"The Hell Machine" is a story of persistence & determination against all odds when stuck in German company.
Saunders, Captain Beggs (played by Than Wyenn,) and Private Gavin (superbly played by Frank Gorshin) have an accident while en route to their lines with valuable information. Beggs is seriously injured and cannot walk. Good fortune comes their way when a German tank pulls up to their crashed jeep with 2 dead Germans at the controls who had bought it in the immediately preceding battle.
Can self proclaimed claustrophobe Gavin drive the tank? Does fear captivate him as a German jeep approaches? Or - is Gavin simply afraid of Saunders' wrath? Great, great chemistry & dialog between Vic Morrow & Frank Gorshin make this a suspense laden yet extremely entertaining episode to watch. Chalk up some great imaginative screen writing by Ed Lakso and the viewing audience is in for a real treat. It amazes me how Mr. Lakso did it considering his limited exposure to war genre.
"The Hell Machine" is Frank Gorshin at his best; his facial expressions and reactions are priceless. With Sarge as the driving force, Private Gavin just goes like a famous battery powered bunny we all know.
I absolutely love the lesson of persistence & determination given once again by our enterprising Saunders; he never gives up in dealing with the Germans or Private Gavin. Persistence & determination are synonymous with Sergeant Chip Saunders and I think a lot of it rubbed off on a couple of Combat viewing generations over the years.
If a "Best of Saunders 2" DVD comes out, "The Hell Machine" should be on it. Sit back and enjoy!