Target: The Corruptors!
Logo of Target: The Corruptors Marino, 1961
GenreCrime drama
Created byLester Velie
Written byHarry Essex
Harry Kleiner
Christopher Knopf
Dick Nelson
Lester Pine
Les Ralston
Adrian Spies
Palmer Thompson
Directed byWilliam Conrad
Walter Doniger
Arthur Hiller
Józef Lejtes
Don Medford
John Peyser
StarringStephen McNally
Robert Harland
Harold J. Stone
Theme music composerRudy Schrager
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes35
Production
Executive producersLeonard J. Ackerman
John H. Burrows
ProducersMort Abrahams
Leonard J. Ackerman
John H. Burrows
Everett Chambers
Joseph Dackow
Vincent M. Fennelly
Stanley Kallis
Don Medford
CinematographyCharles Burke
George E. Diskant
Gilbert Warrenton
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time48 mins.
Production companiesFour Star Television
Velie-Burrows-Ackerman Productions
Original release
NetworkABC
ReleaseSeptember 29, 1961 (1961-09-29) –
June 8, 1962 (1962-06-08)

Target: The Corruptors! is an American crime drama series starring Stephen McNally that aired on ABC from September 29, 1961 to September 21, 1962,[1] from 10 to 11 p.m. on Fridays.[2] The Navy Motion Picture Service also made some episodes available on 16 mm film for showing aboard ship to personnel of the United States Navy.[3] The series's title in syndication was Expose.[2]: 433 

Plot

Paul Marino is a newspaper columnist, and Jack Flood is his assistant.[1] Together they investigate criminal activity and expose organized rackets and corruption.[4] In each episode they probe a different type of illegal activity such as bookmaking, charity scams, prostitution, and protection rackets.[2]

The New York Times wrote that the first episode "indicated that the stress here may be more on violence and sensationalism than on the social phenomenon under study."[4]

Lester Vielie, one of the series's creators, said that the program was an attempt to make a different kind of series for television, one that combined "the resources of investigative journalism with the drama of television".[5] He added that involving viewers in contemporary situations that affected people's lives would be a unique approach for a dramatic series. After the show ended, Vielie had no explanation for its cancellation by ABC, especially considering its high Nielsen ratings.[5]

Cast

Main cast

Robert Harland as Jack Flood and Stephen McNally as Paul Marino

Guest stars

Production

The series was produced by Four Star Television.[7]: 2368  The producers were Leonard Ackerman and John Burrows. Gene Roddenberry wrote for at least one episode.[1] Sydney Pollack directed the episode "The Wreckers".[8]

In the opening episode, cameras used extreme closeups to show faces "in a way that projects them almost physically and uncomfortably into the living room."[4]

Senate hearing

Target: The Corruptors! was considered as part of an investigation by the Subcommittee to Investigate Juvenile Delinquency of the Committee on the Judiciary of the United States Senate. On July 28, 1961, a hearing focused on violence and crime on television, especially with regard to their depiction when many children were watching.[7]

Episodes

No. Title Directed by Written by Original air date
1"The Million Dollar Dump"Don MedfordStory by : Palmer Thompson
Teleplay by : Palmer Thompson & Don Brinkley & Christopher Knopf		September 29, 1961 (1961-09-29)
2"Pier 60"Walter DonigerPalmer ThompsonOctober 6, 1961 (1961-10-06)
3"The Platinum Highway"Jules BrickenChristopher KnopfOctober 13, 1961 (1961-10-13)
4"The Invisible Government"Robert Ellis MillerEllis KadisonOctober 20, 1961 (1961-10-20)
5"The Poppy Vendor"John PeyserLes PineOctober 27, 1961 (1961-10-27)
6"Bite of a Tiger"John NewlandDavid KarpNovember 3, 1961 (1961-11-03)
7"Touch of Evil"Irving LernerLuther DavisNovember 10, 1961 (1961-11-10)
8"Mr. Megalomania"Don MedfordAdrian SpiesNovember 17, 1961 (1961-11-17)
9"The Golden Carpet"Josef LeytesStory by : Ellis Marcus
Teleplay by : Ellis Marcus & Harold Callen		November 24, 1961 (1961-11-24)
10"To Wear a Badge"Walter DonigerStory by : Gene Roddenberry
Teleplay by : Harry Essex		December 1, 1961 (1961-12-01)
11"Silent Partner"Don MedfordStory by : David Chandler & Shimon Wincelberg
Teleplay by : Shimon Wincelberg		December 8, 1961 (1961-12-08)
12"Prison Empire"William ConradHarry EssexDecember 15, 1961 (1961-12-15)
13"The Fix"James SheldonCarey WilberDecember 22, 1961 (1961-12-22)
14"Quicksand"Josef LeytesJack CurtisDecember 29, 1961 (1961-12-29)
15"A Man is Waiting to Be Murdered"John PeyserLouis LantzJanuary 5, 1962 (1962-01-05)
16"One for the Road"Donald McDougallPaul KingJanuary 12, 1962 (1962-01-12)
17"Play it Blue"William ConradStory by : Richard Landau
Teleplay by : Alexander Richards & Harry Essex		January 19, 1962 (1962-01-19)
18"Chase the Dragon"Don MedfordHarry KleinerJanuary 26, 1962 (1962-01-26)
19"The Middle Man"David AlexanderMorton Fine & David FriedkinFebruary 2, 1962 (1962-02-02)
20"Viva Vegas"Walter DonigerLes PineFebruary 9, 1962 (1962-02-09)
21"Fortress of Despair"Arthur HillerGilbert RalstonFebruary 16, 1962 (1962-02-16)
22"The Wrecker"Sydney PollackDick NelsonMarch 2, 1962 (1962-03-02)
23"Babes in Wall Street"William ConradStory by : Daniel Mainwaring
Teleplay by : Daniel Mainwaring & Harry Essex		March 9, 1962 (1962-03-09)
24"My Native Land"William ConradStory by : Bruce Geller
Teleplay by : Jerry Sohl & Harry Essex		March 16, 1962 (1962-03-16)
25"The Malignant Hearts"Don MedfordJohn WryMarch 23, 1962 (1962-03-23)
26"A Man's Castle"William ConradLes PineMarch 30, 1962 (1962-03-30)
27"Journey into Mourning"William ConradChristopher KnopfApril 13, 1962 (1962-04-13)
28"The Blind Goddess"Harry KellerHarry KleinerApril 20, 1962 (1962-04-20)
29"A Book of Faces"William ConradDick NelsonApril 27, 1962 (1962-04-27)
30"License to Steal"UnknownUnknownMay 4, 1962 (1962-05-04)
31"Yankee Dollar"William ConradUnknownMay 11, 1962 (1962-05-11)
32"The Organizers: Part 1"UnknownUnknownMay 18, 1962 (1962-05-18)
33"The Organizers: Part 2"UnknownUnknownMay 25, 1962 (1962-05-25)
34"Nobody Gets Hurt"UnknownUnknownJune 1, 1962 (1962-06-01)
35"Goodbye Children"UnknownUnknownJune 8, 1962 (1962-06-08)

References

  1. ^ a b c McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 818. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
  2. ^ a b c d e Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (June 24, 2009). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Random House Publishing Group. p. 1358. ISBN 978-0-307-48320-1. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  3. ^ "List of New Motion Pictures And TV Series Available To Ships and Overseas Bases". All Hands: The Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin. February 1963. pp. 46–47. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e "'Father of the Bride' Seen in Premiere". The New York Times. September 30, 1961. p. 51. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Daniel, Douglass K. (January 1, 1996). Lou Grant: The Making of TV's Top Newspaper Drama. Syracuse University Press. pp. 11–12. ISBN 978-0-8156-0363-4. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  6. ^ Sculthorpe, Derek (October 4, 2018). Edmond O'Brien: Everyman of Film Noir. McFarland. p. 197. ISBN 978-1-4766-7443-8. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  7. ^ a b Hearings before the Subcommittee to Investigate Juvenile Delinquency of the Committee on the Judiciary of the United States Senate: Eighty-Seventh Congress, First Session. United States Senate. pp. 2365–2403. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  8. ^ Meyer, Janet L. (August 13, 2015). Sydney Pollack: A Critical Filmography. McFarland. p. 10. ISBN 978-1-4766-0979-9. Retrieved February 26, 2023.

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