Combat!

1962

Combat!

8.4 | TV-PG | en | Drama

Combat! is an American television program that originally aired on ABC from 1962 until 1967. The show covered the grim lives of a squad of American soldiers fighting the Germans in France during World War II. The program starred Rick Jason as platoon leader Second Lieutenant Gil Hanley and Vic Morrow as Sergeant "Chip" Saunders.

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Seasons & Episodes

EP1 The Gun

Sep. 13,1966

After their tank is distorted Saunders decide to use a German gun to blow up a German bunker. They have to push the gun to the target. When things start going wrong the men start believing the gun a jinx.

EP2 The Losers

Sep. 20,1966

This is Combat's version of The Dirty Dozen. Saunders & Littlejohn arrives in a town to pick up 6 men. They find that everyone is leaving or has left. They find 4 prisoners locked in a cell. Saunders decides to use these men to finish the mission he & Littlejohn were sent to do.

EP3 Ollie Joe

Sep. 27,1966

Ollie Joe's Lt. dies before he can Worn Saunders about Ollie. Saunders realize that something not right with Ollie. When he pulls his gun on Sarge & calls him Lt. Saunders put 2&2 together & comes up what was wrong. With Ollie dying Saunders tell him that he was GI perfect

EP4 The Brothers

Oct. 04,1966

Hanley & his men join up with 2 members of the underground. 2 brothers, the elder-the head of the underground in the area, the youngest-who follows his brother, but! really don't have what it takes to be part of the underground. The elder refuses to see his younger brother is not cut out for the kind of life they live. When he realize that his brother not cut out for this life it to late.

EP5 The Chapel at Able-Five

Oct. 11,1966

Saunders is blinded and a companion killed by a land mine explosion as they attempt to get vital information back to their lines. The blinded Saunders is rescued by a German chaplain who pretends to be English to get Saunder's help in carrying a wounded German captain to safety.

EP6 A Child's Game

Oct. 18,1966

The squad must find a way to get a squad of teens to surrender. With time running out Saunders lets their leader go back in to talk them out.

EP7 The Letter

Oct. 25,1966

A replacement arrives that reminds Saunders of his kid brother, who he just found out has dropped out of high school and enlisted.

EP8 Headcount

Nov. 01,1966

Saunders is saddled with 18 German prisoners with only four men to guard them. Transporting them by foot, he encounters unexpected hazards and complications from a mysterious prisoner, Corporal Wiltz, who had allowed himself to be captured.

EP9 Decision

Nov. 15,1966

Pvt. Harris is sent to go out with the squad as a demolition man.The asignment is to blow up a radio station. On the way Doc finds out that Harris is a Doc. After the second asignment Harris must make a decision if he want to be a Doc. or run away from what he is.

EP10 The Outsider

Nov. 22,1966

The squad don't take to the new man Cully a Hillbilly from Virginia. Littlejohn befriends Cully and tries to get the others to give Cully a chance. When the Germans are spotted heading for the town Littlejohn goes looking for Cully, who has gone back to look for his money. Cully gets back to the OP (unaware of the Germans) wanting to know if anyone seen his money. Leaving Littlejohn to face the enemy alone.

EP11 Conflict

Nov. 29,1966

Exhaustion and lack of sleep cause a breakdown of morale in Saunder's squad. After two days of continuous patrol in bad weather, Caje and Littlejohn are at each others throats.

EP12 Gulliver

Dec. 06,1966

A group of children finds a wounded Littlejohn. They take him to where they live. Then they try to sell him to the Americans & the Germans

EP13 The Bankroll

Dec. 13,1966

After an exhausting 24 hour pass that left him broke, hungover, and happy, Kirby gets a new guy to back him in a poker game.

EP14 Cry for Help

Dec. 20,1966

On a mission to destroy an observation post, Hanley's patrol encounter a German machine gun nest, losing two men and picking up a German medic.

EP15 The Furlough

Dec. 27,1966

When Private Vincent is killed shortly before he is to go on a week's furlough, Saunders travels to England to deliver his bequest to Ann Tinsley, the director of an orphanage. During his time in London, he gets to know the children, and sees how they have suffered during the war. In addition, he becomes friendly with Ann, and an attraction begins to develop between them.

EP16 Entombed

Jan. 03,1967

After rescuing captive French resistance fighters, the squad regroups in an abandoned mine. When the Germans attack, Germans, French, and Americans are all trapped. They form a pact to work together to dig their way out of the cave, and soldiers learn something about the humanity of the enemy.

EP17 Gadjo

Jan. 17,1967

French gypsies vie with Saunders' squad over possession of a German prisoner. The German officer slaughtered their camp of 78 men, women, and children and the gypsies want revenge.

EP18 Anniversary

Jan. 24,1967

A French resistance fighter who has lost his wife and daughter in the war becomes a lone avenger killing Americans and Germans alike.

EP19 Encounter

Jan. 31,1967

Capt. Cole (James Daily) is Reunited with his son Jack (James MacArthur).The Capt. hadn't seen his son in years. Jack now a reporter, sent to the front to cover the war. The squard assignment is to help the Capt. find the best place to build a pluntune bridge. While encountering the Germans at a farmhouse. Jack & his Father (Capt. Cole) are able to mind their fences. Jack get his story. A father & son find each other again.

EP20 The Gantlet

Feb. 07,1967

Captured by Germans, Saunders is placed aboard a prison train bound for Germany. He escapes and is saddled with Sgt. Decker, who would have been content to sit out the war in a POW camp.

EP21 The Masquers

Feb. 14,1967

o one can tell friend from foe as Germans infiltrate dressed as Allied solders. Kirby separated from the squad interrogates Driskoll an American GI who thinks Kirby is a German.

EP22 A Little Jazz

Feb. 21,1967

A USO jaz troupe, led by an arrogant Bernie Wallace, causes Saunders trouble. Saunders rescues them from a German attack and their gratitude is underwhelming.

EP23 Nightmare on the Red Ball Run

Feb. 28,1967

Kirby & Littlejohn agrees to help Rosie drive his trucks. After they agree to help, they find out that the trucks are carrying ammo. They must get the trucks to the front, where they are almost out of ammunition. While trying to get there they run into many delays including the enemy.

EP24 Jonah

Mar. 07,1967

A new man believes he is bad luck and when things start happening the other in the squard start believing him.

EP25 The Partisan

Mar. 14,1967

A wonded Caje is captured-A wonded Saunders try to get help from a blind girl & her boyfriend (a deserter) to rescue Caje from the Germans & back to the American lines

8.4 | TV-PG | en | Drama , War & Politics | More Info

Released: 1962-10-02 | Released Producted By: , Country: United States of America Budget: 0 Revenue: 0 Official Website:

info

Genre

Drama , War & Politics

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Cast

Rick Jason , Vic Morrow , Jack Hogan , Tom Lowell

Director

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Top Credited Cast
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Crew

Rick Jason

as Lieutenant Gil Hanley

Around the World in 80 Days Illegally Yours Partners The Best Place to Be The Witch Who Came from the Sea Who Is the Black Dahlia? A Time for Love The Day of the Wolves Eagles Attack At Dawn Prudence and the Chief

Vic Morrow

as Sergeant Chip Saunders

Elvis: A Life in Music Death Scenes 2 Twilight Zone: The Movie 1990: The Bronx Warriors The Last Shark B.A.D. Cats Humanoids from the Deep The Last Convertible The Seekers Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar

Jack Hogan

as William G. Kirby

Houston, We've Got a Problem Sierra Combat! The Cat Burglar Paratroop Command The Legend of Tom Dooley The Bonnie Parker Story Man from Del Rio Now Is Tomorrow

Tom Lowell

as Billy Nelson

The Secret Behind Escape Riots & Revolutions: Confronting the Times Attack on Fear Escape from the Planet of the Apes The Boatniks The Gnome-Mobile Bonanza: Ride the Wind That Darn Cat! Kilroy The Carpetbaggers

Combat! Audience Reviews

Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

Fairaher The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Clarissa Mora The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

Bessie Smyth Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

kimmed51-45-875436 What I remember as a kid was just how easy the German soldiers were killed and how hard it was for the Germans to kill an American. As little I understood about anything as a ten year old I understood that. Whenever a German was shot he would spring up to his feet with his chin up in the air and was hit by three or four more bullets so he died for sure and not have to be treated by the medic. As observed in other reviews only the replacement non regular Americans were killed. Except Long John who was shot probably a dozen times over the years but it was always a shoulder or leg flesh wound. I guess during WWII you had to be shot up pretty good to go home.In fact every time I watch Combat today on Me TV I still wonder why it took four years to beat the Germans. If they fought as poorly as they do on Combat the European theater should have ended by spring of 1942. Of course I didn't see it at the theater but on TV.

paskuniag I never missed a show for the first three or so seasons. I knew all about the men of the squadron, but I had questions the show didn't answer, like how come Lt. Hanley wasn't on every week? Did he have obligations elsewhere that occasionally kept him from leading his men into combat? This meant that, once again, most of the grunt work was done by the sergeant and the other non-coms. Also, why did every French town they went into have a river with a step bridge over it? It's like that TV executive I saw in a movie once who said that the audience wasn't smart enough to notice little things like the above. An eight-year-old noticed it. So much for the intelligence of TV executives, whose IQs haven't risen much some 50 years hence.The end of "Combat" came as a result, I guess, of the media's turning on the soldiers fighting in Vietnam. The news readers' anti-war stance suddenly made the depiction of fighting men on TV unfashionable. While it was on, it gave me an idea of what it was like for my father to do battle in little French towns like the ones Sgt. Saunders and his men fought in.

jdeme I was born during a war and grew up with war in the headlines of newspapers thru-out the USA. In grade school thru high school we were at war in Vietnam and little did I know I would be in a war that lasted long enough to be drafted. In reality war is very, very terribly, horrible. I don't see any wrong in showing and telling about war and learning from it. Combat did not glorify war but told about emotions and how men deal with them in any circumstance. Combat should have gotten the Oscar for a televised series. It was the equivalent to what SAVING PRIVATE RYAN was on the movie theater. All hands down, there could not have been a most perfectly chosen cast for a squad of men and the German counterparts of which some of them were regularly casted as German Soldiers. Most people don't like too much foreign dialect in a movie, but COMBAT was an exception with both French & German spoken. It made it more real. A viewer could almost understand what they were basically saying in German if you watched every episode such as I. It is great to see it back on cable television 5 times a week and now on DVD. It brings back memories of growing up in the black and white days of television. Combat made it into the new color-cast TV era. Each & everyone of the squad deserved to have their handprints in cement. In 1999 the cast held a reunion of COMBAT and another one a couple of yrs. later. A 3rd one was in the planning stages til Ric Jason died. The public was invited to these reunions, one in Las Vegas and the 2nd one in Florida on a cruise ship. Since then Little John and Lt.Hanson passed away. I guess there will be no more since the main characters, Sgt Saunders,Pvt.Little John and Lt.Hanson have gone. It's a shame the recognition of such professional acting when television was still in early stages that these actors weren't given their due. When I hear the death of one pass on a little bit of me goes with them. There won't be another series of any war on TV that could touch the "COMBAT" series. I liked Sheckey Green as the jokester in "COMBAT,S" 1st year,but he quit because of doing Las Vegas Shows at the same time they were shooting "COMBAT". After he left the show it got more serious and very dramatic in the episodes that followed. I don't think his comedy would have fit in the show as the producers were feeling around on the scripts that were written for each and every show. It seemed everyone in the squad had a special script written for them. I have watched every episode,each & every year and found it to be that they all had their moments thru-out the series. One could see the individuality of their acting abilities. They all deserve an Oscar. This show was about a squad of men and a special guest star of "TOP Hollywood ACTORS",some in the prime of their movie career. This was unique at the time when a big "MOVIE ACTOR" would take the time to do a special appearance on a Television Series and the names were "BIG"- Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson,Sal Mineo,James Coburn,Richard Basehart,James Caan,Robert Duvall and the list goes on. You couldn't imagine the series "COMBAT" without a lowly Private named Kirby who was the squad's BAR MAN and could find a way to get into trouble accidentally but you could count on him and his BAR to cover your back; French speaking PFC Caje,whose character fit to a tee from D-DAY,Normandy thru their push into France; Little John,a giant of a man and Billy who buddied up to each other just as in real war; Mother Goose,Sgt Saunters who kept the squad in line and also had a lot of input in most episodes; LT. Hanley who led the charge in a lot of episodes and sometimes stayed in the background giving orders to Sgt Saunders to carry out; and two different Medics in the series,Actor Conley being the most recognized of the two. The series would not be what it became in the 5 years it ran on TV. The ingredient's was a perfect mix of cast members,writers,producers and directors. It surely was one of a kind and I don't think there ever will be another mix of so many characters that blended so well together in one series and each and every episode so different and not just about war. I think "COMBAT" is at least just as popular now in syndication on Cable Television and DVD then when it was being produced in 1962-1967. Since WWll there is Korean, Vietnam,Grenada,Gulf Warl and Gulf Warll veterans and great grand children to sons and daughters of veterans have more interest in our history of wars especially WWll movies,documentaries and books.

P_Cornelius I realize that Combat! was about the "drama" and the psychological portrayal of men under the most extreme pressure. But I can never get over the absurd battle scenes. I felt this way when I was seven years old and watching Combat! when it first premiered back in the early 60s, and I feel the same way when I watch it in reruns. It is simply impossible to believe that the Germans were ALWAYS willing to run OUT from under cover and stand still as a statue so Sgt. Saunders and pals could wipe them out in a flash. And if a German sniper, taking minutes to carefully draw a bead with his scoped weapon, ever dared shoot at the "squad", then you could count on the fact that he would certainly miss and just throw up dirt right beside "the sarge", who would then immediately twirl around, machine gun on hip, burp out a couple of rounds, which would magically find the sniper hiding in the tree 3/4 of a mile away. Of course, the squad sometimes was taken by surprise. But those German heavy machine guns, mortars, grenades, and field guns never QUITE hit anybody, except for maybe wounding that week's guest star. And then ole sarge would yelp out the only tactical command he apparently EVER learned in basic training: "flank 'em, Kirby!". "Flank 'em"???? You'd think he could at least occasionally mutter out an "A team lay a base of fire; B team maneuver". Nope. Just "flank 'em". The utter lack of combat realism makes this show annoying. And I haven't even begun to talk about the ever present (overly sensationalized) French Underground, which, according to Combat! must have numbered hundreds of thousands of men, women, and juveniles. Ugh. Enough, already!