M Squad 

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:

1950s | 1960s | chicago police | illinois | chicago illinois | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

The show was inspired by the exploits of legendary Chicago crime fighter Detective Superintendent Joseph Morris. Detective Lieutenant Frank Pape, who worked for Morris, served as a Technical Advisor 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

Referenced in Remington Steele: Steele Spawning (1986)

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Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

M Squad must for film noir fans

M Squad is probably the only true film noir TV show ever shot. It was done with low camera angles and the most intense black and white photography with surprising lighting. As few shades of gray as possible were used. It needs to be viewed on a b/w TV for the full effect. It is an important work, and if the series still exists, it should be shown on PBS. Very intense drama. A good antidote to the sugary sweet shows like (two of my true favorites) Leave it to Beaver and Father Knows Best. Good shows, but the fifties were nasty, and the TV shows that you find on G4 or Nick are just not representative. It was a show that made the viewers uncomfortable, I have read. I a very thankful that my parents never took those parental rating seriously (yes, they had them then).

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 September 1957 (USA)

Also Known As:

M Squad

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Latimer Productions, Revue Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min (117 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

4:3