User Reviews

M-SQUAD – Watchdog -1957

This is the second episode 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.

Harlan Warde hears a burglar in the house and goes to investigate. He ends up getting cracked over the head with a brass candlestick holder for his troubles. The wife, Peggy Webber, sees the attack and lets out a scream. The man bolts out the door and is attacked by the German shepherd watchdog. The dog takes several size-able chucks out of the man's clothes before he scrambles over the fence.

The Police and ambulance are called to the scene. Warde is hauled off to the emergency room with a bashed in noggin. Police Lt Lee Marvin has a talk with the wife, Webber about the incident. Webber is not all that helpful and seems a tad reluctant to give any details. The dog is hauled off to the pound for tests.

Using the chunks of cloth from the burglar's suit jacket, the Police lab soon has a lead. It is a rare imported material only available at one local tailor. Marvin has a word with the shop owner, Olan Soule. It turn out the only suits made from the material were sold to the victim, Harlan Warde.

Marvin hits the squad room to think this one out. He then gets a visit from the city veterinarian. The dog has rabies and it is a sure thing that the bitten man does as well.

Marvin pays another visit to Webber. How did Webber's husband Warde's suit, end up on the burglar. Webber gives Marvin a cock and bull story about Goodwill etc. Marvin leaves and parks up the street. Sure enough, Webber comes out and drives away. Marvin follows at a distance.

Webber leads Marvin to a small apartment building which she enters. Marvin does likewise and follows the woman to an upstairs apartment. He hoofs the door in and tackles the man inside, Sol Gorss. He disarms the man and slaps the cuffs on. Gorss is Webber's bit on the side it turns out. Hubby Warde had come home early from a business trip. Webber had been unable to warn Gorss to stay away, which of course resulted in the assault.

The episode is helmed by film noir veteran, Robert Florey. His work includes, DANGEROUSLY THEY LIVE, DANGER SIGNAL, ROGUES' REGIMENT, THE FACE BEHIND THE MASK and the top flight noir, THE CROOKED WAY. (b/w)

***SPOILERS**** It was the Pryor family dog Champ who prevented a prowler from breaking into the house but only after he clobbered the man of the house Marty Pryor, Harlan Wade, from behind putting him into a coma which he may well not come out of. As the cop on the scene Let. Frank Ballinger, Lee Marvin, was soon to find out the dog Champ had rabies and may well have infected his victim with the deadly disease.

Getting really no cooperation with Pryor's wife Amy, Peggy Webber, Let. Ballinger suspects that the break-in and beating of her husband Marty was totally unexpected on the prowler's part. Marty came home early and was about to find the prowler and his wife having an affair behind his back and did what he had to do in preventing him from finding that out. It was Amy's very strange behavior that tipped Let. Ballinger off in how she bent over backwards to not only prevent the prowler from being caught but even went so far as to get him the desperately needed medication to keep him from going mad and insane as well as dying from the rabies he contracted.

***SPOILERS*** It was Det. Ballinger playing a hunch that got Amy Pryor to lead him to her secret lover the prowler whom he had no trouble, with one punch, of apprehending. This not only saved his life but, with Mr. Pryor recovering from his wounds, from taking a one way trip to the electric chair. As for Mrs. Pryor she now has to face her husband with the truth of her adulterous actions and beg for his fogginess's.