"Armstrong Circle Theatre" produced a lot of different teleplays during its run. The subject matter varied tremendously--from plays to adventures to cop shows and more. In the case of "The Counterfeit League", the show looks an awful lot like the very successful series "Dragnet"--which had ended its run a few years earlier. This really isn't a criticism--just an observation about the style of the production.
The show begins with a tough gangster-type forcing a Mexican man to make some counterfeit US government checks. Apparently, they were very good counterfeits. However, instead of passing them himself, his plan was to wholesale them to other crooks and they could sell them to their 'associates'. The plan is pretty good, though there is a weak point--a drug user and his stupid girlfriend. While the gang deliberately chose NOT to include these two since they were so unreliable, the druggie's uncle feels sorry for him and cuts the couple into the action. Eventually, this would lead federal agents in the right direction, though a lot of dangerous detective work would need to follow.
This is not a show for folks wanting an action cop drama, but more of a cerebral one that shows police procedures. I liked this and felt the show worked pretty well. The acting was nice and the jazz score (particularly at the end), quite fitting. All in all, worth a look if you download the show (for free) at archive.org.
The show begins with a tough gangster-type forcing a Mexican man to make some counterfeit US government checks. Apparently, they were very good counterfeits. However, instead of passing them himself, his plan was to wholesale them to other crooks and they could sell them to their 'associates'. The plan is pretty good, though there is a weak point--a drug user and his stupid girlfriend. While the gang deliberately chose NOT to include these two since they were so unreliable, the druggie's uncle feels sorry for him and cuts the couple into the action. Eventually, this would lead federal agents in the right direction, though a lot of dangerous detective work would need to follow.
This is not a show for folks wanting an action cop drama, but more of a cerebral one that shows police procedures. I liked this and felt the show worked pretty well. The acting was nice and the jazz score (particularly at the end), quite fitting. All in all, worth a look if you download the show (for free) at archive.org.
