Valley Boys in Blue: The Impossible Mission, pilot episode
The great thing about the pilot is that it was shot in the fall of '67, so it captures parts of the Valley a bit earlier than the other first season episodes.
The pilot episode is a must for Dragnet fans, with Jack Webb directing and actor Art Gilmore having a large role.
Marty Milner does his best Sgt. Friday style delivery when explaining the features of the police car. I like that his name was Marty because mine is too. I don't share the MC1R mutation.
My favorite location shot in this episode is that glimpse of Henry's Tacos on Tujunga.
Favorite lines: "Repeat it back, Junior" and "When I give you orders, boy, you obey 'em, understood?"
So let's back up to the whole story and throw in some location shots.
Having just lost his previous young partner, 7-year veteran and senior man on the watch Pete Malloy plans to hand in his resignation the next day.
But today the surly walking ashtray starts off being as condescending and sarcastic as possible to the downright doe-eyed new rookie he'll be riding with. Young Jim Reed looks about 16, despite being 25, playing 23. In reality, "Malloy" is 35 at this point, but chances are he joined the force before 28, so I presume viewers are supposed to shave off a few years.
Officer Surly and his victim, Officer Doe Eyes
Take a quick look at the car and then close your eyes and repeat the license plate number. I get "California Exempt... um...." Very impressed by people who can remember a plate at a glance.
Prevent Theft
Lock Your Car
Seems like the "DARE to keep kids off drugs" bumper sticker was on every patrol car forever.
Innocent Reed thinks maybe he's supposed to drive. Officer Surly's eye acting:
Reed the Innocent:
The car and the view going out the driveway.
So many gorgeous cars on the road. About now half the female viewers at the time were asking, "What happened to Buz? Is Buz finally coming back in this one?"
Then I lost it. Reed pulls out the THOMAS GUIDE!
The Bible of Southern California drivers. Or it was until GPS and Google Maps on your phone. I still have Thomas Guides under my seat. 2019 I got turned around in El Monte -- the street signs are in Chinese! -- and I pulled over and pulled my 2002 Thomas Guide out from under the seat. Rotten thing is you can't enlarge it. Reading glasses in the glove box. Alas!
Seriously. The Thomas Guide. I would love to have a 60s edition. Most of us used them until the pages were falling out.
At this point the show turns stupid. Will viewers declare, "Oh how dumb!" and switch over to the "Dating Game" on ABC?
This was the first of silly women with pet snakes. Okay, it's her son's pet and it's a salamander, but same thing. A few shots of the stupid part.
If you were trying to identify that spot, I guess the circular driveway would be your focus. I would rather edit this whole scene out.
I caught the dissolve. That motel is STILL THERE! Shout out to my dear friend Valley Haunts. See her modern pic here. Follow her Instagram of midcentury survivors around the San Fernando Valley.
I'm curious about that red barn there on Tujunga. Was it a restaurant? It reminds me of the Malibu Feed Bin on PCH at Topanga. That Shell station corner is now Moorpark Plaza mini-mall. There's still a gas station on the southeast side of the intersection, but the liquor store was demolished.
Did a 1955 Chevy Bel Air just come around the corner??? Is that what that beautiful blue car is? Notice the Starlite sign is lit up back there behind Henry's Tacos (just off screen). The Starlite is still there, but not the cool sign.
Blink and you'll miss the Dairy Queen.
Officer Surly and his victim, Officer Doe Eyes
