Combat! (TV Series) Main Event (1965) User Reviews

Excellent Screen Writing & Character Development in Combat !

[jmarchese · 9/10 · 6 September 2014]

"Main Event" is a fine episode about world class welterweight boxer Willy Kleve (excellently played by Ben Cooper) and his manager Murphy (excellently played by Jack Carter) winding up in White Rook.

Kleve & Murphy must go on a dangerous demolition mission with White Rook against the wishes of Murphy whose Colonel clout has failed him. Murphy is threatening Saunders with reprisal while boasting Kleve's presence constantly. The rest of the squad get sick of listening especially Private Ferguson (excellently played by Vic Werber.)

There's superb character development throughout including great conflict between Saunders, Murphy, & Ferguson, a testament to excellent screen writing by William Fay. Ferguson has some excellent verbiage as well. Kirby interacts with Murphy in a humorous way. Acting is excellent. I particularly liked Kleve's interaction with the German soldier; it seemed very realistic. As usual The Sarge does a fine job as the "glue" holding everything together; part strategist, part baby sitter, and emphatical motivator. Firefight is outstanding and the half track scene rounds out a fine episode.

"Main Event" definitely keeps the viewer's interest and is quite entertaining. Morrow, Cooper, Carter, & Werber make a great team. And we are treated to beautiful on location architectural background scenes in France. The ending sequence between Murphy & Kleve is beautiful, very typical of the fight game.

The Boxer and His Manager

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 30 December 2018]

When Sgt. Saunders receives his two new replacements, they are the famous boxer Willy Kleve and his manager Murphy, who is overprotective with Willy. Saunders is assigned to blow up a bridge and heads with his men including the two replacements under the protest of Murphy. Along their journey, the manager will learn that the war does not belong to any of them and the importance of teamwork.

"Main Event" is a dated episode where a man overprotects his protégée, a famous boxer, affecting Sgt. Saunders´ team. But the plot is well-resolved with the man becoming a hero and saving his fellow soldiers. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Atração Principal" ("Lead Attraction")

Manipulative hokum

[lor_ · 31 August 2023]

Fast-talking Jack Carter is no match for no-nonsence Vic, when he and the boxer he manages, Ben Cooper, are assigned to Vic's squad, headed for a dangerous demolition mission.

As a comic, Carter was often a welcome cast member in dramatic situations, with quite an edge to his performances. Scene opens at a scenic storybook castle, with such locations offering quite a different look for the series in its fourth season. The locations are bucolic and unthreatening, obviously way too peaceful and thereby detracting from the show's "there's a war going on" premise.

Cooper oddly becomes an instant hero by beting up a German who's out on patrol, and then stabs him to death without alerting a large squad of Germans to their presence. The mission is altered to blowing up a bridge, while coward Carter keeps yammering about getting reassigned with his boxer to a safe USO type job.

This script is hurting in that we're just waiting for Carter or his boxer or both to get killed, corny audience manipulation. The "exciting" fight against the Germans can't save it. They must have been really hard up to give this story the go-ahead for filming.