Customer Reviews

Combat - Season 4, Conflict 2

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I reviewed COMBAT SEASON 4 CONFLICT 1 where I highlighted some episodes of the season. I want to devote this review to only one episode, HILLS ARE FOR HEROES, which I consider to be one of the finest war movies ever made!

Hills are for Heroes was a 2 part episode which appeared late in the season. It is directed by Vic Morrow and you see the beginnings of what might have been a fine directing career. The story centers on Hanley (Rick Jason) who is ordered to capture two hills, both of which are guarded by bunkers with heavy machine guns. Each attempt to take the hills results in failure, and Hanley begins to question his own effectiveness and leadership. A wounded Saunders provides the support Hanley so desperately needs. To compound the problem, Kirby becomes the voice of the squad as he argues about the stupidity of their efforts. He becomes the powerful moral center of the piece as the body count continues to rise.

If you are familiar with the film HAMBURGER HILL (made many years later), then you have a firm comparison on how this COMBAT episode is structured. HILLS ARE FOR HEROES foreshadows what will become commonplace in Vietnam, namely, the inanity of war, and the great expense of lives for meaningless territory.

Rick Jason, and especially Jack Hogan, does some of there best work in this episode, no doubt encouraged by Vic Morrow's capable directing hand. Some of the scenes are simply incredible. For example, one of the soldiers is shown dying through his eyes, and everything spins about him in slow motion. This first person account of death brings the point home, and Morrow handles it well. The scenes of the interior of the bunkers, and the German soldier manning the machine gun are shot at menacing angles. Even quieter moments, such as Kirby touching an exposed plant root, contemplating that this might be the last thing he touches, are expertly handled by Morrow. Besides the great action set pieces, there is time to flesh out the characters, especially the "Green Shirts", or secondary roles.

I know I run the risk of over hyping Hills are for Heroes to the point where you might end up disappointed, but I am so certain you will enjoy this episode, that you will find the purchase of CONFLICT 2 worth it for this episode alone. As I mentioned previously, this two part episode ranks as one of the best war movies ever produced, and it is a lasting testament to the late Vic Morrow and Rick Jason.

Enthusiastically recommended!!

Season 4 is arguably the best of COMBAT!'s five seasons. In Season 4 we find three of the best episodes in the series: The two part "Hills are for Heroes" and "The Leader." The two part episode "Hills are for Heroes" could easily have been a theatrical feature-length film. In another of his directorial efforts, Vic Morrow was able to capture additional emotional dimensions of Lt. Hanley and the rest of the squad.

COMBAT! found its stride during its fourth year. By that time, the stories revolved around the characters rather than adding superfluous misadventures with French resistance and other dramatic vehicles to add fluff to the story. Even though Saunders' squad, and Hanley's platoon, had taken four years to battle their way through France, each episode appears as fresh as if the D-Day invasion had taken place the episode prior.

Earlier I mentioned another great episode, "The Leader" contained in the Season 4 set. For those who have ever been in a leadership position, military or otherwise, "The Leader" encapsulates the leadership challenge when someone is unexpectedly put into a leadership position. In this particular episode, we find that Kirby, normally laziest complainer in the squad, is thrust into a life or death position of authority over his peers. His evolution throughout this episode is common to anyone undertaking the difficult path from supervisor to leader.

Yes, you would not be incorrect in tossing arm chair criticisms at COMBAT! for the non-Norman California countryside, recognizable MGM sets, and un-1944-ish German uniforms. In doing so, remember that this is 1960s television action-adventure at its best. As a kid growing up in the 1960s, COMBAT! locations and sets certainly appeared more like Europe than did our suburban neighborhoods -- where we played COMBAT! Somehow diving for cover behind my dad's car never had the same dramatic feel of Sergeant Saunders doing something similar on an MGM backlot location.

Basically, if you could only see your way to buying a single season of COMBAT!, this is the season to buy. The two Season 4 volumes are still in black and white and have the gritty feel of war movies like HELL IS FOR HEROES, ATTACK, MEN IN WAR, GO FOR BROKE, and BATTLEGROUND.

As an adult, it is unfashionable to run around the neighborhood playing Army. Watching COMBAT! is the next best thing.

....people talk about saving private ryan... granted it was a great film.. but combat did the same 40 years ago.. i have all the dvd's so far, and will continue to but them... they're great.............. hopefully garrison's gorrilla's will become available..
do yourself a favor but combat.... you'll be glad you did..

This collection includes the two part episode "Hills Are For Heroes", directed by Vic Morrow. Many a "Combat!" purist regard this as one of the finest episodes ever produced. Some of Morrow's camera work has never been equalled in television to this day in my opinion, and others will agree.......

As with all the Combat! sets, a fabulous show is ruined by the "time compressed" prints used for these dvds. It`s like listening to a 33 1/3 rpm record at 37 rpm. I hear the 5th season will have correct speed prints. Why not the first 4 seasons Image??

Combat is one of the great TV shows of the 60s. Great acting and wonderful stories. Very realistic war scenes for its time(no CGI, of course). I bought all the seasons and have not seen a bad episode. If you have an interest in WWII, I recommend this series. I am just waiting for the 12 O'Clock High TV series to be released on DVD. That is also and excellent WWII TV series from the 60's.

Thoroughly enjoyed all the "Combat" series ~~ it's just
too bad TV has "gone downhill" so much. Received this
DVD as advertised ~~ clean and in great shape and on time
as promised.

Hi

Very pleased with the timely manner the product was received and the condition of product.I would order again for sure'

Howard

The final volume of the black & white episodes is this one. This is the last set that anyone needs as season five does a nosedive. There are only 15 episodes in this set. Combat!, like all other television shows, was cutting back in the number of episodes being produced. One of the greatest things about this series was no one ever looked clean or neat. It was war, man, & the producers made it look that way.

"The Old Men" has Simon Oakland as the guest star. Saunders' squad gets three replacements, all of them older than usual. "The Good Samaritan" poses the question: Do you help someone or do you run to survive? It's not that simple though. It's not a question of cowardice or bravery. Marsini (Tom Simcox) earlier had lost a squad when he called radioed for help but Saunders didn't respond because he had orders to protect a bridge but the bridge was never attacked. In this episode both must decide at different times whether to leave the other behind. This is the kind of episode that made Combat! above average. It wasn't just a war show, it was an interesting drama also that asked questions that weren't always easily answered. "Retribution" features Kirby in a prominent role. His sister's fiance has been killed by an SS Colonel & Kirby seeks revenge. "Counterplay" is a suspenseful drama has Saunders' squad escorting a radar expert. They're searching for a German radar site that must be destroyed. But the Frenchman that's guiding them is really an undercover German officer. Those Germans sure are a wily bunch! "Nothing to Lose" features Sal Mineo & Tom Skerritt as guest stars. Vinnick (Mineo) & Burke (Skerritt) don't like the other. Vinnick taunts Burke about being a coward which causes a lot of problems for Saunders. In "The Ringer" Saunders has been captured & is placed with a group of soldiers in a temporary camp. Claude Akins guest stars as an American but he's really a German officer planted to get information. Will the Germans never learn? "Run, Sheep, Run" has Dwayne Hickman as the guest star. Corey (Hickman) has caused the death of a fellow soldier after an act of cowardice. He tries to cover up his act but the squad has captured a German who was a witness; to make matters worse, the German speaks English & tries to coerce Corey into helping him escape. "The Leader" was the final episode of season four. Saunders has put Kirby in charge of the squad while he's away at HQ. Everything goes wrong that can go wrong leaving Kirby to make some major decisions. He keeps trying to figure out what Saunders would do but this isn't working well. It isn't until Kirby decides what HE will do is the only thing that will work.

The set contains bonus features that include: Notes, Oddities & Bloopers by Jo Davidsmeyer for most episodes; a photo gallery; & audio commentaries on four episodes, "Hills Are for Heroes, Part 1" (Michael Caffey), "Hills Are for Heroes, Part 2" (Michael Caffey), ""The Ringer" (Michael Caffey) & "The Leader" (Georg Fenady).

The audio & video are restored & excellent. This is the last really good installment of Combat!

Many programs of the era had their own introductory music and this program was no exception; the music was by Leonard Rosseman.

They always start out with "staring Rick Jason and Vic Morrow." Instead of great sweeping epics this program focuses on a single squad with their trials and tribulation with confronting the Germans in WWII. Each episode is one hour and has to oppose a problem and a solution in that time. This was back in the time of professional privates.

In 1967-1968 Vietnam if you were lucky certain areas actually had TV broadcasting at 1600 hrs. You guessed it; this was one of the programs. I wonderer what the locals thought of the episode?

This would be a good series to own. Not just for the nostalgia, but the personal conflicts portrait in the program are still with us today.

If you are buying this item, I assume you have already purchased the first three seasons. And can not help but add to the collection and go on from her. I am also sure that by now you have your favorites marked for reviewing.

Combat - Season 5 Invasion 1 ~ Vic Morrow