The 405 Aired Sept 23rd, 2025

Today O.K. is gonna be talking about Forrest Tucker, a real life man best known as an escape artist.

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Episode Transcript

OK Solberg (00:00):
I wanna again welcome you into the 04:05
coffee break. Guys, get your cupof coffee. It was cool this
morning and warm right now.Glass iced tea, bottle of water.
Let's see what's happening.
Spring wheat, $5.12 a bushel.Kinda stand real stable in
there, that range. I don't evenhave a price for a 550 pound

(00:21):
steer calf. Listen, I kid younot. A 573 pound steer calf sold
in Billings, Montana, $4.31 apound.
Orvin's about to eat crow. Idon't have to yet, but remember
I used to say in the summertime,they won't be this high at
Halloween. Well, it isn'tHalloween yet, but I can say

(00:44):
when I'm wrong. I never saw itcoming. A butcher hog in Iowa,
62¢ a pound and a 100 pound fatlamb in billings at $2 and a
penny a pound.
But guys, there's more, muchmore. Okay. If you grew up in my
generation, you might befamiliar with the name Malcolm

(01:04):
Tucker. If you're an AndyGriffith fan, the odds are even
more likely. Does Malcolm Tuckerring a bell in your mind's eye?
Malcolm Tucker was the guy whosecar quit outside Mayberry, and
it happened on a Sunday and hewas in a rush to get it fixed.

(01:25):
You remember, don't you? Seasonthree episode 16 titled Man in a
Hurry. Oh, guys. It's one of myall time favorites.
After he finally calms down, hefalls in love with the laid back
feel of the little town calledMayberry, aka Malta, Montana.
But today, I wanna talk about adifferent person with the last

(01:49):
name Tucker. It wasn't TanyaTucker. No. Although, she had
make a good topic for the 405.
Do you remember Tanya and hertop 10 chart buster Delta Dawn?
That happened when I was in highschool. So it isn't Malcolm
Tucker, it isn't Tanya Tucker.You're probably wondering if

(02:11):
it's Preston Tucker. PrestonTucker who invented, designed,
and manufactured the 1948 Tuckertorpedo?
Oh, man. That'd be a wonderfultopic. I need to do that someday
here on the 405. See, so littleto do and so much time to do it.
No.

(02:32):
Wait, reverse that, in the wordsof Willy Wonka. No. But here's
the deal. Today we're gonna betalking about Forrest Tucker, a
real life man best known as anescape artist having escaped
from prison 18 timessuccessfully, And 12 times

(02:53):
unsuccessfully. Now that's a lotof prison breaks.
Now pause for a moment. If weknow that Forrest Tucker did 30
prison attempts, we also know hewas, well, on the wrong side of
the law. So what was his crimeof choice? I'll tell you. He was

(03:15):
a thief.
He liked to steal. His firstcharge was for stealing a
bicycle, and that happened whenhe was 15 years old and it got
him thrown in the clink. Thenfrom there, he graduated to
robbing banks. Forrest Tuckerloved to rob banks, he really

(03:35):
did guys. True story.
After getting captured for theumpteenth time, he was finally
incarcerated in California's SanQuentin State Prison. Yes, sir.
The same prison Merle Haggardwas in, but Tucker was there
twenty years later. Did heescape? Oh, yes.

(03:58):
He did. Listen. He and twofellow inmates constructed a
makeshift 14 foot kayak. Listen.They stenciled the name Rub a
Dub Dub and the words MarionYacht Club on the side.
The craft was sound and theypaddled away as the guards

(04:21):
looked on. But strong windscaused the boat to flood and it
sank. Fortunately for them, theywere wearing sweatshirts and
hats that Tucker had paintedbright orange with the logo of
the logo of Marion Yacht Club onthe front and back. So a guard

(04:41):
spotted them clutching to theiroverturned craft as they kicked
to shore. He asked if theyneeded help.
One of Tucker's buddies held uphis wrist and shouted, we just
lost a couple of oars, but myTimex is still running. The

(05:04):
guard laughed and returned tohis post. Escape accomplished.
End of quote. That story is funand that story and this story is
long.
And the banks he robbed wouldnearly fill a sheet of paper,
both sides. But the reason thiseven dawned upon me is because,
you know, you heard that RobertRedford passed away. Right? Yes.

(05:29):
He did.
Rest in peace. And he passedaway a week ago today on
09/16/2025. With that in thenews, I did some research and
found Robert Redford's last fulllength movie, which was made in
2018, and it's titled the oldman and the gun. And it's based

(05:53):
upon the true story of ForrestTucker. I found it rather
interesting as I watched themovie just yesterday, my day
off.
Check it out. The old man andthe gun. I think you'll really
enjoy it. No one dies, but manybanks are robbed. Just thought
you'd like to know.

(06:15):
My bible verse is short todayand it comes from the book of
Exodus. Exodus 20 verse 15.Listen now, it's short. It'll be
over before you know it. Fourwords, thou shalt not steal.
A verse I'm sure Forrest Tuckerknew of but never followed. So

(06:39):
until next time, as you go outthere, remember now, don't be
bitter.