User Reviews

This episode aired a few years before the infamous killings in the Boston area occurred but the beginning of this episode reminded me of the 1968 movie "The Boston Strangler."

We see a neighbor going into an apartment across the hall, only to discover her fried strangled to death. At least she did a guy hurriedly leaving, but only the back of him. However, a woman upstairs told police she kept hearing a song called "Blue Indigo." Later, the cops find a broken 70-rpm record (that's an old vinyl recording to you younger people) outside of the building.

Also, this marks the third killing in five months: all blondes and all under 30 years of age.

"Well, what man om Chicago doesn't want a blonde under 30, yells Frank Ballinger's boss to him, frustrated at the fact they haven't caught this guy.

Ballinger answers, "Probablty everyone, including me."

Oh, another thing: all the girls worked in dance halls.

With that connection, and a good profile by the police psychiatrist, the hunt is on. Soon, we have a good idea who is the killer: a real momma's boy with severe mental problems....or is he too obvious a subject? Find out by watching. This is a good episode.

The "mom" is played by Lillian Buyeff and she is riveting.

Two other main characters in here are actors who labeled as the poor man's Peter Lawford and Lee Remick, respectively. They don't have Lawford and Remick's good looks but they looked close enough to remind me of those famous thespians.They are Nico Minardos as the momma's boy "Henry" and Bethel Leslie as "Doris Holt," used as bait to trap Henry. Leslie was a famous stage actress.

M-SQUAD –Blue Indigo -1958

This is episode 17 of the 1957 to 1960 Crime series, M-SQUAD. The series ran for 117 episodes and features Lee Marvin as the headliner. Marvin is a Lt with the elite M-Squad unit of the Chicago Police.

There is a serial killer on the loose and the M-Squad Detectives are called in to help. They catch a break when dance hall girl, Bethel Leslie sees a man leave the apartment of the latest victim. While she never saw the man's face, she can give the Police an idea as to height and weight. Another resident of the building tells the Detectives about hearing the same record, "Blue Indigo" over and over.

The latest victim, like the previous two was employed as a hostess at a dance hall. M-Squad man, Lee Marvin asks Miss Leslie to help them catch the killer. First this involves a complete check of all the sex crime files. Then Marvin takes Leslie around the various dance hall joints to see if anyone might jog her memory. The Detectives come up with several possible leads based on Miss Leslie's description.

Interviews are had with the suspects with one, Nico Mindaros, standing out. The man's mother, Lillian Buyeff gives the Police an alibi for her son. When Miss Leslie gets a threatening phone call, Police woman, Jo Gilbert is sent to stay with Leslie.

Needless to say, Mindaros is their man. He breaks into Leslie's flat and knocks out the Police woman. It is only the timely arrival of Marvin, and the boys in blue that saves Leslie from becoming victim number four.

The supporting cast includes, John Launer, Barney Philips and Larry Thor.

This is a sharp looking episode with veteran big screen helmsman, John Brahm firmly at the controls. His feature film work includes, LET US LIVE, GUEST IN THE HOUSE, HANGOVER SQUARE, THE LODGER, SINGAPORE, THE LOCKET and THE BRASHER DOUBLOON.