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M Squad Season 2 Episodes
Season 2 Episode Guide
40 Episodes 1958 - 1959
Episode 1
More Deadly
Fri, Sep 19, 195830 mins
2 innocent men are iced by a currency exchange bookkeeper, to disguise her embezzlement. The sultry femme fatale's yarn that it was a heist gone bad makes sense at first, because of a wave of such robberies on Chicago's Far East Side. But the murdered customer Halper checks out as a solid working stiff, plus the other stick-ups were solo jobs while this was supposedly a 2 hood hold-up, so M Squad's debonair Lt. Ballinger's sic-ed on the case to soften up hard boiled Ora Kane.
Episode 2
Dead or Alive
Fri, Sep 26, 195830 mins
A pair of gun crazy kids are loose in Chicago-- and a young reporter is defending them in the press against Ballinger and "police brutality".
Episode 3
The Missing Claimant
Fri, Oct 3, 195830 mins
A shady lawyer protects a false heir to a fortune-- by killing the real relative! Ballinger is called in to set everything straight.
Episode 4
The Refugee
Fri, Oct 10, 195830 mins
Ballinger goes undercover as an immigrant worker to help break an extortion ring targeting foreigners.
Episode 5
The Trap
Fri, Oct 24, 195830 mins
Danny Mitchell is trying to find an engagement ring for his girl when he mistaken for a thief by the store owner. A fight convinces him he has killed the old man-- as such Danny's on the run! Ballinger is called in to find the kid before he gets into real trouble.
Episode 6
Force of Habit
Fri, Oct 31, 195830 mins
Val Mooney, hiding out from the cops, sees the perfect opportunity to evade them. When his wife's brother is killed in a massive warehouse fire, he forces her to identify the body as-- VAL MOONEY.
Episode 7
The Phantom Raiders
Fri, Nov 7, 195830 mins
A pair of high-speed motorcycle thugs are robbing gas stations across Chicago. When one attendant gets shot, Ballinger goes undercover as a biker to crack the case.
Episode 8
The Merits of the Case
Fri, Nov 14, 195830 mins
A famous defense attorney is gunned down in his house. Now Ballinger must piece together the clues to find the killer.
Episode 9
The Big Kill
Fri, Nov 21, 195830 mins
Larry Princeton is the master of bank heists-- he plans then sits back while his thugs pull off the job. Except for the last one-- which resulted in a bank teller's murder! Now Ballinger's after him.
Episode 10
The Sitters
Fri, Nov 28, 195830 mins
Unsuspecting women allow bookmakers to use their telephones in return for payment of $50 per week, but they later learn that their lives will be in danger if they try to get out of the agreement.
Episode 11
The Executioner
Fri, Dec 5, 195830 mins
When an apparently innocent motorist narrowly escapes being gunned down by a motorcycle cop, he angrily reports the incident to M Squad. Capt. Grey and Lt. Ballinger both assure him that no police officers were in that area at the time of the occurrence. A Chicago waiter, a New York hit-man, a beautiful redhead and a Denver jewelry heist, all play a major part in this complex case.
Episode 12
The Widows
Fri, Dec 12, 195830 mins
Widows have something in common. All their husbands were murdered, and all had life insurance policies with double indemnity. And the widows have the same crooked lawyer. Lt. Frank Ballinger suspects a murder for hire scheme.
Episode 13
Contraband
Fri, Dec 19, 195830 mins
Foreign sports cars entering Chicago's port are being used to hide narcotics from customs agents. A pretty woman selling sports cars is the prime suspect. Her silent partner, an importer, is also implicated in the crime. M Squad moves rapidly to squash this ring of smugglers.
Episode 14
Prescription for Murder
Fri, Dec 26, 195830 mins
The wife of a brain surgeon is abducted and threatened with death if the surgeon goes ahead with an emergency operation to save a critically injured police witness that can implicate a loan shark in two murders.
Episode 15
The Teacher
Fri, Jan 2, 195930 mins
Young hoodlums use a trade school for criminal purposes.
Episode 16
The Third Shadow
Fri, Jan 9, 195930 mins
An armed robbery at a metals factory goes awry when an alarm is triggered. Police intercept the fleeing car at a junk yard where a gunfight ensues. Two of the culprits are shot, one fatally the other seriously wounded. A third, the driver, who nobody knows even exists, escapes uninjured. On his deathbed, the injured crook states that a cop stole one of the two bags of cash. As M Squad investigates, they learn that a popular songstress is, in some way, connected to the felons.
Episode 17
One Man's Life
Fri, Jan 23, 195930 mins
An innocent man will be executed in 48 hours unless Lieutenant Ballinger can convince a socially prominent woman to recant the false testimony that she gave as a result of a ruthless blackmailer's threats.
Episode 18
The Jumper
Fri, Jan 30, 195930 mins
A man claiming to be Officer Callahan uses a police call box to request a pick-up of a man he was bout to arrest, a potentially dangerous convict in violation of his parole. Moments later the real Officer Callahan, walking his beat, is shot dead when he goes to that same call box to report in. Later, the convict, now aware of the crime, panics and flees to a high-rise. Perching on a ledge high above the street, the man says he'll jump unless cleared of the murder. As a crowd and the press gather below, Lt. Ballinger rushes to prove the man's innocence.
Episode 19
The Last Act
Fri, Feb 6, 195930 mins
Laura Dennis, a popular Chicago stage actress, is threatened by an unknown assailant, to have acid thrown in her face unless she leaves town. The incident occurred in the theater where she was to star in a play scheduled to open in a few weeks. As M Squad investigates, the night watchman states adamantly that all doors were locked and the only people inside were the actress, her fiancee who owns the theater and their friend, a real estate investor. Determined to protect Laura, her fiancee is prepared to shut down the play even though in doing so will mean financial ruin and he will have to sell the theater to recover. Frank Ballinger is equally determined to get to the bottom of this extortion attempt.
Episode 20
Mugger Murder
Fri, Feb 13, 195930 mins
Frank must solve several connected homicides wherein convicted muggers are being strangled to death.
Episode 21
The Star Witness
Fri, Feb 20, 195930 mins
The manager of a high-class dining facility tasks the doorman, the coat-check girl and the head waiter to jobs and then enters the dining room himself, thereby clearing the lobby. Meanwhile, Mary, a working-class girl waiting for a bus, ducks into the lobby out of the cold. When a man comes to the lobby from the dining room, both he and the girl peek back into the room. At this point another man exits the manager's adjoining office behind them, pushes Mary to the floor and guns down the man beside her. Mary, who has witnessed the shooting, is loving the attention and notoriety being afforded her by the press. However, as the only witness, she could be in danger and is put under police protection in a hotel. M Squad is on the case.
Episode 22
The Take Over
Thu, Feb 27, 195830 mins
Racketeers try to steal profits from a new entertainment establishment run by an old friend of Ballinger.
Episode 23
Voluntary Surrender
Fri, Mar 6, 195930 mins
A wealthy elderly woman has lived as a recluse, in only two rooms of an otherwise closed-up mansion, for fifty years. One night she is robbed of a fortune in jewelry and then murdered by two ruthless men. The woman's caretaker, who has never been into those rooms in her twenty years of service, states that she had recently seen a gas company man on the property. This is of interest to M Squad because gas to the house had been shut-off many years prior. The next morning, Ballinger's investigation is interrupted by one of the culprits who confesses to the petty burglary of a hardware store last night. Frank books the man before returning to the murder case.
Episode 24
Death Threat
Fri, Mar 13, 195930 mins
A missed effort to gun down Lt. Ballinger and threatening letters to a woman lead M Squad to the conclusion that there is a link to a man imprisoned over four years ago. The two, along with a garage owner were witnesses instrumental in the conviction of Ted Stevens for armed robbery. However, Stevens, now on parole for more than a year and newly married, is regarded as a changed-man and an asset to both his neighborhood and church. When questioned, he asserts that he is the victim of a frame-up.
Episode 25
The Harpies
Fri, Mar 20, 195930 mins
Lloyd, now happily married, leaves the apartment of his old girlfriend after assuring her that there can be no future for them. Once down on the street he is shot to death during a botched mugging by a lone female. Capt. Grey's wife is a friend of Lloyd's wife, so he commits M Squad to the case. When Lt Ballinger speaks with the widow, she assures him that despite all the evidence to the contrary, her husband was completely faithful. However, police procedure says he must follow that lead. At the same time, he checks with the robbery section and learns that this was likely the tenth of comparable, but non-fatal, recent muggings. He immediately recalls a similar case from several years prior, thus a new trail to follow.
Episode 26
Ghost Town
Fri, Mar 27, 195930 mins
Lieutenant Ballinger and the FBI have few leads and little time to find a kidnapped socialite with a predilection for visiting jazz clubs. Bound, unattended, and hidden in a condemned building during a cruel Chicago winter, the young woman is in grave danger of dying from injury or exposure before she can be rescued.
Episode 27
The Vanishing Lady
Fri, Apr 3, 195930 mins
A car driven by a masked man forces another car to stop on a road in one of Chicago's parks. Gun in hand, the bandit demands the other driver and his attractive female passenger to exit from their vehicle. When the assailant insists that they hand over their money and jewelry, the victim finds an opportunity to tackle him and immediately orders the lady to run. She flees to a nearby road where she successfully waves-down a passing delivery car. The attacker shoots his prey and gives chase to the woman but fails to intercept her. Lt. Ballinger is forced to jeopardize personal relationships to untangle this mystery.
Episode 28
The Crush Out
Fri, Apr 10, 195930 mins
Larry Barker, a big-time racketeer, is serving a ten-year prison sentence for manslaughter. He plans an escape with the aid of an inside-man, his wife, and a go-between. With their help, he acquires two guns with boxes of ammunition, one going to the man in the next cell. In the meantime, at Larry's request, his wife formalizes a complaint of excess brutality and unfairness directed at him, thereby initiating an official inquiry by the Prison Board. Because a Senator, with a reputation as a crime-buster, will be sitting on the investigating panel, Lt. Ballinger is ordered to attend. With the required participants assembled, the escape scheme commences.
Episode 29
The Fire Makers
Fri, Apr 17, 195930 mins
Detective Ballinger helps investigate a series of arson crimes that are being used to cover up insurance scams.
Episode 30
The Terror on Dark Street
Fri, Apr 24, 195930 mins
Lieutenant Ballinger investigates a possible link between a series of Dark Street purse snatchings and the disappearance of a successful but unhappily married architect.
Episode 31
Robber's Roost
Fri, May 1, 195930 mins
In a small room on the third floor of a boarding house, tough-guy Artie Flegg forces young Jimmy Crawley to agree, very reluctantly, to deliver a package. Meanwhile, Lt. Ballinger has a building staked-out in hopes to capture Artie and his partner Sam who are wanted for a recent bank robbery. As it happens, this is Jimmy's destination. As he walks up the front steps, he sees Frank approach from across the street. Already nervous, he panics, drops the package and speeds off in his car. Upon opening the package, Frank discovers the bonds stolen from the bank. Tracking the plate on the fleeing car leads M Squad to Jimmy, who identifies the boarding house. When Lt. Ballinger and Capt. Grey arrive, the owner of the house, Peggy Hanson, escorts the pair on a search of the premises. There is no sign of the robbers or even the room described by Jimmy. This case has run into a solid wall, but the investigation continues.
Episode 32
The Baited Hook
Fri, May 8, 195930 mins
Jack and his daughter Carol, who is engaged and soon to be married, are walking their dog along a quiet residential street on a beautiful Chicago evening when a car pulls up beside them. Jack recognizes the driver, an escaped convict named Tuley Miller, who confronts them and immediately shoots the dog. As Tuley departs, he warns "this is one, two to go". It seems that there has been a rash of hit-and-run shootings lately, so M Squad gets involved. A frightened Carol, who does not know the criminal, tells all that she has witnessed. When Lt. Ballinger escorts her home to get Jack's version, they discover that he is out. However, they find a telegram with the same warning, signed by Tuley. Soon Jack returns, but when questioned he staunchly denies any recognition of Tuley. Now it's up to Frank to sort out the truth before Tuley makes good his threats.
Episode 33
Model in the Lake
Fri, May 15, 195930 mins
A swimsuit model is found dead in Lake Michigan, but physical evidence indicates the she may not have drowned while swimming. Lieutenant Ballinger becomes convinced that she was murdered after he learns that she was a strong swimmer and an iniquitous individual with a large number of unexplained bank deposits.
Episode 34
The Outsider
Fri, May 22, 195930 mins
Ellen Benson, recently separated from her husband Carey, is ready to leave her stylish apartment for a dinner-date with friends. She suddenly feels extremely ill and manages to get a message to her doctor who gets her to a hospital in time to save her life. Her physician, Dr. Hover informs M Squad that because the bottles of insulin that she had were tampered with, substituting water for the life-saving medication, she had been dangerously close to entering a diabetic coma. As Lt. Ballinger investigates this obvious murder attempt, he learns that both her brother, who lives in the same building, and her estranged husband, would benefit substantially from her death.
Episode 35
High School Bride
Fri, May 29, 195930 mins
Three years ago, Lonnie married Wilma, his high school sweetheart, amid protests from both sets of parents. Unfortunately, it has been a rocky journey with Wilma frequently running home to her mother. Lonnie's eyes and interests have strayed, and he wants a divorce which she repeatedly denies. Left with no obvious alternative, he coldly laces her coffee with cyanide. The desired effect is quickly achieved, and he disposes of her body. When Lonnie reports her as missing, M Squad becomes involved. At this point, Lt. Ballinger has no real cause to suspect murder, so he begins an investigation of a "missing person".
Episode 36
The Dangerous Game
Fri, Jun 5, 195930 mins
Arthur Leslie, owner of Leslie Furs, proclaims his love to his saleswoman, Helene Victor in a backroom of the store. When she responds favorably, he has a gourmet meal delivered from the French restaurant across the street. As the waiter enters through the back door, two vicious, masked thugs follow him inside. When the waiter accidently sees the face of one of the hoodlums, he is shot. Arthur and Helene are knocked-out and the crooks proceed to remove the entire stock of furs. As Lt. Ballinger investigates, he learns that Leslie has just increased his insurance policy.
Episode 37
Decoy in White
Fri, Jun 12, 195930 mins
At Maitland Plastics, pay envelopes are being filled by Payroll Manager Mr. Wylie and his assistant, Adele. Something about one of the banknotes catches his eye, he checks a book, then excuses himself, taking both the book and the bill to Mr. Maitland's office. There he finds that the boss has a guest, Mr. John Spicer, a disbarred lawyer, who professes to be an undercover government agent and insists that Wylie keep his discovery secret. When Wylie departs, Maitland, who has been laundering money for Spicer, demands a much bigger cut of the proceeds. It seems that, not previously known to Maitland, this latest batch of cash has been flagged because it was ransom paid in the Grollman kidnapping/murder case about ten years prior. Spicer arranges for another exchange with the newly agreed cash split, followed by a date with beautiful blond Kitty Osborne. At the end of the evening, a very drunk Maitland with Kitty on his arm, and a briefcase full of cash, is attacked and killed in the parking lot. Lt. Ballinger probes this constantly evolving case.
Episode 38
Mr. Grim's Rabbits
Fri, Jun 19, 195930 mins
On a dark night, a sailor has disembarked from a ship newly arrived at the Chicago freight dock. As he heads to a predetermined destination on the wharf, a security guard questions him about the bundle he is carrying. Satisfied that the parcel contains dirty laundry, the guard resumes his patrol allowing the sailor to depart. Soon the sailor meets with his appointed contact, R. Franklyn Matson III, an importer of rare antiquities, but demands a bigger pay-off before handing over the package. When Matson shoots the sailor, the guard hears the gunshots and blows his whistle repeatedly as he heads towards the source. Matson, unnerved by the alarm, stows the package, and flees. With security guards, police and M Squad on the scene, a coroner, who takes charge of the body, grabs the parcel that nobody else has noticed, and hides it with the remains. As Detective Lt. Frank Ballinger examines this case, he discovers that the lovely Pilar Olivera is extremely determined to acquire the furs that were in the missing parcel.
Episode 39
The Platter Pirates
Fri, Jun 26, 195930 mins
A D.J threatens to reveal the influence of racketeers in the music industry. Before he can go to air with the information he is gunned down. M squad are brought in to solve the mystery of the death as well as the validity of the information he was going to reveal.
Episode 40
Death Is a Clock
Fri, Jul 3, 195930 mins
LT. Frank Ballinger takes a personal interest in a case when the wife of convicted murderer Paul Danzig approaches him for help. Danzig has only 20 hours to live and his wife talks openly of stopping the clock. Ballinger has to figure out what she means, and ensure the right man pays for the crime of murder.