Combat! (TV Series) Silver Service (1964) User Reviews

The Mickey Rooney Show

[jmarchese · 7/10 · 2 August 2014]

"Silver Service" is a story about a petty little man whose insecurities drive him to always be one up on the rest of the world. Harry White (excellently played by Mickey Rooney) cheats at dice, forces himself on women, and is the epitome of the expression "Look out for # 1." In true fashion he never shuts up or lets others get a word in edgewise, a real pain in the neck.

Kirby and Caje have hitched a ride with White and make it into town where they can get hot showers and new uniforms. That evening, White takes off with his delivery truck which is low on gasoline. While everyone sleeps, the Germans decimate the town with heavy artillery fire. Kirby makes it out alive but shell shocked. He later runs into White on the road and they come calling at the home of Charles Gireaux (played by Ramon Novarro) and granddaughter Claudette (played by Claudine Longet.) When the Germans break through and infiltrate the area, the four must head for the nearest American held town. Harry White insists on bringing his heavy load along and is fiercely loyal to it.

It must have been exciting for Jack Hogan to act beside Rooney and Longet, a real opportunity for him. And he definitely holds his own in the trio. Longet is the strong one in the group and helps out Rooney when he doesn't deserve it. Rooney plays his role to the hilt right up to the ending sequence, in which he balances out his petty life.

Special effects coordinator A.D. Flowers did his usual excellent job as the town is decimated.

The episode focused too much on Harry White and not enough in line with the essence of Combat, but was well acted.

No turning back

[nickenchuggets · 8/10 · 22 November 2022]

After finishing up Combat's second season, we move to a much more frigid environment in this first episode of season three. When I first saw where this episode takes place, the first thing that came into my mind was "finally a snow episode." As if this change of pace weren't enough, Silver Service also guest stars one of the most iconic actors of Hollywood's golden age. The episode starts with Kirby being taken behind American lines to a safe location in a truck. The driver, Harry White (Mickey Rooney), is not really a soldier and instead is content with being a dice cheater. During one of his games, Kirby discovers Harry is a cheater and the men angrily set out after him, only to find he's already driven away. Still, one GI has managed to take some gas out of his truck, which comes back to bite Harry later on. That night, the area behind american lines starts coming under German artillery fire, despite it supposedly being out of reach. Kirby rushes out of bed and finds Harry, whose truck has no fuel left, and they enter a French house inhabited by a girl named Claudette and her grandfather. Kirby passes out, and Claudette gets him into a bed to heal. He wakes up several hours later and sees Harry sweet talking Claudette, which he clearly doesn't appreciate. Harry later gets drunk, tries to force himself on her, but is manhandled by Kirby. The germans begin attacking this area as well, so the two soldiers must leave, as well as Claudette and her grandfather. It's around this time that Kirby notices Harry is carrying around a large chest that he's fiercly protective of, but Harry won't tell him what's in it. After wandering around in the snow, all 4 of them begin to freeze. Kirby and Harry get into an argument over a sled, which Kirby insists is the old man's only chance of survival since he's too weak to walk. Harry rejects this idea, citing the importance of the sled for ferrying his container. Kirby threatens to shoot the chest, which leads to Harry finally showing him what's inside it. It turns out to be filled with vintage silverware from the 18th century. Kirby dismisses the items as junk, which really sends Harry over the edge. He explains how they're for his mother, since she never really had much her entire life, and he's not leaving Europe without them. Harry's plan for using the sled to transport them falls through, so he has to carry them on his back instead. The group makes it a little further, but Claudette's grandfather freezes to death and Harry begins to get so frostbitten he can't walk. After Claudette heals him, they come to what looks to be an abandoned US jeep. Harry rushes up to it, but it's a trap. Several germans ambush him, one hitting him in the arm. Kirby kills the attackers, tries to rescue Harry, but the latter says he's going to have to be left there. Before finally bleeding to death, Harry manages to kill several incoming germans using the Browning .30 cal mounted on the jeep. Claudette and Kirby then decide to take Harry's "junk" with them, since they want to keep her son's promise to her. I thought this episode was ok. Rooney alone made it worthwhile for me, although I've seen others saying his character is annoying. Maybe that's a fair complaint, but that's how I'd imagine someone who cheats for a living. I really enjoyed seeing how mad he gets at Kirby when they're talking about the silverware. It shows how devoted he is, since when Kirby suggests they bury the chest and come back for it, Harry retorts that if he buries it, he's going to have to bury him too. Strangely, I think this is the first time in the show's history where neither Saunders nor Hanley are seen at any point. Such a strange feeling having the two main characters both be absent, but this was actually a benefit. We get to see how good (or mediocre) Kirby is as a leader in this episode, since for the first time, he's in charge of someone even less responsible than himself. This episode might not be one of the best, but I still enjoyed it because it gives the attention to characters other than the main ones.

Harry White and His Mysterious Package

[claudio_carvalho · 6/10 · 24 October 2017]

Kirby and Caje are sent to a safe French town to recover from injuries and the truck driver Pvt. Harry White gives a ride to them. Kirby and Caje take a hot bath; wear clean clothes; and they meet Harry playing dice game with other soldiers. Soon Kirby notes that Harry is using dirty dices to cheat the players and Harry sneaks out with their money. Caje goes to bar while Kirby goes to bed. During the night, the German artillery fires the town and Kirby wakes up dazed and confused. He leaves the town seeking shelter and stumble upon Harry and his truck that has run out of fuel on the road. Kinby finds a BAR with a dead soldier. They find a farmhouse where a French woman called Claudette, who lives with her grandfather, welcomes them and treats Kirby. Harry hit on her but Kirby stops him. Soon they re warned by a neighbor that the Germans are coming and they need to flee through the blizzard to another town. However Harry insists on bringing a mysterious package with him despite the difficulty to walk on the snow. What is the content of Harry's package?

"Silver Service" is a weak episode of "Combat!", despite the great performance of Jack Hogan and the guest stars Mickey Rooney, Claudine Longet and Ramon Novarro. Harry White is a despicable character and his heroic act in the end is corny. The sequence of the heavy artillery firing the town is impressive and realistic. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Servindo à Prata" ("Silver Service")

Okay

[grantss · 6/10 · 14 June 2022]

Okay, and only that. Some good tension and action but I found Mickey Rooney's character quite irritating and more silly than funny. Ending feels a bit predictable too.

a Mickey tour de force

[lor_ · 27 July 2023]

Guest star Mickey Rooney is the self-appointed life of the party, whose nonstop dialogue dominates the show. He drives Caje and Kirby to the rear of the battle lines for some r&r. Almost immediately he's unmasked as a cheat, using loaded dice to win in a game of craps. This segment is riveting, even though both Vic and Ric are on vacation.

Kirby has nightmares about the violent battles he's lived through in an episode designed to keep you guessing. In a little town supposedly safe from the war a nighttime bombardment kills or disrupts all the troops resting there- quite a surprise.

Kirby wanders away through the snow trying to survive, encountering Rooney again in a stranded truck. The two hole up in a house cared for by that beautiful '60s starlet Claudine Longet, who Rooney tries to seduce. Silent star Ramn Noarro has a moving turn as her grandfather, a broken former Resistance fighter.. Mickey shines in an extremely unsympathetic role, milking it for all it's worth. He makes a terrific bad guy -almost had me rooting for the Germans.

With the sector overflowing with German soldiers, they trek across the snow to reach a distant town controlled by the Allies.

Title derives from Rooney lugging around an antique silver service he plans to take home to his mom back in the States.

Their hardships build to almost mythic proportions Only letdown is a contrived climax where Mickey becomes an instant gung ho hero.