Combat! (TV Series) Thunder from the Hill (1963) User Reviews

One of the Weakest Episodes up to Now

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 31 August 2017]

Lt. Hanley is assigned to have a meeting with French Capt. Boulange to coordinate the allied forces and he heads with Caje, Kirb and Littlejohn guided by the Maquis Massime. However, Massime meets his friends from the French Resistance and forces Hanley and his squad to steal explosives from a German depot to blow up a mountain on a German Division. But things go wrong and the group is under siege of the Germans. What will happen to them?

"Thunder from the Hill" is a reasonable episode of "Combat!" that does not work well. The character Massime is a despicable man and Lt. Hanley is forced to risk their man and his own life to help the Maquis in a personal agenda. One of the weakest episodes up to now. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Estrondo na Colina" ("Thunder from the Hill")

Painfully Average Episode

[jmarchese · 6/10 · 26 June 2014]

Thunder From the Hill is a very average Combat episode about a French resistance fighter Massine (played by Peter Whitney) who suckers Lt. Hanley and Squad into helping him with a completely different mission from what was supposed to be. There are a few average combat scenes along the way and the plot is somewhat believable.

We meet Massine's people and none of their characters really develops throughout the story.

The viewer is introduced to a running, wood burning truck, which peaks one's curiosity.

We learn that cowardice usually effects unpleasantly as is evidenced by the geologist of the group.

Massine's mission plays out in an average way and I'm not in the clear as to why he did not carry it out by himself in the ending sequence which is again painfully average.

In conclusion, the acting, directing, and interaction between the characters could not pull this episode out of stagnation.

A clunker, with Rick in the lead

[lor_ · 22 July 2023]

It's week off time for Vic, so Rick leads the squad. They're working with a Free French fighter Massine, who kills a suspected collaborator, shocking Rick, and then quickly takes over the operation with Rick meekly falling in line. They go to a depot to steal high explosives from the German and RIck has lost control of the situation, making one wonder what would have happened had Sergeant Saunders been in charge.

The operation goes awry, but Massine stays in charge and the story does not seem credible. Rick fails miserably as a leader. He finally gets to meet Captain Boulange, who disapproves of Massine's senseless operation and is guilty of insubordination. The captain puts his foot down and takes over and with Jason makes proper plans.

With Rick back in the driver's seat, final battle with the Germans is anti-climactic compared with the elaborate plan that Massine had wanted to achieve. Massine (or at least his stunt man) comes to a bad end, and the lousy episode ends on a pointless note -unlike Vic, Rick has nothing to say.