Sgt. Bilko: The Phil Silvers Show – First SeasonThe story of a U.S. Army sergeant who is a schemer and a swindler out to make money.The Phil Silvers Show, originally titled You’ll Never Get Rich, ranks as one of television’s greatest comedies, and more than 50 years later it still passes inspection, thanks to masterful writing, a platoon of great character actors, and the commanding presence of Phil Silvers as major schemer and private fixer Sgt. Ernest Bilko. In movies, Silvers, a vaudeville veteran, was a scene-stealing Top Banana. On TV, his Emmy Award-winning performance as Bilko promoted him to Top Cat (the Hanna-Barbera cartoon character inspired by his iconic role). Bilko is the best motor pool NCO that Ft. Baxter in Kansas has ever had. He is also “a gambler, a sharpster, a promoter,” observes the base chaplain in the first episode, “everything I’m here to prevent soldiers from becoming. Tell me, why do I like you?” We like him because Bilko, always looking for an angle, usually ends up outsmarting himself, as in the episode “Doberman’s Sister,” in which he cons himself into arranging a blind date with the sibling of the platoon’s lovable slob, convincing himself she must be a beauty. We also like him because he uses his unique talents for good, as in “The Con Men,” when he turns the tables on a trio who bilk Doberman (Maurice Gosfield) out of 0. Silvers’s Bilko is a quick-thinking, sharp-witted, double-talking weapon of mass distraction. “You didn’t tell me your daughter was visiting,” he flatters the matronly wife of Col. Hall (Paul Ford). The genius of Bilko is that he more or less gets away with everything even though he isn’t fooling anybody. The entire layout of the post, Col. Hall reveals at one point, has been reorganized “so that no rookie even by accident could ever get near Bilko.” Special commendations are due to the ensemble, including such familiar faces as Ned Glass, Joe E. Ross (Car 54, Where Are You?), and Allan Melvin (Barney Heffner on All in the Family and Sam the butcher on The Brady Bunch) and Harvey “Baron von Zipper” Lembeck as Bilko’s partners in chicanery. Two of this set’s special features–the never-broadcast live audition show and the show’s original opening titles–are re-enlisted from the 50th Anniversary Edition. Also included is an episode of The Lucy Show featuring Silvers as an efficiency expert. But this first season, an Emmy winner for Best Comedy Series, stands on its own. For new recruits especially, it’s great to see this classic character in action, and thanks to DVD, you have a grandstand seat. –Donald Liebenson
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(out of 17 reviews)
Review by Celtic for Sgt. Bilko: The Phil Silvers Show – First Season
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The Phil Silvers show was one of the funniest comedies ever on TV and deserves a season-by-season release. The show originally ran from 1955-59, only four years, but had a whopping 143 episodes! A few years ago, Paramount released a 50th Anniversary Edition of the show (sometimes titled “Bilko” and sometimes “The Phil Silvers Show,” though Wikipedia states the original title was “You’ll Never Get Rich”). That earlier dvd collection only included 18 episodes selected from all 4 seasons, with most from the first season.
Most fans have wanted a season-by-season collection, and this release of Season One is a good step in that direction. (It would have been nice, as others have noted, if the manufacturer had included a “play all” viewing choice, but the picture quality is crisp.)
Please note: Ten episodes from this Season One set do overlap with the Sgt. Bilko – 50th Anniversary Edition (The Phil Silvers Show) earlier set, including the episodes New Recruits, The WAC, The Horse, The Eating Contest, Bivouac, the Twitch, the Investigation, The Revolutionary War, The Court Martial, and The Con Men. However, you’re still getting 24 other episodes NOT on that earlier set, including the very funny The Empty Store, and others. It’s worth buying the new set, though the Anniversary edition has more special features.
Here is a per disc list of contents:
Disc 1:
New Recruits (commentary by Allan Melvin)
The Empty Store
The WAC
The Horse
AWOL
The Boxer
Special Feature: The Lost Audition Show – never aired
Disc 2
The Hoodlum
Mardi Gras
The Eating Contest
The Centennial
Bivouac
The Singing Contest
The Twitch
Special Feature: Original Opening & Cast commercials
Disc 3
The Reunion
The Rich Kid
Hollywood
The Investigation
Kids in the Trailer
The Revolutionary War
The Transfer
Disc 4
The Rest Cure
Dinner at Sowici’s
Army Memoirs
Miss America
The Court Martial (commentary by George Kennedy)
Furlough in New York
The Big Uranium Strike
Disc 5
Bilko and the Beast
Physical Check-up
Recruiting Sergeant
Hair
The Con Men
War Games
Bilko on Wall Street
Special Feature: “Lucy and the Efficiency Expert”
This Phil Silvers show was well written and well acted, with some very funny improvised moments. (The series creator Nat Hiken should be given a lot of credit for creating a quality show that just wasn’t the same after he left.)
In this first season you have the episode titled “The Court Martial.” Normally, that would sound like a serious subject. Not for Bilko. It seems the army wants to improve their timing and efficiency in processing new recruits. Unfortunately, one of the new recruits is a monkey. This is an episode that can’t be described, but must be seen. And if you can get through it without laughing uncontrollably, then you need to see a doctor to see if your sense of humor was removed without your consent.
What is great about the Phil Silvers show is that even when the situations get insane, the humor never talks down to the audience. And Bilko, despite all his schemes, can never finally let his men down. (Except perhaps in the fourth season, done without Hiken, which is not the best.) This is also a show that had an integrated cast–a rarity then–and early TV appearances of Dick Van Dyke and others. The show started the career of actor George Kennedy.
Buy this set and encourage the manufacturer to put out the other 3 seasons on dvd. This show is unbelievably funny, with humor that isn’t dated, and deserves to be enjoyed for generations. Silvers was a comedy genius.
Review by Ty for Sgt. Bilko: The Phil Silvers Show – First Season
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they pull me back in. This is one of the funniest shows ever and Phil Silvers is excellent as Master Sgt Ernie Bilko. And the supporting characters such as Ritzik, Doberman and Colonel Hall (as the straight man) complement Bilko nicely. I remember staying up and watching this on WOR-TV in NYC in the late 70′s and early 80′s. Some episodes came out on VHS and also the 50th Anniversary DVD release were better than nothing but nothing beats a season set, hopefully eventually leading to the complete series release. Other shows from this era such as The Honeymooners and I Love Lucy may have more fame but this show is not only just as funny (funnier) but also wittier and more cleverly written than most from this era.
Review by VintageTVandMovieFan for Sgt. Bilko: The Phil Silvers Show – First Season
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I did not know Bilko season one was released on dvd and saw it by change in the store on 8/4/10. I bought the last copy they had. I found it interesting that they had one of those big security tags on it that wraps all the way around the case. Is Bilko in such high demand that people are stealing it?
I viewed the first dvd prior to writing this review and I can tell you that the video and audio quality is perfect. It’s like watching broadcast TV.
Buy it. You won’t be disappointed. This is classic tv at it’s finest.
Review by David Samuelson for Sgt. Bilko: The Phil Silvers Show – First Season
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DVD executive producer Paul Brownstein gave himself credit on this set and the earlier 50th Anniversary Sgt. Bilko collection. But where’s the name of the comedic genius behind “You’ll Never Get Rich” and “Car 54, Where Are You?” Nat Hiken was a major force in American radio and television comedy. His name should not be erased from one of his greatest, most enduring creations.
Review by Wilma for Sgt. Bilko: The Phil Silvers Show – First Season
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I was so glad when this was finally released on DVD. My only complaint would be the lack of a “Play All” option. I really like that feature; that feature is on the 50th Anniversary collection. It’s great when I’m having trouble falling asleep. Hopefully Season 2 will have that feature. I agree with the other reviewer in hoping that “Car 54″ will soon be released, both are truly CLASSIC!