| PRODUCT DETAILS | | Combat - Season 4, Conflict 1 |  | |
Combat - Season 4, Conflict 1
One of television's most popular series, the groundbreaking Combat! offers a gritty, unflinching look at American soldiers battling in Europe during World War II, confronting imposing odds and demonstrating remarkable levels of ingenuity and courage. Vic Morrow and Rick Jason head a stellar cast in the critically acclaimed long-running war drama, featuring an incomparable list of guest stars from Hollywood's Golden Age as well as top directorial talent. Episodes include: The Linesman, Main Event, Hear No Evil, Nine Place Vendee, Sudden Terror, Evasion, Finest Hour, Breakout, The Farmer, The Raider, Crossfire, Soldier of Fortune, The First Day, S.I.W., Luck with Rainbows, The Flying Machine
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
Price Range: $20.95 - $39.99
 Combat - Season 4, Conflict 1
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| User Reviews |  | Combat - Season 4, Conflict 1
rating: 4
Season four of Combat! exhibits signs of decline though it's not significant. It was with this season that things were going on behind the scenes that would eventually lead to the demise of Combat! Before this season began most, if not all, the cast regulars asked (demanded?) for wage increases. They got their raise but it eventually cost them their jobs. ABC had the least resources of the major networks so they trimmed the budget in other areas. This caused them to pay writers a smaller fee which led to less experienced writers providing scripts. The producers also cut back on directors' salaries. The producers promoted from within their own ranks, i.e., they took their assistant directors & made them full directors. This seem like a magnanimous thing to do; it established a form of continuity but there are reasons why almost all assistant directors don't become full directors. It's not the same thing.
Combat! also had now become a little predictable. Not one of the regulars had received that wound that would send them home, not one would be killed though they would receive wounds of some sort. Even in the sixties we understood these things (I was barely in my teens at the time) but we knew they were going to survive.
This set opens with "The Linesman" that has Jack Lord (Hawaii Five-O) as the guest star. Saunders' squad has been assigned to protect the linemen that have to lay out a phone wire for an observation post. They've already lost one man & Lord doesn't think Morrow can do the job. "Main Event" was the actual series premiere & has Jack Carter as guest star. Carter (Murphy) is the manager of a boxer (Kleve); both are assigned together to Saunders' squad. Murphy is constantly trying to protect Kleve because he's 'meal ticket' after the war. "Hear No Evil" is all Saunders; he's been deafened by a grenade & behind enemy lines. "A Sudden Terror" is a Hanley episode with Brandon de Wilde (Shane) as guest star. Wilder (de Wilde) gets caught in quicksand & Hanley tries to save him. "The Farmer" has Dennis Weaver as the guest star in a very moving role. "Breakout" has Fernando Lamas as guest star. Vertrain (Lamas) is a Frenchman who snipes at the squad. Saunders has been ordered to destroy any equipment, especially construction equipment, that the Germans can use. Vertrain owns the equipment that Saunders is wanting to destroy. "The Raider" features Leonard Nimoy (Baum). Hanley has been captured by the German SS & Saunders & squad must rescue Hanley. "The First Day" has four green replacements going out with Saunders on patrol. "S.I.W." has John Cassavettes (Kalb) as guest star. Kalb has been assigned to two squads prior to his joining Saunders'; both squads were totally eliminated except for Kalb.
This set contains bonus features: Notes, Oddities & Bloopers by Jo Davidsmeyer; "Combat! - Directed by Vic Morrow", a documentary; & three episodes with audio commentary, "Main Event" (Ben Cooper), "The First Day" (Georg Fenady - this time without the 'e' at the end of his first name), & "S.I.W." (Shirl Hendryx).
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Season 4 Solid
rating: 5
Advanced cinematic techniques gave these eps a different look
than especially Season I. While I don't see this as the best
Combat season (thought Season 2 was), this was a solid year with
very few throwaway eps. From section I, Hear No Evil, The Raider,
The First Day, and SIW made my top 50 for the entire series.
From section II, Retribution, Hills Are For Heroes, Nothing to
Lose, The Ringer, One at a Time, and the Leader made my top 50.
This season saw Vic Morrow's further perfection of the Saunders role.
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COMBAT! The Fourth Season . . .
rating: 5
One of the best seasons with episodes like "The First Day", "S.I.W." (Self Inflicted Wound)"Retribution" and possibly the greatest episode of the entire series, "Hills Are For Heroes", directed by Vic Morrow. Season Four offers some of the best of the COMBAT! series. As I have said, buy the entire series and Jo Davidsmeyer's companion book,"COMBAT! A viewer's Companion to the WW-II TV Series". You won't be sorry.
Take the Point!
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Excellent, Excellent, Excellent
rating: 5
Excellent acting, excellent directing, excellent writers, excellent photography. Every single show on this DVD is excellent. Some are more exciting then others but they are all excellent. I have ordered and received the second half of this season as well and plan to get all 5 seasons.
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Combat - Season 4, Conflict 1
rating: 5
Excellent viewing if you like the combat series. Some great classic Combat.
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Combat - Season 4, Conflict 1
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