"Garrison's Gorillas" are a collection of some of the worst and best civilian criminals culled from American prisons to serve in the U.S. Army during World War II in missions behind enemy lines. A West Point graduate, Garrison (Ron Harper) keeps his men in line because they admire his gall and his balls. In the first episode, the "Gorillas" are flown into war-time France and bail out over enemy territory where they briefly rendezvous with Lieutenant Hanley (Rick Jason) and his guys from the "Combat" TV series. The "Gorillas" stash their parachutes and then the German open fire on them. Hanley provides a distraction and Garrison and company head off to do their mission. It seems that the Germans have manufactured plates for counterfiet $20 bills and our heroes have to swap the plates with a duplicate set that have been engraved with a symbol that will expose the user as a German agent. One of the prisoners doesn't like the set-up because he feels that it constitutes nothing but suicide. Appropriately enough, this guy is Wheeler, played with his usual abrasive quality by Telly Savalas. Our heroes learn that the switch isn't going to be a picnic because their French contact (Gilbert Roland of "Any Gun Can Play") warns them that the Germans are dismantling the entire operation and relocating it back in Germany.
This is the challenge that Garrison and his Gorillas must overcome. Incidentally, although they don't rendezvous at the conclusion of the episode with Hanley and his men, Hanley had come up with a call sign and counter sign; 'Garrison' and then 'Gorillas.' Everybody but Wheeler works together smoothly. They have to stop the departing German convoy to search the vehicles on the pretext that a German soldier molested a woman and they are examining the troops to find the guilty party.
There is plenty of combat in this episode. Our heroes shoot up a railway depot and set a railroad car filled with phony money ablaze. Essentially, "Garrison's Gorillas" is a formulaic World War II action thriller that drums up a moderate amount of suspense.
This is the challenge that Garrison and his Gorillas must overcome. Incidentally, although they don't rendezvous at the conclusion of the episode with Hanley and his men, Hanley had come up with a call sign and counter sign; 'Garrison' and then 'Gorillas.' Everybody but Wheeler works together smoothly. They have to stop the departing German convoy to search the vehicles on the pretext that a German soldier molested a woman and they are examining the troops to find the guilty party.
There is plenty of combat in this episode. Our heroes shoot up a railway depot and set a railroad car filled with phony money ablaze. Essentially, "Garrison's Gorillas" is a formulaic World War II action thriller that drums up a moderate amount of suspense.