Hollywood Thompson Blanks In Fall 2011 GCA Journal Article

[dalbert]

All,

 

The Fall 2011 issue of GCA Journal (Garand Collectors Association) has a really fun article about blanks used in M1 Garands during the filming of the 1960's series, "Combat!" The article is written by Marty Black, and covers live and spent blanks found during metal detecting expeditions in the Hollywood area hills where the series was filmed. As a result of the use of the Thompson in the former TV series, examples of .45 blanks were found along with the .30-06 blanks. The article includes a couple of pictures of .45 blanks, which were apparently made by Ellis Mercantile Co. The .45 blanks were made from .30-06 shell casings that were cut down and crimped. One of the Ellis Mercantile Co. boxes is pictured, and I'll see if I can get permission from Marty to post that photo in the ammunition pinned post at the top of the page.

 

Anyway, if you get a chance to read the GCA Article, it's a good one!

 

David Albert

dalbert@sturmgewehr.com

[gijive]

All,

 

 

 

The Fall 2011 issue of GCA Journal (Garand Collectors Association) has a really fun article about blanks used in M1 Garands during the filming of the 1960's series, "Combat!" The article is written by Marty Black, and covers live and spent blanks found during metal detecting expeditions in the Hollywood area hills where the series was filmed. As a result of the use of the Thompson in the former TV series, examples of .45 blanks were found along with the .30-06 blanks. The article includes a couple of pictures of .45 blanks, which were apparently made by Ellis Mercantile Co. The .45 blanks were made from .30-06 shell casings that were cut down and crimped. One of the Ellis Mercantile Co. boxes is pictured, and I'll see if I can get permission from Marty to post that photo in the ammunition pinned post at the top of the page.

 

 

 

Anyway, if you get a chance to read the GCA Article, it's a good one!

 

 

 

David Albert

 

dalbert@sturmgewehr.com

 

 

 

 

 

Dave,

 

 

 

I am a friend of Marty's and I am sure that he would have no problem with you using the picture. I took a trip out there a couple of times with Marty on his Combat blanks expeditions. We found dozens of blanks fired from the guns used in the series. Marty would freeze frame Combat episodes and memorize the locations in Franklin Canyon where the series was frequently filmed. He became an expert on the Franklin Canyon locations and could tell you which episodes were filmed there and what part of the canyon was used. We located many .45 blanks where Saunders fired his Thompson and actually found many unfired (no primer indent and still crimped) blanks made from the 30.06 cut-down casings. Any fan of Combat will remember that Saunders frequently had to work the actuator on his Thompson while firing when a blank would misfire or not eject. This resulted in many unfired rounds being expelled from the ejection port. This was not a result of bad blanks or a bad firing pin, etc. but because of the old way that the Stembridge barrels were blanked. The actually had a sleeve in the barrel that increased the gas pressure of the blank as well as a restrictor. This made cleaning the barrels difficult and the chamber area frequently got fouled causing the misfires. The barrel fins at the front of the Stembridge barrels were flattened to accept a quick change wrench that was used on the set to change barrels that were fouled. Most of the compensators were fake ones that were affixed to the original Colt Thompson Stembridge guns to hide the restrictors. Several of the phony compensators had a rather large opening at the front that was much bigger than a .45 caliber round. The picture of Humphrey Bogart in the 1943 movie Sahara comes to mind that has one of the large opening compensators. Vic Morrow used one frequently on Combat also. Both were Colt Thompsons with replaced barrels and phony compensators.

 

 

 

I still have several 30.06, .45 and .30 caliber carbine blanks that we dug up at Franklin Canyon. Marty at one time probably had a coupple of hundred blanks he found over several years. I hope he reads this, I had a lot of fun with him at Franklin Canyon.

Edited March 9, 2015 by gijive

[reconbob]

This is a good thread. Seems like yesterday when I was a kid and my dad only let

me and my sister watch ONE hour of TV at night during the school week. My hour was

Tuesday night at 7:30 to watch COMBAT. Can you imagine such a retriction today?

And now its history and the subject of archeologists...wow.

Slightly off topic in my small cartridge collection I have a red plastic .30-06 blank

with a steel base and rim which is said to be one of the "Longest Day" blanks. They

needed so many for the movie they had some factory (no headstamp) make

thousands of them.

 

Bob

[Roland, Headless Thompson Gunner]

Like many of you my Thompson fixation stems directly from Sgt. Chip Saunders.

 

I believe Chuck told me that the Kraut Mausers were converted to 30.06 to simplify thngs or did I dream that?

[gijive]

Like many of you my Thompson fixation stems directly from Sgt. Chip Saunders.

 

I believe Chuck told me that the Kraut Mausers were converted to 30.06 to simplify thngs or did I dream that?

 

Bill,

 

No you didn't dream that. The German rifles and machine guns were rechambered for the 30.06 blanks. In scenes where the German machine guns wouyld be set up Marty would find piles of 30.06 blanks under the surface with his metal detector. Most of the blanks found were six to eight inches under the surface in the areas where we dug for them. In any scenes in Franklin Canyon where Saunders fires the Thompson, invariably we would find the cut-down .45 blanks.

[emmagee1917]

Ha , I was just going to post " ....and loads of 8mm blanks ,too " . Never knew they were converted to '06. Wait , what about 9mm blanks for the german MPs ?

I , too , loved Combat and it was a large factor in my WW2 collecting . Funny thing , I had a Mattel M1 Thompson for play ( pulled the handle back for rat-a-tat sound ) and one of the first MGs I bought was a WH M1 " just like Sander's ". Bought a WH '28 a couple of years later " just because ". Now that I have the series on DVDs , I found that he carried a '28 rather than the M1 I thought. The WHs , for years , performed just like his , too. Have that fixed now.

Chris

[mnshooter]

Put me on the list of people who have little Thompsons swirling in their DNA because of Combat.

 

Rick Jason did some short interviews to acccompany the syndicated series. He talked about Vic Morrow having back pains from carrying the Thompson (Wow. How did those GI's do it?), so the prop department made a wood replica for him to carry.

Rick said, "see if you can spot it".

 

Does anyone know anything about this wood prop, and if it still exists?

Edited September 28, 2011 by mnshooter

[richard w.]

Great thread. Another Combat! fan here.

 

Is Franklin Canyon public or private land? I'd love to take a walk around there myself, some day.

 

I suppose the crew kicking some dirt over the cartridge casings instead of picking them up doesn't surprise me much.

[emmagee1917]

Well , I'd guess it's the one he's carrying and not shooting :slap: They did excellent jobs on that sort of stuff. In the fourth season ( I think it was then ) they had a team in Europe filming there. Had stand ins for the long range majestic shots and built stages here for the close ups. Even when they showed you which scene was which , you couldn't tell. They had the stand-ins dressed and mimicing thier moves to a "T" , the fall of the sunlight and shadows between the two timed , the backdrop blending in , it was very good work.

Chris

[gijive]

richard w. and Chris,

 

Franklin Canyon is located in the hills above Beverly Hills in LA. It is a reservoir built during the Roosevelt Administration's WPA work projects in the 1930's and was managed by the City of Los Angeles Water/Public Works Department. In recent years it has been transformed into a nature center and, alas, many of the distinctive berms, trees and landmarks present during the filmimg of Combat! have been bulldozed and are unrecognizable today. Many of the concrete culverts, a concrete spillway, small stone walls, roads and a small bridge are still there, I believe. So there are still some recognizable portions of the area from the Combat! filming days. A couple of episodes that did some extensive filming there and show off the canyon well are, "Masquerade" with James Coburn, 2nd Season and "The Letter", a 5th Season color episode. Both episodes show locations where we located many shell casings. I'll try to post some pictures taken there and some screen shots from Combat! in the near future to show the locations.

 

Chris,

 

The wooden prop gun is somewhat overstated, in my opinion. Early publicity stills from the 1st Season in 1962 do show Vic Morrow with a prop gun, but in the actual filmingof the show a real Thompson was used. The Thompsons were from Strembridge Gun Rentals and were used in many war movies and television shows from the 1940's, '50's and '60's. They may have used a prop gun in the long shots of Saunders walking or running, but in the majority of scenes Saunders wields a real Thompson. Several were used during the series including a couple 1928A1 Military Models, but the majority of the shooting scenes used a Colt Thompson with the large opening faux compensator as previously described.

 

If Dave Albert has no objection to continuing this thread about the Combat! Thompsons and related stories, I will see if Marty Black will weigh-in and expound on his Franklin Canyon adventures.

Edited October 2, 2011 by gijive

[dalbert]

If Dave Albert has no objection to continuing this thread about the Combat! Thompsons and related stories, I will see if Marty Black will weigh-in and expound on his Franklin Canyon adventures.

 

Chuck,

 

That would be wonderful if Marty would participate in the conversation!

 

David Albert

dalbert@sturmgewehr.com

[Roland, Headless Thompson Gunner]

Love this pic of Bogey from Sahara with his larger than life Cutts.

 

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y123/wje2204/Bogie1.jpg

[dalbert]

All,

 

GIJive obtained permission from Marty Black to post the images below from his article in the GCA Journal. I have also added them to the Ammunition pinned post at the top of the board.

 

This is a box of Ellis Mercantile Co. .45 Caliber Machine Gun Blanks, as used during the Combat! series. The unfired .45 blank is one that was recovered from the film sites.

 

http://www.sturmgewehr.com/dalbert/MGBoards/Ammo/Ellis_Blanks_Web.JPG

 

http://www.sturmgewehr.com/dalbert/MGBoards/Ammo/ThompsonBlank_Web.JPG

Above Images cortesy of Marty Black as published in GCA Journal

 

GIJive also indicated to me that he would add some photos to this post soon from his expeditions with Marty to see the old film sites where these relics were recovered. Definitely looking forward to that!

 

David Albert

dalbert@sturmgewehr.com

[gijive]

All,

 

As promised, I have compiled several photos of my hunt for Combat blanks from Franklin Canyon, along with the expert on Combat locations, Marty Black, back in about 1999 or so. I have provided original Combat screen shots and corresponding pictures taken at the same location. There are a lot of pictures, so I will post as many as I can in one sitting and then add some more as time permits. The young boy in the pictures is my son who worked pretty hard using the metal detector and helping Marty dig. We found dozens of blank cartridges, .45, 30.06, 9mm and a couple of .30 Carbine blanks. Marty has never found many .30 caliber Carbine blanks in his many trips to FC. Lt. Hanley didn't fire his weapon that much in any episodes he was featured in that were filmed at FC. The pictures will have captions in most cases describing the episode and the area. Hope you enjoy the trip down memory lane for the Combat fans among us.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_034.jpg

 

Opening firefight scene from 4th season epsiode "Run, Sheep, Run." The "debris basin" area was used extensively and would flood when there was run-off from the hills, as shown in the screen shot, and other times was dry. This caused the ground to change constantly and contributed to the blanks being found several inches (in some cases 12 to 16) below the surface due to years of erosion due to run-off. The Germans are across the basin from Saunders and company.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_033.jpg

 

Kraut machine gun position across the basin.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/FC13a.jpg

 

Marty and my son dig in the vicinity of where Saunders and the Squad were firing from.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_035.jpg

 

Squad members run to flank the Kraut machine gun.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_036.jpg

 

One of them takes cover behind the same clump of eucalyptus trees shown in the previous digging photo.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_038.jpg

 

Heading across open ground to the opposite side of the basin. Notice the standing drain pipe in the middle of the basin. This landmark is seen frequently in many episodes.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_040.jpg

 

Moving behind fake shrubbery and boulders.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_042.jpg

 

In position behind a fake boulder on the opposite side.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_044.jpg

 

Looking towards the German gun position, notice flash from the blank rounds.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_045.jpg

 

Ambushed by a German Officer.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_046.jpg

 

Booker runs towards the German machine gun while the special effects guys use the mud to good effect with the fake bullet hits (squibs).

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_051.jpg

 

Pinned behind some more fake boulders.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_055.jpg

 

The German takes out Booker after he destroyed the machine gun position with a grenade. Found some 9mm blanks in this location.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/FC17a.jpg

 

Looking towards the German gun position from the approximate area of where the German Officer was positioned. During the Combat days the area was kept manicured by the LA Public Works Department, so shrubbery was cut back and trees were pruned. By the time we scouted the area, many film locations had become overgrown and don't look exactly the same, although certain eucalyptus trees were readily identifiable.

 

To be continued.

Edited October 19, 2011 by gijive

[gijive]

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_005.jpg

 

Another view of the "debris basin", this angle from approximately where the German gun position was in the previous screen shots. This is from the 4th Season episode "Retribution." Kirby is taken prisoner by the Germans and is rescued by the squad. Notice the area is dry in this episode.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_006.jpg

 

Another view of the German encampment.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_008.jpg

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_010.jpg

 

Caje takes out the sentry and alerts another German seated at the desk.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_011.jpg

 

Reverse view of German at desk showing the standing drain in the basin.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/FC16a.jpg

 

Looking south, area where German was seated at desk would be to the right.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/FC15b.jpg

 

Looking into basin one can see the standing drain pipe as it appeared many years later. Notice how much erosion has occurred covering about a foot of the drain pipe. This would be the approximate view of the previous screen shot with the German at the desk.

Edited October 19, 2011 by gijive

[gijive]

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_015.jpg

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_016.jpg

 

As the squad makes their escape, the drain pipe can be clearly seen as they run in a westerly direction up the slope.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_021.jpg

 

The Germans give chase.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_022.jpg

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_023.jpg

 

While the squad positions itself to fight, Saunders flails at the actuator of his 1928A1 trying to get it to fire. You have to watch the episode for this action, it is hard to portray in screen captures.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_024.jpg

 

Saunders finally gets it going.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_029.jpg

 

Stopped again, as Saunders tries to shake another unfired round from the ejection port. I don't have a good shot of this area, but Marty told me he swept this area with the metal detector and came up with an unfired .45 blank.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/Franklin_Canyon_sketch_for_Chuck_S-1.jpg

 

Marty's hand drawn map of the area to give some direction and perspective of the Franklin Canyon filming spot.

Edited October 19, 2011 by gijive

[gijive]

5th Season Color episode, "The Letter", has some good shots of various locations in Franklin Canyon where blanks were located.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/vlcsnap-3103972.png

 

Squad views German bunker complex in the "debris basin", a little north of where the German tent camp was in previous photos.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/vlcsnap-3103827.png

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_118.jpg

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_115.jpg

 

Different views of bunker complex.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/vlcsnap-3105150.png

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/vlcsnap-3099970.png

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/vlcsnap-3105858.png

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/vlcsnap-3107163.png

 

Saunders is hit while approaching the complex and takes cover behind some logs.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/vlcsnap-3108267.png

 

Doc and guest star come to his rescue.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_122.jpg

 

Close up of 1928A1, Bridgeport, CT made Thompson. Notice the weld near the end of the receiver. The gun was probably a GI Dewat that was Rewatted by Stembridge for the movies.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/Fc12.jpg

 

Marty sweeps the area where Saunders took cover behind the logs. Several .45 blanks were found in this location that day, including a couple of primer indented, but unfired ones.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/FC11.jpg

 

A view from above looking down into the same area.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/FC18.jpg

 

Entrance to "debris basin" area. Note iron grate in bottom of previous picture and to the right in above picture. Marty shows the iron grate on his map for reference.

Edited October 17, 2011 by gijive

[gijive]

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/FC19.jpg

 

Same area showing gate in background. The gate and fence that separated the "debris basin" from the earthen dam area (see map) are seen in several screen shots. The fence had been removed when these photos were taken but the gate was still standing.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_125.jpg

 

Fence can be seen in background after firefight.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_095.jpg

 

Earlier in the episode Saunders and sqaud pass through several areas of Franklin Canyon that are seen frequently on Combat episodes.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/FC28.jpg

 

Same area as it looked several years ago. Notice the brown house with the square window in background and the same house in the background painted white during the Combat filming. This area is referred to as "Heavenly Pond" and is an area that is now overgrown since the filming. It is a duck pond that can still be visited today.

[gijive]

The squad also passes through an area referred to as, "The Redwood Room." This spot was used countless times from different angles and back when Combat was filmed the reservoir behind it was open and you could see the water. At some time after Combat the reservoir was partially covered with a cement top that covered most of the water. This area was used for many televsion shows of the 1960's including westerns like Bonanza. The opening titles to the Andy Griffith show were also filmed here where Andy and Opie are seen walking with fishing poles and Opie tosses a rock in the water. A portion of Vic Morrow's last film, "Twilight Zone" was also filmed in this area. The scene where his character goes back to the Ku Klux Klan rally was filmed in the same spot.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_087.jpg

 

Sqaud entering "The Redwood Room" in a jeep. Reservoir is in the background behind the trees. This is the spot where Andy and Opie walk through the pines in the Andy Griffith Show.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/andygriffith.jpg

 

Andy Griffith Show.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/FC5.jpg

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/FC10.jpg

 

Looking towards the reservoir.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_100.jpg

 

Saunders spots the Germans.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/FC22.jpg

 

Same culvert and bridge.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_091.jpg

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_092.jpg

 

Saunders goes through culvert and climbs up over small bridge to the road.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/FC2a.jpg

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/FC23.jpg

 

Same area thirty years later. Notice building in background. Everything looks pretty similar except the wooden guard rails have been replaced.

 

To be continued.

 

.

Edited October 24, 2011 by gijive

[gijive]

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_103.jpg

 

Saunders returns back to the squad after taking care of some Germans up on the road and passes a tree that is right next to "The Redwood Room."

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/FC24.jpg

 

Same tree; again, notice amount of erosion after thirty years.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_105.jpg

 

Same episode, another brief firefight behind another FC landmark.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/FC31.jpg

 

Same drainage pipe.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_109.jpg

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_111.jpg

 

Saunders traveling through a different culvert and passing under a metal pipe. FC is honeycombed with these culverts seen quite frequently in the Combat episodes.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/FC21.jpg

 

My son passing under the same pipe in the same culvert. Gee, I wonder what made him think to do that?

Edited October 17, 2011 by gijive

[gijive]

Another 5th Season color episode, "The Loser's", has some good shots of another distinctive tree in "The Redwood Room." We did some digging near this tree and found a couple of 30.06 blanks.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_139.jpg

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_140.jpg

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_138.jpg

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_141.jpg

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_142.jpg

 

A few well placed fake boulders and some shrubbery change the look.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/RedwoodRoomTree.jpg

 

View of same tree from approximately same POV.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/FC20.jpg

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/FC27.jpg

 

Same tree from a couple of different angles, both looking down from area of the road.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/FC14.jpg

 

Digging near the base of the tree after a metal detector "hit."

Edited October 24, 2011 by gijive

[gijive]

Another 5th season episode, "Nightmare on the Red Ball Run" has a good shot of a small bridge that has a plaque attached from the 1930's indicating it was part of Roosevelt's WPA project.

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_080.jpg

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_082.jpg

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/PDVD_085.jpg

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp227/Colt1928/Combat%20DVD%20Captures/FC29.jpg

 

Note how the years of repaving the road has covered the lower portion of the plaque on the cement portion of the far side of the bridge.

 

To be continued again. For those of you losing interest, there is only one more episode I will post. The last episode shown will be some shots from one of my favorites, "Masquerade", a 1963 episode (early for Franklin Canyon, maybe one of the first Combat episodes filmed there) featuring James Coburn.

[Roland, Headless Thompson Gunner]

Great stuff Chuck, Thanks for posting them all. Did you ever count how many times Sarge was wounded? He must have had a drawer full Purple Hearts.

[dalbert]

This is really cool stuff. Don't stop!...It's destined for the Machinegunboards Thompson Reference Thread, for sure!

 

David Albert

dalbert@sturmgewehr.com

[newtommygunner]

Thanks a lot, boy, talk about bringing back memories. A real trip down memory lane. I wonder if those old films and tv episodes are why I love Thompsons so much?