MoPoshy Absolutely brilliant

Matrixiole Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

Neive Bellamy Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

Rosie Searle It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

bkoganbing I remember back in the day that the thing Lee Marvin remembered about his TV series M Squad was that Detective Lieutenant Frank Ballinger was not allowed any kind of personal life. Even Dragnet's Joe Friday had one, if you remember in both incarnations of that series there was scenes in the squad car where Jack Webb had scenes with Ben Alexander and Harry Morgan where they would talk some personal business. Even Joe Friday wasn't always a cop.But Frank Ballinger was as Marvin put it 'no booze, no broads, no vices of any kind'. His life was truly his job. And on the M Squad of the Chicago PD, the squad that handled the toughest cases, Lee Marvin was all business.The only other series regular was Paul Newlan as Marvin's captain. Week after week Marvin just did his job and did it well. And after playing mostly toughs and psychos in supporting roles on the big screen, Marvin got to be a good guy.The theme from M Squad was done by Count Basie, a tribute to a town that certainly has its history in the origins of jazz. The shows were reflective of Marvin's character, neat and compact and got right down to business.You can't ask more of a cop show.

mavin1620 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).

plymouthdoctor The opening scene was one of the best in TV history. Every week you saw the grille of Lee's '53 Ford come wheeling around a city corner and the words 'M SQUAD' flashing onto the screen as the car is coming into full view. It got you ready for a great police adventure with a character that could only be played by someone of Marvins' persona. He had the tough guy role down to a science - better than Clint Eastwood, Telly Savalas or Jack Lord. Marvin had a way of speaking to the criminal element (or anyone he didn't like for that matter) that caused them to stop and reflect on the probable outcome of an escalated confrontation with him. As a kid, I tried to copy that poker face and steady sure voice that caused the bad guys to back down. Never quite got the hang of it; there will only be one Lee Marvin.Hoping that some day these episodes are reproduced - it was TV at its best.

DH (CityofNY) If you take a good look at this series, you realize that "Police Squad" is its weird son. If there is a difference between Leslie Neilson's character and Lee Marvin's hard bitten cop, only your funnybone could tell. As such, this series should be seen in a new light..just after an episode of "Police Squad" or a "Naked Gun" movie. But...the best jazz theme song ever.