Combat! (1962–1967)

Combat!, a one-hour WWII drama series on television, followed a frontline American infantry squad as they battled their way across Europe. With mud-splattered realism, the show offered ... See full summary »

Stars:

Vic Morrow, Rick Jason, Pierre Jalbert

Nominated for 3 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Vic Morrow	...	Sgt. Saunders (152 episodes, 1962-1967)
Rick Jason	...	Lt. Hanley (152 episodes, 1962-1967)
Pierre Jalbert	...	Caje (115 episodes, 1962-1967)
Jack Hogan	...	Kirby (111 episodes, 1962-1967)
Dick Peabody	...	Littlejohn (97 episodes, 1962-1967)
Conlan Carter	...	Doc (67 episodes, 1963-1967)

Storyline

Combat!, a one-hour WWII drama series on television, followed a frontline American infantry squad as they battled their way across Europe. With mud-splattered realism, the show offered character studies of men striving to maintain their own humanity in the midst of a world torn by war.

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Plot Keywords:

infantry | sergeant | u.s. army | uniform | allies | 

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Genres:

Action | Drama | War

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 October 1962 (USA)

Also Known As:

Combate

Filming Locations:

Bronson Canyon, Griffith Park - 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Selmur Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min 60 min (152 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System) Mono

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

4:3

Did You Know?

Trivia

Several sources have stated that Rick Jason was to carry the M1928A1 Thompson submachine gun. After two days of filming, Jason complained about the weight of the Thompson and switched to the lighter M1 carbine and carried it throughout the rest of the series. Vic Morrow was then given the Thompson to carry. After two weeks, he also complained of its weight. A lighter replica Thompson was made out of wood and was carried by Morrow until it was time for a firefight, at which time he would switch back to the real Thompson. The replica can be seen with its incorrect ejection port.

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Quotes

Sgt. Chip Saunders: [a typical "pep talk" to his squad] ... All right, just knock it off. YOU KNOCK IT OFF! You people make me sick. Go on, look at yourselves. You call yourselves a squad? You're a bunch of GOOF-UPS! Littlejohn, you cause nothing but trouble! You mind everybody's business except your own. From now on, you mind your OWN business and you FOLLOW ORDERS! Kirby - KIRBY! You're a hot-headed show-off who thinks of himself first and everybody else second. You fly off the handle every time you turn around! ...

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Connections

Version of Combat

User Reviews

A Strong Show, Especially for the Early 60's!

Recently I began viewing the episodes of "Combat!" in sequence. I had loved this series as a kid, but was concerned that my return would result in serious disappointment. However, I've been really surprised at how strong the show really is, even after all these years!

The early episodes are a bit shaky because the show is still trying to find its feet. The use of Shecky Greene for comedy relief was an interesting idea, but those situations don't really seem to fit the rest of the show. But as I progress, the shows keep getting stronger, more confident. Yes, more happens to this platoon than would happen to any other unit that size. But, it's TV after all and they keep trying to mix up the scenario to add different plot lines.

Some of the themes considered in what I've seen so far: -The struggle of a new man replacing an old vet. -Challenging a collaborationist to help the resistance (with a good ending!) -How the constant stress of war can break men (a popular theme). -A child trying to join the war, then finding out what that really means.

I also beg to differ with one of the comments made by another reviewer. The platoon doesn't always have what they need. On the contrary, many of the episodes have, at the their heart, the platoon struggling with what they don't have or can't do. I applaud the folks who put this show together. I especially applaud the fact that Germans regularly speak German and French characters regularly speak French and there are no subtitles. Yes, these characters speak English when needed. However, the show often has the men struggling with basic communication and "Caje" is always being asked to translate. A nice touch.

So, if you rent this show, you'll get a pretty decent experience. These episodes will not have the graphic violence of today's military pictures. But the show was perfectly ready to grapple with some pretty complex and tough questions. An admirable effort for its time!