User Reviews

M-SQUAD –The Long Ride -1958

This is episode 18 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.

This one opens with a killer, Joe Maross, getting sentenced to the chair by a Chicago Judge. As two detectives are escorting the prisoner down the hall to the elevators, a passerby, Benny Baker bumps into Maross. He passes him a revolver which of course he uses. Both detectives as well as an innocent woman just standing in the hall, are killed. Maross escapes and fades into the crowds.

Several weeks later, Chicago hears that Maross has been seen in a town several hundred miles away. M-Squad sends Lt Lee Marvin to help with the arrest. The local Police, with Marvin's help, take Maross without any further bloodshed. Marvin is to escort Maross back to Chicago to stand for the new murder charges.

The two men are cuffed together as they board a train for the journey. Sitting across the aisle is a pretty woman, Nancy Hale, as well as a young boy, Tiger Fafara and his mother, Ann Morison. Marvin trades pleasantries the pretty Hale which are constantly interrupted by the boy, Fafara. He wants to know why the handcuffs etc.

A while later, Marvin escorts Maross to the washroom to "freshen up". Maross manages a lucky punch, knocking Marvin momentarily dazed. Maross helps himself to Marvin's gun, identification and the handcuff keys. Maross changes the cuffs over so he can keep his gun hand free. He tells Marvin that if he tries any funny business, he will start killing passengers.

Maross and Marvin return to their seats. Maross stops the conductor and flashes Marvin's badge. He gives the man, William Lally, a message to have sent by telegraph. Lally is only too happy to help the Police. He offers the pair the use of an unused cabin. While all this is going on, the boy, Fafara has been yapping about why the handcuffs have been changed.

The telegram is sent to Maross's buddy, Benny Baker. Baker is to board the train a few hours before it reaches Chicago. He is bringing Maross some cash and other items to help him leave the country.

Baker boards and is shown to the cabin by the conductor Lally. Lally figures that Baker is another Chicago Detective. Also boarding the train at the stop is Railway Detective, Frank J. Scannell. Scannell is just on his regular duties. The conductor Lally mentions to Scannell about the cops and the prisoner. Scannell pays a visit to the cabin. Scannell quickly smells a rat but is clobbered by Maross before he can reach his weapon. Baker ties and gags Scannell, then dumps him in the washroom.

At the next stop, Baker and Maross, with guns handy, escort Marvin from the train. Also getting off the train is young Fafara and his mother. Fafara just knows something is wrong and grabs the station cop. At the same time, Marvin shoves Baker into a handy postcard display drawing the attention of everyone.

Maross draws and fires at the oncoming station cop. Marvin has managed to flatten Baker and relieve him of his .38. Maross and Baker are quickly piled on by the Police and captured. Maross and Baker both have a further date with justice.

This is a particularly sharp looking episode with long time Warner Brothers veteran, Bert Glennon handling the cinematography duties. Glennon, a favourite of director, John Ford, lensed YOUNG MISTER LINLCON, THE PRISONER OF SHARK ISLAND, DRUMS ALONG THE MOHAWK, STATGECOACH, WAGON MASTER and RIO GRANDE for Ford.

Some might recall Tiger Fafara from his role on the late 50's television staple, LEAVE IT BEAVER. Tiger as well as his brother, Stanley Fafara had recurring roles on the series. (b/w)

***SPOILERS*** Tough guy M-Squad let. Frank Ballinger, Lee Marvin, really gets his clock cleaned in this bazaar "M-Squad" episode by escaped murderer Carl Warfield, Joe Moss, who he had initially brought to justice for 1st degree murder. Re-captured in a hotel room that he escaped to by Let. Ballinger for the second time Warfield turns the tables on Ballinger on their train trip back to Chicago. That's by knocking Ballinger out cold and switching identities with him. Now with Warfield being the cop and Ballinger the criminal as well as handcuffed to him what he does is plan to take the entire train ride to Chicago with the entire Chicago Police Departyment, some 9,000 men, are there eagerly waiting there to arrest him!

Obviously influenced by the 1952 sleeper of a movie "Narrow Margin" this version of the film falls flat on its face. There's no tension at all here like in the 1952 movie in that Warfield and his partner "The Dutchman", Benny Baker, are so ridicules that it would take a miracle for them to pull off their escape successfully. Going right into the teeth of the dragon, the Chicago PD, what else did they expect in their ill-times and brainless escape from justice. It seemed like most of the passengers and crew on the train wen't any smarter then the hoodlums holding the helpless, for once in his life, Det. Ballinger hostage. Despite the very obvious sleazy looks and actions of escaped convicted murderer Wakefield it never dawned on them that he, not Ballinger, was the one that was, in cop language, dirty. Even pretty Nancy Hale who had an earlier conversation with a the very polite and very obvious cop Ballinger, who had Warfield handcuffed to him, later believed in that he fact was the escaped and recaptured killer with only having Wakfield's word to convince her.

****SPOILERS**** Mindlessely and a bit stupidly both Warfield and "The Dutchman", who got on the train in Springfield, walked right into a police trap set for them at the Chicago Train Terminal. But not before Let. Ballinger who was getting the worst of it, from Wakefield & "The Dutchman" during the entire ride finally comes alive and did the job of capturing them almost single handedly. That without him as much as breaking into a sweat or even creasing or messing up his spotlessly clean and neatly pressed clothes up.