The Gallant Men
Encyclopedia
The Gallant Men is a 1962-1963 ABC
television
series which depicted an infantry
company of American
soldiers fighting their way through Italy
in World War II
.
, who later appeared in the long-running series, The F.B.I.. Their exploits were narrated by a newspaper
correspondent—Conley Wright, played by Robert McQueeney
—who accompanied them on their missions. The show lasted only one season. It succumbed to tough competition from the other networks and so-so responses from critic
s and audiences. The show also faced unfavorable comparisons with ABC's other WWII series launched the same year, Combat!.
The Gallant Men tended to be formulaic in plotting and characterization, with such well-worn stereotypes as ladies' man PFC Pete D'Angelo (played by Eddie Fontaine
), hard-as-nails Sgt. John McKenna (Richard X. Slattery
), and inseparable buddies Pvt. Ernie Lucavich (Roland La Starza
) and Pvt. Sam Hanson (Robert Gothie
). The show also betrayed more than an occasional touch of Stormtrooper effect
, an ironic term for a WWII series (the regular cast easily and frequently dispatched large numbers of German
troops while experiencing minimal or no injuries themselves). This was particularly unrealistic for the Italian campaign
, where the Allies
suffered heavy casualties from determined German resistance that lasted until the end of World War II in Europe
.
The series not only featured stock footage
from Warner Bros war film
s such as Force of Arms
and Darby's Rangers
but also used scenes from A Walk in the Sun.
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
series which depicted an infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
company of American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soldiers fighting their way through Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Description
The company commander was Capt. Jim Benedict, played by William ReynoldsWilliam Reynolds (actor)
William Reynolds is a retired American television and film actor. He is best known for television roles in the 1960s and 1970s....
, who later appeared in the long-running series, The F.B.I.. Their exploits were narrated by a newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
correspondent—Conley Wright, played by Robert McQueeney
Robert McQueeney
Father Robert McQueeney was an American actor, best known for TV roles during the 1950s and 1960s. During and after his acting career, he also worked as a golf pro and instructor. After the official annulment of his marriage, he was ordained as a Catholic priest...
—who accompanied them on their missions. The show lasted only one season. It succumbed to tough competition from the other networks and so-so responses from critic
Critic
A critic is anyone who expresses a value judgement. Informally, criticism is a common aspect of all human expression and need not necessarily imply skilled or accurate expressions of judgement. Critical judgements, good or bad, may be positive , negative , or balanced...
s and audiences. The show also faced unfavorable comparisons with ABC's other WWII series launched the same year, Combat!.
The Gallant Men tended to be formulaic in plotting and characterization, with such well-worn stereotypes as ladies' man PFC Pete D'Angelo (played by Eddie Fontaine
Eddie Fontaine
Eddie Fontaine was an American actor and singer, best known for television roles in the 1960s and 1970s.-Biography:...
), hard-as-nails Sgt. John McKenna (Richard X. Slattery
Richard X. Slattery
Richard Xavier Slattery was a long-time character actor in film and television.Slattery was distinguished by a square-jawed look and a rough, gravelly voice that made him ideal as a "tough guy" character, usually as a cowboy or a cop or a drill sergeant type...
), and inseparable buddies Pvt. Ernie Lucavich (Roland La Starza
Roland La Starza
Roland La Starza was a retired American boxer and actor. Originally from the Van Nest section of the Bronx, La Starza fought 66 professional bouts from July 7, 1947 to May 8, 1961...
) and Pvt. Sam Hanson (Robert Gothie
Robert Gothie
Robert Gothie was an American actor who appeared on television, in the movies and on Broadway in the 1950s and 1960s. Originally from Hazelton, PA, Gothie played guest roles in TV series such as Sugarfoot, Sea Hunt, My Three Sons and The Virginian...
). The show also betrayed more than an occasional touch of Stormtrooper effect
Stormtrooper effect
The Principle of Evil Marksmanship states that enemy marksmen in action films are often very bad shots and almost never harm the main characters. They are generally only capable of hitting a target if the target is either of no value to the plot or if their death will advance said plot...
, an ironic term for a WWII series (the regular cast easily and frequently dispatched large numbers of German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
troops while experiencing minimal or no injuries themselves). This was particularly unrealistic for the Italian campaign
Italian Campaign (World War II)
The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war in Europe. Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and commanded the...
, where the Allies
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
suffered heavy casualties from determined German resistance that lasted until the end of World War II in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
The series not only featured stock footage
Stock footage
Stock footage, and similarly, archive footage, library pictures and file footage are film or video footage that may or may not be custom shot for use in a specific film or television program. Stock footage is of beneficial use to filmmakers as it is sometimes less expensive than shooting new...
from Warner Bros war film
War film
War films are a film genre concerned with warfare, usually about naval, air or land battles, sometimes focusing instead on prisoners of war, covert operations, military training or other related subjects. At times war films focus on daily military or civilian life in wartime without depicting battles...
s such as Force of Arms
Force of Arms
Force of Arms is a 1951 romantic drama film set in the Italian theater of World War II. It reteamed William Holden and Nancy Olson in the third of their four movies together , all released in 1950 or 1951...
and Darby's Rangers
Darby's Rangers (1958 film)
Darby's Rangers is a 1958 war film starring James Garner as William Orlando Darby, World War II commander of the 1st Ranger Battalion. The movie was shot by Warner Brothers Studios in black and white to match wartime stock footage included in the production and was directed by William...
but also used scenes from A Walk in the Sun.
Regular cast
| Actor/Character | |
|---|---|
| William Reynolds William Reynolds (actor) William Reynolds is a retired American television and film actor. He is best known for television roles in the 1960s and 1970s.... |
Capt. Jim Benedict |
| Robert McQueeney Robert McQueeney Father Robert McQueeney was an American actor, best known for TV roles during the 1950s and 1960s. During and after his acting career, he also worked as a golf pro and instructor. After the official annulment of his marriage, he was ordained as a Catholic priest... |
Conley Wright |
| Robert Ridgely Robert Ridgely Robert Ridgely was an American actor and vocal artist, known for both on-camera roles and extensive voice-over work.-Career:... |
Lt. Frank Kimbro |
| Richard X. Slattery Richard X. Slattery Richard Xavier Slattery was a long-time character actor in film and television.Slattery was distinguished by a square-jawed look and a rough, gravelly voice that made him ideal as a "tough guy" character, usually as a cowboy or a cop or a drill sergeant type... |
1st Sgt. John McKenna |
| Eddie Fontaine Eddie Fontaine Eddie Fontaine was an American actor and singer, best known for television roles in the 1960s and 1970s.-Biography:... |
PFC Pete D'Angelo |
| Roland La Starza Roland La Starza Roland La Starza was a retired American boxer and actor. Originally from the Van Nest section of the Bronx, La Starza fought 66 professional bouts from July 7, 1947 to May 8, 1961... |
Pvt. Ernie Lucavich |
| Roger Davis Roger Davis (television actor) Jon Roger Davis is an American actor and entrepreneur. The sandy-haired Davis is best known for his boyish good looks, and lilting, Henry Fonda-like voice. He came to fame in such television series as Dark Shadows and Alias Smith and Jones... |
Pvt. Roger Gibson |
| Robert Gothie Robert Gothie Robert Gothie was an American actor who appeared on television, in the movies and on Broadway in the 1950s and 1960s. Originally from Hazelton, PA, Gothie played guest roles in TV series such as Sugarfoot, Sea Hunt, My Three Sons and The Virginian... |
Pvt. Sam Hanson |
Episode list
| No. | Title | Initial airing | Director | Writer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Battle Zone | October 5, 1962 | Robert Altman Robert Altman Robert Bernard Altman was an American film director and screenwriter known for making films that are highly naturalistic, but with a stylized perspective. In 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized his body of work with an Academy Honorary Award.His films MASH , McCabe and... |
Halsted Welles |
| 2 | Retreat to Concord | October 12, 1962 | Richard C. Sarafian | William Bruckner |
| 3 | And Cain Cried Out | October 19, 1962 | Charles R. Rondeau | Ken Pettus |
| 4 | The Ninety-Eight Cent Man | October 26, 1962 | Richard C. Sarafian | Richard L. Adams |
| 5 | One Moderately Peaceful Sunday | November 2, 1962 | Richard C. Sarafian | Montgomery Pittman |
| 6 | Lesson for a Lover with Dennis Cross Dennis Cross Dennis Cross was an American actor who was the lead star of the syndicated television series The Blue Angels, fictional stories of daredevil United States Navy pilots which aired from 1960-1961... |
November 9, 1962 | Charles R. Rondeau | Richard Landau & Jerry Davis |
| 7 | And the End of Evil Things | November 16, 1962 | Richard C. Sarafian | David Lang |
| 8 | Some Tears Fall Dry | November 23, 1962 | Charles R. Rondeau | Don Tait |
| 9 | Fury in a Quiet Village | November 30, 1962 | Richard C. Sarafian | Stephen Lord |
| 10 | Signals for an End Run | December 7, 1962 | Richard C. Sarafian | David Giler & Berne Giler |
| 11 | Robertino | December 14, 1962 | Charles R. Rondeau | Herman Groves |
| 12 | Advance and Be Recognized | December 29, 1962 | Robert Totten | James O'Hanlon & George O'Hanlon |
| 13 | To Hold Up a Mirror | January 5, 1963 | Charles Smith | |
| 14 | Boast Not of Tomorrow | January 12, 1963 | Charles R. Rondeau | Ken Pettus |
| 15 | The Dogs of War | January 19, 1963 | Charles R. Rondeau | Jason Wingreen & Ken Pettus |
| 16 | The Bridge | January 26, 1963 | Herman Groves | |
| 17 | The Leathernecks | February 2, 1963 | ||
| 18 | Next of Kin | February 9, 1963 | Robert Sparr Robert Sparr Robert Sparr was an American screenwriter, television director and film director. He died in a plane crash in Colorado while scouting filming locations with fellow Star Trek crew member, cameraman Gerry Finnerman... |
Ken Pettus |
| 19 | Operation Secret | February 16, 1963 | Robert Sparr | Richard Landau |
| 20 | The Warriors | February 23, 1963 | ||
| 21 | One Puka Puka | March 2, 1963 | David Lang | |
| 22 | Ol´ Buddy | March 9, 1963 | ||
| 23 | A Taste of Peace | March 16, 1963 | Ken Pettus | |
| 24 | The Crucible | March 23, 1963 | ||
| 25 | Tommy | March 30, 1963 | James O'Hanlon & George O'Hanlon | |
| 26 | A Place to Die | June 1, 1963 | Charles R. Rondeau | Herman Groves |
Tie ins
- The Louis Marx and CompanyLouis Marx and CompanyLouis Marx and Company was an American toy manufacturer from 1919 to 1978. Its boxes were often imprinted with the slogan, "One of the many Marx toys, have you all of them?"-Logo and Offerings:...
released a 1962 military playset with character figures from the show joining the usual American and German toy soldierToy soldierA toy soldier is a miniature figurine that represents a soldier. The term applies to depictions of uniformed military personnel from all eras, and includes knights, cowboys, pirates, and other subjects that involve combat-related themes. Toy soldiers vary from simple playthings to highly realistic...
s
- Dell PublishingDell PublishingDell Publishing, an American publisher of books, magazines and comic books, was founded in 1921 by George T. Delacorte, Jr.During the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s, Dell was one of the largest publishers of magazines, including pulp magazines. Their line of humor magazines included 1000 Jokes, launched in...
produced one issue of an American comic bookAmerican comic bookAn American comic book is a small magazine originating in the United States and containing a narrative in the form of comics. Since 1975 the dimensions have standardized at 6 5/8" x 10 ¼" , down from 6 ¾" x 10 ¼" in the Silver Age, although larger formats appeared in the past...
based on the show.