ...

about men training to be motorcycle cops. It stars

Ralph Meeker Ralph Meeker (born Ralph Rathgeber; November 21, 1920 August 5, 1988) 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'' ...

Sally Forrest Sally Forrest (born Katherine Feeney; May 28, 1928 – March 15, 2015), was an American film, stage and TV actress of the 1940s and 1950s. She studied dance from a young age and shortly out of high school was signed to a contract by Metro-Gol ...

Elaine Stewart Elaine Stewart (born Elsy Henrietta Maria Steinberg; May 31, 1930 – June 27, 2011) was an American actress and model. Life Stewart was born in Montclair, New Jersey, the daughter of Hedwig (Haenssler) and Ulrich E. Steinberg. She was one of ...

, Robert Horton and

Keenan Wynn Francis Xavier Aloysius James Jeremiah Keenan Wynn (July 27, 1916 – October 14, 1986) 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 mos ...

, and was directed by Fred M. Wilcox.

Plot

Classmates at the

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

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.

Cast

as Chuck * Robert Horton as Russ *

as Mary * Jeff Richards as Harry *

as Jane *

as Jumbo *

Robert Burton Robert Burton (8 February 1577 – 25 January 1640) was an English author and fellow of Oxford University, who wrote the encyclopedic tome ''The Anatomy of Melancholy''. Born in 1577 to a comfortably well-off family of the landed gentry, Burt ...

as Police Capt. Bill Williams

Reception

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. Often referenced as the first modern motorcycle stunt film, released 8 months before

The Wild One ''The Wild One'' is a 1953 American crime film directed by László Benedek and produced by Stanley Kramer. The picture is most noted for the character of Johnny Strabler, portrayed by Marlon Brando, whose persona became a cultural icon of the 1 ...

References

External links

*
''Code Two''
at

TCMDB Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie-oriented pay-TV network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcasting campus in the Midtown business district of Atl ...

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films 1953 films 1953 crime drama films American crime drama films Motorcycling films American black-and-white films 1950s English-language films 1950s American films {{1950s-crime-drama-film-stub