Ok gentlemen, here's a subject that might invogorate the old brain cells to come up with some interesting answers.

Are you old enough to remember the original "Combat!" television show during its initial run back in the 1960's, or have you seen it since in its reruns?

Well, if so, who is your favorite character, one that you yourself would like to be cast as and why? Or, if you'd rather, which character portrayed by a guest star would you like to be chosen to play?

As a bonus round, what is your least favorite situation or situations concerning "Combat!".

Here are mine.

My favorite character is Kirby, the BAR man. The reason I enjoy Kirby is because he is the average pfc wishing to get the war over with just so he can get back home, but while he is out there in the war zone, he's willing to pack the heavy hardware to preserve his hide. Slightly out of sight of Lt. Handley, he never misses the chance to get a swipe in at "the brass" when they're not looking, yet has the respect of Sgt. Saunders to the point that when needed, the "Sarge" doesn't mind putting Kirby in charge of the squad.

My favorite guest star, or stars, actually, since I have two are Robert Duvall portraying a German medic who is captured by the squad, and at first none can stand him because of his unwillingness to carry a weapon, yet, after saving Doc, he gains the respect of the squad, and they allow him to go back to his own troops instead of in to a p.o.w. cage. The episode ends with Duvall treating a wounded German soldier.

The other guest star I enjoyed seeing on the show is Lee Marvin as a demolition sergeant assigned to help the squad blow a German held bridge. Why do I like this episode. Because Lee Marvin is, well....Lee Marvin!

What I don't like about the show is that no matter how many Germans are in the opposing force, five, ten, fifteen, twenty, fifty, and supported sometimes by heavy weapons, the U.S. squad always decimates the enemy with only a few wounded, and rarely then. But, it seems that Sergeant Saunders has the record for number of wounds received. I think I read somewhere that he was wounded something like 46 times!

How about any of you other forum members? Care to share your thoughts on probably the most popular television show on World War II ever? Well, at least a U.S. produced show.

Respectfully,

Bill

They used to show reruns on the action channel but not lately. I can remember from that time period they also had anouther WWII show called Gallant Men but I can't recall anything about it at all.

Sgt. Saunders starred in a story where he was wounded and dazed and it was kind of controversial for that time period, and I think the producer got fired over it but I liked it alot.

I did not know he was shot 46 times. It kind of makes me think of Matt Dillon. I wonder how many times he was shot over the decades?

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Greetings!

TA152, the show "The Gallant Men" was an ABC sponsored show that went up against "Combat!" in 1962. ABC television figured that with two shows set in World War II, one had to be a winner. Since "Combat!" was centered around a squad of American G.I.'s in France, "The Gallant Men" was set up around a squad of American G.I.'s in Italy with a war correspondent attatched to tell their story.

As "Combat!" went off in to television history, "The Gallant Men" lasted eighteen episodes, one season, and was cancelled, going off in to television oblivion.

Currently our local cable company is running reruns of "Combat!", and right behind it, they are running "The Gallant Men". I still haven't watched any episodes of the latter.

Bill

Great stuff on Combat and The Gallant Men. Ive never had a chance to see the latter but have heard of it.

Combat on the other hand--I only got to see in re-runs as I wasn't old enough to see them first run--like Star Trek and Hogan's Heroes.

My favorite character in Combat is Cage--the guy who is part French. I don't know why he is my favorite except I like the way his character was--in the show.

I also like the Original Doc better than the one who replaced him. As for other characters I liked but didn't seem to be around long was that GI who wore a como tunic--I don't know the characters name.

Anyway, of all the characters in there--Cage is my favorite.

Now as for guest stars. My absolute favorite guest star was Richard Basehart. He played a Waffen SS Captain--who was in charge of a small POW camp. This was a 2 part episode (which I have on tape) and in these episodes--he really plays it up as an educated SS thug.

Apparently, he already had several GIs captive and soon collected Sergeant Saunders squad too. They were taken to Baseharts little POW camp, and immediately started a plan to escape. Simon Oakland (the sarge in charge of the 1st captured squad) did a fine job in these episodes.

Well--some of Saunders men were being tortured and the POWs were still making plans for an escape. In the end of course--they do escape and also manage to wipe out the Waffen SS unit there--including Baseharts character.

Another favorite guest star was then known as Hans Gudegast--who had been the Afrika Korps Leutnant in the TV show: "The Rat Patrol." Hans Gudegast was a German sniper in this episode.

A town had fallen to the GIs and Gudegast stayed behind and acted like he was a Frenchman. When an opportunity arose--he went out and got one of his rifles--and shot a GI with it--then would dissappear back into the crowd. In the end of course, he got caught and wasted. I have this one on tape as well. [img]smile.gif[/img]

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