No matter what the crime or where the scene, it was always Smitty and Hoppy/Swanny. :confused:

Originally posted by nerrad
No matter what the crime or where the scene, it was always Smitty and Hoppy/Swanny. :confused:


Of course it was only them. Those guys were recognizable characters.

Kind of like Wiggum, Lou & Eddie on the Simpsons - they're the only cops on the show.

Make sense?

Originally posted by nerrad
No matter what the crime or where the scene, it was always Smitty and Hoppy/Swanny. :confused:


I guess they were the only two cops in WAtts-lol

Well, Fred always asked for them too when he called. He would ask for them to send Smitty and Hoppy/Swanny. :)

They must have worked some long ,long shifts. In the episode "Fred, the Reluctant Fingerman"; the police show up in the evening to investigate the robbery and then are right back there the next morning when Fred thinks he had been robbed. They must be rolling up the overtime.

They were funny together especially Hoppy trying to talk hip and Smitty translating his police language for Fred! :lol:

I have noticed that too and thought it to be far fetched. It is plausible that when the pair heard the dispatcher call an officer to the address, they would volunteer. However, it is unlikely they would be the ones to show up every single time. They are sort of like that policeman on the show 7th Heaven. That same Sgt. answers every call. Officer Moody on Dennis the Menace seemed to be on duty 24/7 too. I can recall one time that another pair of officers visited the Sanford home. One time when a repo man came, he came with Sheriff's deputies instead of LAPD.

In "This Little TV Went to Market", Hoppy came over with another officer; Jones (Jonsey). I think the part was played by Bernie Hamilton, who co-starred in Starsky and Hutch. In the episode where Fred becomes a minister, another cop (i dont recall the name) came to the Sanford home to "check things out" when Fred was dealing with a crooked bishop.

Also in the " Great Sanford Seige" two other cops show up. remember Fred telling him to get a respectable job

But in "The Great Sanford Siege", Fred did'nt call them. The collection agency guy did.

True, but iI was replying to the original post/inquiry

Why did the same police officers always show up?

No matter what the crime or where the scene, it was always Smitty and Hoppy/Swanny.

Originally posted by glenny
But in "The Great Sanford Siege", Fred did'nt call them. The collection agency guy did.

Yeah - that was Dick Van Patten.

Smitty and Hoppy were great; I think it would had been a great dispointment if "other" cops showed up at the Sanford residence...

There were indeed 5 police officers that spent time in Fred's front room. Hal Williams played Officer Smith,"Smitty" & made 19 apperances throughout the shows run.

Smitty's original partner was Officer Swanhauser, "Swanny", played by Noam Pitlik. Pitlik was a noted television Director & appeared in various television programs throughout the 60's & 70's; most notably guest starring in episodes of "Hogan's Heroes". Pitlik appeared in 6 episodes of Sanford and Son & passed away on 2/18/99 from lung cancer.

"Swanny" was replaced by Officer Hopkins, "Hoppy", played by Howard Platt forming the historic television partnership of "Smitty" & "Hoppy". Platt appeared in 20 episodes of Sanford and Son & is noted for his starring roles in "The Bob Newhart Show" & "Flying High" during the 70's.

Bernie Hamilton played Officer Jones, "Jonesy" in 1 episode of Sanford and Son, "This Little TV Went to the Market" during the 3rd season. Of course, Hamilton starred as Capt. Dobey in "Starsky and Hutch".

Finally we have our other Police Officer "Jimmy" played by Freeman King. King appeared in 1 episode of Sanford and Son, "The Reverend Sanford" with Sammy Shore as "Bishop Lovelace" during the 6th season. King broke into comedy at Redd Foxx's club in 1965 & formed a comedic partnership with Murray Langston, the "Unknown Comic". King & Langston worked together for 4 1/2 years appearing on over 100 episodes of the "Sonny and Cher Show" & they appeared on the "Hudson Brothers Comedy Hour". Freeman King passed away on his 59th birthday on 6/1/02 of congestive heart failure.

Many viewers of Sanford and Son I spoke to thought "Hoppy" was an idiot. Quite the contrary, listen to Hoppy's dialogue and the elequent way he annunciates his vast vocabulary in true comedic fashion. Hoppy was an intelligent, well educated police officer that just happened to be assigned in Watts. His total lack of comprehension of the jargon, vernacular, and phrases of the predominately black community of Watts was hilarious and added additional laughter to an already funny show. Smitty's translations of Hoppy's police language into ghetto slang for Fred & Lamont's understanding was equally hilarious and tied the whole routine together along with the expression on Fred's face once he understood Smitty's translations. Great stuff & funnier than all get out, I loved it!

Smitty & Hoppy also appeared on a few episodes of "Sanford" years later.

Originally posted by ss11472

Smitty's original partner was Officer Swanhauser, "Swanny", played by Noam Pitlik. Pitlik was a noted television Director & appeared in various television programs throughout the 60's & 70's; most notably guest starring in episodes of "Hogan's Heroes". Pitlik appeared in 6 episodes of Sanford and Son & passed away on 2/18/99 from lung cancer.



I always thought it had to have been tough going through life with a name like "Noam Pitlick." ;)