M-SQUAD –Lover's Lane Killing -1958
This is episode 21 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.
A young woman reports to her father Kent Smith, that her man has been killed. The woman, Ruta Lee, and her beau were parked on a country "Lover's Lane" area when a man had come up on them. He robbed them and shot her man when he put up a fight. Smith calls the Police and Detectives Lee Marvin and John Doucette are sent to investigate.
The Detectives check the area and find some large footprints. These lead to a cemetery further up the lane. Marvin and Doucette rumble the caretaker out of his shack. The man, Leonard Bremen, has a bit too much pocket money, plus his shoes seen to fit the tracks that were at the scene. The Detectives "invite" Bremen to join them downtown for a friendly chat. Bremen thinks otherwise and starts throwing fists and furniture before being cuffed. The lab boys are summoned to go over the murder scene, Miss Lee's car and Bremen's shack for any evidence.
Marvin and Doucette give Bremen a good dose of third degree, but Bremen swears he killed no one. The Detectives now discover that the dead man had taken out a marriage license. And Miss Lee is not the name of the woman on the document. A quick call is made on the apartment of, Angela Greene. Greene tells Marvin that her fiancé and Lee had broken up six months before. She also says that Miss Lee had been unable to deal with the break-up and was always calling.
Back to Miss Lee goes Marvin and Doucette. Her version has her being pursued by the ex, and she had broken off the relationship. The "Lover's Lane" visit was just so Lee could tell the man to buzz off again. Needless to say Marvin is not sold on Lee's story. Back to the station for another go at the suspect already in the can under lock and key.
Bremen finally coughs up why he had the excess cash. He has been selling sod from the cemetery to some landscapers. He thought the bust was something to do with this under the table deal. Then the Police get an anonymous note telling them to search a tree outside Bremen's shack. Inside a hollow in the tree, are Lee's purse and other items that Lee had reported stolen the night of the murder. Marvin knows planted evidence when he sees it. Lee and her father, Kent Smith, are paid another call. Marvin pushes hard, and Miss Lee soon caves and admits to the killing, and the setting up of Bremen. "No one can dump me" she wails. The bracelets are snapped on and Lee is soon under glass at the station.
A well done episode that is all nicely tied up in the 25 minute runtime. This one was only the fifth job for future big screen director, Robert Altman. The 7 time Oscar nominated Altman worked in television for 15 plus years before hitting the big time with films like, MASH, McCABE AND MRS MILLER, NASHVILLE, THE LONG GOODBYE, THE PLAYER, SHORT CUTS and GOSFORD PARK.
Nice to see long time film and television actor, John Doucette is a non-villain role. (b/w)
This is episode 21 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.
A young woman reports to her father Kent Smith, that her man has been killed. The woman, Ruta Lee, and her beau were parked on a country "Lover's Lane" area when a man had come up on them. He robbed them and shot her man when he put up a fight. Smith calls the Police and Detectives Lee Marvin and John Doucette are sent to investigate.
The Detectives check the area and find some large footprints. These lead to a cemetery further up the lane. Marvin and Doucette rumble the caretaker out of his shack. The man, Leonard Bremen, has a bit too much pocket money, plus his shoes seen to fit the tracks that were at the scene. The Detectives "invite" Bremen to join them downtown for a friendly chat. Bremen thinks otherwise and starts throwing fists and furniture before being cuffed. The lab boys are summoned to go over the murder scene, Miss Lee's car and Bremen's shack for any evidence.
Marvin and Doucette give Bremen a good dose of third degree, but Bremen swears he killed no one. The Detectives now discover that the dead man had taken out a marriage license. And Miss Lee is not the name of the woman on the document. A quick call is made on the apartment of, Angela Greene. Greene tells Marvin that her fiancé and Lee had broken up six months before. She also says that Miss Lee had been unable to deal with the break-up and was always calling.
Back to Miss Lee goes Marvin and Doucette. Her version has her being pursued by the ex, and she had broken off the relationship. The "Lover's Lane" visit was just so Lee could tell the man to buzz off again. Needless to say Marvin is not sold on Lee's story. Back to the station for another go at the suspect already in the can under lock and key.
Bremen finally coughs up why he had the excess cash. He has been selling sod from the cemetery to some landscapers. He thought the bust was something to do with this under the table deal. Then the Police get an anonymous note telling them to search a tree outside Bremen's shack. Inside a hollow in the tree, are Lee's purse and other items that Lee had reported stolen the night of the murder. Marvin knows planted evidence when he sees it. Lee and her father, Kent Smith, are paid another call. Marvin pushes hard, and Miss Lee soon caves and admits to the killing, and the setting up of Bremen. "No one can dump me" she wails. The bracelets are snapped on and Lee is soon under glass at the station.
A well done episode that is all nicely tied up in the 25 minute runtime. This one was only the fifth job for future big screen director, Robert Altman. The 7 time Oscar nominated Altman worked in television for 15 plus years before hitting the big time with films like, MASH, McCABE AND MRS MILLER, NASHVILLE, THE LONG GOODBYE, THE PLAYER, SHORT CUTS and GOSFORD PARK.
Nice to see long time film and television actor, John Doucette is a non-villain role. (b/w)
