Robert Conrad's career could be split into two categories. Those movies and television shows where Conrad shed his shirt versus those where he didn't shed his shirt. Conrad doesn't shed his shirt in "Hard Knox," a lukewarm, made-for-television comedy about family-oriented issues about life in a private military school. Basically, "Hard Knox" resembles the Charlton Heston comedy "The Private War of Major Benson" (1953) and later "Major Payne" with Damon Wayans. The protagonist is a seasoned military professional in some wing of the service who finds himself out of favor. In "The Private War of Major Benson," an ostracized Heston had to improve poor performance at a military high school. "Hard Knox" anticipates "Top Gun" with its footage of Conrad training pilots. Later, he learns the terrible news that the doctors have grounded him. He returns to his alma mater to take over as commandant of the academy. Essentially, Knox makes everybody shape up and he gets help from his sidekick, Thomas 'Top' Tuttle (Red West of "Walking Tall") joins him and finds discipline in shambles. Most of the cadets come from dysfunctional families and they don't feel too good about themselves. "Hard Knox" appears to have been carefully crafted. Nothing more really surprising happens in this made-for-television pilot. Some kids are more obnoxious than others. Ultimately, the action works itself up to a mock-battle between one academy and the one commanded by Conrad. Remember the war between the armies in "The Dirty Dozen?" Each side has to infiltrate their own territory to steal a flag. The plot potential seems bottomless, but none of the cadets are remotely charismatic enough. Conrad isn't in every shot. He expresses doubt in himself at one point, which doesn't seem characteristic of the typical Conrad hero. The producers inflict upon us a no smoking message with Top surrendering his cigarettes to a pretty, little, girl cadet. Initially, Colonel Joe Knox has some tense moments between our hero and the academic principal. They talk tough to each other, but the fireworks never explode between them. Everything works out in the end. Conrad's Colonel Knox was given two weeks to see what he could do. "Hard Knox" could have been a better melodrama/comedy.
