User Reviews

In occupied France, Lt. Hanley, Sgt. Saunders and their squad release a small village from the Germans and celebrate with the resident. When they are leaving the village, the thirteen year-old French orphan Gilbert Barole tries to join the squad to fight Germans. However, Lt. Hanley asks Caje to politely explain the boy that he is too young to fight. However, Gilbert follows the squad and when Lt. Hanley is wounded, Saunders and Caje ask the boy to take Hanley back to the village. Along their journey, they stumble upon a German squad and Gilbert hides Lt. Hanley under the bush. Then he distract the Germans to turn them away from Hanley. A German soldier gives chocolate to him and shows the photo of his daughter. When they leave the place, Gilbert takes Hanley to his home. But the Germans come to the village to ambush the American soldiers. Now Gilbert seek the squad out to let them know the danger and to learn that war is not a game.

"The Volunteer" is a very sad and dramatic episode of "Combat!". Directed by Robert Altman, there are moments of tension and the participation of the Frence boy is heartbreaking but never corny. Rick Jason has a great performance together with Serge Prieur in his only role in the cinema. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "O Voluntário Francês" ("The French Volunteer")

Vic and Rick encounter a young French boy toting a rifle, and in all sincerity he asks to join their squad -he'd like to fight alongside the Americans.

As our heroes leave, he becomes almost a mascot, tagging along behind them unnoticed. This makes for an unusual episode, as the camera is fixed on the kid in lyrical forest settings -France as depicted on the MGM backlot. He gets left way behind on his own, and ironically is buoyed by the sounds of war: explosions, and rushes to be with his heroes, the opposite of the fear he should be feeling.

Vic spots him, almost hit by artillery fire, and the kid volunteers to help Rick walk after the lieutenant is injured by enemy fire. Rick takes charge of the kid and takes him back to his village. Rick becomes weary and ultimately the kid helps him trudge along, until finally Rick passes out. He resourcefully hides Rick from the Germans, but they capture him.

Fun casting has Ted Knight as a friendly German soldier trying to win over the child. It's a brief but pleasant respite scene taking us away from the war, and then Gilbert (the child) pulls Rick to safety in a tiny wagon.

But in a small, abandoned town, the Germans again arrive and Rick must hide once more. Rick needs to radio the intel back to his company. The kid's assigned in a pinch to report this back to Vic, and matters become quite dangerous as the Germans dig in and set up their machine guns in town.

He leads Vic's squad back to Rick's hiding place, and Gilbert is instrumental in defeating the Germans, leading to a most ironic and touching ending.