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

The show was inspired by the exploits of legendary Chicago crime fighter Det. Supt. Joseph Morris. Det. Lt. Frank Pape, who worked for Morris, served as a technical adviser on the show, without getting credit, however, because of his active status within the Chicago Police Department, which banned police moonlighting.

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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

Spoofed in The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)

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Soundtracks

"M Squad"
(theme 1957-1958)
Written by Stanley Wilson

User Reviews

Great series...I loved it when I was a kid.

If you take a good look at this series, you realize that "Police Squad" is its weird son. If there is a difference between Leslie Neilson's character and Lee Marvin's hard bitten cop, only your funnybone could tell. As such, this series should be seen in a new light..just after an episode of "Police Squad" or a "Naked Gun" movie. But...the best jazz theme song ever.