Policemen were portrayed in one of five ways in old radio shows and movies. First were the bumbling, buffoonish sorts, which were, of course, not realistic at all. This might be illustrated by Sgt. Matthews on the Boston Blackie movies.
Second were the sincere and hard-working types who nonetheless always came out second best next to the detective. Re Inspector Farraday of Boston Blackie.
Third were the cops who were buddies of the detectives, like Lt. Walter Levinson on Richard Diamond.
Fourth were the efficient and very professional police, such as Lt. Ybarra on Philip Marlowe.
Last were the brutal and unscrupulous sort such as Inspector Hellman on Pat Novak, For Hire. (Novak technically was not a detective, but he always ended up filling that role.)
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