The Phil Silvers Show (1955–1959)

Sgt. Ernie Bilko is the ultimate con man. He runs the motor pool at a small Kansas US Army Camp. Colonel Hall, nominally in charge of the base tries to keep Bilko's plans in check. Bilko ... See full summary »

Creator:

Nat Hiken

Stars:

Phil Silvers, Allan Melvin, Harvey Lembeck

Won 8 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 win & 10 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Phil Silvers	...	MSgt. Ernest G. Bilko (142 episodes, 1955-1959)
Allan Melvin	...	Cpl. Steve Henshaw (141 episodes, 1955-1959)
Harvey Lembeck	...	Cpl. Rocco Barbella (141 episodes, 1955-1959)
Paul Ford	...	Col. John T. Hall (140 episodes, 1955-1959)
Maurice Gosfield	...	Pvt. Duane Doberman (129 episodes, 1955-1959)
Herbie Faye	...	Cpl. Sam Fender (124 episodes, 1955-1959)
Billy Sands	...	Pvt. Dino Paparelli (124 episodes, 1955-1959)
Bernard Fein	...	Pvt. Gomez (121 episodes, 1955-1959)
Mickey Freeman	...	Pvt. Fielding Zimmerman (117 episodes, 1955-1959)
Maurice Brenner	...	Pvt. Irving Fleischman (116 episodes, 1955-1959)
Jack Healy	...	Pvt. Mullen (113 episodes, 1955-1959)
Terry Carter	...	Pvt. Sugie Sugarman (86 episodes, 1955-1959)
Karl Lukas	...	Pvt. Stash Kadowski (75 episodes, 1955-1958)

Storyline

Sgt. Ernie Bilko is the ultimate con man. He runs the motor pool at a small Kansas US Army Camp. Colonel Hall, nominally in charge of the base tries to keep Bilko's plans in check. Bilko runs every money making scheme that he thinks he can pull off. Midnight cruises on Landing Craft, Tank Rides, Poker games, and an interesting deal with local service stations for spare parts for jeep tires.

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Plot Keywords:

cult tv | actor name in title | sergeant | cult tv

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Genres:

Comedy | Family

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 September 1955 (USA)

Also Known As:

You'll Never Get Rich

Company Credits

Production Co:

CBS Television Network

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min 30 min (143 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Mickey Freeman (Pvt. Fielding Zimmerman), who died on September 21, 2010, was the last surviving star of the series.

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Quotes

MSgt. Ernest G. Bilko: You said "but". I've put the finger on the whole problem. You're a "but" man. Don't say "but". That little word "but" is the difference between success and failure.

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Connections

Referenced in Red Dwarf: The Tank - Series VIII (2006)

User Reviews

The father of British comedy

This show has been running almost non stop on British TV since the fifties, and so it should. Its one of the funniest shows to have come out of the USA and has probably influenced more British comedians than anything else. Made in the days when a real audience actually laughed in the right places, at a razor sharp cast who appeared to love what they were doing.