Rugged and hulking, Lee Marvin was a genuinetough guy—an ex-Marine and plumber’s assistant who fell into summer stock and then,roles as heavies in movie westerns and crime dramas. With the TV series “MSquad” (1957-1960), Marvin made the transition from villain to hero as Chicagohomicide detective Frank Ballinger. “M Squad: The Complete TV Series-SpecialEdition” collects every episode on 16 DVDs.
Speaking in clipped Mickey Spillane sentences,Marvin plays a blunt-faced man who sympathizes with the victims of crime and sometimesflies into violent rage at the victimizers. “M Squad” was among the better examplesof a 1950s trend: film noir shrunken into half-hour episodes for the smallscreen. The stories were usually better written than, say, “Dragnet,” and thesupporting cast was often fine. Mike Connors was among the new names thatbecame familiar in years to come.
Set up shots of familiar Chicago landmarksestablished sense of place, but “M Squad” was shot on a Hollywood back lotrecreation of tenement slums, billiard halls, pawn shops and businesses withAcme in their name. The urban grit was well suggested. In season two, CountBasie provided the theme song. Jazzman Benny Carter and future soundtrack starJohn Williams wrote arrangements.
The sound and visual quality for “Special Edition” is generally good. Abonus disc incudes some of Marvin’s appearances on other TV shows during his “MSquad” e