"Combat!" (1962) TV series 1962-1967

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Release Date:

2 October 1962 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | War

Plot:

Combat!, a one-hour WWII drama series on television, followed a frontline American infantry squad as they battled their way across Europe...

Plot Keywords:

Infantry | Sergeant | U.S. Army | Uniform | Allies

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 nomination

Cast

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 / ... (112 episodes, 1962-1967)
Dick Peabody	...	Littlejohn / ... (100 episodes, 1962-1967)
Conlan Carter	...	Doc / ... (68 episodes, 1963-1967)

Series Directed by
Bernard McEveety		(31 episodes, 1963-1967)
John Peyser		(27 episodes, 1963-1966)
Sutton Roley		(15 episodes, 1963-1965)
Michael Caffey		(12 episodes, 1966-1967)
Georg Fenady		(11 episodes, 1965-1967)
Robert Altman		(10 episodes, 1962-1963)
Alan Crosland Jr.		(8 episodes, 1964-1966)
Ted Post		(7 episodes, 1963-1964)
Vic Morrow		(7 episodes, 1964-1966)
Burt Kennedy		(6 episodes, 1962-1963)
Paul Stanley		(4 episodes, 1963)
Tom Gries		(3 episodes, 1963-1965)
Laslo Benedek		(2 episodes, 1963)
James Komack		(2 episodes, 1963)
Richard Benedict		(2 episodes, 1966)

Series Writing credits
Edward J. Lakso		(33 episodes, 1963-1967)
Bob Mitchell		(17 episodes, 1963-1966)
Esther Mitchell		(17 episodes, 1963-1966)
Jess Carneol		(11 episodes, 1963-1965)
Kay Lenard		(11 episodes, 1963-1965)
Gene Levitt		(8 episodes, 1962-1965)
Shirl Hendryx		(8 episodes, 1963-1966)
Don Tait		(5 episodes, 1964-1965)
Paul Playdon		(5 episodes, 1966-1967)
George F. Slavin		(4 episodes, 1963-1965)
Bob Frederick		(4 episodes, 1966-1967)
Burt Kennedy		(3 episodes, 1962-1963)
David Moessinger		(3 episodes, 1963-1965)
Anthony Wilson		(3 episodes, 1963-1965)
Gene L. Coon		(3 episodes, 1966)
Tom Seller		(2 episodes, 1962-1964)
Art Wallace		(2 episodes, 1962-1963)
James S. Henerson		(2 episodes, 1962)
William Bast		(2 episodes, 1963-1967)
Hendrik Vollaerts		(2 episodes, 1963-1964)
Luther Davis		(2 episodes, 1963)
Peter Barry		(2 episodes, 1964-1966)
Ron Bishop		(2 episodes, 1964-1965)
Wells Root		(2 episodes, 1964-1965)
William Fay		(2 episodes, 1965-1967)
Ed Waters		(2 episodes, 1965-1967)
Phillip W. Hoffman		(2 episodes, 1966-1967)
James Menzies		(2 episodes, 1966-1967)
Frank L. Moss		(2 episodes, 1966-1967)
Richard Wendley		(2 episodes, 1966-1967)
William Robert Yates		(2 episodes, 1967)

Series Produced by
Selig J. Seligman	....	executive producer (152 episodes, 1962-1967)
Richard Caffey	....	associate producer / producer (141 episodes, 1962-1967)
Gene Levitt	....	producer (88 episodes, 1963-1966)
Georg Fenady	....	associate producer (25 episodes, 1966-1967)
Robert Blees	....	producer (13 episodes, 1962-1963)
Robert Altman	....	producer (7 episodes, 1962-1963)
Burt Kennedy	....	producer (5 episodes, 1962-1963)
Richard P. McDonagh	....	associate producer (5 episodes, 1965-1966)
Lou Morheim	....	associate producer (4 episodes, 1962-1963)
Richard Goldstone	....	producer (4 episodes, 1964)
Michael Caffey	....	associate producer (3 episodes, 1965)
Andy White	....	producer (3 episodes, 1965)
Paul Stanley	....	producer (2 episodes, 1963)

Series Original Music by
Leonard Rosenman		(151 episodes, 1962-1967)

Series Cinematography by
Emmett Bergholz		(117 episodes, 1963-1967)
Robert B. Hauser		(30 episodes, 1962-1963)
Neal Beckner		(3 episodes, 1965-1966)

Series Film Editing by
Richard L. Van Enger		(54 episodes, 1962-1967)
Robert L. Wolfe		(39 episodes, 1963-1967)
Thomas J. McCarthy		(20 episodes, 1965-1967)
Basil Wrangell		(10 episodes, 1963-1964)
Jack W. Holmes		(9 episodes, 1962-1963)
William Mace		(9 episodes, 1962-1963)
Jim Faris		(9 episodes, 1964-1965)
Jim Benson		(3 episodes, 1966)

Series Casting by
Marvin Paige		(88 episodes, 1964-1967)
James Lister		(33 episodes, 1962-1964)

Series Art Direction by
Philip Barber		(131 episodes, 1962-1967)
George W. Davis		(127 episodes, 1962-1966)
Carl Anderson		(7 episodes, 1963)
Eddie Imazu		(5 episodes, 1963-1964)
Marvin Summerfield		(4 episodes, 1964-1965)
Addison Hehr		(2 episodes, 1963)
E. Preston Ames		(2 episodes, 1965-1966)

Series Set Decoration by
Henry Grace		(125 episodes, 1962-1966)
H. Web Arrowsmith		(72 episodes, 1962-1966)
Don Greenwood Jr.		(30 episodes, 1965-1966)
Donald E. Webb		(25 episodes, 1966-1967)
Frank Lombardo		(20 episodes, 1964-1965)
Glen Daniels		(3 episodes, 1963-1964)
Budd Friend		(2 episodes, 1963-1964)
Otto Sieger		(unknown episodes)

Series Production Management
Tom Walker Jr.	....	production supervisor (23 episodes, 1966-1967)
James Moore	....	post-production executive (2 episodes, 1964-1965)
Dennis L. Judd II	....	production supervisor (2 episodes, 1967)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael Caffey	....	assistant director (47 episodes, 1962-1966)
Morris Harmell	....	assistant director (30 episodes, 1962-1964)
Georg Fenady	....	assistant director (29 episodes, 1963-1965)
Harker Wade	....	assistant director (27 episodes, 1964-1967)
Ralph Ferrin	....	assistant director (16 episodes, 1966-1967)
Erich von Stroheim Jr.	....	assistant director (2 episodes, 1966)
Robert Webb	....	second assistant director (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Franklin Milton	....	sound recordist / recording supervisor (127 episodes, 1962-1966)
Bill Edmondson	....	sound recordist (126 episodes, 1962-1966)
Finn Ulback	....	sound effects editor (126 episodes, 1962-1966)
Woodruff H. Clarke	....	sound recordist (25 episodes, 1966-1967)
Jack A. Finlay	....	supervising sound effects editor (25 episodes, 1966-1967)
Van Allen James	....	sound editor (unknown episodes)

Series Special Effects by
A.D. Flowers	....	special effects (77 episodes, 1964-1967)
Bill Ferrier	....	special effects (5 episodes, 1965-1967)
Virgil Beck	....	special effects (4 episodes, 1964-1965)
Bill Pearson	....	special effects (2 episodes, 1965-1966)

Series Stunts
Bobby Somers	....	stunts (7 episodes, 1963-1964)
Jesse Wayne	....	stunt double: French boy / stunt double: Michel Petit (2 episodes, 1962)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Earl C. Williman	....	lamp operator (32 episodes, 1962-1963)

Series Editorial Department
James Moore	....	post-production executive / post-production coordinator (147 episodes, 1962-1967)
Rod Stephens	....	assistant editor / assistant film editor / ... (42 episodes, 1963-1967)

Series Music Department
Leonard Rosenman	....	composer: theme music / composer: title theme (152 episodes, 1962-1967)
Richard Lapham	....	music supervisor / supervising music editor (149 episodes, 1962-1967)
John Fresco	....	music coordinator / music supervisor (73 episodes, 1963-1967)

Series Other crew
Robert Pirosh	....	series developer (120 episodes, 1963-1967)
Richard P. McDonagh	....	story consultant (89 episodes, 1963-1966)
Lloyd Anderson	....	production executive (25 episodes, 1966-1967)
William Robert Yates	....	story editor (25 episodes, 1966-1967)
Richard Caffey	....	production executive (8 episodes, 1962-1963)
Georg Fenady	....	production executive (5 episodes, 1965-1966)

Production Companies

• Selmur Productions

Distributors

• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1962) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• ABC Films (1967-1973) (USA) (TV) (syndication)
• Worldvision Enterprises (1973-1999) (USA) (TV) (syndication)
• Paramount Television (1999-) (USA) (TV) (syndication)
• Atlas (II) (2003) (Japan) (DVD)
• Beam Entertainment (2002) (Japan) (DVD)
• Full Media (2003) (Japan) (DVD)
• Happinet Pictures (2003) (Japan) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD) ("The Complete Series")
• Image Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD) ("The Best of Hanley")
• Image Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD) ("The Best of New Replacements")
• Image Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD) ("The Best of Saunders")
• Image Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD) ("The Best of the Squad")
• NHK-BS2 (????) (Japan) (TV)
• Nostalgia Family Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Pioneer LDC (2003) (Japan) (DVD)

Other Companies

• CBS Studio Center  filmed at (1966-1967)
• Department of the Army  technical assistance gratefully acknowledged
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) Studios  filmed at
• Stalmaster-Lister Co.  casting

Also Known As:

Runtime:

60 min (152 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System) | Mono

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Selmur Productions

Trivia:

Vic Morrow and Rick Jason were essentially co-stars, and for this reason there were two sets of opening credits, some listing Morrow as the lead star before Jason and some listing Jason ahead of Morrow, although not necessarily based on which one had a larger role in a given episode.

Quotes:

Braddock:Don't just stand there sucking on a prune pit, get these men some water!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "21 Jump Street: Christmas in Saigon (#2.11)" (1987)

The Replacements Always Got Killed

From its pixellated artillery airbursts above fixed bayonets title sequence, that seguéd into its rousing march theme, to the end of each show I was one fascinated child. Of course the core of Sgt. Saunders's squad lived through more combat than most WWII infantrymen (casualty figures for the period tell that it was extremely unusual for a unit to have made from Normandy to the Siegfied Line with all its members in combat-ready mental & physical health). And you knew that nearly every guest actor (fresh from the repo depot) would be the casualty in nearly every episode.

I used to think that Rick Jason as Lt. Hanley was soooo handsome! But I best loved Pierre Jalbert as Caje - ruggedly handsome, stoical, lethal to Germans in a firefight. "Caje, take the point," said it all: when Chip Saunders's chips were down he put Caje out front. (Jalbert is a Québecois, not a Louisiana Cajun, which explains his squad-saving fluency in French.)

There was another WWII TV series, 'The Gallant Men', that debuted the same season as 'Combat!' Even as a child I picked up on the rifle fire sound effects paradox between the two shows: in 'Combat!' the M-1 Garands made the the sound of the German Mausers in 'The Gallant Men', but in 'The Gallant Men' the sound effects swapped weapons & armies! I always liked 'Combat!' better than 'The Gallant Men' so that when 'The Gallant Men' was cancelled after one season I thought the better show had survived.

'Combat!'s' writers & directors did well for their time. This was long before gore was shown graphically on TV or in cinema, but the scripts tried hard, and often succeeded, in conveying the privation, filth, & stress of infantry fighting. My uncle is a veteran of Omaha Beach & he didn't think 'Combat!' was realistic, though he never said a word about his own wartime experiences: I suspect they were more like those of the first thirty minutes of 'Saving Private Ryan' & that he wasn't eager to revisit those times even though it's certain they never left him.

'Combat!' often made the German soldiers look like robotic dolts - which they most certainly were not (stats tell grimly that German soldiers inflicted more casulaties per man than any other WWII army). But it's important to be mindful that 'Combat! is Hollywood, not the European Theater of Operations.

For now, gang: "Checkmate King Two to White Rook: Out." (Not bad for a girl, huh?!)