Dick Peabody Movies
Primarily a television actor, six-foot, six-inch tall Dick Peabody will be best remembered for his portrayal of Littlejohn, an enormous and innocent farmhand, on the TV series Combat that aired in the 1960s. Peabody's contributions to film were not as great, with only a handful of appearances. In late 1999, Peabody died from prostate cancer, at the age of 74. ~ All Movie Guide- 1974
This comedy western is the failed pilot for a TV series based on the 1971 feature film Skin Game. Like the original, this tells the story of two bungling con artists, one white the other black, who ride around trying to collect an outlaw bounty and outsmart slave traders. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Mackenna's Gold is a colorful, action-packed western feature with an all-star cast. Mackenna (Gregory Peck) has committed to memory the map that leads to some hidden Apache gold. The Indians now want the gold to finance their fight against the white men who invade their territory. Mexican bandit Colorado (Omar Sharif) wants the gold for himself, and the local preacher (Raymond Massey) and the editor of the newspaper (Lee J. Cobb) also get gold fever. Burgess Meredith plays the storekeeper and Edward G. Robinson is long-time town resident Old Adams. Everyone goes looking for the hidden treasure as the Indians dwindle their numbers with violent attacks. The search is monitored by U.S. calvary Sergeant Tibbs (Telly Savalas). Colorado captures Mackenna to lead him to the gold as death comes to those who show the most avarice. Music is provided by Quincy Jones. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gregory Peck, Omar Sharif, (more)
- 1969
- PG
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In this comic western, Flagg (Robert Mitchum) is a veteran marshal forced to retire by the pompous Mayor Wilker (Martin Balsam). McKay (George Kennedy) is a wily gunslinger. The two combine forces to stop a young band of outlaws from robbing the train when it pulls into the station. Flagg warns the mayor of the upcoming attempt but is not taken seriously by the town politician. McKay and Flagg ride out to warn the train of the impending crime, which finds McKay facing members of his own gang in a traditional western showdown. David and John Carradine appear in this feature along with Tina Louise and Lois Nettleton. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Mitchum, George Kennedy, (more)
James Garner is a nothing short of a delight in this western spoof that stands western clichés on their ears. The film takes place in the small western town of Calender, a town that experiences a gold rush when gold is discovered in an open grave by Prudy Perkins (Joan Hackett). As gold prospectors flood in and out of town, the Danby clan, anxious to take advantage of the situation (since their ranch blocks the main road out of town) levies a 20% tribute on every gold shipment that passes through. Three sheriffs have been dispatched by the Danbys, and they control the town. Into this situation, on his way to Australia, rides Jason McCullough (Garner). McCullough is an easy-going sort who just happens to be a crack shot. The town rapidly makes him sheriff. His first line of business is to break up a fight and to arrest Joe Danby (Bruce Dern) for murder. As McCullouch settles down in the Perkins boarding house, Pa Danby (Walter Brennan) plots to spring his son from jail. But when all his mechanizations fail to gain Joe's release, Pa Danby gathers together all the Danbys in the surrounding countryside to head into Calender to get rid of McCullough. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Garner, Joan Hackett, (more)
- 1966
When two strangers, Sonny (Dick Peabody) and Jesse (Walter Burke), help Ben Cartwright get his wagon out of the mud, Ben invites them to supper at the Ponderosa, then secures them both jobs. Ben's son Hoss immediately bonds with Sonny, who has the strength of Hercules but the mind of a child. A crisis develops when Sonny cannot comprehend the fact that Jesse has been killed-and, according to Sheriff Coffee, Sonny has been known to turn killer himself when he gets confused. The Steinbeckesque teleplay was written by Robert Baron. "Destiny's Child" first aired on January 30, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, (more)
- 1966
The fifth season of Combat! turned out to be the series' last season on network television -- and the only season to be filmed in color. The opening episode, "The Gun," features a decidedly pre-M*A*S*H Wayne Rogers. A later installment, "The Losers," bears a striking resemblance to the theatrical feature The Dirty Dozen, even though it aired long before the movie was released! As always, viewers can revel in the low-key heroics of King Company leaders Sgt. Chip Saunders (Vic Morrow) and Lt. Gil Hanley (Rick Jason) as they guide the platoon to victory in Southern France in the waning months of WW2. In addition to the aforementioned Wayne Rogers, a stellar roster of guest stars appears in this valedictory Combat! season, among them former child actress Margaret O'Brien, Ricardo Montalban (as a gypsy), Robert Duvall (once more cast as a German) -- and, in the final episode "The Partisan," a young, raw and extremely talented Robert De Niro. ~ All Movie Guide
Though only 31 episodes were produced for Combat!'s fourth season (down from the usual quota of 32), there is still action aplenty as the men of King Company, led by stalwart Sgt. Chip Saunders (Vic Morrow) and Lt. Gil Hanley (Rick Jason), fight their way through Southern France in the months following D-day. Among the guest stars appearing during season four are John Cassavetes, Jack Lord, Sal Mineo, Dwayne Hickman, and Fernando Lamas (as a Frenchman!) Arguably the highlight of the season is the two-part episode "Hills are for Heroes," directed by Combat! star Vic Morrow. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1964
Most of the men of King Company who were trudging through post D-day France during season two of Combat! are still in attendance for season three, except for Tom Lowell as Private Billy Nelson. Remaining firmly in charge of the platoon throughout all 32 episodes are Sgt. Chip Saunders (Vic Morrow) and Lt. Gil Hanley (Rick Jason). This years' quota of guest stars include Theodore Bikel, Mickey Rooney, Dan Duryea, Telly Savalas (as -- what else? -- a Greek colonel) and a young Robert Duvall (as a German lieutenant). Of special interest is the performance of Charles Bronson as a sensitive explosives expert who faces a crisis of conscience when assigned to blow up an enemy stronghold containing several priceless and irreplaceable works of art. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1963
As Combat! moves into its second season, the men of King Company welcome several new "regular" platoon members, notably Private Billy Nelson (Tom Lowell) and PFC Littlejohn (Dick Peabody). Also, the platoon's resident medical aidman Walton has been replaced by a man who prefers to be known only as "Doc" (Conlan Carter). Even so, Sgt. Chip Saunders (Vic Morrow) and Lt. Gil Hanley (Rick Jason) remain firmly in charge as the men make their way through occupied France in the wake of D-Day. Among the season's 32 episodes are the series' first two-part adventures, "The Long Way Home" and "What are the Bugles Blowin'. As for guest stars, this season offers such notables as Lee Marvin, James Caan, James Coburn, Leonard Nimoy -- and on distinctly opposite sides of the age spectrum, Eddie Albert as a fiftyish WWI doughboy who is unaware that a whole new war is raging about him, and Beau Bridges as a green private who tries to hide the fact that he is merely 15 years old. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1962
The most successful of network television's many WWII dramatic series of the '60s, Combat!, ran for five seasons on ABC -- or roughly one year longer than the war lasted! Set in the months following D-Day, the weekly, hour-long series focused on King Company, a platoon of American GIs battling their way through Southern Europe, encountering action, adventure, humor, heartbreak and dozens of guest stars along the way. Throughout the series' run, King Company was headed by gritty, taciturn Sgt. Chip Saunders (Vic Morrow) and his superior officer, cool and courageous Lt. Gil Hanley (Rick Jason). Though several soldiers were attached to the platoon from one season to the next, the most enduring of the supporting players were Pierre Jalbert as Paul "Caje" Lemay, Jack Hogan as "Wild Man" Kirby, and Dick Peabody as PFC Littlejohn. Some of the better episodes were directed by such Hollywood heavyweights as Robert Altman and Burt Kennedy. Filmed in glorious black-and-white during its first four seasons -- the better to accommodate newsreel footage of actual wartime battles -- Combat! switched to color for its fifth and final season on the air. ~ All Movie Guide
