Racket Squad
| Racket Squad | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Crime drama |
| Starring | Reed Hadley |
| Narrated by | Hugh Beaumont (1952–1953) |
| Composer(s) |
Herschel Burke Gilbert Leon Klatzkin Alexander Laszlo Herbert Taylor |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 98 (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
Hal Roach Hal Roach, Jr. |
| Producer(s) |
Carroll Case Hal Roach, Jr. |
| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 23–26 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Showcase Productions, Inc. |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel |
Syndication (1950) CBS (1951–1953) |
| Picture format | Black-and-white |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original run | June 7, 1951 – September 28, 1953 |
Racket Squad is an American TV crime drama series starring Reed Hadley as Captain John Braddock, a fictional detective working for the San Francisco, California Police Department.
The show aired in syndication for a season (1950) before being picked up by CBS for three seasons (1951–1953). The series was filmed at Hal Roach Studios in Culver City, California, and was sponsored by cigarette manufacturer Philip Morris, hence there was a pack of the sponsor's brand on Braddock's desk at the beginning and end of the episode, as well as occasional scenes of him or other characters "lighting up".
Three episodes were combined and released as a feature film Mobs, Inc. in 1956.
Plot summary
The show dramatized the methods and machinations of con men and bunko artists. At episode's end, Captain Braddock gave viewers advice on how to avoid becoming the victim of the confidence game illustrated in the episode. Plots were based on actual case files from United States police departments, business organizations and other agencies.
Guest stars
The show featured several guest stars who would achieve starring roles in future TV shows:
- Lola Albright (Edie Hart in Peter Gunn)
- Hugh Beaumont (Ward Cleaver in Leave It to Beaver)
- Mary Castle (Frankie Adams in Stories of the Century)
- Jan Clayton (Ellen Miller in Lassie)
- Jackie Coogan (Uncle Fester in The Addams Family), billed as "John L. Coogan"
- Will Geer (Grandpa Walton in The Waltons)
- Dayton Lummis (Marshal Andy Morrison in Law of the Plainsman)
- Eve McVeagh (Frances Moseby in The Clear Horizon and The Red Skelton Show)
- Ewing Mitchell (Sheriff Mitch Hargrove in Sky King)
- Noel Neill (Lois Lane in Adventures of Superman)
- John M. Pickard (Captain Shank Adams in Boots and Saddles)
- Karen Sharpe (Laura Thomas in Johnny Ringo)
- Robert Shayne (Inspector Henderson in Adventures of Superman)
- Frank Wilcox (oil executive John Brewster on The Beverly Hillbillies and Federal District Atty. Beecher Asbury in The Untouchables)
After Racket Squad, Reed Hadley starred from March 1954 to June 1955 in another crime drama on CBS, The Public Defender.
Episodes
Quotes
- R-r-r-r-racket Squad!
- Captain Braddock: (prologue, to the camera) What you are about to see is a real-life story, taken from the files of the police racket and bunco squads, business protective associations and similar sources around the country. It is intended to expose the confidence game - the carefully worked-out frauds by which confidence men take more money each year from the American public than all the bank robbers and thugs with their violence.
- Captain Braddock: (epilogue, to the camera) I'm closing this case now - or rather, the courts will - but there'll be others, because that's the way the world is built. There are people who can slap you on the back with one hand and pick your pocket with the other. And it could happen to you.
DVD releases
Alpha Video released various episodes on DVD Worldwide Distribution.
| DVD Name | Ep # | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| Racket Squad, Vol. 1 | 4 | 2003 |
| Racket Squad, Vol. 2 | 4 | 2005 |
| Racket Squad, Vol. 3 | 4 | 2005 |
| Racket Squad, Vol. 4 | 4 | 2005 |
| Racket Squad, Vol. 5 | 4 | 2009 |
| Racket Squad, Vol. 6 | 4 | 2009 |
Award nominations
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | Emmy Award | Nominated | Best Mystery, Action or Adventure Program | |
| 1955 | Best Mystery or Intrigue Series | |