Synopsis
The early 1960s saw ABC reliving the horrors and heroism of World War II on two fronts -- the European campaign on the acclaimed Combat! and the battle for Italy on The Gallant Men. Both programs enjoyed the creative input of directorial genius Robert Altman, who lent his signature layered, humanistic approach to both shows. Altman directed The Gallant Men's pilot, setting the template for what was to follow. Robert McQueeney stars as the series' unique framing device, an Ernie Pyle-type war reporter embedded within Captain Benedict's (William Reynolds) platoon. As McQueeney's reporter narrates the events of the invasion, we see war as it's lived by its foot soldiers, so-called pawns in the game of war, whose determination to finish a fight they didn't start proves that sometimes a pawn can save a kingdom. Also starring Robert Ridgely and Richard X. Slattery, this Six-Disc, 26-Episode Collection features the entire campaign.