COMBAT, the TV series

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - COMBAT, the TV series

Posted: 3/1/2006 11:13:20 PM EDT

I've been recording this show lately, its on in the middle of the night on the Action channel on DISH network. The stories are OK, but I really watch it to catch some great views of US and German weapons................love those Garands! Anyone else watch this show (or another show) just for the weapons?

Posted: 3/2/2006 5:41:55 AM EDT

[#1]

Been watching it since it was originally on in the 60's. Yes, I'm old. I recently bought the entire series on DVD. Watch closely for mistakes.
Here are three I remember. In one scene there is German soldier hiding behind a wall holding a P38. After the commercial brake he is now holding a Luger.
Another one shows Lt. Hanley shooting a M1 Carbine. The carbine does not have a bayonet lug. After the commerical breake,the rifle now has a bayonet lug. The last one I remember is an SS Officer pulls a Jap Nambu out of his Luger holster.
Guess they didn't pay real close attention to detail back then.

Posted: 3/2/2006 6:12:00 AM EDT

[#2]

My dad watched that a lot when I was a kid, so I grew to like it. I still watch the reruns but hate the colored episodes. That series is part of the reason I'd like to someday own a thompson and a BAR (when I get out of this goddamn commie state!).

I searched for info on the series one day and found a site that talked about what the actors are up to and it was interesting. I didnt know Rick Jason shot himself....sad.

Posted: 3/2/2006 2:39:37 PM EDT

[#3]

I remember watching that show when I was a kid and have not seen it since I was in elementry school (my wifre constantly reminds me how old I am). I did not know it was ever in color as we only had black & white!

I would love to see some reruns but it is never on my crapola cable system. 500 channels of crapulance and not one COMBAT!

I would kill for them DVD's. I'll have to check my video store.

Posted: 3/2/2006 4:26:17 PM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:
I've been recording this show lately, its on in the middle of the night on the Action channel on DISH network. The stories are OK, but I really watch it to catch some great views of US and German weapons................love those Garands! Anyone else watch this show (or another show) just for the weapons?

I watched it for the Emmy Award level acting...

Haven't seen it in maybe 35 or 40 years, but I remember Lt. Hanley, Sarge, Cage, Little John, Kirby and Doc...

I think everyone else always got killed each week...

Posted: 3/2/2006 6:11:40 PM EDT

[#5]

I used to watch this show when I was kid, I really like it. Many of the actors in this show are dead.

"Combat!" (1962) [TV-Series 1962-1967]

Posted: 3/2/2006 6:15:59 PM EDT

[#6]

I was partial to Rat Patrol

It made me want a jeep.

Posted: 3/2/2006 6:17:36 PM EDT

[#7]

Kirby "get the BAR"

Posted: 3/3/2006 9:25:51 AM EDT

[#8]

I remember one episode supposedly taking place in a French village. The GIs were whispering back and forth during a lull in the firefight. Way behind them, through a wide hole in a chain link fence, you could see downtown Hollywood street traffic. Cars, pedestrians, the works.
Wonder what they thought of the noise when the GIs and "Krauts" slugged it out.

Posted: 3/3/2006 10:49:01 AM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
I was partial to Rat Patrol
It made me want a jeep with a .50 cal.

+1. Fixed it for you.

Posted: 3/3/2006 11:20:24 AM EDT

[#10]

I happened to catch an episode on my cable one day and was astounded to see the Germans with G43s! There were more than a couple, too. That really peaked my interest.

Rome

Posted: 3/3/2006 11:52:48 AM EDT

[#11]

In my area its on two channels, Action ch and American Life ch. One of the benefits of working for the cable company is that I get all the chs for free.

Posted: 3/3/2006 11:57:57 PM EDT

[#12]

Combat was filmed 100% in and around the San Fernando Valley area of So. Calif, around 30 miles north of Los Angeles.

Posted: 3/4/2006 12:21:14 AM EDT

[#13]

+1, you might want to watch Gallant Men on the same network, great weapons

Posted: 3/4/2006 7:47:47 AM EDT

[#14]

Quote: "Combat was filmed 100% in and around the San Fernando Valley area of So. Calif, around 30 miles north of Los Angeles."

Ha! Figures. Some would say that they are still there, shooting up the place!

Rome

Posted: 3/4/2006 7:17:07 PM EDT

[#15]

Damn . I haven't seen that that series since I was a kid . They don't show it around here .

Posted: 3/4/2006 8:06:11 PM EDT

[#16]

I really like how the LT. always shot his M2 carbine on full auto from his hip. There are alot of nice Garands on that show. And yes, I've seen G43s in the Krauts hands. At least they are being accurate. I remember seeing Sgt Schultz on Hogans Heroes holding a Krag!

Posted: 3/5/2006 9:32:50 AM EDT

[#17]

Check out Ebay for Combat on DVD for around $30. Damn, now I'll have to get some...

Posted: 3/5/2006 2:41:12 PM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
I remember watching that show when I was a kid and have not seen it since I was in elementry school (my wifre constantly reminds me how old I am). I did not know it was ever in color as we only had black & white!

I would love to see some reruns but it is never on my crapola cable system. 500 channels of crapulance and not one COMBAT!

I would kill for them DVD's. I'll have to check my video store.

Thank you for improving my vocabluary by one word tonight!

Posted: 3/5/2006 3:57:34 PM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
Combat was filmed 100% in and around the San Fernando Valley area of So. Calif, around 30 miles north of Los Angeles.

You are right, as a matter of fact if you watch enough of the shows you will see the same terrain. Take notice of the concrete ditch they often hide in. I have seen it in 10 or 15 different shows. Yes I am old too. I watched it when I was a kid too, it was my favorite show. As a matter of fact if you look at my avatar, it is a picture of Saunders actual helmet I found on a website.

Posted: 3/5/2006 4:36:04 PM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
Combat was filmed 100% in and around the San Fernando Valley area of So. Calif, around 30 miles north of Los Angeles.

Not entirely true; some scenes were filmed in Europe. Stand-ins were used for Hanley and Saunders as the studio was willing to pay for their overseas travel and expenses, but not their salaries. So the stars of the show stayed home. A specific epsiode filmed in France ("The Linesman") had Jack Lord playing a commo NCO.

"During the hiatus between seasons three and four, Gene Levitt took a production crew to Europe for location shooting. Rick Jason remembers, "They came to Vic and me and they said they wanted to shoot six weeks in Europe to get some background stuff for stories next year. They'd already started buying stories, so they knew what they had to shoot footage for. Vic and I said that's nice. They said they'd pay all our expenses. No salary. Vic and I said no."

Lifelong Combat fan here.

Filming locations in the Loire Valley, France.

Posted: 3/6/2006 9:47:49 AM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:
Quoted:
I remember watching that show when I was a kid and have not seen it since I was in elementry school (my wifre constantly reminds me how old I am). I did not know it was ever in color as we only had black & white!

I would love to see some reruns but it is never on my crapola cable system. 500 channels of crapulance and not one COMBAT!

I would kill for them DVD's. I'll have to check my video store.

Thank you for improving my vocabluary by one word tonight!

Actually, thank Archie Bunker for that saying. May he RIP.

And that show was the reason I wanted to take German in high school. So I could understand what the Krauts were saying.

Posted: 3/6/2006 10:32:52 AM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:
.
.Way behind them, through a wide hole in a chain link fence, you could see downtown Hollywood street traffic. Cars, pedestrians, the works.
Wonder what they thought of the noise when the GIs and "Krauts" slugged it out.

Probably nothing because they probably couldn't hear it, or if they did, they knew that people were making a movie. At one time, there used to be very extensive movie making in and around the So. Calif area.

I know for a fact when, I used to work at Univeral Studios, not actaully working for the studio itself, but for a contact company working at the studio, the people in the surrounding neighborhoods would often complain about loud explosions and noises emminenting from the lot all hours of the day and night, and with the help of the Los Angeles City council, finally got the studio to restruct explosions between certain hours. Actually, film production on the lot is a 5 day 24 hours deal, and maybe Sa & Su if the producers want to pay the OT.

panzersergeant: Thank you, I stand corrected, didn't know that. I enjoyed the show tremendously except for the few "errors."

Posted: 3/7/2006 4:48:36 PM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:
Combat was filmed 100% in and around the San Fernando Valley area of So. Calif, around 30 miles north of Los Angeles.

Actually, Combat! was filmed in variety of locations.

Many exteriors were shot at Franklin Canyon, above Beverly Hills. All the various "French Villages" were shot at the "French Village" on the MGM lot (designed to look different from each angle so it didn't appear to be the same village for every episode). A number of episodes in season 4 had exteriors shot in the Loire Valley of France (MGM was too cheap to pay the stars to go to France, so they used doubles and long shots).

Locations

Franklin Canyon
(exteriors for all five seasons)

Korbel Winery
exteriors for "The Losers," "A Walk with an Eagle," "Birthday Cake," "The Gun"

Hop Kiln Winery
exteriors for "Ollie Joe"

Loire, France
exteriors for "The Main Event," "Hear No Evil," "Evasion," "The Linesman"

Mission Vineyard
The third season episode "The Hunter" was shot in Cucamonga at Mission Vineyard winery.

Squaw Valley
Snow scenes for the episodes "Silver Service" and "Mountain Man"

Downtown L.A.
Teaser of "The Partisan" and "The Losers" was shot in downtown Los Angeles at a demolition site

MGM Backlot
The French Village was part of the MGM backlot, which has since demolished.

Euccy Road
Euccy road was part of Lot 3 on the MGM backlot. A portion of Euccy Road still remains today and can be visited.

Thousand Oaks
Exteriors for many episodes were shot at Thousand Oaks, including "Hills Are for Heroes" and the strafing scene from "Gulliver." This area is now condominiums.

Tranca's Beach
Tranca's beach was used as Omaha Beach in "A Day in June"

Bronson Canyon
Bronson Canyon was used in several episodes, including "Thunder from the Hill."

Posted: 3/7/2006 4:51:04 PM EDT

[#24]

I love the show, and have been watching it on and off (when whatever station aired it) for the past 20 or so years.

Posted: 3/12/2006 5:54:59 AM EDT

[#25]

A complete generation of junior Army officers and NCOs learned leadership-by-example from COMBAT! The lessons are still valid today. Mission. Men.

The entire series is now on DVD, all 5 seasons. We (The Colonel and I) are almost 1/2 way thru Season 3. "Tuesday night at 7:30" can be any night here. We don't watch more than one a week.

The bloopers are fun to note, but don't really detract from the stories. Yeah, there's that final scene of the 2-parter with the Brits in the "French" train station with a freeway just beyond the hedge! We had to replay that part to notice it, but the Mustangs and VWs are hard to ignore when you look close. Note Saunders carried spare magazines in a carrier in the first season. I've not seen any recently! They all carried full webgear and real steel helmets the first season too. Steel quickly became plastic. And that French village looks vaguely familar week to week. (Gettysburg junkies can pick out the monuments in many of that film's scenes too.)

We think it justly ironic that SGT Saunders died in Vietnam. (Twilight Zone filming accident a few years later.)

For the girls: Rat Patrol is being released too. I still want a gun jeep, but the episodes are pure fluff compared to COMBAT! But the actors sure are pretty...

-- Chuck

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - COMBAT, the TV series

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