Mchale's Navy (1964) Review

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(More customer reviews)"McHale's Navy" was a military situation comedy that aired on ABC from 1962-1966. Basically the show was a naval version of Phil Silver's classic "Sgt. Bilko" show, where the main character is a con artist who is out to make a buck and almost always ignores regulations. This time the main character of Lt. Commander Quinton McHale was played by Academy Award winner Ernest Borgnine ("Marty"), and that Oscar might well explain why this was one of the few television shows in the Sixties to get to do a theatrical film. Still, the timing of this film is strange since McHale commands a World War II P.T. boat and the commander of the most famous P.T. boat in history was assassinated in Dallas the previous November.
So, you must be asking yourself, what sort of plotline too big for the small screen did they come up with to justify a theatrical film? Well, it seems the crew of P.T. 73 bet their money on the wrong horse in a race, so now they need to raise the money to cover their loses. The result is a long string of bits where the crew tries to raise the money, involving lots of slapstick and funny dialogue. In other words, just like the television show, only 93 minutes long, so fans are going to enjoy this movie while others sit and slowly shake their heads. The result is certainly a lot better than the pathetic 1997 film version (this film gets 4 stars to ensure it is two stars better than that film) and is actually a bit better than your standard "McHale's Navy" episode.
Fans of Tim Conway should enjoy his scene stealing antics as Ensign Charles Parker, while long suffering Captain Wallace B. Binghamton (Joe Flynn), known to the boys as "Old Lead Bottom," suffers indignities at every turn because he is always a day late and several dollars short. Veteran character actor Carl Ballantine plays Lester Gruber and future televison star Gavin MacLeod is "Happy" Haines. My favorite was always Billy Sands as "Tinker" Bell, obviously because of the attendant irony.

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McHale's Navy - Season One (1962) Review

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(More customer reviews)Join Lt. Cmndr Quinton McHale and his fun-lovin' squadron of rule-bending goof-offs and gamblers aboard the PT 73 on its award-nominated maiden voyage of 36 episodes in the 45th anniversary release of McHale's Navy - Season One!
Starring the unsinkable talents of Ernest Borgnine (a real-life navy veteran) as skipper McHale, Tim Conway (The Carol Burnett Show) as klutzy Ensign Parker, Carl Ballantine as con man Lester Gruber, Joe Flynn (The Rescuers) as blustery, fun-spoiling Capt. Binghamton, and Bob Hastings as his jittery aide Lt. Carpenter, McHale's Navy is one of television's longer-lasting military comedies (and a classic B&W sitcom favorite of mine), with 138 episodes aired over four seasons (1962-1966).
Digitally restored and remastered by Shout! Factory, McHale's Navy - Season One is a 5-disc (930 min.) set featuring all 36 episodes in Full Frame (1.33:1) video and English mono, plus the following Special Feature: "The Crew Remembers": Shout! Factory hosts a very special 45th anniversary reunion of the crew, including stars Ernest Borgnine, Tim Conway, Carl Ballantine, Edson Stroll and Bob Hastings. Here are how the discs will be configured, plus original airdates:
Disc 1:
"An Ensign For McHale" (10/11/1962)
"A Purple Heart For Gruber" (10/18/1962)
"McHale And His Seven Cupids" (10/25/1962)
"PT 73, Where Are You?" (11/1/1962)
"Movies Are Your Best Diversion" (11/8/1962)
"Operation Wedding Party" (11/15/1962)
"Who Do The Voodoo?" (11/22/1962)
Disc 2:
"Three Girls On An Island" (11/29/1962)
"McHale's Paradise Motel" (12/6/1962)
"The Battle Of McHale's Island" (12/20/1962)
"The Day They Captured Santa Claus" (12/27/1962)
"Beauty And The Beast" (1/3/1963)
"The Captain's Mission" (1/10/1963)
"Send Us A Hero" (1/17/1963)
Disc 3:
"The Captain Steals A Cook" (1/24/1963)
"The Ensign Gets A Zero" (1/31/1963)
"The Big Raffle" (2/7/1963)
"One Of Our Engines Is Missing" (2/14/1963)
"The Natives Get Restless" (2/21/1963)
"The Confidence Game" (2/28/1963)
"Six Pounds From Paradise" (3/7/1963)
Disc 4:
"Washing Machine Charlie" (3/14/1963)
"Nippon Nancy Calling" (3/21/1963)
"One Enchanted Weekend" (3/28/1963)
"The Mothers Of PT 73" (4/4/1963)
"H.M.S. 73" (4/11/1963)
"A Wreath For McHale" (4/18/1963)
"Portrait Of A Peerless Leader" (4/25/1963)
"Instant Democracy" (5/2/1963)
Disc 5:
"Camera, Action, Panic" (5/9/1963)
"Alias Captain Binghamton" (5/16/1963)
"Parents Anonymous" (5/23/1963)
"McHale's Millions" (5/30/1963)
"The Hillbillies Of PT 73" (6/6/1963)
"The Monster Of McHale's Island" (6/13/1963)
"Uncle Admiral" (6/27/1963)McHale's Navy - Season One
March 20th!

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From 1962 to 1966,McHale s Navy was the ABC networks must-see comedy series. With an amazing cast, including Academy Award winner Ernest Borgnine (Lt. Commander McHale), comic genius Tim Conway (Ensign Parker), the one-of-a-kind comic talent of Joe Flynn (Captain Binghamton) this series remains second only to M*A*S*H as a truly funny military sitcom.Veteran seaman Quinton McHale is commissioned into the Navy Reserve at the start of WWII. He becomes Skipper of the Torpedo Patrol (PT) Boat #73 stationed on the island of Taratupa in the Pacific. Assigned to his command are six free-spirited, good-hearted swabbies who love to have fun. McHale and his men are constant irritants to their base commander, Captain Wallace B. Binghamton. Binghamton is forever trying to find a way to get rid of McHale and his rule-bending crew, while McHale & Co. are forever scheming to keep him from succeeding. Despite their hilarious party-boy shenanigans and utter disregard for Navy regulations, when duty calls, the crew of PT 73 does its job and does it well.With its talented stars, great writing and solid supporting cast, including Gavin McLeod (Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Love Boat), McHale s Navy is classic television at its finest and funniest.Bonus Features:* The Crew Reunion Ernest Borgnine, Tim Conway, Carl Ballantine, Bob Hastings and Edson Stroll reunite and share their memories of the show.* A special Colorized episode.

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McHale's Navy: Season Four (1962) Review

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(More customer reviews)The phrase "shape up or ship out" holds a lot of water this season for Lt. Commander Quinton McHale and his fun-lovin' PT 73 crew of goof-offs and gamblers who were transferred to Italy for the show's final 30 episodes in McHale's Navy - Season Four!
After 3 seasons set on the South Pacific island of Taratupa, "McHale and his pirates" are reassigned to duty near the town of Voltafiore where they run afoul the shady Mayor Lugatto (Jay Novello) while continuing to oppose blustery Captain Binghamton and his jittery aide Lt. Carpenter, who are joined this season by Colonel Harrigan (Henry Beckham) and General Bronson (Simon Scott).
Also joining in on Season Four's capers, schemes and hijinks is local Dino Barone (Dick Wilson). As with co-star Tim Conway in Season Three, star Ernest Borgnine also gets to pull double duty this season in a [recurring] dual role as Guiseppe, McHale's Italian lookalike cousin in "Guiseppe McHale" and "The Return of Guiseppe".
Guest stars include Jackie Joseph (The Little Shop of Horrors, Josie and the Pussycats), Pat Harrington Jr. (One Day At a Time, The Inspector) and legendary Don Knotts (The Andy Griffith Show, Three's Company).
McHale's Navy, with 138 episodes aired over four seasons (1962-1966), is one of television's longer-lasting military comedies and a classic B&W sitcom favorite of generations of viewers. Today you can preserve this classic B&W series in pristine DVD format.
The Shout! Factory release of McHale's Navy - Season Four is a 5-disc (750 min.) set featuring all 30 episodes in Full Frame (1.33:1) video and English mono audio. Here are the episodes and how the discs will be configured, plus original airdates:
Disc 1:
"War, Italian Style" (9/14/1965)
"The Bathtub Thief" (9/21/1965)
"Marriage, McHale Style" (9/28/1965)
"Guiseppe McHale" (10/5/1965)
"A Nip in Time" (10/12/1965)
"Piazza Bighamtoni" (10/19/1965)
Disc 2:
"The Bald-Headed Contessa" (10/26/1965)
"Voltafiore Fish-Fry" (11/2/1965)
"A Wine Cellar Is Not a Home" (11/9/1965)
"Vino, Vino, Who's Got the Vino?" (11/16/1965)
"The McHale Opera Company" (11/23/1965)
"The Good Luck Fountain" (11/30/1965)
Disc 3:
"Blitzkrieg at McHale's Beach" (12/7/1965)
"Reunion for PT 73" (12/14/1965)
"The Return of Guiseppe" (12/21/1965)
"The Boy Scouts of 73" (12/28/1965)
"Fire in the Liquor Locker" (1/4/1966)
"The Fugitive Ensign" (1/11/1966)
Disc 4:
"The Wacky WAC" (1/18/1966)
"La Dolce 73" (1/25/1966)
"McHale's Country Club Caper" (2/8/1966)
"Secret Chimp 007" (2/15/1966)
"36-24-73" (2/22/1966)
"My Son, the Skipper" (3/1/1966)
Disc 5:
"Little Red Riding Doctor" (3/8/1966)
"Who Was That German I Saw You With?" (3/15/1966)
"The McHale Grand Prix" (3/22/1966)
"An Ensign's Best Friend" (3/29/1966)
"Binghamton, at 20 Paces" (4/5/1966)
"Wally for Congress" (4/12/1966)


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Lieutenant Commander Quinton McHale (Ernest Borgnine), Ensign Parker (Tim Conway) and the rest of the oddball crew of PT-73 get onboard for one more season of ship-tipping adventures. Season 4 finds McHale and company relocated halfway around the world, as they have been transferred off Taratupa Island to an American Naval base in Voltafiore, Italy. Between the scheming Mayor Mario Lugatto (Jay Novello) and Army Colonel Douglas Harrigan (Henry Beckman), reassignment isn t all it s cracked up to be, and with Captain Binghamton (Joe Flynn) out for blood, McHale has his hands full. From 1962 through 1966, McHale s Navy was a must-see staple of ABC Television. This fourth season marked the end of what has since become one of the true classics of television comedy and includes a hilarious guest appearance from Don Knotts.

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