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

Credit for Stanley Wilson

Even though Count Basie wrote the theme for M Squad, much credit should also be given to the Stanley Wilson orchestra for writing and performing the music for each episode week after week. Stanley Wilson, Benny Carter, and Johnny Williams wrote all the other cuts from the album, most of which are better than the theme in my estimation. The album from 1959, LPM-2062 includes: The Chase, The Search, Phantom Raiders, Lonely Beat, The Juke Box, The Mugger, The Discovery, The Late Spot, The Cha-Cha, Club, A Lady Sings the Blues, and, The End. They have all stood the test of time, just like the show. Does anyone remember if the opening credits show a Navy flying boat taking off? If not, what similar show from the same era had that scene? I thought it was M Squad, but since it was set in Chicago, maybe not. I believe the show I am looking for was set in San Diego, since the scene I am speaking of showed a Navy P5M taking off from the sea lane between North Island and San Diego. I was in that squadron at the time and would like to get a copy of that show just for the memories. Thanks