Combat! (TV Series) The Cassock (1965) User Reviews

Suspense, Deception, and Intrigue in a Combat Episode !

[jmarchese · 10/10 · 22 August 2014]

"The Cassock" is a fine story of suspense, deception, and intrigue.

Father Hertzbrun (superbly played by James Whitmore) is an English speaking German soldier bent upon survival and blowing up a key bridge. After Americans drive the Germans out of a village, Whitmore salvages what's left of the German operation and becomes Father Hertzbrun. He encounters numerous obstacles along the way. Every time he's up to no good, there's always an American to botch up his plans.

James Wixted wrote an excellent story which is very believable; and everything fits. It took a great deal of imagination to put this story together and the viewer is treated to constant suspense, deception, & intrigue at every step.

Mart Hulswit puts on a fine performance as practicing Catholic Private Ryan. His dramatic acting in a sequence with Father Hertzbrun and the squad is memorable.

I saw "The Cassock" when it first aired as a 9 year old and I can distinctly remember how much I hated Father Hertzbrun. I could not wait to see him get his just desserts. James Whitmore was always a great character actor and I can remember many television episodes in which he gave top notch performances. "The Cassock" is one of those episodes. Sit back and enjoy !

The German Spy

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 5 April 2018]

When Saunders and his company overrun a French village, the German troop withdraws but the officer Hertzbrun tries to blow up a bridge important to the Allies troops. An American soldier sees him and shots his leg, but Hertzbrun kills him and seeks shelter in a church. He finds a cassock and poses of the Catholic priest Hertzbrun, luring Saunders and his men. While he tries to blow up the bridge, the Catholic Private Ryan wants to confess and finds strange the lack of knowledge of religious procedures of Father Hertzbrun. Will he succeeding in exploding the bridge?

"The Cassock" is a great episode of "Combat!" with a realistic and suspenseful story, great performances and adequate pace. Ryan´s confession and the subsequent scene of his confrontation with Father Hertzbrun is heartbreaking. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "A Batina" ("The Cassock")

Aptly named episode, one of series' best

[FlushingCaps · 10/10 · 13 November 2018]

Of all the episodes I saw as a kid and remembered well, this might stand out more than any other. We begin with a battle, chiefly with American troops chasing Germans through a town (one that looks familiar to regular viewers) and most of the Germans are killed, along with some Americans. A German officer is shown getting wounded in the leg, but he hides explosives under a bridge and slips into the church where we next see him in priest garb, posing as "Fr. Hertzbrun," who speaks perfect English, explaining that he is a native of Holland, when asked by Sgt. Saunders.

While our favorite squad, with the usual newcomers, holds up in town, the fake priest is shown going about trying to set up explosives to blow up that bridge before the American trucks and jeeps come in, expected to be that night.

Whenever Herzbrun is challenged by an American, he knifes him to save himself from capture. He happens to be thwarted in his attempts to destroy the bridge, including by the friendly Littlejohn, who is off duty and wants to fish with the "priest."

Later, the German has to attempt to hear one private's confession, thought he clearly doesn't understand what priests do at confession. We see some surprised looks by Private Ryan who sort-of guides the priest through the confession.

But it is something Hertzbrun does right after that confession ends that gives him away to Ryan. I won't give too much detail, but any Catholic watching would have no trouble spotting what he did wrong as easily as Ryan did.

It still took some time and other discoveries by Saunders and men before the jig was up for the phony priest. The priest's cassock he wore throughout the show even had a role to play in his downfall, which I thought made the title of the episode stand out more so than most titles.

There was at least one killing that was most unexpected that was somewhat surprising in its suddenness. I thought the characters behaved quite believably and the story most dramatic. That's why I scored it a 10, which I rarely do, even for this tremendous series which has a ton of episodes I rank 8 or 9.

"All warfare is based on deception"

[nickenchuggets · 9/10 · 31 January 2023]

If you're involved in a war, you would probably do whatever is necessary to fool your enemy in order to stay alive. Sometimes this means you might have to do something sacrilegious. This Combat episode, guest starring James Whitmore, is a good example of this as he portrays one of the most convincing bad guys the show has seen thus far. The show begins with Saunders and the others attempting to advance into a French town in order to secure a bridge that American forces need to use. A German officer named Herzbrun (Whitmore) is tasked with blowing up said bridge, but Saunders and the others reach his position too quickly. Knowing he can't do it in time, Herzbrun scrambles into a nearby church, puts on the clothing of a Catholic priest, and waits. He is eventually discovered by the squad, with all of them completely oblivious of who he really is. For the rest of the episode, Herzbrun tries his best to deceive Saunders and the others, hoping to lure them away from the bridge he needs to blow up. In order to be more convincing, Herzbrun offers religious guidance to a member of the squad named Private Ryan, who comes to Herzbrun in the church to confess his sins. Herzbrun says he is forgiven, but as Herzbrun tries to exit the church in order to plant explosives under the bridge, Ryan notices something is off. Ryan is convinced that Herzbrun is no priest, as he didn't bow in the direction of a sacred item near the pulpit that no priest would ever ignore. Worried that Ryan is going to tell everybody, Herzbrun stabs him to death (or so he thought). As Herzbrun attempts to destroy the bridge, Saunders and the others discover the dying Ryan pleading for help. Badly hurt and unable to speak, he's only able to utter the word "priest." At first, the squad thinks this means he wants Herzbrun, so they go find him. Herzbrun is brought back to the church and holds Ryan's hand as he dies. After saying a prayer for him, Herzbrun sees that Saunders has discovered a bloodied vestment on the floor. Herzbrun sneaks out of an open window, just as Saunders and the others come to the realization that Ryan was trying to name the priest as his attacker, not as someone he wanted to see. Saunders and his men rush outside toward the bridge, just in time to see Herzbrun holding a squad mate at gunpoint. He yells to Saunders that he will shoot him if they try anything. With the bridge ready to blow, Herzbrun steps backwards slowly while keeping his eyes on the soldier before him. Suddenly, he trips backwards over the cassock he is wearing, giving his enemy a split second chance to charge at him and allow Saunders to gun him down. The bridge is saved, and Herzbrun has paid for his deceit with his life. The Cassock is a great episode. Even though Morrow is good as always, Whitmore is able to take the focus off him quite easily. As "Father" Herzbrun, he is desperate to keep his secret hidden, and will kill those who look up to him in order to do so. Throughout (almost) the entire episode, everyone is unaware of the danger he poses, as a priest is probably the last person you would expect to secretly be a Nazi. The scene in which Herzbrun attacks Ryan for seeing through his tricks is the highlight for me. Overall, The Cassock is a good installment since it focuses on religion, but manages to do so in a way that isn't overbearing or cringy (unlike the episode with the nuns from a while back that will remain unnamed).

Intriguing, gripping episode

[grantss · 9/10 · 14 June 2022]

Another COmbat episode where the unit has a German spy/soldier in their midst. On this occasion they don't know it and it makes for enthralling viewing as we see the German go about his work and cover his tracks.

Walk With A Critical Eye

[sambase-38773 · 8/10 · 6 March 2023]

A German officer's main goal is to blow up a small bridge that's right on the supply route for the Allies. He was just about to do it when Saunders and his brave soldiers arrive. They shoot him in the leg and he runs/limps into the church and decides to pretend to be a Catholic priest in order to save his own life. Saunders finds him and believes his story. Terrible mistake. It will cost American lives.

They think they have the town secured when all of a sudden American soldiers start turning up dead - all of them stabbed. They decide to sweep the town again and find whoever is doing it. Of course, their sweep comes up empty because it's the fake priest who is doing the killing.

This is a gripping episode that builds tension all the way through. I wanted them to get that fake priest so bad I was willing to do it myself.

In the end they catch him of course, but Saunders is furious with himself for not noticing the clues along the way that the priest was fake and actually a deadly German officer. This is a very good episode.

By the way, I watched this episode on the Heroes & Icons channel and the playing speed seemed to be sped up by about 20 percent. You could really notice it when people were walking. They seemed to be zipping along way too fast. That's what we get in modern times I guess. No respect for classic TV.

Powerful Whitmore performance

[lor_ · 19 August 2023]

"Combat!" fans know that there's nothing better than the presence of a great character actor as guest star to ensure that a segment will be a winner. In this case, James Whitmore is terrific as a German soldier posing as a Dutch-born priest (who speaks English) to survive when the American troops occupy a French village, where he is attempting to blow up an important bridge.

Whitmore's acting sustains both suspense and the sense of danger involved, as he attempts to blow the bridge while avoiding the prying eyes of the Americans.

As Whitmore tries to get his own mission accomplished while hiding what he's up to from the troops, there's a powerful scene of a young soldier giving his confession to the fake priest, resulting in a violent hand to hand combat with the suspicious G. I. Crisp, sudden ending is epecially effective.