The Rat Patrol
Encyclopedia
The Rat Patrol is an American
television
program that aired on ABC
during the 1966–1968 seasons. The show follows the exploits of four (three American and one British) Allied
soldiers who are part of a long-range desert
patrol group in the North African campaign
during World War II
. Their mission: "to attack, harass and wreak havoc on Field Marshal Rommel's
vaunted Afrika Korps
".
, which used modified truck
s armed with machine gun
s as their transport through the treacherous desert terrain, and Popski's Private Army
. The title of the program refers to the nicknames given to some of the British Commonwealth forces in the North African campaign (Rats of Tobruk or Desert Rats). Consequently, at the time of the original telecast many English viewers took offense at the dominance of American characters on the program, the result being that the show was pulled from the BBC
.
patrol were:
Notable enemies included:
For a few episodes during the second season, the storyline required the temporary absence of Tully. Three different characters took turns rounding out the Patrol until Tully returned:
A Rat Patrol soldier named Cotter (played by Whitey Christy) is shown being hit by enemy fire and slumping over his machine gun during the opening action sequence of the pilot episode, "The Chase of Fire Raid". The resulting vacancy allowed for the addition of Moffitt to the team.
, a subsidiary of United Artists Television
, in association with Tom Gries Productions Inc.
. Just as The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
episode titles included the word "Affair", all Rat Patrol episodes titles had "Raid" e.g. "The Do or Die Raid", "The Lighthouse Raid" or "Mask-A-Raid".
Part of the show's first season was filmed in Almería
, Spain
, with the rest in the United States.
The three-part story arc "The Last Harbor Raid" was released theatrically in some venues under the title "Massacre Harbor".
As a leverage tool against the actors asking for raises, each major cast member was, after the first season, shown a separate prospective script in which he was killed in action.
Christopher George
suffered a heart contusion when a jeep overturned on him during filming in January 1967. The injury contributed to his death in 1983.
As was usual for low-cost productions, other equipment was substituted for original ones. The German vehicles were actually American Patton tank
s, M7 Priest
self-propelled guns, M3 Half-track
and M35 2-1/2 ton cargo truck
s painted in desert sand colors.
The submachine gun
s used by the squad were unusual. Because the first season had been filmed in Spain, the producers obtained several fixed wood-stock versions of the Spanish Star Z-45
(9x23mm Largo) submachine gun from the Spanish Army, in an apparent attempt to imitate the look of the WWII .45 Thompson submachine gun
. This was changed in later episodes when Thompsons were finally made available.
During the series, Sgt. Troy wore an Australian bush hat
. When the show aired in Australia, veterans of both World Wars there were critical of an American actor wearing such an important symbol of Australian courage and sacrifice. It was seen to cheapen and sensationalize the memory and spirit of those ANZACs who died fighting fascism. George, a U.S. Marine Korean War
veteran, and of Greek extraction, said he insisted his character wear the slouch hat to honor the Australians who fought in Greece. Larry Casey stated in an interview that Tom Gries
' original idea was that each of the characters would be from a different country and wear a different hat. However this was changed, and with Christopher George wishing to wear the Slouch Hat, his American helmet was given to Justin Tarr.
has released both seasons of The Rat Patrol on DVD in Region 1. The First Season is also available on Region 2 DVD. On May 13, 2008, MGM released a seven-disc boxset of the complete series.
published a comic book series that lasted six issues (1967; one issue in 1969). These had photo covers taken from the television series.
, who replaced Alex North
when he was fired during post-production of the pilot (along with series creator Tom Gries
when the pilot went over-budget) wrote the series theme and music library, conducting the Graunke Symphony Orchestra. La-La Land Records
issued a limited edition album of the music in 2011.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
program that aired on ABC
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...
during the 1966–1968 seasons. The show follows the exploits of four (three American and one British) Allied
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...
soldiers who are part of a long-range desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
patrol group in the North African campaign
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
during 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...
. Their mission: "to attack, harass and wreak havoc on Field Marshal Rommel's
Erwin Rommel
Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel , popularly known as the Desert Fox , was a German Field Marshal of World War II. He won the respect of both his own troops and the enemies he fought....
vaunted Afrika Korps
Afrika Korps
The German Africa Corps , or the Afrika Korps as it was popularly called, was the German expeditionary force in Libya and Tunisia during the North African Campaign of World War II...
".
Background
The show was inspired by and loosely modelled on the New Zealand/British/Rhodesian Long Range Desert GroupLong Range Desert Group
The Long Range Desert Group was a reconnaissance and raiding unit of the British Army during the Second World War. The commander of the German Afrika Corps, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, admitted that the LRDG "caused us more damage than any other British unit of equal strength".Originally called...
, which used modified truck
Truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile...
s armed with machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
s as their transport through the treacherous desert terrain, and Popski's Private Army
Popski's Private Army
Popski's Private Army, officially No. 1 Demolition Squadron, PPA, was a unit of British Special Forces founded in Cairo in 1942 by Lieutenant Colonel Vladimir Peniakoff DSO MC. Popski's Private Army was one of several raiding units formed in the Western Desert during the Second World War...
. The title of the program refers to the nicknames given to some of the British Commonwealth forces in the North African campaign (Rats of Tobruk or Desert Rats). Consequently, at the time of the original telecast many English viewers took offense at the dominance of American characters on the program, the result being that the show was pulled from the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
.
Cast
The four members of the AlliedAllies 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...
patrol were:
 |
Sgt. Sam Troy | Christopher George Christopher George Christopher John George was an American television and film actor who was perhaps best known for his starring role in the 1966-1968 TV series The Rat Patrol. He was nominated for a Golden Globe in 1967 as Best TV Star for his performance in the series... |
The unit's leader, Troy is an intuitive, resourceful, clever and gritty-yet-compassionate leader who always wears an Australian bush hat Slouch hat A slouch hat is a wide-brimmed felt or cloth hat with a chinstrap, most commonly worn as part of a military uniform. It is a survivor of the felt hats worn by certain 18th century armies. Since then, the slouch hat has been worn by military personnel from many nations including Australia, Britain,... . |
| Sgt. Jack Moffitt | Gary Raymond Gary Raymond Gary Raymond is an English actor.He made his film debut as Cliff Lewis in Tony Richardson's film adaptation of John Osborne's Look Back in Anger , opposite Richard Burton and Claire Bloom... |
The British member of the unit. An expert on the desert and on the local Arab tribes which inhabit it, Moffitt speaks fluent German and Arabic. Before the outbreak of war, he accompanied his father (a noted archaeologist) on multiple trips to the Sahara Sahara The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean... . |
|
| Pvt. Mark T. Hitchcock | Lawrence Casey | Known as "Hitch". The college-man-turned-soldier often chews bubblegum and wears a red kepi Kepi The kepi is a cap with a flat circular top and a visor or peak . Etymologically, the word is a borrowing of the French képi, itself a respelling of the Alemannic Käppi: a diminutive form of Kappe, meaning "cap".... with gold trim similar to those worn by Zouave Zouave Zouave was the title given to certain light infantry regiments in the French Army, normally serving in French North Africa between 1831 and 1962. The name was also adopted during the 19th century by units in other armies, especially volunteer regiments raised for service in the American Civil War... and artillery Artillery Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons... troops during the American Civil War American Civil War The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25... . Occasionally shows his "Ladies' Man" side. |
|
| Pvt. Tully Pettigrew | Justin Tarr | Called one of the Army's best wheelmen by Troy, Tully grew up in Kentucky and apparently gained his remarkable driving skills by running moonshine Moonshine Moonshine is an illegally produced distilled beverage... . |
|
Notable enemies included:
| Hauptmann (Captain) Hans Dietrich | Hans Gudegast Eric Braeden Eric Braeden is a German-American film and television actor, best known for his role as Victor Newman on the soap opera The Young and the Restless and as John Jacob Astor IV in the 1997 film Titanic... |
A dedicated, but honorable 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... officer and the Patrol's main nemesis. By the end of the series it becomes clear that Dietrich, although a cunning opponent, never stoops to the cruel methods of fellow Nazi officers. Gudegast later became famous as a soap opera star under the pseudonym Eric Braeden Eric Braeden Eric Braeden is a German-American film and television actor, best known for his role as Victor Newman on the soap opera The Young and the Restless and as John Jacob Astor IV in the 1997 film Titanic... . |
|
For a few episodes during the second season, the storyline required the temporary absence of Tully. Three different characters took turns rounding out the Patrol until Tully returned:
- Peterson (Darwin JostonDarwin JostonFrancis Darwin Solomon was an American actor known professionally as Darwin Joston...
) - Andy (Mac McLaughlin)
- Bo Randall (Bo HopkinsBo HopkinsBo Hopkins is an American actor.-Career:Hopkins has appeared in more than one hundred film and television roles in a career of more than forty years, including The Bridge at Remagen, The Wild Bunch, The Getaway, American Graffiti, White Lightning, Radioland Murders, The Killer Elite, Midnight...
)
A Rat Patrol soldier named Cotter (played by Whitey Christy) is shown being hit by enemy fire and slumping over his machine gun during the opening action sequence of the pilot episode, "The Chase of Fire Raid". The resulting vacancy allowed for the addition of Moffitt to the team.
Production
A total of fifty-eight 30-minute episodes were produced by Mirisch-Rich Television ProductionsMirisch Company
The Mirisch Company was a film production company owned by Walter Mirisch and his brothers, Marvin and Harold Mirisch. The company was also known at various times as Mirisch Production Company, Mirisch Pictures, Inc., and The Mirisch Corporation.Walter Mirisch began producing at Monogram Pictures...
, a subsidiary of United Artists Television
United Artists Television
-Background:UA purchased Associated Artists Productions in 1958, giving UA access to the pre-1950 Warner Bros. library and the Popeye cartoons made by Fleischer Studios and Famous Studios between 1933 and 1957....
, in association with Tom Gries Productions Inc.
Tom Gries
Thomas S. "Tom" Gries was an American TV and film director, writer and producer....
. Just as The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is an American television series that was broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1964, to January 15, 1968. It follows the exploits of two secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who work for a fictitious secret international espionage and law-enforcement...
episode titles included the word "Affair", all Rat Patrol episodes titles had "Raid" e.g. "The Do or Die Raid", "The Lighthouse Raid" or "Mask-A-Raid".
Part of the show's first season was filmed in Almería
Almería
Almería is a city in Andalusia, Spain, on the Mediterranean Sea. It is the capital of the province of the same name.-Toponym:Tradition says that the name Almería stems from the Arabic المرية Al-Mariyya: "The Mirror", comparing it to "The Mirror of the Sea"...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, with the rest in the United States.
The three-part story arc "The Last Harbor Raid" was released theatrically in some venues under the title "Massacre Harbor".
As a leverage tool against the actors asking for raises, each major cast member was, after the first season, shown a separate prospective script in which he was killed in action.
Christopher George
Christopher George
Christopher John George was an American television and film actor who was perhaps best known for his starring role in the 1966-1968 TV series The Rat Patrol. He was nominated for a Golden Globe in 1967 as Best TV Star for his performance in the series...
suffered a heart contusion when a jeep overturned on him during filming in January 1967. The injury contributed to his death in 1983.
As was usual for low-cost productions, other equipment was substituted for original ones. The German vehicles were actually American Patton tank
Patton tank
Patton tank may refer to:*M46 Patton, a tank model operational during the Korean War*M47 Patton, a tank model in service from 1952 through 1959 with the U.S. Army, and through the mid 1990s in foreign service...
s, M7 Priest
M7 Priest
The 105 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage M7 was an American self-propelled artillery vehicle produced during World War II. It was given the official service name 105 mm Self Propelled Gun, Priest by the British Army, due to the pulpit-like machine gun ring, and following on from the Bishop and...
self-propelled guns, M3 Half-track
M3 Half-track
The Carrier, Personnel Half-track M3 was an armored vehicle used by the United States, the British Empire and the other Allies during World War II and the Cold War. Nearly 43,000 were produced, and supplied to the U.S...
and M35 2-1/2 ton cargo truck
M35 2-1/2 ton cargo truck
The M35 family of trucks is a long-lived vehicle initially deployed by the United States Army, and subsequently utilized by many nations around the world. A truck in the 2½ ton weight class, it was one of many vehicles in U.S...
s painted in desert sand colors.
The submachine gun
Submachine gun
A submachine gun is an automatic carbine, designed to fire pistol cartridges. It combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol. The submachine gun was invented during World War I , but the apex of its use was during World War II when millions of the weapon type were...
s used by the squad were unusual. Because the first season had been filmed in Spain, the producers obtained several fixed wood-stock versions of the Spanish Star Z-45
Star Bonifacio Echeverria, S.A.
Star Bonifacio Echeverria, S.A. was a manufacturer of small arms in the Basque region of Spain from about 1905 until 1997.-Bonifacio Echeverria and the ancestry of Star:...
(9x23mm Largo) submachine gun from the Spanish Army, in an apparent attempt to imitate the look of the WWII .45 Thompson submachine gun
Thompson submachine gun
The Thompson is an American submachine gun, invented by John T. Thompson in 1919, that became infamous during the Prohibition era. It was a common sight in the media of the time, being used by both law enforcement officers and criminals...
. This was changed in later episodes when Thompsons were finally made available.
During the series, Sgt. Troy wore an Australian bush hat
Slouch hat
A slouch hat is a wide-brimmed felt or cloth hat with a chinstrap, most commonly worn as part of a military uniform. It is a survivor of the felt hats worn by certain 18th century armies. Since then, the slouch hat has been worn by military personnel from many nations including Australia, Britain,...
. When the show aired in Australia, veterans of both World Wars there were critical of an American actor wearing such an important symbol of Australian courage and sacrifice. It was seen to cheapen and sensationalize the memory and spirit of those ANZACs who died fighting fascism. George, a U.S. Marine Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
veteran, and of Greek extraction, said he insisted his character wear the slouch hat to honor the Australians who fought in Greece. Larry Casey stated in an interview that Tom Gries
Tom Gries
Thomas S. "Tom" Gries was an American TV and film director, writer and producer....
' original idea was that each of the characters would be from a different country and wear a different hat. However this was changed, and with Christopher George wishing to wear the Slouch Hat, his American helmet was given to Justin Tarr.
Season 1
32 episodes.| № | Title | Airdate |
|---|
Season 2
26 episodes.| № | Title | Airdate |
|---|
DVD releases
MGM Home EntertainmentMGM Home Entertainment
MGM Home Entertainment is the home video and DVD arm of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.-History:The home video division of MGM started in 1979 as MGM Home Video, releasing all the movies and TV shows by MGM. In 1980, MGM joined forces with CBS Video Enterprises, the home video division of the CBS television...
has released both seasons of The Rat Patrol on DVD in Region 1. The First Season is also available on Region 2 DVD. On May 13, 2008, MGM released a seven-disc boxset of the complete series.
| DVD Name | Ep # | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| The Complete First Season | 32 | January 31, 2006 |
| The Complete Second Season | 26 | June 12, 2007 |
| The Rat Patrol: The Complete Series | 58 | May 13, 2008 |
Comic book
Dell ComicsDell Comics
Dell Comics was the comic book publishing arm of Dell Publishing, which got its start in pulp magazines. It published comics from 1929 to 1973. At its peak, it was the most prominent and successful American company in the medium...
published a comic book series that lasted six issues (1967; one issue in 1969). These had photo covers taken from the television series.
Books
5 books released by Paperback Library- 1. The Rat Patrol by Norman Daniels
- 2. The Rat Patrol #2 in Desert Danger. by David King
- 3. The Rat Patrol #3 in The Trojan Tank Affair. by David King
- 4. The Rat Patrol #4 in The Two Faced Enemy. by David King
- 5. The Rat Patrol #5 in Target For Tonight. by David King
- 6. The Rat Patrol #6 in the DESERT MASQUERADE. by David King
- 1 book released by Whitman
- The Rat Patrol, The Iron Monster Raid. by I G Edmonds
Soundtrack
Unlike many series of the time, The Rat Patrol used a library of music instead of having specific episodes scored. Dominic FrontiereDominic Frontiere
Dominic Frontiere is an American composer, arranger, and jazz accordionist. He is known for composing the theme and much of the music for the first season of the television series The Outer Limits.-Early years:...
, who replaced Alex North
Alex North
Alex North was an American composer who wrote the first jazz-based film score and one of the first modernist scores written in Hollywood ....
when he was fired during post-production of the pilot (along with series creator Tom Gries
Tom Gries
Thomas S. "Tom" Gries was an American TV and film director, writer and producer....
when the pilot went over-budget) wrote the series theme and music library, conducting the Graunke Symphony Orchestra. La-La Land Records
La-La Land Records
La-La Land Records is an American record company based in Burbank, California . The company specializes in film and television soundtracks. The label is run by Michael V...
issued a limited edition album of the music in 2011.
- The Rat Patrol Main Title 1:00
- Another Day, Another Mission 1:11
- Convoy 1:31
- Desert Action 2:00
- After That Man 1:15
- Lost And Found 3:35
- Desert Romance 2:49
- Rats Sneak About 2:03
- A Tight Spot 2:17
- Do You Smell Something? 0:43
- Time To Go 0:48
- Night Maneuvers 3:02
- Firefight 2:16
- Desert Sun 0:29
- Farewell/Ambushed 1:07
- Burning Sun/Sniper 1:01
- The Massacre 1:36
- Germans On The Move 1:33
- Rats On The Move 2:25
- Breaking In And Searching 1:46
- Rats On Patrol 1:25
- Rats In Action 1:30
- A Friend's Death 1:38
- We Have A Job To Do! 1:15
- Serious Discussion 2:22
- Hand To Hand 1:14
- Dirge 2:03
- Rat Mission 1:47
- Cat And Mouse 2:03
- The Traitor 0:51
- Tricked Into A Trap 0:26
- Stalemate 1:47
- Cut Off 0:34
- Rats Have Some Fun 1:19
- Floating Down 0:52
- Foot Chase 1:13
- Plans For Rats 1:15
- In And Out Of Enemy Camp 1:53
- We've Still Got A Job To Do 1:15
- Planning The Attack 1:36
- Getting Ready 5:10
- Big Battle 2:58
- Mission Accomplished 1:53
- The Rat Patrol End Credits 1:37
- Theme from The Rat Patrol 2:30