Former burlesque comic and character actor Phil Silvers finally achieved stardom in 1955 when he was cast as the perpetually conniving Sergeant Ernie Bilko, a peacetime soldier stationed at fictional Fort Baxter with a platoon of bumbling misfits. In episode after episode—18 of which are included in this three-disc set—Bilko and his charges (played by Harvey Lembeck, Allan Melvin, Joe E. Ross, Herbie Faye, and Maurice Gosfield, among others) schemed to get out of work or make a fast buck on the side. DVD extras include the lost pilot show, Silvers performing at a Friars Club Roast for Humphrey Bogart and appearing on variety shows, The Odd Couple stars Tony Randall and Jack Klugman paying tribute to Silvers in a special intro filmed for TV Land, and numerous stars—some of them former cast members—supplying audio commentaries (including Dick Van Dyke, George Kennedy, and Larry Storch). This set will be manna from heaven for aficionados of vintage TV sitcoms. Recommended. (E. Hulse)
Sgt. Bilko--The Phil Silvers Show: 50th Anniversary Edition
Paramount</st1_City></st1_place>, 3 discs, 485 min., not rated, DVD: $42.99 August 21, 2006
Sgt. Bilko--The Phil Silvers Show: 50th Anniversary Edition
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