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Garrison's Gorillas / The Dirty Dozen (the TV series)

Discussion in 'WWII Films & TV' started by Kuno Von Dodenburg, Aug 7, 2008.

  1. C.Evans

    C.Evans Expert

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    Hi greg, I completely agree with you about the Rat Patrol. I never got to watch it as a kid as it was never shown in reruns in my area-and COMBAT was only shown in rerun once-when I was about 9-anbd was on noon Saturdays.

    I got to watch my first Rat Patrol episode back about 1995. I had just started collecting more and more German stuff, and also reading more-and I was very disappointed with the show and its countless inaccuracies.

    I bought the both seasons on DvD when they came out-as they were not too expensive-and I watched them-barely struggling through most of them but stilll greatly enjoying Christopher George and Hans Gudegast.
     
  2. paul1967

    paul1967 Member

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    I remember the short lived Dirty Dozen tv series with Ben Murphy. I never saw an episode of Garrison's guerrillas however. Combat is still my favorite however. I don't know if going to color ruined it. I wish they would have left it in B&W for the last season. Also didn't Vic Morrow want out? At one point in the show Rick Jason was getting paid for not even showing up. Hanley was okay but Saunders took the cake. On a final note, Ben Murphy played Warren Henry in Winds of War.
     
  3. Greg Canellis

    Greg Canellis Member

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    It was not quite getting paid for not showing up, both Morrow and Jason were paid a high salery even if they did not appear in a Combat! episode, whereas the other actors had to be in an episode in order to get paid. In other words, if an episode featured a Saunders adventure and Hanley was not even in it, Jason still got paid, and vise-versa. It all came down to greed. Morrow was always contracting for a higher salery every year, until the networks just had enough, and the show was cancelled. Again I stress that in 1967, color TV was becoming affordable for the working-class family. If Combat! did not go to color for its last season, they would have been considered behind the times.

    Greg C.
     
  4. ezdyg1944

    ezdyg1944 recruit

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    Garrison's Gorillas TV Show
    CrazyAboutTV.com

    Series Description:
    The Garrison's Gorillas TV show was a 60 minute war/action series on ABC about a group of misfits who were taken from prisons to become commandos who would use their criminal skills against the Germans during World War II. If their maneuvers were successful, they would get Presidential pardons. If they failed, they would be disposed of by a firing squad!
    Garrison's Gorillas Cast:
    Ron Harper ................. Lieutenant Craig Garrison
    Rudy Solari ................ Casino
    Brendon Boone .............. Chief
    Cesare Danova .............. Actor
    Christopher Cary ........... Goniff
    Garrison's Gorillas Trivia:
    The Garrison's Gorillas TV show was obviously inspired by the 1967 movie, "The Dirty Dozen". In fact, Telly Savalas who starred in that movie was a guest star on the very first episode.
    Casino was a safe cracker who could break into just about anything, Chief was an American Indian who could quietly kill with his switchblade, Actor was a pretty-boy con man who could convince anyone of anything, and Goniff was a cat burglar who could get in and out of anyplace without being seen.
    Lieutenant Garrison was a West Point graduate who, after a brief period of difficulty, quickly convinced his "tough-guy" crew that he was tougher than the bunch of them put together.
    Garrison's Gorillas had a pretty nice time slot on Tuesday evenings from 7:30 to 8:30PM. In the same slot, CBS was airing "Daktari" while NBC was broadcasting "I Dream of Jeannie" and the first half of "The Jerry Lewis Show".
    Garrison's Gorillas were "headquartered" in a secluded part of England but their missions were typically behind enemy lines on the continent.
    Episodes List With Original Air Dates
    The First and Only Season
    The Big Con (9/6/1967)
    Breakout (9/13/1967)
    The Grab (9/19/1967)
    Banker's Hours (9/26/1967)
    48 Hours to Doomsday (10/3/1967)
    The Great Theft (10/10/1967)
    The Deadly Masquerade (10/17/1967)
    Now I Lay Me Down to Die (10/24/1967)
    Operation Hellfire (10/31/1967)
    Thieves' Holiday (11/7/1967)
    20 Gallons to Kill (11/14/1967)
    Friendly Enemies (11/21/1967)
    Black Market (11/28/1967)
    The Great Crime Wave (12/5/1967)
    The Magnificent Forger (12/19/1967)
    The Expendables (12/26/1967)
    War Games (1/2/1968)
    Run From Death (1/9/1968)
    The Death Sentence (1/16/1968)
    The Big Lie (1/23/1968)
    Ride of Terror (1/30/1968)
    War and Crime - Part 1 (2/13/1968)
    The Plot to Kill - Part 2 (2/20/1968)
    The Frame-Up (2/27/1968)
    The War Diamonds (3/5/1968)
    Time Bomb (3/12/1968)
     
  5. C.Evans

    C.Evans Expert

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    Ron Harper, I just recognized his name. He was also in the 17 episode long short-lived series: Planet of the Apes-with Roddy McDowell and Mark Lenard (of Star Trek and Spocks Father--fame) as Gen Erko (SP?) I THINK the other of the trio was James NAughton??? Been too long since I last saw the series.
     
  6. A-58

    A-58 Cool Dude

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    I just read on imdb that Garrison's Guerillas was a spin-off from an un-aired episode of Combat! And also this series was a big hit in China in the 80s. Funny how things like that work out.

    I remember watching Combat!, Garrison's Guerillas and The Rat Patrol back in the 60s when I was a kid. Later when I was in the army, I was assigned to Co. D (CSC), 1st Battalion, 325th Abn Infantry of the 82nd Airborne Division. CSC stood for "Combat Support Company." I was in the anti-tank platoon, which was jeep mounted tow weapon systems. We also had a jeep mounted 4.2 (four-duce) mortar platoon, and a recon platoon. The recon platoon was equipped with jeep mounted M-60 machine guns, just like in the Rat Patrol TV show. Of course they called themselves the Rat Patrol. They were cool too....
     
  7. C.Evans

    C.Evans Expert

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    A friend of mine who is a Nam Vet, was in the 7th Cav-two of its Regiments-the 1st and 3rd but never the 2nd. Anyway, he said when they were dlployed, that they used to use code words fom the Star Trek TV series-t=and the enemy KNEW what that was and were allegedly scared shipless whenever these Helo-riders were in the area.
     
  8. sniper1946

    sniper1946 Expert

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  9. Bmurphy52

    Bmurphy52 recruit

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    Another place to find old TV shows on DVD is sell.com, I am a always looking for hard to find, I found serveral listed but not sure on the quality. THE GALLANT MEN was also on when Combat! was on , but it was canceled after one season.
    I purchased the season of THE GALLANT MEN, waiting for it to come in the mail to see the quality.
     
  10. C.Evans

    C.Evans Expert

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    I hope the quality is worth it. Ive seen some of these released on DVD that were copies of the VHS taped shows transferred to DvD. I saw some Andy Griffith Shows like this sold on burned DvDs and the quality was bad on most of them and the sound way too los and the screen way ttooo bright.

    I saw a person selling the entire Twelve O'Clock High TV series on DvD. He qwas asking wellover $100 for them so I passed.
     
  11. Bmurphy52

    Bmurphy52 recruit

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    They have the Twelve O'Clock High series there also, but as you said how good is the quality?? I will post after i get the other one how it is.
     
  12. C.Evans

    C.Evans Expert

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    Looking forward to what you have once your DvDs come in. I might give the place a go-provinding you give a good review on their stuff?
     
  13. Bmurphy52

    Bmurphy52 recruit

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    Well I just got the Gallant Men in the mail today and this is what I got. First there are 5 disks, in sleeves, just regular dvd-r, numbered 1 to 5.
    No cover art, but hey it is a the only season out there.
    I put it in and the picture and sound were to my liking. For $15 delivered not to bad.
    It seems they got the recording off a tv channel called goodlife tv network which is now called all american TV network.

    I anyone wants to know the person I bought them from just leave a post and I will post his name.
     
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  14. C.Evans

    C.Evans Expert

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    Glad to hear these came out good enough. I wouldnt mind having this James Drury series.

    Also, we dont get the ALN here but my Sister gets it and when im there-I watch ASLN for COmbat, 12 O'Clock High and Voyage to the bottom of the sea.

    On another night they have: Land of the Giants and such.
     
  15. TacticalTank

    TacticalTank Member

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    The Rat Patrol eh? I love this series, I borrowed the entire TV series on DVD from my Uncle! I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! It's 10x better than Band Of Brothers in my opinion. I really like Moffit and Tully and I like the episode with the Doctor that Troy takes prisoner and then he takes like that radiation thingy and tricks him =]. Or the episode where the German's and The Rat Patrol have to work together to stop the Arabian's. (Sorry, ADDICTED!)
     
  16. Greg Canellis

    Greg Canellis Member

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    Oh please!
     
  17. RRA227

    RRA227 Member

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    You guys see the Garrison's Gorillas/Rat Patrol cards? Rich A. in Pa.
     
  18. George Patton

    George Patton Canadian Refugee

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    The Rat Patrol is entertaining, but it can't even be compared to Band of Brothers. BoB is as close to a WWII masterpiece as there has been in the past 20 years, while the Rat Patrol is just an fun TV show. I'll emphasize that I like them both, but they simply can't be compared in a linear fashion ('A' is better than 'B'). ;)
     

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