Ballinger investigates the murders of four women. The victims were all connected to the same church and lived within two miles of each other.
6
6
"Street of Fear"
Don Weis
Hendrik Vollaerts & Thomas Walsh
November 1, 1957 (1957-11-01)
Ballinger goes undercover to break up a group of diamond smugglers.
7
7
"The Matinee Trade"
Bernard Girard
Palmer Thompson
November 8, 1957 (1957-11-08)
Ballinger investigates illegal gambling, and a fellow police officer may be in on it.
8
8
"The Hard Case"
Bernard Girard
Paul David & Irving Rubine
November 15, 1957 (1957-11-15)
Ballinger goes undercover in prison to find out from a jewelry store robber whether the night watchman was involved in the crime, as the robber had claimed, and what happened to the loot.
9
9
"Killer in Town"
Bernard Girard
Joel Murcott
November 22, 1957 (1957-11-22)
A man, already sought for one murder, kills an off-duty police officer. The Squad's only clues are an old magazine and the killer's habit of saying "You bet."
When perennial loser Wally Gardner is identified as the perpetrator of a robbery-murder, he tells police unique details of a stranger he met miles away at the time of the crime. But when that stranger is found, he says he can prove that he was miles from where Gardner says they met at the time of the crime. Ballinger must determine who's lying.
When a hired gunman gets himself tossed in jail following a fistfight, Ballinger takes his place undercover as protection for a group of three businessmen who meet once a year to commit a specialized crime.
When his partner in an investigation is killed, Ballinger makes it a personal business to pin the crime on narcotics lord Sam Hinder. But, as Ballinger discovers, Hinder has an unusual reason for wanting to keep the police out of his own personal business.
14
14
"The Palace Guard"
Bernard Girard
Jack Laird & Wilton Schiller
December 27, 1957 (1957-12-27)
Gangster Tommy Hatch is wanted for murder, but the police have to keep him safe from other gangsters who want him dead before he can testify against them. Ballinger is assigned to protect Hatch even though he despises him.
15
15
"The Slow Trap"
Earl Bellamy
Jack Laird & Wilton Schiller
January 3, 1958 (1958-01-03)
Ballinger investigates the case of a security courier who is charged with robbing himself of $75,000.
District Attorney Grover calls for Ballinger to help him sort out a potentially embarrassing situation involving the murder of a former business associate.
When a convicted murderer gets the upper hand on Ballinger during a train ride back to Chicago, his last best hope for recapturing the felon is the persistence of an alert young boy.
19
19
"The Shakedown"
David Lowell Rich
Jack Laird & Wilton Schiller
January 31, 1958 (1958-01-31)
Ballinger suspects an inside job when a dry cleaning company refuses to knuckle under to a shakedown mob.
20
20
"Dolly's Bar"
John Brahm
Lewis Reed
February 7, 1958 (1958-02-07)
Kathy Bane, an old flame of Ballinger's, needs his help when a blackmailer trying to extort money turns up dead — in her apartment.
A young wife is shot by an unknown assailant when she drives with her ex-con husband to an isolated woods in search of their dream home. No one even reports the couple missing until after the police find them dead in the snow. The wife's sister is a wealthy spinster, who takes her time even coming to Chicago, claiming her brother-in-law was threatened with death by a blackmailer. Ballinger suspects the sister knows more than she reveals.
30
30
"The Fight"
Don Taylor
Jack Laird & Wilton Schiller
April 18, 1958 (1958-04-18)
Ballinger tries to help a boxer who is being threatened.
Ballinger searches for a mentally ill young woman who shot a psychiatrist, hoping all the while that he can also find sufficient evidence to obtain a felony conviction against the charlatan who was "treating" her.
33
33
"Day of Terror"
Sidney Lanfield
Harry W. Junkin
May 9, 1958 (1958-05-09)
A couple refuses to believe they are being extorted.
34
34
"The $20 Plates"
Allen H. Miner
Merwin Gerard
May 16, 1958 (1958-05-16)
Counterfeit 20-dollar bills start showing up in Chicago.
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."
41
3
"The Missing Claimant"
Allen H. Miner
Jack Laird & Wilton Schiller
October 3, 1958 (1958-10-03)
A shady lawyer protects a false heir to a fortune by killing the real relative. Ballinger is called in to set everything straight.
42
4
"The Refugee"
James Neilson
Barry Trivers
October 10, 1958 (1958-10-10)
Ballinger goes undercover as an immigrant worker to help break an extortion ring targeting foreigners.
43
5
"The Trap"
Don Medford
Donald S. Sanford
October 24, 1958 (1958-10-24)
Danny Mitchell is trying to find an engagement ring for his girl when he's mistaken for a thief by the store owner. A fight convinces Danny that he's killed the old man, and now Danny's on the run. Ballinger is called in to find the kid before he gets into real trouble.
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.
45
7
"The Phantom Raiders"
Bernard L. Kowalski
Merwin Gerard
November 7, 1958 (1958-11-07)
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.
46
8
"The Merits of the Case"
Don Medford
Jack Jacobs
November 14, 1958 (1958-11-14)
A lawyer is killed, and the evidence points to a woman whose husband was unsuccessfully defended by the deceased.
47
9
"The Big Kill"
David Lowell Rich
Sidney Marshall
November 21, 1958 (1958-11-21)
Ballinger is sure that he has the right man for a series of bank robberies, but doesn't have the evidence to back up his claim.
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.
49
11
"The Executioner"
Bernard L. Kowalski
James Edmiston
December 5, 1958 (1958-12-05)
A traffic cop is accused of attempted murder.
50
12
"The Widows"
Bernard L. Kowalski
Joel Murcott
December 12, 1958 (1958-12-12)
Widows who have just collected insurance money are connected to a string of murders.
51
13
"Contraband"
Don Medford
Merwin Gerard
December 19, 1958 (1958-12-19)
Smugglers may be using imported sports cars as a front.
52
14
"Prescription for Murder"
Mark Sandrich Jr.
Palmer Thompson
December 26, 1958 (1958-12-26)
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.
53
15
"The Teacher" "Trade School"
Don Medford
Frank L. Moss
January 2, 1959 (1959-01-02)
Ballinger looks to break up a gang of hoodlums running a protection racket at a trade school.
54
16
"The Third Shadow"
James Neilson
Jack Jacobs
January 9, 1959 (1959-01-09)
A young policeman is accused of taking money during a bank robbery.
55
17
"One Man's Life"
Don Medford
Joel Murcott
January 23, 1959 (1959-01-23)
An innocent man will be executed in 48 hours unless Ballinger can convince a socially prominent woman to recant the false testimony that she gave as a result of a ruthless blackmailer's threats.
56
18
"The Jumper"
Allen H. Miner
Joel Murcott
January 30, 1959 (1959-01-30)
A suicidal suspect has information about a cop killing.
Ballinger investigates a murder of a businessman that has unusual circumstances about it.
64
26
"Ghost Town"
John Brahm
Jack Laird,& John Larkin, Boris Ingster & Lawrence Resner
March 27, 1959 (1959-03-27)
A man killed in a police shoot-out is the only person who knows the location of a kidnapped girl. 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.
65
27
"The Vanishing Lady"
Sidney Lanfield
Jack Jacobs
April 3, 1959 (1959-04-03)
An anonymous murder witness has disappeared and it's up to Ballinger to find her.
66
28
"The Crush Out"
Virgil W. Vogel
Ric Hardman
April 10, 1959 (1959-04-10)
While on an inspection of a prison, a senator is taken hostage.
67
29
"The Fire Makers"
Don Medford
Frank L. Moss
April 17, 1959 (1959-04-17)
Ballinger is looking for an arsonist and gets a clue from an unlikely source.
68
30
"The Terror on Dark Street"
Sidney Lanfield
Jack Laird
April 24, 1959 (1959-04-24)
Ballinger investigates a possible link between a series of Dark Street purse-snatchings and the disappearance of a successful but unhappily married architect.
69
31
"Robber's Roost"
Sidney Lanfield
Jack Jacobs
May 1, 1959 (1959-05-01)
Ballinger gets a tip from a messenger that leads him to a hotel that harbors wanted criminals.
70
32
"The Baited Hook"
Mark Sandrich Jr.
Merwin Gerard
May 8, 1959 (1959-05-08)
Ballinger investigates murder threats made against a father and his daughter.
A swimsuit model is found dead in Lake Michigan, but physical evidence indicates that she may not have drowned while swimming. 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.
72
34
"The Outsider"
Don Taylor
Jack Laird & Wilton Schiller
May 22, 1959 (1959-05-22)
A woman is in a diabetic coma, and it's up to Ballinger to find out who has switched her insulin with water.
73
35
"High School Bride"
John Brahm
Robert C. Dennis
May 29, 1959 (1959-05-29)
A young man reports his new wife missing and it's up to Ballinger to find her.
The M Squad is called in after a brutal robbery at the Leslie Fur Salon leaves a man clinging to life. As the investigation progresses, the situation faced by M Squad becomes more and more complex.
75
37
"Decoy in White"
Sidney Lanfield
Robert Tallman
June 12, 1959 (1959-06-12)
The M Squad become involved when a bank manager laundering illegal money is killed. The situation becomes tangled when a young lady accompanying the bank manager comes forward.
A seemingly random dockside shooting leads M Squad on a strange investigation involving fur skins and ancient Inca artifacts.
77
39
"The Platter Pirates"
Dan Alexander
Robert C. Dennis & Jon Kubichan
June 26, 1959 (1959-06-26)
A disc jockey 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 check the validity of the information he was going to reveal.
Paul Danzig is scheduled to die for a murder he doesn't remember committing. With just hours before his execution, he calls for the prison psychiatrist, hoping the doctor can help him recall.
Season 3 (1959–60)
No. overall
No. in season
Title
Directed by
Written by
Original air date
79
1
"Ten Minutes to Doomsday"
Don Medford
Stuart Jerome
September 18, 1959 (1959-09-18)
Jonas Blecker, an embittered bank clerk who went to prison for dipping in the till to loan money to depositors down on their luck, wants to commemorate his first anniversary as a free man by killing the judge who gave him the maximum sentence. The judge is in Columbus Hospital for a delicate operation and he can't be moved, and M Squad hunts for a bomb before it blows up the hospital.
Young immigrant Elsa Bergsen who works as a maid is accused of killing her employer's wife.
81
3
"Sunday Punch"
Don Taylor
Joel Murcott
October 2, 1959 (1959-10-02)
When a well-liked retired couple is found brutally murdered, evidence points to their curmudgeonly neighbor. Ballinger is initially skeptical of his story, but thorough investigation reveals that things are not always as they seem.
The M Squad is called in after a series of factory fires occur in the Chicago area. The case become complex after the unusual chemical signature of the fire accelerants is identified.
83
5
"Murder in C-Sharp Minor"
Herman Hoffman
Stuart Jerome & Arthur E. Orloff
October 16, 1959 (1959-10-16)
A nightclub owner is found dead in his office by a waiter whom he'd fired earlier. The waiter's charged with murder, but he says he's innocent, having seen a bald man running away from the scene. The murder weapon, a stolen saxophone, is the clue to the killer's identity.
84
6
"The Human Bond"
Francis D. Lyon
Jack Jacobs
October 23, 1959 (1959-10-23)
A bail bondsman's son is kidnapped to force his father to post an $80,000 bond for the release of a murderous extortionist. Ballinger finds himself on a dangerous high-speed boat chase when the culprit attempts to avoid trial, and a likely death sentence, by escaping to Canada.
85
7
"Mama's Boy"
Robert Ellis Miller
Arthur Rowe
October 30, 1959 (1959-10-30)
Ballinger is called in after what seems to be a professional hit on a desk clerk at a hotel. A witness identifies who may have done the killing, but Ballinger is concerned he cannot find any connection for why the clerk should have been shot.
Ballinger is called in to investigate when a burning car is found with the body of a young woman bound with wire inside. The chief suspect, playboy lawyer Paul Crater, seems to have an airtight alibi. Ballinger needs to cast his net wider to solve this mystery.
Used car salesman Larry Colman has argument with Art Brunswick, a man who claims to be the father of Colman's daughter. Colman unearths evidence Brunswick is not who he claims to be, leading to a deadly altercation.
88
10
"Another Face, Another Life"
Sidney Lanfield
Stuart Jerome, Irwin Winehouse & A. Sanford Wolfe
November 27, 1959 (1959-11-27)
Ballinger is part of an ongoing investigation into racketeering in the nightclub industry. After a fight breaks out in a club, Ballinger thinks he might have the break he's been looking for.
89
11
"Voice from the Grave"
Francis D. Lyon
Stuart Jerome, Irwin Winehouse & A. Sanford Wolfe
December 4, 1959 (1959-12-04)
Truck driver Harry Conklin is killed while on the way to a secret Senate hearing into stand-over tactics in the trucking industry. Suspicion falls heavily on rival Martin Bodie. It's up to Ballinger to fight through the silence and uncover the truth.
Danny Sutton is arrested. During the interview a rookie detective makes a mistake and Sutton gets access to a gun, and Ballinger finds himself caught in a tense hostage situation.
91
13
"One of Our Armored Cars Is Missing"
Herman Hoffman
Whitman Chambers
December 18, 1959 (1959-12-18)
An armored car is hijacked during a pickup at a government installation. There are surprisingly few clues left behind by the criminals, and Ballinger needs to try and unravel the mystery.
92
14
"The Ivy League Bank Robbers"
Francis D. Lyon
Stuart Jerome & Maxwell Shane
December 25, 1959 (1959-12-25)
Three college students rob a bank of $80,000 while it's being renovated. During their getaway, they run over a mother and her baby. It's clear to Ballinger they weren't professional mobsters after they send the injured woman $2,000 for her medical expenses.
The accusation of murder against Sandy Malone may not stick; he gets an airtight alibi from his girlfriend, who's a beloved actress with a sterling reputation.
94
16
"The Man Who Went Straight"
Francis D. Lyon
Stuart Jerome & Leonard Neubauer
January 8, 1960 (1960-01-08)
Ballinger gets a tip from John Clavell that an old drug dealer, Manny Franchette, is coming back into town to re-establish his old network. Clavell wants no part of it, having decided to go straight.
95
17
"The Second Best Killer"
Robert B. Sinclair
Stuart Jerome & Maxwell Shane
January 15, 1960 (1960-01-15)
Herbie Ryder gains fame for stopping a bank robbery. After a media interview he is shot and killed. Ballinger is brought in, in the belief that organized crime has ordered the hit.
96
18
"Pitched Battle at Bluebell Acres"
Earl Bellamy
Hendrik Vollaerts
January 22, 1960 (1960-01-22)
Ballinger is brought in when a robbery and murder occurs at an armory. He's puzzled by the list of weapons stolen, including a bazooka and other heavy weapons. He knows they can't sell the weapons, so what is their plan?
97
19
"The Man Who Lost His Brain"
Francis D. Lyon
Hendrik Vollaerts
January 26, 1960 (1960-01-26)
When an "electronic brain" worth $2,000,000 is stolen and held for ransom of $300,000, Captain Grey and Lieutenant Ballinger devise an elaborate ruse that they hope will lead them to the computer and the thieves.
98
20
"A Debt of Honor"
Herman Hoffman
Whitman Chambers & Arthur Rowe
February 2, 1960 (1960-02-02)
During a crack-down on Chicago crime, Bugsy Page makes threats against Attorney General Russel Madison. Ballinger needs to decide if the threats are real or simply an attempt to throw the man off.
99
21
"The Man with Frank's Face"
Don Taylor
Stuart Jerome
February 9, 1960 (1960-02-09)
A European smuggler who's the spitting image of Frank Ballinger lies dying in a Chicago hospital bed. He was in the country to buy some U.S. currency plates when he was hit by a truck. The Feds want Ballanger to assume the man's identity so they can grab the counterfeiters selling the plates.
100
22
"Burglar's Nightmare"
Herman Hoffman
Scott Flohr
February 16, 1960 (1960-02-16)
A trio of bank robbers try to blow a safe. It all goes wrong and one of the criminals is killed in the explosion. Ballinger thinks there is a connection between other bank vault jobs in the area. He uses a tip from a robber's wife to catch him.
101
23
"Needle in a Haystack"
Herman Hoffman
Hendrik Vollaerts
February 23, 1960 (1960-02-23)
Lanny Cord escapes from a court room and disappears. Ballinger is interested in the case because he'd originally arrested Cord, and Cord had always sworn to kill Ballinger if he had the opportunity.
102
24
"Race to Death"
Jerry Hopper
Whitman Chambers
March 1, 1960 (1960-03-01)
British racing car driver Morrison is killed in a local race. The driver's chief mechanic presents evidence to M Squad that indicates the car may have been tampered with before the accident.
103
25
"The Velvet Stakeout"
William Witney
Stuart Jerome & Maxwell Shane
March 8, 1960 (1960-03-08)
Conrad Brenner is found dead in an apparent suicide. As Ballinger continues the investigation it becomes evident that Brenner was actually murdered; when a personal diary can't be found, Ballinger realizes the truth of the case.
After a narcotics robbery, Ballinger makes an arrest, but is concerned that the collar was too easy. Everything about the arrested person doesn't seem to add up, and Ballinger pushes hard for answers.
105
27
"A Kid Up There"
Paul Stewart
Ian Hamilton & Maxwell Shane
March 22, 1960 (1960-03-22)
Frank Ballinger becomes involved in a tense hostage situation; he must restrain his instinct to simply shoot it out because of fears there may be a young child involved.
106
28
"Diary of a Bomber"
Jerry Hopper
Adam Williams
March 29, 1960 (1960-03-29)
Ballinger is on a case involving threats against a visiting prince to Chicago. No one is taking the situation too seriously until a little girl accidentally finds the detonating device for a homemade bomb.
107
29
"Let There Be Light"
Paul Stewart
Frank Fox & Bob Mitchell
April 5, 1960 (1960-04-05)
During a robbery one of the criminals is hit in the eye and blinded. Ballinger has a fair idea who is behind the crime. Urgency increases when news comes through that an eye specialist has been kidnapped.
108
30
"A Gun for Mother's Day"
Herman Hoffman
Jay D. Crowley & John Robinson
April 12, 1960 (1960-04-12)
Ballinger is looking for a mother who used a gun to break her son out of jail and killed a cop in the process.
109
31
"Man with the Ice"
Marc Lawrence
Kevin Thomas
April 19, 1960 (1960-04-19)
Ballinger is working a jewelry theft when he becomes convinced that one of thieves is a clean skin amateur. He realizes that by putting pressure on this individual he has a chance to crack the entire racket open.
110
32
"Dead Parrots Don't Talk"
Don McDougall
Frank Burt & Robert Quaid
May 3, 1960 (1960-05-03)
A penny arcade owner is robbed and murdered. Suspicion falls on a local peddler, but Ballinger thinks there is more to this case than anyone is admitting. He get tips to help solve the murder from an unlikely source.
111
33
"A Grenade for a Summer's Evening"
Herman Hoffman
Terry Crosby
May 10, 1960 (1960-05-10)
Billinger has to find the person who tossed a hand grenade into the middle of a backyard party killing several people.
112
34
"Two Days for Willy"
Don McDougall
Terry Crosby & Dennis Roberts
May 17, 1960 (1960-05-17)
Willy Nichols is due to testify in a narcotics investigation, but under police protection he receives a threatening phone call and suddenly disappears. Ballinger must find Nichols to save the case.
113
35
"Badge for a Coward"
Paul Stewart
Jay D. Crowley, Ward Hawkins & Robert Quaid
May 24, 1960 (1960-05-24)
Accompanied by a female reporter, Lieutenant Ballinger investigates an elderly woman's charge that the man who robbed her store and killed a police officer was able to escape as a direct result of Officer George Maxwell's cowardice.
Sonny Bradley is charged with murder. Ballinger begins to investigate and quickly realizes something is not right about the statements from the witnesses, and starts to see a much bigger game being played.
A private plane explodes just after takeoff, killing ten people. Evidence begins to indicate that it wasn't an accident. Ballinger begins to follow the trail and starts to discover a complicated insurance scam in action.
116
38
"The Tiger's Cage"
Don McDougall
Stuart Jerome & Maxwell Shane
June 14, 1960 (1960-06-14)
A bookkeeper is robbed and murdered at a circus. A clown named Laslo is identified as the killer. Ballinger and the rest of M Squad have to deal with how Laslo could have committed the crime while performing in front of 5,000 people in the main tent.
117
39
"The Bad Apple"
Paul Stewart
Jay D. Crowley, Fenton Earnshaw & Kevin Thomas
June 21, 1960 (1960-06-21)
Ballinger and M Squad are called in to investigate a diamond robbery. All the evidence points to an inside job, and M Squad have the tough task of working out who was the inside connection.