Gomer Pyle USMC
The Andy Griffith Show first aired on CBS in 1960. For those of you too young
to remember, this classic situation comedy was packed full with characters not
unlike those found in any small town in the U.S. The lead character, Sheriff Andy Taylor,
played by Andy Griffith, was a widower bringing up his son with the help of Aunt
Bee. Although he was Sheriff, Mayberry NC was already crime-free. This allowed
Andy plenty of time to deal with the various situations that arose - and
Mayberry’s many odd-ball characters.
One of the characters, introduced three years into the show’s long run,
was dim-witted gas pump attendant, Gomer Pyle. Like many of the show’s
characters, he had his own quirky ways and his own catchphrases like “Shazam!”.
Gomer, played by actor and, to this day, highly accomplished singer Jim Nabors, was so popular
he was given his own show, Gomer Pyle USMC. This was a time when the tv spin-off was a very rare
thing.
As the life of a gas pump attendant may produce limited story lines, it was
decided that Gomer Pyle would enlist in the marines. The contrast between
Gomer’s limited abilities and the drill sergeant, Vince Carter’s abruptness and
impatience was the backdrop to the many funny lines penned by various
screenwriters under the watchful eyes of the show’s Midas touch creator Aaron Ruben
and highly successful producer Sheldon Leonard.
Gomer Pyle was a constant pain in the side of Sergeant Carter (played by
Frank Sutton). He would often misunderstand the instructions that Carter gave
him and generally botch even the simplest of tasks. He would more often than not
get himself and his sergeant into all kinds of scrapes and sometimes would
(often unwittingly) save the day.
Sergeant Carter’s attempts to knock the bumbling Gomer into shape constantly
back-fired to the point where the sergeant himself was at his wits end. Despite
this constant battle, Carter obviously developed a sneaky regard for Gomer and
this only added to the depth of the comedy.
Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C. is a classic comedy from 60’s television. Some say that
this remains the best situation comedy to come out of that decade. Many
spin-offs do not live up to the promise of the original host show. In this case
it certainly matched the wonderfully gentle but wacky Andy Griffith Show from
which it emerged.
As with most of the work produced by Sheldon Leonard, the show had a long
stay as a top-rated show and ended its run in 1969.
Vernon Stent is the Marketing Consultant to bygonetv.com. Check this link for more information about Gomer Pyle USMC
