Racket Squad

Racket Squad is an American TV crime drama series that aired from 1951 to 1953.

Racket Squad
GenreCrime drama
Anthology
StarringReed Hadley
Narrated byHugh Beaumont (1952–1953)
ComposersHerschel Burke Gilbert
Leon Klatzkin
Alexander Laszlo
Herbert Taylor
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes98 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersHal Roach
Hal Roach, Jr.
ProducersCarroll Case
Hal Roach, Jr.
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time23–26 minutes
Production companiesShowcase Productions, Inc.
Rabco Productions[1]
Release
Original networkCBS
Original releaseJune 7, 1951 (1951-06-07) –
September 28, 1953 (1953-09-28)

The format was a narrated anthology drama, as each individual episode featured various ordinary citizens getting ensnared in a different confidence scheme. Episodes were introduced and narrated by Reed Hadley as "Captain John Braddock", a fictional detective working for a police department in a large, unnamed American city. Braddock served as the series' host and narrator.

Synopsis

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.

In the original episodes, Braddock addressed the victim in the second person, addressing the victim directly. In later episodes he narrated in the more conventional third person. Shooting was rapid, with 44 pages of script shot in two days.[2]

Production

The show originally was produced for the syndication market in 1950, was picked up by CBS in 1951, and ran on the network through 1953.[2] The series was filmed at Hal Roach Studios in Culver City, California, and was sponsored by cigarette manufacturer Philip Morris. The shows were produced at a cost of $25,000 per episode, which was cheap for the time.[2] Racket Squad finished at #30 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1951-1952 season.[3]

Three episodes were combined and released as a feature film Mobs, Inc. in 1956.

Guest stars

The show featured several guest stars who would achieve starring roles in future film and television roles:

After Racket Squad, Reed Hadley starred from March 1954 to June 1955 in another crime drama on CBS, The Public Defender.

Episodes
Main article: List of Racket Squad episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
113June 7, 1951 (1951-06-07)August 30, 1951 (1951-08-30)
250September 6, 1951 (1951-09-06)August 28, 1952 (1952-08-28)
335September 4, 1952 (1952-09-04)September 7, 1953 (1953-09-07)

Release

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
Racket Squad, Vol. 7 4 2011
Racket Squad Vol. 8 4 2011
Racket Squad Vol. 9 4 2011
Racket Squad Vol. 10 4 2012
Racket Squad Vol. 11 4 2012

Reception
Year Award Result Category Recipient
1953Emmy AwardNominatedBest Mystery, Action or Adventure Program–
1955Best Mystery or Intrigue Series–

Notes
  1. Ward, Richard Lewis (1995). A History of the Hal Roach Studios. SIU Press. p. 148. ISBN 0809388065. Retrieved May 11, 2015.
  2. Stempel, Tom (July 1996). Storytellers to the Nation: A History of American Television Writing. Syracuse University Press. p. 24. ISBN 978-0815603689. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
  3. https://classictvguide.com/tvratings/1951.htm
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