A Small And Deadly War
Episode module created Friday 19th March 2010
Last update Sunday 21st March 2010
Guest Stars JACK GING (Captain Robert Stark)
DEAN STOCKWELL (Officer Collins)
NORMAN ALDEN (Detective Edward Maloney)
And AL WHITE as (Officer) Steve Meadows
Co-Starring FIL FORMICOLA (Officer Donny Shaeffer)
CAROL BAXTER (V.A. Hospital Nurse), EAST CARLO (Mr. Delgado)
LEW PALTER (Sergeant T. Alvarez), RHONDA SHEAR (Bonnie Webb)
Featuring DAVE MORICK as Mickey
CONNIE DOWNING as Waitress (Nancy)
1st season; © 1983
Production # : 1106 48/60 minutes Mono
AIRDATES:
First broadcast:
U.S. : Tuesday 15th February 1983 (NBC)
U.K. : * CHECK * (ITV)
Click to jump to:
Plot Summery (Act I) (Act II) (Act III) (Act IV) (Epilogue)
"How can Hannibal stand those things?!"
"Bringing me along to sew, how wonderfully sexist"
The Final Word and Hannibal's Cigar Rating
...or scroll down to see whole capsule!
BRIEF PLOT OVERVIEW:
A proud Police officer nearing retirement reluctantly hires the soldiers of fortune to take out a four-man SWAT team from his division, who are using their law enforcement work as a cover for operating as hit-men for hire. With the squad's specialist training, taking them on is no easy task - but Hannibal has a few tricks of his own...
PLOT SUMMERY:
Act I:
Late one dark night, the aging Detective Ed Maloney is driving along, when he is pulled over by a squad car. Putting his gun in his pocket, he gets out, and is confronted by four uniformed cops from the same division - Officers Collins, Meadows and Shaeffer, and their leader, Captain Robert Stark. They warn Maloney about how hard it is to prosecute a cop - but Maloney retorts that they're not cops, they're murderers killing for money! The cops show Maloney surveillance photos of Maloney's wife and daughter, and threaten Maloney to drop his appointment with the Chief about them in the morning. With that, the cops get back into their squad car and take off.
Soon after, Meadows stops by at his local bar for a beer, when a strange Irish man, who appears to be a washed up boxing champ, appears. The bartender, Mick, refuses to serve him, but Maloney takes a shine to the man and asks Mick to give him a beer. In return, the strange man reveals that he is actually Hannibal Smith, and leads Maloney to a back room, where B.A. and Face are waiting.
B.A. insists that they don't work for the Police, and Maloney is unhappy about having to hire soldiers of fortune to take care of the matter. Maloney explains that the cops are SWAT officers, and shows them the surveillance photos they threatened him with. He is willing to hire the team with every dollar he has, and that they might be able to end the hit squad's activities if they could just get one of them to confess. The team agree to take the job.
Driving away in the A-Team van, B.A. is concerned that with the officers special training, it will be like going up against themselves, but Hannibal already has a plan.
The next morning, Face and Amy arrive at the Police Headquarters posing as bug exterminators. The Sergeant on duty is sceptical of about them, but a discreetly planted cockroach by Amy on his shoulder and a whole load more on the floor, soon changes his mind! Left alone to supposedly get rid of the bugs, Face picks his way into the lockers, and Amy sows B.A.'s electronic transmitters, disguised as buttons.
Outside, Stark and Collins arrive for duty. Face buys time by spraying "bug killer" at them, giving Amy enough time to finish sowing the buttons and closing up the lockers, before the pair beat a hasty retreat.
Nearby, in the A-Team van, Hannibal and B.A. pick up every word the officers say on the hidden transmitters, and Hannibal has already got useful information on the Officers. Face and Amy arrive, and Hannibal tells Face to pick up Murdock.
At the V.A. hospital, Face poses as a doctor who has come to collect Murdock, who is suffering from "tuberculosis". Murdock immediately gets the message, and Face wheels him out of the hospital, Murdock coughing away.
Back in the A-Team van, Hannibal and B.A. are listening in to Stark and co. They are discussing their latest planned hit - hired by a man to take out his laundry-owning brother so that he may take over the business. Face and Murdock arrive at the van, and they race off to intercept the hit.
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Act II:
Racing to the location of the planned hit, Face is concerned what they'll be able to do - wanted by the Military, they won't exactly be able to testify in court - but Hannibal insists he'll think of something.
The van skids to a halt outside the laundry of Mr. Delgado, the intended target. Face assumes the role of a police officer and tells Mr. Delgado that there is to be an attempt on his life. Mr. Delgado defiantly says to let them come; Hannibal praises him for being a brave man, and asks for his help...
Shortly after, Mr. Delgado arrives to unlock his laundry. From a nearby rooftop, Collins shoots Delgado with a sniper rifle, and makes his escape in an awaiting car driven by Meadows. But out of nowhere, the A-Team van appears and forces the to crash off the road. As Collins tries to run away, "Mr. Delgado" looks up and trains a gun on him - it is actually a disguised Hannibal. He orders them to tell Stark that they're shut down.
Later in a cafe, Collins and Meadows discuss the incident with Stark and Shaeffer, and speculate who their mystery assailants were and how they found out about their attempted hit on Mr. Delgado. Stark is convinced that the headquarters is bugged, and doesn't want any more talk about their hits until they've swept the place for mics.
In the A-Team van, Hannibal telephones Stark at the cafe, and taunts them about discussing their failed murder attempt that morning.
The Officers quickly leave the cafe, convinced that it too is bugged.
The A-Team van pulls up at a florists, for the next part of Hannibal's plan. Stark is with his girlfriend Bonnie at her apartment, when Murdock arrives at the door posing as a singing florist telegram, delivering a wreath and singing a song about death, winding Stark up even further. Bonnie tries to comfort him, and Hannibal can't resist making another call to Stark. Stark demands that they meet, at the Indian Dunes, at 11pm.
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Act III:
That evening, in the parking lot of the LA Courier Express, B.A. fits extra strong lights to the van as they prepare for their rendezvous.
At the dunes, the Officers arrive in a Police van. Stark sends Collins and Shaeffer off to strategic positions, planning to wipe their unknown opponents out.
The A-Team van arrives, and Hannibal gets out, lit by the powerful lights B.A. has fitted, finally coming face-to-face with Stark. Hannibal gives Stark one last chance for his unit to turn themselves in in the morning. Hannibal, predicting that Stark will have posted marksmen to take shots at him, challenges Stark to call his sentry. A shot reigns down from the ridge - not at Hannibal, but instead zipping by Stark - Face has overpowered Collins. Meadows worriedly calls for Shaeffer, but Shaeffer too has been overpowered, by Murdock. Hannibal makes one last demand that they turn themselves in in the morning, or they'll be dead men. With that, he gets back into the A-Team van, and they take off into the night.
The next morning, the Officers have finally found the hidden mics, disguised as buttons, and crush them. Collins is worried, and concerned about the team's demands to turn themselves in, and that they might live up to their threat of killing them if they don't, but Stark insists that now the bugs have been discovered, they're cut off, and now it is time for him to make his move.
In the A-Team van, B.A. confirms that the mics are now dead, and that the whole plan stank!
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Act IV:
In the Police parking lot, Amy looks under the hood of her car, supposedly suffering engine trouble. Womaniser Collins, comes out of the building and spots her. Soon, he and Amy are leaving on his motorbike, with Meadows and Stark watching from a window.
Soon after, Collins and Amy check into a motel, but as soon as they enter their room, Collins finds himself photographed with Amy, as Murdock trains a gun oh him. As each of the team take turns to be photographed with their "friend" Collins, they demand they he turn state's evidence on the rest of his unit. Collins insists that Stark would kill him, but the team remind him that Stark would kill him anyway once they showed him the photos of how good "friends" they really are. Collins blurts out how the unit use weapons from the evidence room, Hannibal instructs him to get hold of the guns and sign a confession to Maloney, and to meet them at the Oceanside Amusement Park at 3pm.
However, back at Police Headquarters, the rest of the SWAT team have turned the tables on the team - they have bugged Collins and are listening in to him talking with the team, and plan to wipe the team out and him too.
At the deserted amusement park, Collins arrives with the evidence and confession, and is met by Face. He is soon joined by Murdock and B.A., who lead him to a cabin. Meadows, Schaeffer and Stark are also on site, and follow them to the cabin. What they don't realise is that one of the dummy cowboys outside a nearby attraction is actually Hannibal. The SWAT team surround the place and fill it with rifle fire, from which no-one could escape alive. However, once the dust has settled and they look inside, they find the place empty! B.A., Face and Murdock drop from the rafters and onto Stark and co. A brawl breaks out, and the men loose their weapons and take off into the amusement park, the team in pursuit. Face run after Collins and soon overpowers him and secures the evidence Collins bought with him. Likewise, Murdock has soon put Meadows out of action.
Hannibal and Stark brawl, and become attached to a monorail cart that lifts them high up into the air. The struggle continues until Hannibal manages to overpower Stark, sending him plummeting to the floor below.
In the midst of all the commotion, Shaeffer runs to his car and tries to escape, but B.A. lunges onto the hood, smashing the windshield, causing the car to careen out of control and flip over.
Now safely inside the monorail cart and with the villains out of action, Hannibal takes out a fresh cigar.
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EPILOGUE:
Night, some time later. A police dispatcher puts out a report that Smith, Peck and Baracus have been spotted in a cocktail lounge.
Inside the establishment, Hannibal, Face, Amy and Murdock meet with Maloney, who is feeling much better now the hit squad is out of action. Deducting expenses and a moderate fee, Face returns Maloney's money, telling him that Hannibal wanted it that way. B.A. has been keeping watch outside, and calls to warn them that Lynch's men coming up the street. As the rest of the team hastily retreat and the A-Team van races off into the night, pursued by M.P. cars, Maloney asks Amy why they do it. Amy simply similes and replies "For the jazz, man. For the jazz".
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COMMENTS, Review & NOTES
After the Pilot penned by creators Frank Lupo and Stephen J. Cannell, and two episodes, 'Children of Jamestown' and the classic 'Pros and Cons', penned solely by Cannell, 'A Small and Deadly War' is the first entry in the series to be penned by Frank Lupo.
And in many ways, it is an archetypal Lupo script - pretty good, but maybe lacking the sharpness and subtlety of those penned by Cannell.
I like this episode, I like it quite a lot. But at the same time, it has always been one of my slightly lesser first season favourites - though much of that is down to there being so many other strong offerings in the first season.
At the same time, I know this episode has it's real fans who might even consider this a series classic. And that's part of the appeal of 'The A-Team' - there's episodes to suit everyone.
Policemen working as hitmen-for-hire is an intriguing and promising premise. Lupo pulls it off reasonably, but somehow, I personally thought there was scope for even more; by the end, the hitmen seem little more than standard villains of the week, which is a real shame.
Hannibal cheerfully playing cat-and-mouse with the hit squad, via use of concealed mini-microphones, is a great idea, but again, I can't help but feel the idea would have been better structured if coming from Cannell's pen.
Even so, this is still a very decent first season instalment in it's own right, and much better than many of the episodes from later seasons.
Miscellaneous notes:
When the SWAT team are trying to work out who intervened in their latest (failed) attempt, Meadows speculates on Maloney that "...instead of going to the chief, he hires the Seven Samurai'. The classic Japanese film 'The Seven Samurai' (1954), about a group of mercenaries hired by poor farmers to combat bandits, was remade in the U.S. as 'The Magnificent Seven' (1960); both films served as partial inspiration for development of 'The A-Team', in particular the plot of the Pilot.
After the Pilot, this is one of the few episodes where B.A.'s true first name, Bosco, is spoken (by the Police dispatcher in the epilogue). It would only be spoken on one more occasion in the series, in the first season episode 'One More Time'. After that, even by officials, he is referred to as "B.A. Baracus".
In Hannibal and Stark's duel, hanging from the monorail, at the climax, it's not made particularly clear, but if you listen carefully when Stark falls you can hear the sound of splashing water, indicating that he has fallen into a pool or suchlike - in keeping with the show's rule that people never (well, seldom) die.
"How Can Hannibal Stand Those THings?"
The most curious moment of this episode is in the sequence where Face and Amy go to the Police Headquarters, posing as bug exterminators. After getting rid of the Desk Sergeant, Face tosses away the cigar he's been smoking, commenting "How can Hannibal stand those things?!".
...But as evidenced in many other episodes, including the next one broadcast, 'Black Day at Bad Rock', Face enjoys a good cigar. Maybe he is commenting on Hannibal's choice of brand? But no, we all know that Hannibal only smokes the very best.
It can only be assumed that after his initial smoke on a cigar in this episode, Face developed a taste for them. It must have happened quite quickly though - as noted above, by the very next episode, he is seen happily puffing away on one.
"Bringing me Along to Sew, How Wonderfully Sexist"
After Amy had promising introduction in the
Pilot, actress Melinda Culea soon started to complain that her character had very
little to do. And judging by this episode, she may have had a point.
Amy had a small but fair amount to do in the two previous broadcast episodes, 'Children of Jamestown' and 'Pros and Cons', but by 'A Small and Deadly War', she has very little dialogue, and only appears in a couple of sections of the story.
Her most notable scene is as Face takes her along to Police Headquarters in the guise of cockroach exterminators, to plant mini-microphone bugs on the offending officer's uniforms. Amy comments "Bringing me along to sew, how wonderfully sexist". Face points out that they all do what they can do - she's welcome to try and pick the officer's locks on their lockers if she wants. But even so, this does rather sum up what little Amy was given to do in most of her episodes.
Which is a real shame, as I really like her as a character (she is much better than the later Amy clone Tawnia Baker, IMO, but that's for another page!).
Watching this episode, and bearing in mind how abruptly Culea would ultimately leave the series during the second season, it's easy to feel that the line "Bringing me along to sew, how wonderfully sexist" comes from the heart!
Firsts
This is the first episode to use the show's famous 'stencil' font on the in-episode and closing credits. The previous two episodes, 'Children of Jamestown' and 'Pros and Cons', used the stencil font on the opening credits (which were presumably added slightly later prior to broadcast), but had different fonts in-episode:
Van
Included in this episode are a number of shots of the
A-Team van driving along, both at night and day. These shots - particularly the day ones - would become stock footage that would be woven into many, many subsequent episodes, right through seasons 1-4.
Also to note regarding the van in this episode, is that is probably ranks as the one single instalment with the most interior van shots - we get many shots of the team listening in to their mini-microphones, phoning Stark, making their plans, and so on; and many from uncommon angles. I can't think of any other episode that features so many interior van shots.
The First "Anti A-Team"?
Throughout the course of the show's run, there are villains who come across as evil 'anti A-Teams' - in that they are in some respects mirrors of the actual A-Team, but doing bad, not good.
I've often wondered if the hit squad in this episode can be considered the first example of this? Let's look at the stats:
There are four of them, mirroring the numbers of the (main) A-Team
There are three caucasian and one black, again mirroring the A-Team
Just as the A-Team are a specialist trained crack commando unit, their opponents are a highly trained SWAT team, trained in special weapons and tactics. As B.A. says, it's like "going up against ourselves"
For more 'Anti A-Team's, see HERE!
MUSIC
The opening trailer uses the 60 second version of the 'standard' style 'A-Team' theme, commonly used on closing credits, as well as a number of opening trailers.
(This example taken from the first season episode 'Children of Jamestown')
The closing credits use an extended, slightly jazzier sounding version of the theme, clocking in at 2 minutes. This is the first time this particular version would be used; it would be used again on 'One More Time' and (looped around to make it even longer) for the season finale, 'A Nice Place to Visit'. It would also be used one last time, in an unusual edit, in the second season episode 'The Maltese Cow'.
(Note that the version used on the closing credits to the second season's 'Diamonds 'N Dust' and 'Bad Time on the Border', and the third season's feature-length / two part 'The Bend in the River', sounds very similar, but is in fact a rerecording).
The in-episode score features a rather sinister hook for the hitman SWAT team. A sample of the music is blow (a better one is coming soon!)...
The musical score from the climax of the episode appears on the A-Team soundtrack album (which I've never liked, as it is rerecorded by the Daniel Caine orchestra in London, and a poor copy of the original), titled 'B.A.'s Ride'.
The climatic musical score is recycled, slightly abridged, in the fourth season episode 'The Heart of Rock N' Roll'.
Audio Clips
Murdock singing '(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction' by the Rolling Stones (edited out of VHS and DVD release).
More coming soon!
GUEST CAST BACKGROUND
Playing Captain Robert Stark, the head of the SWAT team working as hitmen-for-hire, is a familiar face: Jack Ging. After playing another villain, Lt. Taggart, in the second season episode 'Bad Time on the Border' (which is also notable for featuring Marla Heasley in a pre-Tawnia Baker role), Ging went on to play the team's recurring nemesis, General Harlan "Bull" Fulbright in the show's fourth season, introduced in the episode 'Mind Games' (although 'The A-Team Is Coming The A-Team Is Coming' was the first episode he filmed in the role).
Before the role of Fulbright, Ging played the recurring Lt. Ted Quinlan on another Stephen J. Cannell & Frank Lupo series, 'Riptide' (1983/4-1986; with which 'The A-Team' was partnered with on Tuesday nights on NBC for much of it's original NBC run). Quinlan was killed off in the third season episode 'Requiem for Icarus', freeing Ging up to play Fulbright in 'The A-Team'. Ironically, the person who killed him in 'Riptide' was played by none other than Carl Franklin - who played Colonel Decker's aide Captain Crane! Ging's many other appearances include:
As 'Ted Collins' in the second season 'Six Million Dollar Man' episode 'The Deadly Replay' (1974), and as 'Chief Inspector Hanson' in the fourth season episode 'Kill Oscar: Part 2' (1976)
...as well as the same character in the 'Bionic Woman' episodes 'Kill Oscar' and 'Kill Oscar: Part 3' (the two series often included such crossovers - playing havoc with syndication and overseas reruns)
Bad guy 'Samuels' in 'The Game', a fourth season episode 'Starsky & Hutch' (1978)
'Johnson' in the third season 'Fall Guy' episode 'How Do I Kill Thee? Let Me Count the Ways' (1982)
As an admiral in the final episode, 'Frightmare', of the criminally short-lived 'The Highwayman' (1988)
Collins (we never learn his first name) is played by Dean Stockwell. Born Robert Dean Stockwell in 1936, and former child actor in the 1940s, Stockwell's acting career continued on into adulthood, where he has almost 200 TV and film credits to his name. To many of us, he is best known as the cigar smoking, womanising "hologram" Al Calavicci in the excellent 'Quantum Leap' (1989-1993) (one of the better shows from the mostly bland late 1980s/early 1990s, when shows such as 'The A-Team', etc., had ceased production. Stockwell is also an accomplished artist, and his brother, Guy Stockwell, is also an actor. Amongst his many other performances, of interest to us is...:
'Jack Gretsky' in the second season 'Miami Vice' episode 'Bushido' (1985)
Villain 'Charles "Chip" Cain' in ;Beverly Hills Cop II' (1987)
'Colonel Grat' in the 'Star Trek' series 'Enterprise' episode 'Detained', where he was reunited with fellow 'Quantum Leap' Scott Bakula
Playing Detective Edward Maloney is veteran actor Norman Alden. Born September 1924, Texas, Alden has over 200 film and TV credits to his name, stretching back to the mid-1950s. He appears again in 'The A-Team' in the second season episode 'Steel' (the first episode without Melinda Culea as Amy) as construction foreman Mickey Stern; in that episode he receives Special Guest Star billing. Now in his 80s, Alden continues to work, and amongst his many credits, are...:
'Henchman #1' in the first season two-parter (as were most episodes) 'The Joker Trumps an Ace / Batman Sets the Pace' (1966) of 'Batman'
'Roland Eddy' in the 'Rockford Files' fifth season opening 'Heartaches of a Fool' (1978)
'Buddy Owens' in 'Dandruff', a rather poor fourth season episode of 'Starsky & Hutch' (1978)
Two turns as hard-as-nails Chief Lacey in the first season 'Dukes of Hazzard' episode "Deputy Dukes" (1979), and reprised the role in the second season fan favourite episode "The Ghost of General Lee" (1979). (The character wasn't seen again after that, but seemed in many ways to be a prototype of the recurring Sheriff Little, seen from the third season onwards.)
Two appearances in 'The Fall Guy' - as 'Al Demato' in the first season episode 'Goin' For It' (1982), and as 'Coach' in the second season episode 'Win One for the Gipper???' (1983)
As 1955 cafe owner Lou Caruthers in the classic 'Back to the Future' (1985) (one of my all-time favourite films)
Al White plays Officer Steve Meadows. Sometimes credited as Allen Clifton White, his acting careers stretched from the mid-1970s to the present days, and he has many guest roles under his belt, many of which are as law officers (as in this episode). He can also be seen as...:
As 'Franklin' in the third season 'Starsky & Hutch' episode 'The Crying Child' (1977) (which epitomises the show's sudden move in it's third year to more socially conscious stories, in this case an abused child)
A Police Sergeant in the third season 'Incredible Hulk' episode 'Broken Image' (1980)
As one of the "Jive Dudes" in the classic disaster spoof 'Airplane!' (1980), as well as a Witness in the 1982 sequel
As bad guy 'Burnett' in the fifth season 'Dukes of Hazzard' episode 'Lawman of the Year' (1982, one of the better episodes from the 'clone Dukes' Coy and Vance's spell, IMO), and as 'Eddie' in the seventh season episode 'Cale Yarborough Comes to Hazzard' (1984)
Agent Eugene Smith in the enjoyable second season 'Riptide' episode 'The Orange Grove' (1984)
Two 'T.J. Hooker' roles - 'J.D. Laws' in the third season episode 'The Snow Game' (1984), and as 'Freddie / Jamal' in the fifth season episode 'Rip-off' (1985) - the opening sequence of which recycles footage of White being pursued at night in his previous character in 'The Snow Game'!
As the father of the family which Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) learns - at the end of a shotgun - lives in his home in the alternate 1985, in 'Back to the Future Part II' (1989)
Officer Donny Schaeffer is played by Fil Formicola. Working on the guest role circuit since the mid-1970s, he is less active nowadays but still occasionally appears in small TV parts.
He can also be seen as...:
A Gate Guard in the fourth season 'Charlie's Angels' episode 'Toni's Boys' (1980) - an episode notable for trying (unsuccessfully) trying to launch a spin-off series of the same name, about three male detectives
A Mechanic in the "CHiPs" fourth season episode 'Crash Course' (1981)
'Solt' in the short-lived 'Automan's episode 'The Great Pretender' (1983)
The Nurse at the V.A. hospital is played by Carol Baxter. Baxter appears as a Nurse again in 'The A-Team' in the second season episode 'Steel' (in which Norman Alden also appears). Although she plays a Nurse in that episode too, it is not clear whether it is intended to be the same character. She also appears in 'flashback' footage from the hospital sequence from 'A Small and Deadly War' in the second season finale 'Curtain Call', but - as with all of the other actors in archive footage - is not credited.
As well as an occasional actress, Baxter is also a writer, contributing scripts for 'The Incredible Hulk' (the fourth season's 'Wax Museum', 1981), and four episodes of animated series 'She-Ra: Princess of Power' ('The Anxious Apprentice' and 'My Friend, My Enemy' (1985), and 'Something Old, Something New' and 'Just the Way You Are' (1986). She can also be seen onscreen as...:
'Macy' in the episode 'The Lost Warrior' of the original version of 'Battlestar: Galactica' (1978) (she also appears uncredited in the episode 'Saga of a Star World' (1978)
'Renee Stevens' in the second season 'Incredible Hulk' (for which, as noted above, she also wrote) episode 'Haunted' (1979), and as 'Dr. Charlene McGowan' in Part 2 of the fourth season two-parter 'Prometheus' (1980)
Mr. Delgado - the laundry owner who the team save from being targeted by the hit squad - is played by veteran guest star performer Ismael 'East' Carlo. Born January 29th, 1942, Puerto Rico, Often credited as Ismael Carlo, or occasionally Ismael De Carlo, here he is credited as East Carlo. He makes three other appearances in 'The A-Team' - as bandit Salvador in the second season episode 'The Only Church In Town', terrorist Captain Cordoba in the third season's 'Sheriffs of Rivertown', and as thug Alvarez in the fourth season episode 'Lease With an Option to Die' (in each of those roles, he is credited as Ismael Carlo). With an acting careers stretching back to the mid-1970s, he still works today, and appeared in a number of US 1980s shows, including...:
As a Dock Worker in the one-season-wonder 'Tales of the Golden Monkey's episode 'The Late Sarah White' (1982)
A Bartender in the first season 'Riptide' episode 'The Mean Green Love Machine' (1984)
Two 'T.J. Hooker' roles - as 'Richard Garcia' in the second season episode 'The Trial' (1983), and as Gunter Castro in the fifth season episode 'Rip-Off' (1985) (which also features Al White)
Three 'Airwolf' appearances - Sanchez in the first season's 'Mad Over Miami' (1984), a guerrilla Sergeant in the enjoyable second season finale 'Short Walk to Freedom', and as Carlo in the third season's so-so 'Wildfire' (the last of which credited him as East Carlo)
As 'Victor Vasquez' in the third season 'Miami Vice' episode 'Cuba Libre', and as 'Chi Chi' in the fifth season episode 'Hard Knocks'
Lew Palter plays Sergeant Alvarez, whom Face and Amy must bluff their way past posing as bug exterminators at Police Headquarters. Palter was active as a guest performer since the late 1960s. Other appearances include as...:
'Mancino' in the second season 'Charlie's Angles' episode 'Angels in the Wings' (1977)
A storekeeper in Part 1 of the enjoyable 2-part 'Incredible Hulk' fourth season episode 'Prometheus' (1980)
Rhonda Shear (born Rhonda Honey Sheer, 12 November 1954, New Orleans) is a former Miss Louisiana and Miss USA. Most active in small guest roles in the early 1980s, she continues to occasionally act in TV and film bit-parts, many of them comedic. Amongst her many roles, she can be seen as...:
'Michelle' in the seventh season 'Happy Days' episode 'Joanie Busts Out'(1979)
'Jill' in the sixth season "CHiPs" episode 'This Year's Riot' (1982)
'Mollio' in the 'Fall Guy' second season episode 'Death Boat' (1983)
'Flossie' in the final sixth season 'Dukes of Hazzard' episode 'Cooter's Confession' (1984)
Dave Morick (1934-1997) plays bar owner Mickey (though in the actual episode he is referred to as 'Mick'). Sometimes credited as David Morick, his career in bit-parts stretched back to the 1950s. Notable appearances to the likes of us include:
As 'James Darrow' in the first season 'Rockford Files' episode 'Tall Woman in Red Wagon'
'Major Conlan' in the second season 'Six Million Dollar Man' episode 'The Midas Touch' (1974) and as a Security Guard in the fifth season episode 'Deadly Countdown' (1976)
'Speaker' in the popular third season 'Airwolf' episode 'Airwolf II' (1985
Connie Downing plays the waitress in the cafe that Stark and co. meet in. Although credited as simply 'Waitress', in the episode she is named as Nancy.
Downing was an occasional small bit-part performer, active from the late 1970s to the mid 1980s. Other appearances include:
As a 'Girl at Party' in the rather unmemorable first season 'Knight Rider' episode 'Hearts of Stone' (1983) (the only real thing of note about the episode is that K.I.T.T. now has his more familiar voice modulator display)
As 'Debbie' in the second season 'Matt Houston' episode 'The Centrefold Murders' (1983)
A number of familiar publicity stills were taken from this episode, and used on a vast array of books and merchandise.
Most common was that of Hannibal, sitting in the
passenger seat of the A-Team van, cigar in mouth, smiling. This shot appeared in a number of related media.
Several shots of Hannibal in combat gear were also commonly used.
The shot of the car flipping over at the climax was also used in various forms.
And a sequence of Face, smiling, in the back of the
A-Team van was used for the first
version of the season opening credits. Although several very similar shots are used, the exact sequence wasn't used in the final episode here.
BLOOPERS, CONTINUITY ERRORS, Nitpicks and things to spot
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In the scene after Hannibal, in disguise, has lead Officer Maloney to the back room, watch the shot where B.A. says "And what about your family?" - the audio does not match his face. The audio has him saying it quite calmly, whereas visually he can be seen to snap the line. |
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...Furthermore, much of the dialogue from this scene, particularly from Maloney, seems to be re-dubbed in post production; maybe due to a problem on the original audio recording. |
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When Face and Amy pose as bug exterminators at the Police headquarters, Face is smoking a cigar, and comments "How can Hannibal stand those things?". Yet in many other episodes (including the very next one broadcast, 'Black Day At Bad Rock'), Face enjoys cigars. |
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When B.A., Face and Murdock drop down from the rafters onto the hitmen, it is
quite clearly stunt doubles, especially in B.A.'s case - look out for the infamous "Mr. T wig"!
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When
Murdock chases Meadows through the amusement park, it is quite clearly stunt doubles. Meadows' double is possibly the same used for Mr. T, Tony Brubaker.
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B.A.'s
double can be seen to leap onto the hood of the escaping car
at the climax of the episode. However, on the interior shot
where B.A. smashes through the windshield, it actually is
Mr. T.
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After B.A. has
smashed the windscreen, the next shot (with Mr. T's double on the hood) shows the windshield to have what appears to be a stuck on imitation smash!
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In the
closing credits, slightly more footage of the car crashing is used. It is seen to have more of a run-up, and a crash cage (to stop the roof from folding in, injuring the driver) can be seen.
Also look at the spot where the car starts to turn over - it is build up by sandbags, to hide the ramp behind it.
COSTUME
B.A. wears his memorable denim gilet for the third of just four times in the series (the previous instances being in the Pilot, and 'Pros and Cons', the episode broadcast prior to this episode). He would wear it just one more time, in 'The Out-Of-Towners' in a few episodes time - however, it would seem much more familiar, as a great many first season publicity shots show him wearing it, and the Galloob 6" action figure also shows him wearing it.
Hannibal wears a typical first season costume, with cream jacket and blue shirt. Face wears his leather jacket in a number of scenes.
MURDOCK’S T-SHIRT
Murdock's t-shirt in this episode is aquamarine, with 'Alexander the Great' in black. This t-shirt appears again in scenes of the second season episodes 'Diamonds 'N Dust' (it's not clear, but a few well-timed freeze frames reveal it) and 'The Only Church In Town'.
MURDOCK’S Fixation
Murdock doesn't really have a fixation (obsession, antic, whatever you care to call it) in this episode, but after suffering "tuberculosis" when Face springs him from the V.A. hospital and coughing into a black glove, he can be seen to wear the glove for the rest of the episode, although it is never really played on.
Also at the hospital, Murdock makes reference to his invisible dog Billy, who "appears" in several first season episodes.
SIMILAR
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The third season episode 'The Big Squeeze' contains a notably similar sequence to one in this episode - in both stories, Hannibal, in disguise, is gunned down from a rooftop across the street, and assumed dead. In 'A Small and Deadly War', the ruse is revealed a few moments later, while in 'The Big Squeeze', it is played out for much longer. |
Novel Adaptation
This story, and the next broadcast episode, 'Black Day at Bad Rock', were adapted for the novel 'Small But Deadly Wars', the second in the series written by Charles Heath. As with most of the episodes adapted for the novels, it is a pretty straight adaptation, but with some expanding on some of the plot points. One of the notable things about the novel is that Captain Robert Stark's name is changed to Dolph Stark.
More information coming soon (I have a complete set of the novels, but have them stored in the roof and cannot for the life of me find them at present!).
Cuts & BROADCAST NOTES
My local ITV station, London Weekend Television, repeated this episode on Sunday 2nd August 1992, at 17:05pm. Many other ITV regions had been repeating episodes on Saturday or Sunday afternoons for a year or so, but after just two 'one off' broadcasts ('West Coast Turnaround' and 'One More Time') the previous year, it wasn't until this point that LWT really started to run the series again, with a hotchpotch of first and mostly second season episodes. An example of the seemingly random order they broadcast the episodes - the following weeks' episode (and in a much earlier timeslot) was the second season's 'Diamonds 'N Dust'.
It was around the point that LWT started hacking away at episodes for no apparent reason (other than to fit an extra cartoon in or something!) ('West Coast Turnaround' had about 5 minutes cut out, for example), but 'A Small and Deadly War' survived intact, complete with opening trailer and extended closing credits.
The only edit was during the Police Headquarters scene, where Face and Amy pose as bug exterminators, and Face comments on the "little buggers"; in the U.K., buggers is a mild swear word (it's severity actually varies in different areas), so the powers-that-be deemed to cut it out. As I only have one example of an ITV broadcast of this ep, I'm not sure if this was a standard edit, or was just the case on this particular broadcast.
I could also receive TVS (later Meridian), the southern ITV station, but did not know this at the time this episode was broadcast. If anyone has any other examples of ITV broadcasts that they would care to loan or donate to the site, get in touch (yes, I have complete DVD episodes and still collect old ITV copies - don't ask why, I'm not sure myself!)
VIDEO and DVD
This episode was released on video in the U.K. on the 4th September 2001, along with the episodes ‘Harder Than It Looks’ and ‘Fire’. It was later released on Regions 1, 2 and 4 on DVD as part of the third season. All releases played as the original broadcast version.
VHS / DVD Edit
On both the DVD box sets, and the VHS release before that, there is an edit during the sequence at the V.A. hospital.
In the original version, as Face enters Murdock's room, Murdock is singing The Rolling Stones' '(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction'. On the VHS and DVD version, this is edited out, so we just get the last note of him singing, making the song unrecognisable. Additionally, there is faint added music that is supposedly coming out of his headphones that was not present on the original broadcast version.
This edit may be due to a break in the master tapes (something that has affected DVD versions of several other episodes, such as the second season's feature-length / two-part "When You Comin' Back, Range Rider?"), but more likely, it is due to copyright over lyrics.
But oddly, when the sequence is seen in flashback in the second season's 'Curtain Call', Murdock does indeed sing the lyrics - as there was no other music licensing issues with the second season DVD box set, maybe on that occasion it was within budget to pay the loyalties.
The original broadcast version of Murdock singing '(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction' can be heard under the Audio section on this page.
International
Coming soon! (But I do remember that the German title for this episode translates as 'Wolves in Uniform', which I think I actually prefer to 'A Small and Deadly War', which never seemed to quite suit the episode in my view.)
Small
Wars
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Full of first season freshness and fun |
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Good climax - especially B.A. leaping onto the hood of the car and smashing the windscreen |
Small Bores
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The concept of Police Officers working as hitmen maybe not used to it's full potential... |
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...and the hitmen seeming little more than standard villains of the week by the climax |
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Also, I never felt the title, 'A Small and Deadly War', really summed up this episode, and never really suited it |
MOST MEMORABLE FOR
Hannibal playing cat-and-mouse with the hit squad SWAT team.
THE FINAL WORD
A favourite with some, I like this one, although I wouldn't say that it is necessarily one of my favourites of season one (but much of that is due to most of the other episodes of the season being of such a high quality) - I never felt that the whole "Police officers working as hit men" concept was used to it's full potential. Even so, this is still a decent story.
Hannibal's Cigar Rating:
8.5/10
.5
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