(141) The Outsider

RATING: 2 bayonets

Written by Shirl Hendryx

Directed by Richard Benedict

First aired 22-Nov-1966

Episode 10 of Season 5

SYNOPSIS:

Private Cully is a moody misanthrope who joins the squad. The farm boy meets with hostility because of his anti-social attitudes. At Littlejohn's urgings, Kirby and squad take pains to make sure Cully feels wanted.

REVIEW:

In "The Outsider," Jason Evers has the thankless task of portraying an unlikable cur who the squad takes to heart. Cully care about no one but himself, has no manners, looks down on his squad members, will not help Caje when he is pinned down, and will not even say thank you when Caje saves his neck. After all this, Littlejohn wants to give him a tractor.

The direction by Richard Benedict does not help Evers with the role; the camera could have been used to either soften his attitude, reflect on his thought processes, or let viewers see something redeeming about Cully. But the camera work is less than revelatory, just a notch below ordinary.

"The Outsider" features a warm and fuzzy Kirby. The first season Kirby would not have put up with any of Cully's nonsense. A nice job by new Combat! regular William Bryant as McCall. He plays McCall like the old Kirby. The poker scene between Kirby and him is delightful.

NOTES, ODDITIES, AND BLOOPERS:

· At Cully's first entrance, he is standing just outside the door; then in the next cut he is inside the house without having moved.

· Inside the church, Cully is holding tractor the picture as Hanley enters. Later, the paper is out of his hands but he never laid it down.

· Same scene, Caje is seated behind Kirby and McCall smoking a cigarette. After the commercial break (when no time has passed in the scene), Caje is now standing by the door, not smoking.

· The radio operator, Steve Marlo, was also Hanley's radio operator in "Hills Are for Heroes" and "The Leader" and McCall's second on the bazooka in "The Bankroll."

· McCall slaughters a German, shooting him ten times with an eight-shot M1.

ABOUT FILMING THE EPISODE:

Dick Peabody says of Richard Benedict, "He was the only director that I hated his guts. Most directors on established shows know that they are more expendable than the regular cast. Not this dude. He came on like Otto Preminger from the moment he walked on the stage." On the first day of shooting, Peabody and Benedict disagreed over a scene in the church where Peabody had entered and removed his helmet. "Littlejohn always takes his helmet off in a church. He's from a farm in the Bible Belt. That's how he was raised." Peabody would not leave his helmet on and Benedict called the producer to enforce his authority. They did not back him up and the film was shot with Peabody removing his helmet. Vic Morrow then arranged with producer Gene Levitt for this episode to be Benedict's last. He was originally signed to do more episodes, but they bought out his contract.

CAST:

Rick Jason as Lt. Hanley

Vic Morrow as Sgt. Saunders [does not appear]

Guest star

Jason Evers as Pvt. Jim Culley

Jack Hogan as Kirby

Pierre Jalbert as Caje

Dick Peabody as Littlejohn

Steven Marlo as Blake

Biff Elliott as Doctor

Richard Miller as Young Soldier

Stasa Damascus as French Girl

Paul Busch as German Sgt.

David "Buddy" Pantsari as German Patrol Leader

and

William Bryant as McCall