Combat! (TV Series) The Long Walk (1964) User Reviews

So Far, the Best Episode

[claudio_carvalho · 10/10 · 16 November 2017]

After a massive attack from the German artillery, Saunders, Doc and Litlejohn are cut off from their unit and Saunders heads east to return to the allied lines. They stumble upon Saunders' old pal Sgt. Larkin, who is also cut off and heading south. They decide to walk together but out of the blue, they meet a G.I. shooting at them from a machine gun nest and shouting that they are indeed Krauts. Saunders flanks the nest and knocks out the soldier. Soon they learn from Pvt. Henry Murfree that the notorious German Capt. Klepner has a team of trained soldiers infiltrated in the American lines wearing American uniforms. Doc realizes that his leg is wounded and they carry Murfree to a nearby farm. While Saunders, Doc and Littlejohn patrol the area seeking for Germans and material to make a stretcher, Larkin is informed by the farmer's owners that Murfree is indeed Capt. Klepner. However, Klepner kills them and lures Saunders telling that the owners were collaborators and tells that the American lines are south. Saunders, Doc and Littlejohn head south with Murfree on a stretcher. Whata will happen to them?

"The Long Walk" is so, the best episode of "Combat!". The storyline has intriguing plot points and the conclusion is unexpected and surprises the viewer. Guest star Roddy McDowall has great performance and Vic Morrow shines in the end. My vote is ten.

Title (Brazil):"A Longa Caminhada" ("The Long Walk")

Intelligence Versus Counterintelligence

[jmarchese · 10/10 · 2 August 2014]

"The Long Walk" is a story of suspense and intrigue revolving around Private Henry Murfree (superbly played by Roddy McDowall.) Murfree turns an air cooled machine gun on Saunder's squad thinking they're Germans in disguise. Both Saunder's squad and Sergeant Larkin (played by William Bryant) have been cut off from their companies. Saunders decides to take Murfree alive thinking he's a paranoid afraid of German infiltrators. With his deep southern accent, Murfree seems very American.

The smell of German infiltration is in the air. After moving into a nearby farm house, the squad learns about Klepner's Raiders from its owner as they've been active in the area.

Screen Writer Peter Barry did an outstanding job; the script is very well thought out and believable. Roddy McDowall shows his glibness as an actor. Character development is excellent, each actor doing their part. Suspense levels are high and "The Long Walk" will force you to think.

The opening archival artillery footage is among the best of the entire Combat series, 30 seconds worth.

The ending is beautifully executed and leaves the viewer in a happy frame of mind.

Intriguing episode

[grantss · 9/10 · 14 June 2022]

A very intriguing episode. There have been other episodes involving Germans impersonating American soldiers but this is still very original. The level of subterfuge by the German makes for a dangerous, gripping game of cat and mouse.

Who Is Who And Who Are You

[sambase-38773 · 7/10 · 3 March 2023]

First, the bad. I found Roddy McDowall to be annoying in this episode. His character seems much to glib to be a German infiltrator. He hams it up with a very thick and annoying southern accent, talks about how great southern food is and hints at the glory of the good old south, etc. He's trying too hard which is something a good infiltrator would know not to do. And he's supposed to be one of the very best the Germans have. You don't want to attract too much attention to yourself. And babbling your mouth off with strangers is one of those ways. So that gets a negative mark from me. Part of that has to do with the writing of course, so it's not all McDowell's fault. But his acting is very hammy here. It's a weird contrast with Vic Morrow's understated and brilliant acting and so seems out of place.

But the episode as a whole is still enjoyable to watch. Morrow and the other regular actors really save this episode from what could have been a disaster. Still plenty to enjoy and I do recommend it.

Contrived suspense

[lor_ · 7 August 2023]

In this paranoid suspense tale, Vic and a couple of his troops are cut off from their outfit plus a sergeant they meet, and encounter a lone soldier who starts aiming at them with his machine gun. Vic sneaks up on him from behind and throttles him, but even when seeing their uniforms, the soldier thinks they're Germans, and seems to be crazy.

They take the wounded man to a farmhouse where an old teacher also wonders if they're infiltrators, the enemy dressed in American uniforms, as has been widely rumored thereabouts, led by a notorious German captain. Matters escalate, as the teacher claims the cache of German grenades Vic finds in his farmhouse are merely collected from the dead, to be used against the Germans. Then the paranoid soldier (well-played by Roddy McDowall, despite his shaky Southern accent) gets the drop on them and orders the soldiers around, trying to determine if they're German with SS tattoos. The teacher's brother returns and soon everyone is suspicious of everyone else. Are there actual German infiltrators among them?

Trying for something different, this segment of the series is way too contrived, making for anticlimaxes rather than true suspense.