Combat!: Season 01
Part of Series:
Combat! [TV Series]
The most successful of network television's many WWII dramatic series of the '60s, Combat!, ran for five seasons on ABC -- or roughly one year longer than the war lasted! Set in the months following D-Day, the weekly, hour-long series focused on King Company, a platoon of American GIs battling their way through Southern Europe, encountering action, adventure, humor, heartbreak and dozens of guest stars along the way. Throughout the series' run, King Company was headed by gritty, taciturn Sgt. Chip Saunders (Vic Morrow) and his superior officer, cool and courageous Lt. Gil Hanley (Rick Jason). Though several soldiers were attached to the platoon from one season to the next, the most enduring of the supporting players were Pierre Jalbert as Paul "Caje" Lemay, Jack Hogan as "Wild Man" Kirby, and Dick Peabody as PFC Littlejohn. Some of the better episodes were directed by such Hollywood heavyweights as Robert Altman and Burt Kennedy. Filmed in glorious black-and-white during its first four seasons -- the better to accommodate newsreel footage of actual wartime battles -- Combat! switched to color for its fifth and final season on the air. ~ All Movie Guide
Includes Seasons:
Combat!: Season 01
The first season of Combat! follows the exploits of King Company, a platoon of American GI's making their way through occupied Europe in the months just following D-day. In addition to series stars Vic Morrow (as Sgt. Chip Saunders) and Rick Jason (as Lt. Gil Hanley), the 32 hour-long episodes feature a pair of regulars unique to season one: Steven Rogers as medical aidman Doc Walton, and legendary nightclub comic Shecky Greene as wisecracking wheeler-dealer Pvt. Braddock. Highlights include the debut episode, written by prolific science-fiction specialist Richard Matheson under the pseudonym "Logan Swanson"; and the later episode "Hill 256", in which King Company's most reckless GI, Private Kirby (Jack Hogan) is brought up on charges of cowardice under fire. And of course the season yields an impressive crop of guest stars, including Jeffrey Hunter, Howard Duff, Keenan Wynn, Frank Gorshin, Robert Culp, and future Mary Tyler Moore regular Ted Knight. ~ All Movie Guide
Includes Episodes:
Combat!: The Medal
Hanley's life is saved by quick-thinking soldier Vince D'Amato (Joseph Campanella), who in the process is killed by enemy fire. Through a series of misunderstandings, D'Amato's nervous friend Wharton (Frank Gorshin) is given credit for his dead buddy's act of bravery , and is recommended by Hanley for the Silver Star. But does Wharton have what it takes to be a real hero--and what, precisely, is the definition of heroism? This episode was written by Richard Maibaum, better known for his script contributions to the "James Bond" film series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Combat!: The Volunteer
A 13-year-old French orphan named Gilbert (Serge Prieur) wants more than anything to join the US Army. Though he is told to get lost, Gilbert insists upon tagging along with the squad led by Sgt. Saunders (Vic Morrow)--straight to the battlefield. Director Robert Altman tells much of the story from the boy's point of view, a difficult task to pull off in a series of this nature. Future Mary Tyler Moore Show regular Ted Knight is seen as an outwardly amiable German soldier who forces the well-meaning but naïve Gilbert to question his true loyalties. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Combat!: Next in Command
Saunders (Vic Morrow) and his men are saved from an advancing Nazi tank with a heavy barrage of bazooka fire, courtesy of new replacement Cpl. Cross (Ben Cooper). But when the guys try to express their gratitude, Cross nastily rebuffs them. In the days that follow, the corporal proves to be such an ill-tempered jerk that the rest of the platoon is almost wishing he'd be bumped off. Little does anyone know that Cross is harboring a secret which forces him to wall himself off from the others. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Combat!: Off Limits
When he is unexpectedly reunited with his wife Amelia (Peggy Ann Garner), an Army nurse, Cpl. Andy March (Jeremy Slate) begs Saunders (Vic Morrow) to give him a 48-hour pass. Unfortunately, military bureaucracy prohibits Andy from his long-awaited conjugal visit. But that isn't the worst of it: Amelia is secretly carrying on a torrid affair with Army doctor Lew Anders (William Windom). The drama intensifies when, while replacing the temporarily incapacitated Pvt. Kirby (Jack Hogan), March is seriously wounded--and Dr. Anders must perform an emergency operation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Combat!: No Time for Pity
Sequestered in an observation post, a tiny band of German soldiers commandered by dedicated Nazi Kessler (Gunnar Hellstrom) holds off the efforts by Hanley's platoon to capture them. Declaring "the merciful are weak", Kessler threatens to kill his French hostages--including a female librarian named Annette (Denise Alexander) and five children--if Hanley (Rick Jason) makes a move. The only way to break this stalemate and save the hostages is for Annette to play upon Kessler's one and only weakness. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Combat!: Night Patrol
On night patrol in occupied territory, Saunders (Vic Morrow) and his squad come across a cave, wherein resides Lt. Billy Joe Kranz (Skip Homeier). Long separated from his men, the half-crazed Kranz has since that time fought the war in his own peculiar way. Indeed, the lieutenant is now a "law unto himself", at least in his own mind--and this stubborn, self-serving attitude may well doom all of Saunders' men to a speedy demise! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Combat!: Survival
Captured by the Germans, Sgt. Saunders (Vic Morrow) manages to escape during an Allied bombing raid. Severely burned in the shelling, Saunders painfully makes his way through enemy territory and back to the American lines. The ordeal nearly drives him insane, but he relentlessly plods forward, doggedly determined to survive while grimly resigned to the likelihood that sudden death is lurking within every shadow and behind every tree. This classic episode earned an Emmy nomination for star Vic Morrow--and, according to some reports, brought about the firing of director Robert Altman for ignoring the series' "established" format. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Combat!: Battle of the Roses
In a bombed-out French village, Saunders (Vic Morrow) is astonished to come across a well-tended rose garden completely unscathed by the ravages of war. The garden is watched over by a young, mentally challenged girl named Jeanine (Antoinette Bower), who having lost her entire family has retreated into a world of her own. Saunders must convince Jeanine and her elderly guardian Celeste (Penny Santon) to leave the village before the arrival of the Germans, but the girl refuses to budge: she is convinced that as long as her garden is safe, no harm will ever come to her. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Combat!: Hill 256
Accused of cowardice in battle by Sgt. John Metcalf (guest star Robert Culp), Pvt. Kirby (Jack Hogan) faces both a court martial and a firing squad. Though Kirby insists that he retreated during a battle on Hill 256 in the face of heavy machine-gun fire, Metcalf claims that no such guns existed. With only 48 hours at their disposal, Saunders (Vic Morrow) and Caje (Pierre Jalbert) make a treacherous return visit to Hill 256, in search of the evidence that will free their comrade. Though series costar Rick Jason does not appear in this episode, future regular Conlan Carter, aka "Doc", shows up as an MP. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Combat!: The Sniper
Saunders (Vic Morrow) and the men of King Company are greeted as heroes when they march into a recently liberated French village. But the festivities abruptly cease with the sound of gunfire from a hidden sniper, who proceeds to pick off Saunders' squadron, one by one. While conducting a desperate search for the sniper, Saunders concludes that the town's least popular citizen (Gail Kobe) may know more about the elusive killer's whereabouts than she is saying. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Combat!: Season 01
(not reviewed)
General Specifications: | | Language Options: | | | Subtitle Options: | | | Sound Processing: | DD1: Dolby Digital Mono
| | Additional Features: | Notes, oddities, and bloopers by Jo Davidsmeyer
Disc 1: Audio commentary by Joseph Campanella (The Medal)
Disc 2: Audio commentary by Robert Altman (Survival) and audio commentary by Ben Cooper and Tom Lowell (Next in Command)
Disc 3: Audio commentary by Sutton Roley (The Battle of the Roses)
Disc 4: Audio commentary by Ted Post (The Sniper) and audio commentary by Richard Donner (No Trumpets, No Drums) | | DVD Aspect Ratio: | 1.33:1: Pre-1954 Standard
| | MPAA Rating: | | | DVD Discs Included: | 4 | | DVD Sides: | 4 | | DVD DVD Region Code: | 1 | | Content Length: | 749 min | | | DVD Chapters: |
Side #1 -- Episodes 17-20
1. Nuns at Work [3:10]
2. Taking Shelter [11:33]
3. Urgent Care [17:52]
4. Life and Death Situation [10:46]
5. A Man and His Job [2:38]
6. End Credits [:49]
1. Man Down [2:24]
2. Road to Recovery [9:51]
3. One Sore Sergeant [7:05]
4. A Trio of Broken Souls [16:01]
5. Hope for the Wounded [9:53]
6. End Credits [:57]
1. Death Trap [4:01]
2. Selfless Act of Bravery [13:13]
3. A Silver Star [11:41]
4. True Witness [8:51]
5. What Makes Heroes [8:15]
6. End Credits [:58]
1. Liberation [3:09]
2. Persistent Young Soldier [15:43]
3. The New Adjutant [6:24]
4. Gilbert's Mission [13:26]
5. Change of Heart [7:20]
6. End Credits [:58]
Side #2 -- Episodes 21-24
1. The Last Resort [4:36]
2. Prisoners of War [9:21]
3. Desperate Moments [15:55]
4. Staying Afloat [14:28]
5. Burnt-Out [1:41]
6. End Credits [:58]
1. Up in Smoke [4:30]
2. Ace in the Hole [9:14]
3. One-Man Job [8:46]
4. A Wing and a Prayer [12:47]
5. Weak Spot [10:45]
6. End Credits [:58]
1. Just in Time [3:42]
2. One Cross Corporal [12:57]
3. Close Call [7:42]
4. A Cry for Help [16:34]
5. The Way it Goes [5:08]
6. End Credits [:48]
1. Lone Wolf [4:03]
2. The Mission [9:10]
3. Lieutenant's Home [9:26]
4. Inside Billy Joe [12:24]
5. Still Fighting [10:55]
6. End Credits [:57]
Side #3 -- Episodes 25-28
1. A Real Hospital [2:55]
2. Lt. Mrs. March [10:33]
3. Casanova Kirby [10:56]
4. Guilty Parties [16:57]
5. Moment of Truth [4:40]
6. End Credits [:59]
1. Say Cheese! [5:19]
2. Looking for Action [10:37]
3. Liberation? [15:09]
4. No Traitors in Trois Anges [8:03]
5. Now I Know [6:53]
6. End Credits [:59]
1. Untouched by War [3:25]
2. Saving Civilians [14:13]
3. Winning Her Trust [16:20]
4. Back to Serenity [4:34]
5. Finding Peace [7:26]
6. End Credits [:59]
1. Court-Martial [2:44]
2. Sergeant Metcalf [9:43]
3. Elimination of Cowards [8:12]
4. Secret Mission [13:04]
5. Kirby Takes the Stand [12:16]
6. End Credits [:50]
Side #4 -- Episodes 29-32
1. Rest and Recreation [3:15]
2. Chasing a Ghost [11:41]
3. Partner in Crime [8:35]
4. A Helpful Tip [14:21]
5. Redemption [8:13]
6. End Credits [:57]
1. A Fortunate Miss [4:13]
2. By the Book [10:07]
3. Cute Squad Addition [7:58]
4. Sarge's Soft Spot [7:58]
5. Crossing the Bridge [15:43]
6. End Credits [:56]
1. Heavy Engagement [2:15]
2. Lawson's Reputation [7:20]
3. One-Man Army [8:13]
4. On Borrowed Time [16:49]
5. A New Soldier [10:35]
6. End Credits [:57]
1. Unfortunate Accident [2:59]
2. A Broken Man [9:11]
3. Micheline [13:09]
4. Caje's Duty [11:40]
5. The Bigger Battle [8:58]
6. End Credits [:48]
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