This episode of the dramatic anthology series CBS Playhouse gained legendary status for thematic and stylistic reasons: it took a gutsy plunge into the Vietnam issue and the civil rights issue - seamlessly combining both into a single narrative - and it also represented one of the first primetime television episodes to rest almost exclusively on a single monologue for all of its 90 minute running time. Ronald Ribman (Seize the Day) authored the teleplay; it tells of Olly Winter (Ivan Dixon), a black G.I. stationed in Vietnam who miraculously survives the obliteration of his entire unit by the Viet Cong, and must make his way back through the jungle to safety. En route, he is joined by a young Vietnamese girl who speaks not a word of English - a woman whose motivations remain unclear. Olly begins pouring out his most intimate reflections to his new traveling companion, speaking openly and candidly about his life in the States, his family, and - with great poignancy - the grim possibility of a future in the years and decades to come. Dixon received an Emmy nomination for his performance.
by Nathan Southern
synopsis
