MovieChat Forums > Them! (1954) Discussion > Did American cops carry Tommy guns in th...

Did American cops carry Tommy guns in their police cars in 1954?

posted 10 years ago by paulmurphy42
15 replies | jump to latest

This is a wonderful film, superbly made. But I can't help nitpicking about one thing - did American policemen really carry Tommy guns in their police cars in 1954? I refer here to the scene where James Whitmore guns down the giant ant in the desert.

I live in the UK, and have always been told that British police are the most civilised in the world! Would American cops really have carried, or needed, a machine gun in their car like that?

As I say, just nitpicking, but I'd be interested to hear from any retired American cops out there, who might just know the answer. Is it historically accurate?

Many thanks,

Paul Murphy,
London, UK.

[–] nickm2 10 years ago

My two cents worth which IS totally conjectural:

The State Police are investigating the disappearance & death of several persons including an off duty FBI Agent and one of their own officers. The old shopkeeper had fired off several shots from a Winchester Carbine before being killed (and his carbine basically bent in half); I imagine the police officers were arming themselves to be "ready for anything"--I personally was surprised They weren't carrying something as heavy as a B.A.R.

That being said, I am not sure if smugglers, gunrunners & other ne'r-do-wells from across the Mexican border were ever an issue, so I don't know if such weapons are a regular feature.

Why can't you wretched prey creatures understand that the Universe doesn't owe you anything!?

[–] paulmurphy42 10 years ago

Thanks, that's a fair enough answer, but I'll leave the question open in case anyone else can add anything...

[–] nickm2 10 years ago

I am sure there are law enforcement/Military experts on this board who can answer the question more conclusively.

Why can't you wretched prey creatures understand that the Universe doesn't owe you anything!?

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] k57 10 years ago

The Thompson was also used by U.S. and overseas law enforcement and police forces, most prominently by the FBI. The FBI used Thompsons until they were declared obsolete and ordered destroyed in the early 1970s.
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I haven't slept for ten days, because that would be too long

[–] davfurman 9 years ago

Prior to the gun control movement that began in the late 1960s when american society began to get squimish about guns it was very common for police agencies and individual officers in small and large depts alike to equip with rifles, shotguns and even submachine guns like the Tommy gun. No one thought twice about them. So it's not beyond the realm of possibility that in 1954 a highway patrol might have fielded them.

[–] vestdennis 9 years ago

You are correct. Many police cars, especially state police (as these were) carried heavy arsenals of weapons, including the machine guns. As most people know Bonnie and Clyde carried machine guns. Police had to be prepared back then (remember The Untouchables TV Show?).

[–] liscarkat (16638) 2 months ago

In the end, Bonnie and Clyde were taken out by machine guns, but not the Thompsons shown in the Beatty/Dunaway movie. The real-life cops used BARs because the .45 ACP rounds used in Thompsons were found to be unreliable for piercing the heavy gauge steel used in car bodies in the early 1930s.

[–] drystyx 9 years ago

Yes, I thought the same thing as Nick, that it was added for the case, because the case did appear to warrant possible extreme fire power. When Whitmore is assigned to Arness and the two professors, there are only two "militia" style men against what appears to be a well armed gang at best. Whatever they're after is "badder" than snakes, mountain lions, whatever.

I could well believe added fire power that wasn't normally assigned to the officer.

But if ye do doubt your courage, go no further, for Death awaits you with nasty pointy teeth!

[–] pawtrax67 9 years ago

Even RCMP in cities carry shotguns in the car.

[–] oldgoatee 7 years ago

This was highway patrol in New Mexico...they covered long distances in isolated areas so it would be likely they would be issued heavier weaponry

[–] david_colbourne 7 years ago

I just thought it was because it was America and everybody carried Tommy guns!

[–] mikethemartian (6119) 4 years ago

Well back in the 60’s my dad machined a replica Tommy gun out of aluminum to use as a movie prop. The idea was to use propane and a small spark plug to replicate the gun firing. He was able to get the measurements by going to the police station in Key West, FL and they would let him take measurements of a Tommy they had there. So I don’t know if they would have one in each patrol car but my guess was they had them in police stations.

[–] liscarkat (16638) 2 months ago

That's really interesting. Your dad must have been a prop man. I hope you still have that Thompson mockup.

[–] Gary O. (999) 3 years ago

This is a wonderful film, superbly made. But I can't help nitpicking about one thing - did American policemen really carry Tommy guns in their police cars in 1954? I refer here to the scene where James Whitmore guns down the giant ant in the desert.

I live in the UK, and have always been told that British police are the most civilised in the world! Would American cops really have carried, or needed, a machine gun in their car like that?

As I say, just nitpicking, but I'd be interested to hear from any retired American cops out there, who might just know the answer. Is it historically accurate?

It depends to a great extent on what the policy of the agency was. My brother was a county officer in the 1970s and he carried a Ruger mini-14, but it was a semi-auto.

Many agencies allowed or issued full-auto weapons and some still do. Not Tommy guns but AR-15s or M-16s or like my brother, his privately-owned Ruger. Some like NYPD only allowed their officers to carry their sidearms. Long guns were reserved for special units, not patrol officers.

Hope this clarifies.