Combat! episode reviews by Jo
Davidsmeyer
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| SYNOPSIS: An
artistic stone mason, Corporal Velasquez, is assigned to Hanley's outfit with orders to
destroy a German observation post. Velasquez was a sculptor of monuments as a civilian who
longed for the skills to be a great sculptor. When he discovers world-class art treasures
sequestered in the vault that he must destroy, he cannot bring himself to deprive the
world of such beauty — even at the cost of American lives.
REVIEW:
Charles Bronson guest stars as a specialist who
must choose between saving American lives and preserving a priceless heritage for future
generations. It's a great opportunity for some real conflict and moral dilemmas: the
present vs. the future; the temporal vs. the eternal; the physical vs. the ephemeral.
Since the episode wastes the first three acts getting to the central conflict, little of
this is examined. But Bronson delivers the goods as an earthy, everyman-type who longs to
be something more.
Action fans will be disappointed by this episode. It is almost completely devoid of fighting, with even the standard action opening foregone. The episode opens after a battle, with the squad injured and exhausted. In Combat!, Saunders seems to get the obnoxious specialists and Hanley the ethereal ones. Velasquez's biggest problem in the field is keeping his mind on soldiering and away from rock formations, sculpture, and classical art. Jason is fine as Hanley, in what little he has to do in this episode. Hogan, as Kirby, is just along for the ride. But this great actor makes the ride a fun trip, even though the script hampers him with the stupid questions that progress the plot. This episode is all Bronson's, and he is fun to watch making the big sacrifice: giving up more than his life in the name of the greater good. NOTES, ODDITIES, AND BLOOPERS:
And about working with Charles Bronson, Rick said: Anyway, Charlie and I were sitting off to the side on Stage Twenty-four, which was our 'outdoor set,' used for special constructions, snow scenes, etc. I was smoking a Grenadier, and there was some leak light behind me. Charlie isn’t what one might term a great conversationalist, so we just sat. And waited. Presently he said, "That is not a good cigar." “Oh, I don’t know," I said, taking it out of my mouth and looking it over. “It is not a good cigar," he insisted. “I like ’em." “Well, it’s not a good cigar!" “Uh . . . what’s wrong with it, Charlie?" “The smoke." “The smoke? What’s wrong with the smoke?” “It’s brown. If it was a good cigar, the smoke would be blue.” I looked carefully at my stogie. “Uh huh,” I said. “Well, thanks.” I got up and stepped into my dressing room, where I smoked the Grenadier until we were called into the set. CAST: Rick Jason as Lt. HanleyVic Morrow as Sgt. Saunders Guest Star Jack Hogan as Kirby Robert Fortier as Captain Jampel Fan comments about this episode - write your own review!
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Combat! Episodes
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(092) Heritage 
