# Odd police dialouge in Die Hard **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 8, 2016, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-police-dialouge-in-die-hard/765322 "2016-09-08T05:21:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-police-dialouge-in-die-hard/765322/21 "2016-09-08T15:10:20Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I last saw the movie in 1992, but I recall him looking up from the convenience store where he bought his Twinkies and seeing muzzle flashes on the roof of the building. Much too far away to hear the gunfire, though. He didn’t look too far away to me, and he had a direct line of sight to where the shots were being fired, so no buildings or walls to muffle the sound. How far away could you expect to hear those sorts of guns? And even if Powell was too far away, I’m surprised somebody closer didn’t hear the shots (you’d hear them at street level, right?) and call it in. The police dispatchers wouldn’t ignore two such calls about the Nakatomi Building, I hope. > [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Frankly, every cop and FBI in that movie, except Powell (and his donut-scarfing fat ass does not reflect highly on LAPD) was totally incompetent. I wish they wouldn’t make the heroes look good by making everyone else stupid in comparison. I thought that was a much bigger problem in the second _Die Hard_ movie. The airport police had a lot more to do in that one (because McClane wasn’t trapped by himself), and were a lot more incompetent at it. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-police-dialouge-in-die-hard/765322/22 "2016-09-08T15:13:34Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > And the other thing that always bothered me, to the point of disrupting my enjoyment of an otherwise fine film - when McClane calls on the radio to report the takeover, the person on the other end tells him to get off, as the frequency is for emergencies. But he IS reporting an emergency! The dispatcher’s incredible response is like if you called 911 to report a crime, and the dispatcher hanging up and telling you that 911 is for emergencies only! They didn’t say that frequency was for emergencies, they said it was for police use only. That’s why he started yelling “Fine! Then come and arrest me!” into the radio. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-police-dialouge-in-die-hard/765322/23 "2016-09-08T15:20:05Z")
Too late to edit - never mind, I just checked the script, and you’re right, they said the frequency was reserved for “emergency calls only”. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-police-dialouge-in-die-hard/765322/24 "2016-09-08T15:27:35Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > They didn’t say that frequency was for emergencies, they said it was for police use only. That’s why he started yelling “Fine! Then come and arrest me!” into the radio. IIRC, McClane didn’t identify himself as a police officer, because he didn’t want to give Gruber any hints as to his true identity (since Holly was one of the hostages the terrorists had taken). So it’s not improbable that the policewoman at the communications center thought he was a prankster. That building looked pretty damned far away from the convenience store to me. And I don’t know: with a firefight on the roof of a skyscraper, where most of the sound would be radiated up and away into the atmosphere, would the shots be heard by passers-by on a busy city street? Or even recognized as gunfire? (It didn’t seem to me that there were a lot of pedestrians in the vicinity of the tower anyway.) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-police-dialouge-in-die-hard/765322/25 "2016-09-08T15:31:40Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > On _MAS_H\*\*\*, nurses were often called Able and Baker just as a means of identifying them in the script (i.e., instead of “Nurse #1” and “Nurse #2”). Later on, some of them were actually given real names … like Lt. Nakahara (which, IIRC, was the actress’s \*real \*real name.) Trivia note: Nurse Able was Judy Farrell, who was Mike Farrell’s wife. But here’s the funny part. Before Mike Farrell joined the cast and got his wife the part, Nurse Able was played by Gwen Farrell, who was unrelated to Mike Farrell. After Judy became Nurse Able, Gewn’s character became Nurse Gwen. ---
**Author:** ![Hocus\_Pocus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/41988e/32.png) [@Hocus\_Pocus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hocus_Pocus)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-police-dialouge-in-die-hard/765322/26 "2016-09-08T16:32:51Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > like Lt. Nakahara (which, IIRC, was the actress’s \*real \*real name.) Actress Kellye Nakahara played Lt. Kellye Yamato. > **[M\*A\*S\*H (TV Series 1972–1983) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068098/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm)** > > M\*A\*S\*H (TV Series 1972–1983) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-police-dialouge-in-die-hard/765322/27 "2016-09-08T16:39:14Z")
> [@Hocus\_Pocus](#): > > Actress Kellye Nakahara played Lt. Kellye Yamato. > > [M\*A\*S\*H (TV Series 1972–1983) - Full Cast & Crew - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068098/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast) I’m fairly certain that in the episode where Charles is giving a lecture to the nurses, he calls her “Lt. Nakahara.” It wouldn’t surprise me if there was a lapse in continuity here. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-police-dialouge-in-die-hard/765322/28 "2016-09-08T18:02:21Z")
So the phonetic for ‘M’ isn’t Mancy? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-police-dialouge-in-die-hard/765322/29 "2016-09-08T18:12:37Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I’m fairly certain that in the episode where Charles is giving a lecture to the nurses, he calls her “Lt. Nakahara.” It wouldn’t surprise me if there was a lapse in continuity here. I’m also pretty sure she was “Nurse Kelly” (not “Kellye”) in at least one episode. ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-police-dialouge-in-die-hard/765322/30 "2016-09-08T18:30:42Z")
> [@Hocus\_Pocus](#): > > While a lot of people fall under the assumption that LAPD created everything in LE, that’s not the case. The LE phonetics is not theirs, and many agencies use those LE phonetics (and not just LAPD or even California). > > LE phonetics: > Adam > Boy > Charles > David > Edward > Frank > George > Henry > Ida > John > King > Lincoln > Mary > Nora > Ocean > Paul > Queen > Robert > Sam > Tom > Union > Victor > William > X-ray > Yellow > Zebra I remember an episode of _Adam-12_ where the dispatcher sends a call out that a lion is in a suburban neighborhood. Reed gets on the horn and asks, “Repeat please, did you say ‘lion’?” “Lincoln-Ida-Ocean-Nora,” was the reply. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-police-dialouge-in-die-hard/765322/31 "2016-09-08T20:58:54Z")
> [@CaptMurdock](#): > > Reed gets on the horn and asks, “Repeat please, did you say ‘lion’?” Is that proper protocol? I’ve always thought the correct request is “Say again?” and not “Repeat?” :dubious: 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-police-dialouge-in-die-hard/765322/32 "2016-09-08T21:58:44Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > McClane wasn’t on the roof yet. He was a few floors above Gruber. Note that he threw a body through the window onto Powell’s car, to get his attention. > > But that just raises another question: if McClane’s primary job is to get a police presence at the tower, why doesn’t he just fire his gun? Gun shots get more attention than just calling, or even dropping a body (which could be suicide). Obviously, he shouldn’t shoot AT Powell, just close enough to get his attention. IIRC he threw the body onto his car, then started shooting at / near the car from the hole in the window. “Welcome to the party!” ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-police-dialouge-in-die-hard/765322/33 "2016-09-08T23:16:10Z")
> [@ganthet](#): > > It looks like the LAPD and several other law enforcement agencies [use a different phonetic alphabet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LAPD_radio_alphabet), with some slight variations (since Die Hard takes place in LA). Yup. I worked as a volunteer cop when I was still in the military. First time I called in a plate I used the military phonetics I was used to and the dispatcher yelled at me to use proper procedure. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![edwards\_beard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@edwards\_beard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwards_beard)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-police-dialouge-in-die-hard/765322/34 "2016-09-08T23:34:41Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > IIRC he threw the body onto his car, then started shooting at / near the car from the hole in the window. “Welcome to the party!” Yes…watching it now…this is absolutely correct. “Shots fired at the Nakatomi Tower. They’re turning my car into swiss cheese. I need backup assistance now. Now god damn it now.” It also sounds like “Abe Lincoln 30” not “8 Lincoln 30” ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-police-dialouge-in-die-hard/765322/35 "2016-09-08T23:56:42Z")
> [@edwards\_beard](#): > > It also sounds like “Abe Lincoln 30” not “8 Lincoln 30” But on CHIPS the officer call signs were 7 Mary 3 and 7 Mary 4. ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-police-dialouge-in-die-hard/765322/36 "2016-09-09T00:16:01Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I haven’t watched _ **The Dam Busters** _ in a long time, but I think the British pilots in it use a slightly different version of the old US phonetic alphabet when they’re on the radio. The RAF/British lexicon until 1942 was: Apple Beer Charlie Don Edward Freddie George Harry Ink Johnnie King London Monkey Nuts Orange Pip Queen Robert Sugar Toc Uncle Vic William X-ray Yorker Zebra In his memoirs Spike Milligan mentions having to learn a new phonetic alphabet when the British Army in Africa (IIRC - could have been before the invasion of Italy) started operating with US forces. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-police-dialouge-in-die-hard/765322/37 "2016-09-09T00:17:11Z")
> [@edwards\_beard](#): > > Yes…watching it now…this is absolutely correct. > > “Shots fired at the Nakatomi Tower. They’re turning my car into swiss cheese. I need backup assistance now. Now god damn it now.” \*\*McClane \*\*shot at the squad car?!? With a short-barrelled submachine gun?!? Set on rapid fire?!? :eek: Damn, that’s what’s called “taking one helluva big chance”! He could easily have hit Powell with the friggin’ thing, especially at that distance. It ain’t a real accurate weapon, even up close. Oddly, I don’t remember this. I thought it was the terrorists who were doing the shooting. My mistake! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-police-dialouge-in-die-hard/765322/38 "2016-09-09T00:23:06Z")
> [@edwards\_beard](#): > > Yes…watching it now…this is absolutely correct. > > “Shots fired at the Nakatomi Tower. They’re turning my car into swiss cheese. I need backup assistance now. Now god damn it now.” > > It also sounds like “Abe Lincoln 30” not “8 Lincoln 30” Nah, I had closed captioning on. The dispatcher just said “8-L-30”, and the sarge answered “8-Lincoln-30” a couple of times. Dennis ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-police-dialouge-in-die-hard/765322/39 "2016-09-09T00:24:36Z")
> [@Battle\_Pope](#): > > In his memoirs Spike Milligan mentions having to learn a new phonetic alphabet when the British Army in Africa (IIRC - could have been before the invasion of Italy) started operating with US forces. Operation TORCH (the American landings in NW Africa) took place in November of '42; the Axis forces were driven out of North Africa via Tunis six months later. Sicily was invaded in July of '43, Italy in September of '43. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-police-dialouge-in-die-hard/765322/40 "2016-09-09T00:53:39Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Oddly, I don’t remember this. I thought it was the terrorists who were doing the shooting. My mistake! :smack: I thought so, too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-police-dialouge-in-die-hard/765322.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-police-dialouge-in-die-hard/765322.md?page=3)