The Party

SYNOPSIS: Enjoying a pause in the American advance, Caje, Kirby, and Nelson try to advance themselves with a trio of French beauties. They clean themselves up to no avail -- the ladies have planned a special party with three grim Sergeants. Though outranked, Caje, Kirby and Nelson are not outmaneuvered. The would-be Lotharios scheme to separate the sergeants from the ladies.

REVIEW: The 1963 Christmas Eve episode, "The Party," is a delightful romp. As a change-of-pace, the squad are engaged in the war between the sexes. In the end, the ladies are victorious.

Hogan, Jalbert, and Lowell show their flair for comedy as they plot against the sergeants who would steal the objects of their desire. Hogan and Hanley play a charming comedy scene where Kirby unsuccessfully tries to con the lieutenant.

Andrea Darvi, last seen as the sorrowful orphan Micheline in "No Trumpets, No Drums," now plays it for laughs as a larcenous orphan who uses her smile to get into Billy's heart (and wallet). The three older orphans also use their smiles to good advantage, conning the sergeants and Saunders ' men into providing a feast for their orphanage. Veteran character actors Biff Elliott, Nick Georgiade, and Terry Becker play the sergeants who dig themselves into a hole. George Davis, a semi-regular on the show playing French villagers, has a charming mime routine.

A highlight of the "The Party" is the guys' attempts to make themselves presentable. Their frolics in the river are joyous and rowdy. This is a rare episode in that the actors are clean for most of it. Much time was usually spent in makeup to get that proper grimy look. This week, the three soldiers look great in their $200 haircuts and clean, pressed, undamaged uniforms (where they got either on the frontlines is not explained).

Director John Peyser keeps the pace of this episode fast, never letting viewers pause to examine the plot or remember that somewhere a war is going on.

ABOUT FILMING THE EPISODE: "The Party" was Tom Lowell's first on-screen kiss. "I had forgotten to tell my wife at that time about it. When she saw the episode on Christmas Eve, she was so mad. She would not speak to me for two days." Lowell is the only actor who got to kiss one of the female guests in this episode. Pierre Jalbert had to settle for stealing a kiss from the goose, which is in the background of one of the shots in the jeep.

Andrea Darvi became a writer as an adult and is author of the book Pretty Babies: An Insider's Look at the World of the Hollywood Child Star. She talks about child stars in general in the book and briefly about working on Combat!

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