"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)
Lynn Stalmaster		(60 episodes, 1962-1964)
James Lister		(34 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)
William 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:

The distinctive helmet that Vic Morrow's Sgt. Saunders character wore in the series was covered with a piece of nylon cut from a U.S. paratrooper's camouflaged T-5 main parachute canopy, not a cloth Marine Corps cover as assumed by many viewers.

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...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Creeping Terror (#7.6)" (1994)

Combat was one of the best dramas of the 60s

I was all of 4 years old when Combat first aired and 9 when it went off the air. But to this day, I still fondly remember that show. The Combat theme and most of the music for the show is hard to forget. I remember wanting to be like Sergent Saunders---tough but compassionate. And even though, I later started to realize that the squad probably went through a division (ok....maybe not a division.....but at least a regiment) all by itself in the 150 plus episodes, that never detracted from the tension, thrills, and emotion the shows provided. All the regulars did such a great job portraying their characters, I sometimes had a hard time remembering it was only a show and that they were actors. When an ensemble cast can do that, you know they have to be good. And all the great guest stars...too many to mention. This was what TV was meant to be. I just bought the first seasons' dvds and I will definitely continue to purchase the rest of the seasons.