M Squad - Timeless Media to Release M Squad DVD Set; Appeals to Fans for Missing Episodes

There were many black and white crime dramas competing for viewers in the late fifties. M-Squad stands apart because of its unique combination of story, production values, musical score and a great cast portraying crime fighters getting down and dirty on the mean streets.

Lee Marvin (The Dirty Dozen, Cat Ballou) stars as Lt. Frank Ballinger, a no-nonsense Chicago plainclothes cop in the elite M-Squad Division. The Squad's (M-for Murder) task is to root out organized crime and corruption in Americas Second City. Marvin's portrayal of a tough undercover officer, whose perseverance and potential for violence, but with utter cool, permeates each gritty episode, gave Marvin name recognition with the public, and did much to make him a star.

Frank Ballinger's boss, Captain Grey, is played by Paul Newlan, a fine actor who brings weight and substance to the role of running the M-Squad. It is perhaps his most memorable role.

In addition to the regular cast, a who's who of television luminaries and stars-to-be made guest appearances on the show. Among the guest stars were Angie Dickinson, Charles Bronson, Janice Rule, Leonard Nimoy, Ed Nelson, DeForest Kelley, H.M. Wynant and a young Burt Reynolds.

Lee Marvin's 1957 cop show, NBC's M Squad, comes to DVD this fall with Timeless Media's massive September 23rd release. The big 14-disc set, titled M Squad - The Very Best Of, will have a bonus 15th disc: a CD soundtrack disc "The Music From M Squad" (Orchestra Conducted by Stanley Wilson), with 12 tracks included:

1. M Squad Theme (C. Basie)
2. The Chase (J. Williams)
3. The Search (B. Carter)
4. Phantom Raiders (B. Carter)
5. Lonely Beat (S. Wilson)
6. The Juke Box (B. Carter)
7. The Mugger (B. Carter)
8. The Discovery (J. Williams)
9. The Late Spot (S. Wilson)
10. The Cha-Cha Club (S. Wilson)
11. A Lady Sings The Blues (S. Wilson/S. Burke)
12. The End (J. Williams)

Cost for all of this is $99.98 SRP. How many episodes are included? Right now the count is "100" across this 14 disc set. However, Timeless would like to include the remaining episodes from the show's 117-episode run, if at all possible. Timeless has exhausted all their options in searching for these episodes, and the only copies they've come across were unwatchable. Hopefully someone reading this news will have a copy of the episodes (in any format), and can contact us so we can put them in touch with Timeless. "Timeless" is the right word here, because there's not a lot of time left before the discs are sent to the replicator, so speed is of the essence. Here are the ones needed:

• Season 1:
  • "The Golden Look" EPISODE #1
  • "The Watchdog" EPISODE #2
  • "Face of Evil" EPISODE #5
  • "Killer in Town" EPISODE #9
  • "Diamond Hard" EPISDOE #10
  • "Family Portrait" EPISODE #13
  • "The Palace Guard" EPISODE #14
  • "The Shakedown" EPISODE #19
  • "The System" EPISODE #36
• Season 2:
  • "More Deadly" EPISODE #1
  • "Ghost Town" EPISDODE #26
  • "The Crush Out" EPISODE #28
  • "The Fire Makers" EPISODE #29
  • "The Dangerous Game" EPISODE #36
  • "Mr. Grim's Rabbits" EPISODE #38
• Season 3:
  • "The European Plan" EPISODE #2
  • "Two Days for Willy" EPISODE #34

Hopefully somebody out there reading this can help! Even if not, this will be a set that any fan would surely want to own. An online video preview is available in Quicktime format. Here's a look at the package art: