"McHale's Navy" (1962) TV series 1962-1966

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Release Date:

11 October 1962 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | War

Tagline:

Batten down the hatches!

Plot:

The misadventures of a misfit PT Boat crew during World War II.

Plot Keywords:

Navy | Gambler | Cult Favorite | US Navy | Cult TV

Awards:

Nominated for 5 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Ernest Borgnine	...	Lt. Commander Quinton McHale (138 episodes, 1962-1966)
Joe Flynn	...	Captain Wallace B. Binghamton / ... (138 episodes, 1962-1966)
Tim Conway	...	Ensign Charles Parker (138 episodes, 1962-1966)
Carl Ballantine	...	Lester Gruber (138 episodes, 1962-1966)
Gary Vinson	...	George Christopher (138 episodes, 1962-1966)
Billy Sands	...	Harrison Bell (138 episodes, 1962-1966)
Edson Stroll	...	Virgil Edwards (138 episodes, 1962-1966)
John Wright	...	Willy Moss (138 episodes, 1962-1966)
Yoshio Yoda	...	Fuji Kobiaji (138 episodes, 1962-1966)
Bob Hastings	...	Lt. Elroy Carpenter / ... (129 episodes, 1962-1966)
Gavin MacLeod	...	Joseph Haines / ... (73 episodes, 1962-1964)

Series Directed by
Sidney Lanfield		(52 episodes, 1962-1964)
Hollingsworth Morse		(29 episodes, 1964-1966)
Charles Barton		(9 episodes, 1964-1965)
Edward Montagne		(8 episodes, 1962-1963)
Oscar Rudolph		(5 episodes, 1963)
Earl Bellamy		(5 episodes, 1964)
Sidney Miller		(3 episodes, 1965)
Jean Yarbrough		(3 episodes, 1965)
Norman Abbott		(2 episodes, 1963-1964)
Frank McDonald		(2 episodes, 1964)

Series Writing credits
William Raynor		(26 episodes, 1963-1966)
Myles Wilder		(26 episodes, 1963-1966)
Ralph Goodman		(15 episodes, 1963-1965)
Marty Roth		(11 episodes, 1962-1964)
George Carleton Brown		(11 episodes, 1963-1965)
Stan Dreben		(11 episodes, 1963-1965)
Frank Gill Jr.		(11 episodes, 1963-1965)
Sam Locke		(9 episodes, 1964-1966)
Joel Rapp		(9 episodes, 1964-1966)
Barry E. Blitzer		(8 episodes, 1964-1965)
Ray Brenner		(6 episodes, 1964-1965)
Si Rose		(5 episodes, 1962-1964)
Larry Markes		(5 episodes, 1962-1963)
Michael Morris		(5 episodes, 1962-1963)
Bruce Howard		(5 episodes, 1965-1966)
John Fenton Murray		(5 episodes, 1965-1966)
Bob Fisher		(4 episodes, 1963-1964)
Arthur Marx		(4 episodes, 1963-1964)
Frank Waldman		(3 episodes, 1963-1965)
Tom Waldman		(3 episodes, 1963-1965)
Allan Manings		(3 episodes, 1965)
Danny Arnold		(2 episodes, 1962-1963)
Walter Kempley		(2 episodes, 1962-1963)
Gene L. Coon		(2 episodes, 1962)
Arnold Horwitt		(2 episodes, 1963)
Danny Simon		(2 episodes, 1963)

Series Produced by
Edward Montagne	....	producer / executive producer (138 episodes, 1962-1966)
Si Rose	....	producer / associate producer (102 episodes, 1963-1966)

Series Original Music by
Axel Stordahl		(42 episodes, 1962-1963)
Frank Comstock		(33 episodes, 1964-1965)
Jack Elliott		(29 episodes, 1965-1966)
Cyril J. Mockridge		(5 episodes, 1963)

Series Cinematography by
John F. Warren		(35 episodes, 1962-1963)
Lionel Lindon		(31 episodes, 1963-1965)
Ray Flin		(26 episodes, 1962-1965)
Benjamin H. Kline		(25 episodes, 1962-1965)
Nicholas Musuraca		(24 episodes, 1965-1966)
Bud Thackery		(12 episodes, 1962-1966)
William Margulies		(11 episodes, 1962-1966)
John L. Russell		(11 episodes, 1962-1965)
Jacques R. Marquette		(8 episodes, 1963-1964)
Walter Strenge		(8 episodes, 1965-1966)
Ray Rennahan		(6 episodes, 1963-1965)
Richard L. Rawlings		(4 episodes, 1962-1964)
Robert Tobey		(3 episodes, 1963-1964)
Ray Fernstrom		(3 episodes, 1964-1965)
Fred Mandl		(2 episodes, 1962)
Irving Lippman		(2 episodes, 1963-1966)
Vaughn Wilkins		(2 episodes, 1966)

Series Film Editing by
Sam E. Waxman		(121 episodes, 1962-1966)
Edwin H. Bryant		(5 episodes, 1965)
Richard G. Wray		(4 episodes, 1965)
Danford B. Greene		(2 episodes, 1964)
Robert Seiter		(2 episodes, 1964)

Series Art Direction by
Russell Kimball		(102 episodes, 1962-1965)
Alexander A. Mayer		(30 episodes, 1965-1966)
Henry Larrecq		(25 episodes, 1964-1965)

Series Set Decoration by
John McCarthy Jr.		(137 episodes, 1962-1966)
James Redd		(69 episodes, 1962-1965)
James M. Walters Sr.		(43 episodes, 1963-1965)
Ralph Sylos		(28 episodes, 1963-1966)
Robert C. Bradfield		(17 episodes, 1963-1966)
John M. Dwyer		(10 episodes, 1966)
Claire P. Brown		(5 episodes, 1965-1966)
Perry Murdock		(2 episodes, 1965)
Anthony D. Nealis		(unknown episodes)

Series Makeup Department
Bud Westmore	....	makeup artist (93 episodes, 1963-1966)
Larry Germain	....	hair stylist (87 episodes, 1963-1966)
Florence Bush	....	hair stylist (54 episodes, 1962-1964)
Jack Barron	....	makeup artist (53 episodes, 1962-1964)
Leo Lotito Jr.	....	makeup artist (32 episodes, 1962-1963)
Virginia Darcy	....	hair stylist (20 episodes, 1964-1965)

Series Production Management
James Nicholson	....	unit manager (30 episodes, 1965-1966)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
George Bisk	....	assistant director (91 episodes, 1962-1965)
Chuck Colean	....	assistant director (40 episodes, 1965-1966)
Jack Doran	....	assistant director (24 episodes, 1964-1965)
Wendell Franklin	....	assistant director (unknown episodes)
Lou Watt	....	assistant director (unknown episodes)

Series Art Department
Robert M. Anderson	....	assistant property master (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Earl Crain Sr.	....	sound (134 episodes, 1962-1966)
Melvin M. Metcalfe Sr.	....	sound (5 episodes, 1962-1966)
William H. Lynch	....	sound (5 episodes, 1963-1964)
Lyle Cain	....	sound (4 episodes, 1962-1965)
Corson Jowett	....	sound (4 episodes, 1962-1965)
Terrance Emerson	....	sound cable man (4 episodes, 1966)
Robert R. Bertrand	....	sound (3 episodes, 1962-1966)
Earl Crain Jr.	....	sound (3 episodes, 1962-1963)
Clarence Self	....	sound (3 episodes, 1962-1963)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Earl C. Williman	....	lamp operator (33 episodes, 1963-1964)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Vincent Dee	....	costume supervisor (136 episodes, 1962-1966)
Don Snyder	....	costumes (11 episodes, 1965-1966)
Kay Hayden	....	costumes (7 episodes, 1965-1966)

Series Editorial Department
David J. O'Connell	....	editorial department head / editorial supervisor (138 episodes, 1962-1966)

Series Music Department
Axel Stordahl	....	composer: theme music / composer: title music / ... (138 episodes, 1962-1966)
Stanley Wilson	....	musical supervision / music supervision (138 episodes, 1962-1966)
Jack Elliott	....	music score (unknown episodes)
Cyril J. Mockridge	....	music score (unknown episodes)

Series Other crew
Si Rose	....	script supervisor / script consultant (36 episodes, 1962-1963)
Rick Mittleman	....	script consultant (22 episodes, 1964-1965)

Production Companies

• Sto-Rev-Co Productions

Distributors

• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (original airing)
• MCA Television
• MCA/Universal Pictures
• Studios USA Television

Other Companies

• Technicolor Corporation  processing (1965-1966)

Also Known As:

McHale's Men (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

30 min (138 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:G | New Zealand:G | USA:TV-G

Filming Locations:

CBS Studio Center - 4024 Radford Avenue, Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Sto-Rev-Co Productions

Trivia:

McHale often referred to his men as "8 balls". The men referred to him as "Skipper" or "Skip".

Quotes:

[repeated line]
Capt. Binghamton: What is it McHale, what do you want what, what, what?

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The O'Reilly Factor: (2008-02-15)" (2008)

Classic TV

My memories of watching this show coincide with the same days I used to stay home sick from, and in some cases "sick of," school. I loved staying home and watching the wacky adventures of McHale and his crew. Borgnine's big smiling face made him sort of my best buddy and his crew my extended family. I think the best appeal of the show was that it seemed to pay homages to so many of my favorites: Gilligan's Island, Hogan's Heroes, F Troop, The Andy Griffith Show and Get Smart just to name a few. Conway's character had a lot of Barney Fife in him, and the surreal humor reminded me a lot of Night Court. Maybe that's what makes a show a classic; by it's way to reinvent comedy where everyone can find some interest in it.