The Man Behind the Badge is a half-hour American television police drama series which aired on CBS from October 11, 1953, to October 3, 1954.[1] originally hosted by Norman Rose. In its second syndicated season, the host became character actor Charles Bickford.[1]
| The Man Behind the Badge | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Police drama |
| Developed by | Prockter Television Enterprises |
| Directed by | John Peyser, Paul Landres |
| Starring | Norman Rose (1953-1954)/ Charles Bickford (1955) (Host) |
| Theme music composer | Melvyn Lenard |
| Country of origin | USA |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 52 episodes (live, 1953-1954) 38 episodes (filmed, 1955) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Bernard J. Prockter, Jerome C. Robinson |
| Editor | Fred W. Berger |
| Running time | 30 mins. |
| Production companies | Prockter Television Enterprises Revue Studios MCA TV |
| Distributor | MCA TV (1955) |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS Syndicated |
| Picture format | 1.33:1 monochrome |
| Audio format | monaural |
| Original release | October 11, 1953 (1953-10-11) – September 24, 1955 (1955-09-24) |
Beginning in January 1955,[citation needed] a filmed version of the program was syndicated to local stations by MCA TV.[2]
In an interview with Kliph Nesteroff, assistant director Arthur Marks stated the filmed episodes were shot at the same time and on the same sets as Treasury Men in Action.[3] Bernard J. Prockter produced the series in Hollywood.[2]
The series is based on real crime stories from around the world.[citation needed] In addition to police, the subjects of episodes included judges, park rangers, parole officers, and public defenders. Topics of episodes included divorce, life in a boys' home, and rehabilitation.[1]
Recurring Roles and Notable Guest Stars:
| Actor | Role | Appearances |
|---|---|---|
| Norman Rose | Himself | 52 episodes |
| Charles Bickford | Himself | 38 episodes |
| Charles Bronson | Ralph | "The Case of the Invisible Mark" (1955) |
| Paul Brinegar | 3 episodes | |
| Sam Flint | 3 episodes | |
| Vivi Janiss | 2 episodes | |
| Carolyn Jones | Louise | "The Case of the Desperate Moment" (1955) |
| Ann McCrea | Laura | "The Case of the One-Armed Bandits" (1955) |
| Paul Newman | "The St. Paul Story" (1953) | |
| Leslie Nielsen | 2 episodes | |
| Anthony Perkins | Pedro | 2 episodes |
| Lillian Powell | 3 episodes | |
| Denver Pyle | Detective Lashley | "The Case of the Crying Lady" (1955) |
| Jason Robards | "The Case of the Last Escape" (1954) | |
| Lee Van Cleef | Floyd | "The Case of the Desperate Moment" (1955) |
| Jack Warden | "The Portland, Oregon Story" (1953) |