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McHale's Navy - Season 1
Something of a cross between M*A*S*H* (it's set in
wartime) and Sgt. Bilko (the emphasis in on ensemble
acting, with a ringleader and his band of merry
pranksters), McHale's Navy isn't on a level with
those two immortal sit-coms. But this amiable show,
debuting on DVD with all 36 black & white episodes
from its first season (1962-63) on five discs,
stands the test of time surprisingly well. Not that
there's any important new comedic ground broken
here. These half-hour episodes are pretty much all
about the same thing: Lt. Cmdr. Quinton McHale (the
always reliable Ernest Borgnine), skipper of Navy PT
boat #73, and his crew are stationed "somewhere in
the South Pacific, 1943." They're capable sailors,
engaging the Japanese enemy when duty occasionally
calls, but most of the time they hang out on their
own private island and have a good time--much to the
chagrin of their blustery commander, Capt. Wallace
Binghamton (Joe Flynn), who's constantly trying to
rid himself of the regulation-defying McHale and his
fun-loving band of miscreants. In that respect,
McHale's Navy is much like Bilko. But unlike the
latter show's brilliant Phil Silvers, Borgnine isn't
really a comedian; with his unmistakable cackle, the
actor's McHale, while not above taking part in a
good-natured prank, is a less a Bilko-esque con
artist than a regular guy, a kind of cheer- and
ringleader intent on looking after his boys. The
real laughmeisters on this show are Tim Conway, who
brings his whole bag of shticks to the role of the
bumbling Ensign Charles Parker, and Flynn, who's
consistently hilarious. Among the crew, Carl
Ballantine stands out as fast-talking Brooklyn
native Lester Gruber; TV lovers will also recognize
Gavin MacLeod in his first extended TV role before
moving on to The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Love
Boat. |
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