M Squad (1957–1960)

The hard-hitting adventures of tough Lieutenant Frank Ballinger, a member of the Chicago Police Department's M Squad, an elite crime-fighting unit.

Stars:

Lee Marvin, Paul Newlan, Gail Kobe

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Lee Marvin	...	Detective Lt. Frank Ballinger (117 episodes, 1957-1960)
Paul Newlan	...	Police Capt. Grey (103 episodes, 1957-1960)

Storyline

Captain Grey headed an elite detective squad in the Chicago, Illinois Police Department dedicated to fighting organized crime. Lieutenant Frank Ballinger was one of the police officers who worked alone to arrest the villains.

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Plot Keywords:

police

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Genres:

Drama | Crime

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 September 1957 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ballinger de Chicago

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Latimer Productions, Revue Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min 30 min (117 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

4:3

Did You Know?

Trivia

An episode featuring a Chicago cop taking a bribe led to Mayor Richard J. Daley banning any TV show or film from doing any shooting in Chicago at all. That ban was later broken with the filming of The Blues Brothers.

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Quotes

Lt. Frank Ballinger: [spoken in voiceover near beginning of each episode, as he tells audience about a recently committed crime] My name is Frank Ballinger, detective-lieutenant, M Squad, a special detail of the Chicago police.

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Connections

Referenced in Remington Steele: Steele Spawning (1986)

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Soundtracks

"Theme From M Squad"
Composed by Count Basie (from September 1958)

User Reviews

One of the all time greatest Cops shows on TV

The opening scene was one of the best in TV history. Every week you saw the grille of Lee's '53 Ford come wheeling around a city corner and the words 'M SQUAD' flashing onto the screen as the car is coming into full view. It got you ready for a great police adventure with a character that could only be played by someone of Marvins' persona. He had the tough guy role down to a science - better than Clint Eastwood, Telly Savalas or Jack Lord.

Marvin had a way of speaking to the criminal element (or anyone he didn't like for that matter) that caused them to stop and reflect on the probable outcome of an escalated confrontation with him. As a kid, I tried to copy that poker face and steady sure voice that caused the bad guys to back down. Never quite got the hang of it; there will only be one Lee Marvin.

Hoping that some day these episodes are reproduced - it was TV at its best.