# When did the "retiring cop dies on his final day" trope begin? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 19, 2023, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-retiring-cop-dies-on-his-final-day-trope-begin/988791 "2023-08-19T09:31:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![slicedalone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slicedalone/32/12515_2.png) [@slicedalone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slicedalone)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2023, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-retiring-cop-dies-on-his-final-day-trope-begin/988791/1 "2023-08-19T09:31:13Z")
It’s been a terrible cliche for as long as I can remember, the cop with a few days left on the job getting killed investigating his last case, but at some point it must have been a fresh idea, no? I ask because I just re-watched one of my favorite films, TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A., in honor of William Friedkin’s death, and it begins with this cliche, with lines so terrible (“I’m too old for this shit” included), that I wondered how Friedkin could possibly have included this entire overused trope in such an original and innovative movie. Then I thought: maybe he invented it? The movie dates from the mid-1980s, which seems late for this cliche to reveal itself but maybe I’ve just seen it repeated so often since then that it only seems like it’s been around forever. Was it a cliche when Friedkin used it? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2023, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-retiring-cop-dies-on-his-final-day-trope-begin/988791/2 "2023-08-19T09:41:29Z")
> **[Retirony - TV Tropes](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Retirony)** > > AKA: "Died with X days left until retirement". Retirony is a portmanteau of retirement and Irony, though how much of the latter it has is up for debate. Retirony is a way to make the audience feel sorry for a character's death without having to … ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2023, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-retiring-cop-dies-on-his-final-day-trope-begin/988791/3 "2023-08-19T10:22:06Z")
> [@slicedalone](#): > > maybe he invented it? Nah. It was already an elbow-nudge joke in like 62 or 63 when Cap. Culpepper (Spencer Tracy) in _Mad Mad Mad Mad World_ announces within a minute of his introduction that he’s on the verge of retirement and just wants to wrap up this one last case. ---
**Author:** ![slicedalone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slicedalone/32/12515_2.png) [@slicedalone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slicedalone)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2023, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-retiring-cop-dies-on-his-final-day-trope-begin/988791/4 "2023-08-19T12:06:40Z")
Yeah, but Tracy doesn’t die in IAMMMMMMW, does he? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2023, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-retiring-cop-dies-on-his-final-day-trope-begin/988791/5 "2023-08-19T12:26:15Z")
From the TVTropes link: - One of the earliest examples is 1932 film _[Central Park](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/CentralPark1932)_. Charlie, a Central Park cop, is suffering from badly deteriorating vision, but he’s hiding this because his pension vests in a week, after which he can retire. Naturally he’s shot and killed by an armed robber at the end of the film. Aliens in 1986 famously had Hudson practically begging to die with his short-timer lines. Somehow Danny Glover survived Lethal Weapon. They set it up on this trope for him to die… ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2023, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-retiring-cop-dies-on-his-final-day-trope-begin/988791/6 "2023-08-19T13:39:12Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Somehow Danny Glover survived Lethal Weapon. They set it up on this trope for him to die… So much so that I could have sworn the “I’m too old for this shit” line mentioned by the OP was first spoken by Glover in Lethal Weapon. At least in the context of a police officer about to retire. ---
**Author:** ![slicedalone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slicedalone/32/12515_2.png) [@slicedalone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slicedalone)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2023, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-retiring-cop-dies-on-his-final-day-trope-begin/988791/7 "2023-08-19T14:30:52Z")
To Live and Die in LA was released in 1985, Lethal Weapon in 1987. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2023, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-retiring-cop-dies-on-his-final-day-trope-begin/988791/8 "2023-08-19T14:40:42Z")
Yeah. I had it wrong in my head because I never watched Live and Die in LA back in the day, so I associate the line with Danny Glover rather than whoever said it in that movie. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2023, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-retiring-cop-dies-on-his-final-day-trope-begin/988791/9 "2023-08-19T15:01:42Z")
The Book of Samuel tells of a Philistine general commanding Goliath to challenge the Israelites in the Valley of Elah to fight in single combat 40 days before his retirement. Day after day Goliath challenged the Israelites but none of then answered. After 39 days of his challenges being ignored Goliath says “I’m too old for this shit” and challenges the Israelites for what would be the last time. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2023, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-retiring-cop-dies-on-his-final-day-trope-begin/988791/10 "2023-08-19T15:23:33Z")
> [@slicedalone](#): > > I just re-watched one of my favorite films, TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A., in honor of William Friedkin’s death… An FYI to fans of the film–Kino Lorber just released their restored version in Blu-ray and UHD. At $17.49 for the Blu-ray, it was an instant buy for me and a major improvement over the original DVD/VHS (or lo-res streaming version if you could find it). ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2023, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-retiring-cop-dies-on-his-final-day-trope-begin/988791/11 "2023-08-19T16:27:19Z")
Netflix has a comedian, I don’t remember who, who has a spin on this: “I was on an airplane when the captain says, ‘Welcome aboard for today’s flight. Just to let you know, I’m retiring after this flight. No matter how it turns out, this will be the last time that I will fly.’ Egads, couldn’t he tell us that at the end of the flight, when we’re safely back on the ground!” ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2023, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-retiring-cop-dies-on-his-final-day-trope-begin/988791/12 "2023-08-19T19:25:47Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > The Book of Samuel tells of a Philistine general commanding Goliath to challenge the Israelites in the Valley of Elah to fight in single combat 40 days before his retirement. Day after day Goliath challenged the Israelites but none of then answered. After 39 days of his challenges being ignored Goliath says “I’m too old for this shit” and challenges the Israelites for what would be the last time. 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2023, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-retiring-cop-dies-on-his-final-day-trope-begin/988791/13 "2023-08-19T19:29:22Z")
> [@FlikTheBlue](#): > > So much so that I could have sworn the “I’m too old for this shit” line mentioned by the OP was first spoken by Glover in Lethal Weapon. At least in the context of a police officer about to retire. I think that line is from that movie. I mean, they certainly made it famous. He even says it in his cameo in Maverick. My wife and I rewatched the Lethal Weapon movies lately and our takeaways now are: 1. Glover is too young to portray the near retirement character in the first movie. I swear he was only 40 playing a 50+ year old. 2. Glover and Gibson portray extremely abusive cops. In fact, it takes away much of the humor now to see how abusive they are as police. I kept saying to my wife, “Ugh, this is terrible” in reference to how they treat the public in the movie. Still fun movies despite that flaw in #2. Just don’t hit the same as when they were new. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2023, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-retiring-cop-dies-on-his-final-day-trope-begin/988791/14 "2023-08-19T19:35:28Z")
Showing his fellow soldiers etchings of his hot new wife and vineyard just sealed his fate. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2023, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-retiring-cop-dies-on-his-final-day-trope-begin/988791/15 "2023-08-19T20:04:41Z")
> [@slicedalone](#): > > I ask because I just re-watched one of my favorite films, TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A., in honor of William Friedkin’s death, and it begins with this cliche, with lines so terrible (“I’m too old for this shit” included), that I wondered how Friedkin could possibly have included this entire overused trope in such an original and innovative movie. Maybe it’s a wry meta-commentary on how Friedkin himself is engaging in a form of “counterfeiting”? ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2023, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-retiring-cop-dies-on-his-final-day-trope-begin/988791/16 "2023-08-19T20:11:33Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/MOk4hQXbGDs/hqdefault.jpg "Mendoza!! (The Simpsons)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOk4hQXbGDs) ---
**Author:** ![fedman1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e495f1/32.png) [@fedman1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman1)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2023, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-retiring-cop-dies-on-his-final-day-trope-begin/988791/17 "2023-08-19T22:56:15Z")
wasn’t that also in “Colors” with Robert Duval? ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2023, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-retiring-cop-dies-on-his-final-day-trope-begin/988791/18 "2023-08-22T15:40:48Z")
The Swan Song is a pretty old trope. If the cop’s being shot is in any way a self-sacrifice, then it’s an outgrowth of the swan song, I’d say. I’m betting whatever the earliest example involving some sort of law enforcement person was, it was something like this, and the “Just before ‘official’ retirement/becoming ‘vested’” were added once those became things. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2023, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-retiring-cop-dies-on-his-final-day-trope-begin/988791/19 "2023-08-22T20:46:19Z")
> [@fedman1](#): > > wasn’t that also in “Colors” with Robert Duval? In the Michael Douglas movie “Falling Down” Robert Duval played a cop about to retire on his last day of work. Michael Douglas played a disgrunteled defence engineer called Dfens, going through a divorce. After a rampage across town Dfens finally had a show down on a dock with the old cop. Dfens had realized that he was the bad guy after all. So in a twist of the old cop dying on his last day, Dfens pulls out a water pistol forcing the old cop the shoot him, suicide by cop. And Dfens hits the old, about to retire cop right in the forhead. The last words he said was something like, “I would have got you” before Dfens falls off the pier. ---
**Author:** ![fedman1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e495f1/32.png) [@fedman1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman1)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2023, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-retiring-cop-dies-on-his-final-day-trope-begin/988791/20 "2023-08-23T00:15:36Z")
no movie was set in LA fighting gangs–here is where Duvall makes jokes about bulls and cows. Michael Douglas not in it [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-retiring-cop-dies-on-his-final-day-trope-begin/988791.md?page=2)