I found a knock-off set like this for $10.oo at a Flea Market last year. The figures were bad, but the Fort and weapons sprue were worth it. The horses weren't able to stand. This game box was an import copy.
A decade later, they were using the same Indians, tee-pees, trees, well, etc., but no Indian ponies, for my Fort Apache set. It always irritated me the Indians had to ride cavalry horses with saddles and covered stirrups.
Mystery solved! Even as a kid, I knew the post-Korean War tank, and M14 rifles were wrong in my D-Day, North Africa, and Iwo Jima sets. Now I understand; they were originally the modern army, and Marx never changed anything - they just re-named the sets.
I got this the same year as the Iwo Jim set; about 1965. The year before I got the D-Day set. It really bothered me they used a Panther tank, and a post-Korean War American tank. WHY?!! Why not just get it right - at least for the Americans? I don't remember the Americans in tan; only green. The Germans and barbed-wire were a light gray.
I had the Iwo Jima set, and the D-Day set. I have no idea why they used a post-Korean War American tank. You might notice many of the American soldiers are armed with the (at the time, modern) M-14 rifle with 20-round magazine; instead of the M1 rifle with internal 8-round clip. Even as a kid, I knew it was the wrong tank and rifle.
It's interesting to see what they kept through the years. About 1960, my Alamo set used the outside accessories. My Fort Apache set did not have the indoor accessories, and all the figures were different; as was the building. I wonder why they kept changing things? Both of my sets used hard plastic ladders (single pole). And I have no idea how I obtained them (this set came out the year I was born), but I think I have the crawling man with the raised knife, plus some others (brown figure with bow, etc.). And I think the buckboard!
A derivation of the Fort Apache set I had. The fort (not the building), the horses, and the Indians are the same. The soldiers and cannon are not. It always bugged me that they only had Cavalry horses with saddle & covered stirrups for the Indians to ride.
Good video! No talking and no background music---just what I like! "Cinema Verite" style! As for Capt. Gallant I don't have the original playset, but for play and display purposes I've been able to reconstruct a lot of it. I have the accessories reissue from years ago, Arab tent and accessories, Marx palm trees, camels, AIP Arabs and Timpo Legionnaires. The only thing I don't have are those nice fort walls and the HQ building. But, with a little cream color paint and some wooden blocks, and a suitable cardboard box.....
That's a really neat set. I wish I had perused the toy aisle in Korvettes after hitting the record department back in the day. But am I the only one who thinks the guy on the box looks like he's from the Imperial Japanese Army?
Good video. Had the American/German version. Kit had a Sherman tank, half-track, Tiger I, Panzer IVE, Panther, 88mm, 105mm howitzer, bard wire rolls Imperial Germany flag, American flag and bunch of other stuff. Recie ed that set for Christmas early 1970s and had endless battles with it.
