The Gallant Men

Unlike some of the other reviewers, I (at 13) felt that "The Gallant Men" was a better show than "Combat!" (at least at that time), probably because it was a little more cerebral.

In my 8th grade English class (during the 1962-1963 season) I had the good fortune to have Roger Davis (Gibson) speak to us. (His kid brother was in our class.) He explained at the time that "The Gallant Men" was produced by Warner, while "Combat!" was produced by a production company owned by ABC, so likely "The Gallant Men" was fated to be cut at the end of the season. His prediction was accurate.

(He also explained how the producers kept salary demands in line -- any actor causing trouble could be written out as quickly as a gun can fire.)

This was a fun show to watch!! Not has good as Combat or 12 O'Clock High, but quite enjoyable. I thought William Reynolds as Capt. Jim Benedict and Robert McQueeney as Conley Wright were pretty good. Most of the story lines were predictable, but nevertheless fun to watch. Had some really great guest stars( Robert Conrad, Peter Breck, Peter Brown, Guy Stockwell and Van Williams to name a few). This was a Warner Brothers show so I guess that they used most of the T.V actors that were under contract to them and starring in shows of their own as guest stars to help boost the ratings..I also thought that it had the most gut-wrenching theme song that I had ever heard!( I was 8 years old at the time and I damn-near cried every time I heard that song at the end of each episode). The action was enjoyable, but not of the same quality as Combat. This show was canceled after one season. With some better writing, this may have lasted longer.

I watched this show with my father as a small child. He was a BAR man in an infantry squad. I liked Gallant Men much more than Combat as in Combat, you know the core group would never get killed and the music was very predictable. The Gallant Men was like what my pop experienced he said. Brief intense battles followed by lulls where you tried to find something to do without getting killed. The show gave characters more depth and the battles were more realistic than Combat. The men also appeared at times to really be in fear of their life instead of just acting. I recently acquired the entire series on DVD's and it is even better than I remember it.

The cable company here in Indiana just had the channel added and it has now become my favorite. There are old TV shows on there that I hadn't seen in years including. Great television Classics like Kung Fu, The FBI, The Man From U.N.C.L.E, The Green Hornet, Superman, My Favorite Martian, 77 Sunset Strip, Surfside Six, Hawaiian Eye, F Troop, The High Chapparal, Lancer, The Legend of Custer, Jesse James, Daniel Boone, The Rifleman, The Lawman, Bronco, Cheyenne, Sugarfoot, Bourbon Street Beat, The Wild, Wild West, The Courtship of Eddie's Stepfather, S.W.A.T. , The Rookies, Harry O, Welcome Back Kotter, The Incredible Hulk, Chico and The Man and many others. All of these shows Call your cable company and ask for The American Life Network! If you are a classic TV nut and love the feeling of nostalgia that a favorite episode of an old TV show can give you, well, You will just love The American Life Network!

I haven't seen this show since it originally aired on ABC in 1962. I was 11 years old and it seemed like everybody's dad was a WWII vet. We played "army" using original equipment, including Lugers and Nambus! I remember this show as being fairly vivid. It must have made an impression on me because I still watch war flicks, some 40 years later. My question is: where can this series be viewed or purchased? Help, anyone?