William Obanhein
Encyclopedia
William J. Obanhein sometimes better known as Officer Obie, was the chief of police
for the town of Stockbridge
, Massachusetts
. He was a member of the police force there for 34 years, allegedly being forced into retirement in 1985 for hitting another officer during the course of an argument. He is fairly well known for his appearances in popular culture.
Obanhein was the "Officer Obie" mentioned in Arlo Guthrie
's 1967 talking blues
song "Alice's Restaurant
." He played himself in the 1969 movie
of the same name, telling Newsweek
magazine (September 29, 1969, where his photo appears) that making himself look like a fool was preferable to having somebody else make him look like a fool.
Obanhein posed for Norman Rockwell
(himself a resident of Stockbridge) for a handful of sketches, including the 1959 black-and-white sketch "Policeman With Boys," which was used in nationwide advertisements for Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company
(MassMutual). He is sometimes mistaken (including on Guthrie's own Web site) for the officer who posed for Rockwell's more widely known painting "The Runaway", which appeared on a 1958 cover of The Saturday Evening Post
; this was not Obanhein but Massachusetts state trooper Richard Clemens.
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
for the town of Stockbridge
Stockbridge, Massachusetts
Stockbridge is a town in Berkshire County in Western Massachusetts. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,947 at the 2010 census...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. He was a member of the police force there for 34 years, allegedly being forced into retirement in 1985 for hitting another officer during the course of an argument. He is fairly well known for his appearances in popular culture.
Obanhein was the "Officer Obie" mentioned in Arlo Guthrie
Arlo Guthrie
Arlo Davy Guthrie is an American folk singer. Like his father, Woody Guthrie, Arlo often sings songs of protest against social injustice...
's 1967 talking blues
Talking blues
Talking blues is a form of country music. It is characterized by rhythmic speech or near-speech where the melody is free, but the rhythm is strict....
song "Alice's Restaurant
Alice's Restaurant
"Alice's Restaurant Massacree" is a musical monologue by singer-songwriter Arlo Guthrie released on his 1967 album Alice's Restaurant. The song is one of Guthrie's most prominent works, based on a true incident in his life that began on Thanksgiving Day 1965, and which inspired a 1969 movie of the...
." He played himself in the 1969 movie
Alice's Restaurant (film)
Alice's Restaurant is a 1969 American comedy film co-written and directed by Arthur Penn. It is an adaptation of the 1967 folk song of the same name by singer and songwriter Arlo Guthrie...
of the same name, telling Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
magazine (September 29, 1969, where his photo appears) that making himself look like a fool was preferable to having somebody else make him look like a fool.
Obanhein posed for Norman Rockwell
Norman Rockwell
Norman Percevel Rockwell was a 20th-century American painter and illustrator. His works enjoy a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of American culture. Rockwell is most famous for the cover illustrations of everyday life scenarios he created for The Saturday Evening...
(himself a resident of Stockbridge) for a handful of sketches, including the 1959 black-and-white sketch "Policeman With Boys," which was used in nationwide advertisements for Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company
Founded in 1851, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company is a leading mutual life insurance company with 1800 offices and 13 million clients worldwide. Mass Mutual is one of the largest Life Insurance companies globally and is currently ranked 93rd in the Fortune 500 list...
(MassMutual). He is sometimes mistaken (including on Guthrie's own Web site) for the officer who posed for Rockwell's more widely known painting "The Runaway", which appeared on a 1958 cover of The Saturday Evening Post
The Saturday Evening Post
The Saturday Evening Post is a bimonthly American magazine. It was published weekly under this title from 1897 until 1969, and quarterly and then bimonthly from 1971.-History:...
; this was not Obanhein but Massachusetts state trooper Richard Clemens.
External links
- A Tribute to Officer Obie
- Stockbridge Police Department - displaying a licensed version of 'Policeman with Boys'