Combat!

wnwitzell

wnwitzell

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During this long hot summer, I have been watching 1-2 episodes of this 60's tv show daily. My father and I eagerly looked forward to this show when it was running on Tuesday nights.
The acting, story lines, and direction have held up extremely well over the years and they had some outstanding guest Redirect Notice
 
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I used to watch it, but it wasn't on my "never miss an episode" list. As I remember, it seemed that there wasn't much difference between episodes. Mainly just killing Germans.
 
Mike said:
Sgt. Saunders(Vic Morrow) with his Thompson was my favorite.
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Back story on Morrow and his Thompson:

When the show was developing, Morrow personally chose the Thompson. However, his costar Rick Jason wisely picked the .30 carbine.

Morrow soon learned the Thompson was heavy, very heavy for him while doing the long hours of filming.

The prop department made for Morrow a lightweight wooden Thompson for his running, jumping action shots and the real Thompson was used for close-ups and Morrow's shooting of it.

Costar Rick Jason was more familiar with weapons and he knew his carbine would kill Germans just as effectively because that's the way the script read.
 
In the early 50's you could buy a kit to make a wooden Thompson, they were very realistic. I wonder if there is some connection to the one made for the series?
 
UncleEd said:
Back story on Morrow and his Thompson:

When the show was developing, Morrow personally chose the Thompson. However, his costar Rick Jason wisely picked the .30 carbine.

Morrow soon learned the Thompson was heavy, very heavy for him while doing the long hours of filming.

The prop department made for Morrow a lightweight wooden Thompson for his running, jumping action shots and the real Thompson was used for close-ups and Morrow's shooting of it.

Costar Rick Jason was more familiar with weapons and he knew his carbine would kill Germans just as effectively because that's the way the script read.
Click to expand...

I liked Jason better, because he was more like me. Morrow/Saunders was a little rougher around the edges.

I think Jason had the .30 carbine because it was standard for officers, and he was a Lt. Saunders was a Sgt. Of course, Maj. Gen. James Gavin was an officer, and he carried a Garand. Must have wanted to kill who he shot. That little carbine gave mixed results. Gavin may have also figured that a watching sniper might not peg him as a senior officer if he was lugging a rifle. And he was fighting for real, not on TV.

I did enjoy, Combat as a kid. It was one of my favorite shows then.
 
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Great series for sure. It's been said that color ":killed" COMBAT. Too many favorite episodes to really pick but--I really liked the ones with Shecky Green in them--especially the one where he was mistaken for a Colonel (played by:Keenan Wynn-who was Colonel Clyde) when he was found by the Germans after he was in an accident. I forget the title of that early season 1 episode but--nobody died and it was a hilarious episode.
greene_shecky.jpg
 
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I've got several full seasons of Combat! on DVD that my youngest son and I would watch during winter when he was younger. I thought they were pretty good and I don't see anything wrong with the color episodes, but I seem to like the B&W ones better.

I used to remember watching Rat Patrol as a kid and it was one of my favorite shows. I picked up season 1 recently and was disappointed at how poor the show was, it just wasn't that good. I barely made it through all the episodes and don't plan on buying season 2.
 
Faulkner said:
I've got several full seasons of Combat! on DVD that my youngest son and I would watch during winter when he was younger. I thought they were pretty good and I don't see anything wrong with the color episodes, but I seem to like the B&W ones better.

I used to remember watching Rat Patrol as a kid and it was one of my favorite shows. I picked up season 1 recently and was disappointed at how poor the show was, it just wasn't that good. I barely made it through all the episodes and don't plan on buying season 2.
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On the: Rat Patrol. I too had picked up the series in the last decade--and absolutely felt cheated. IMO--the best episodes were 2-parters. IF that show had originally been an hour? it wouls have been a GREAT show.
 
Liked the Cajun guy in Combat. Sgt Saunders was always having him check out spots for Germans. Remember him saying "check it out Caj". Also neat to have him interpret French with the locals. Great show.
 
My old Ohio home town used to always have a big Labor Day parade. Once (I think in 1967 or 1968) Rick Jason was the parade Grand Marshall. He was in his "Combat" uniform and helmet with a carbine and riding in a Jeep. Some guy dressed up like a soldier was driving. I don't know who the driver was, maybe someone local. I have a picture of that which I took hidden away somewhere, as I ran across it several years ago.
 
Combat and Rat Patrol were watched weekly by us. My Dad sat mesmerized reliving his WW2 experience. Dad loved the Willys, I developed Willys love too. I have watched a few combat on youtube but not rat patrol.
 
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