Reviews (2)

The TV sitcom "McHale's Navy" sails on to the big screen
"McHale's Navy" was a military situation comedy that aired on ABC from 1962-1966. Basically the show was a naval version of Phil Silver's classic "Sgt. Bilko" show, where the main character is a con artist who is out to make a buck and almost always ignores regulations. This time the main character of Lt. Commander Quinton McHale was played by Academy Award winner Ernest Borgnine ("Marty"), and that Oscar might well explain why this was one of the few television shows in the Sixties to get to do a theatrical film. Still, the timing of this film is strange since McHale commands a World War II P.T. boat and the commander of the most famous P.T. boat in history was assassinated in Dallas the previous November.

So, you must be asking yourself, what sort of plotline too big for the small screen did they come up with to justify a theatrical film? Well, it seems the crew of P.T. 73 bet their money on the wrong horse in a race, so now they need to raise the money to cover their loses. The result is a long string of bits where the crew tries to raise the money, involving lots of slapstick and funny dialogue. In other words, just like the television show, only 93 minutes long, so fans are going to enjoy this movie while others sit and slowly shake their heads. The result is certainly a lot better than the pathetic 1997 film version (this film gets 4 stars to ensure it is two stars better than that film) and is actually a bit better than your standard "McHale's Navy" episode.

Fans of Tim Conway should enjoy his scene stealing antics as Ensign Charles Parker, while long suffering Captain Wallace B. Binghamton (Joe Flynn), known to the boys as "Old Lead Bottom," suffers indignities at every turn because he is always a day late and several dollars short. Veteran character actor Carl Ballantine plays Lester Gruber and future televison star Gavin MacLeod is "Happy" Haines. My favorite was always Billy Sands as "Tinker" Bell, obviously because of the attendant irony.

Entertainment for all fans of the classic TV sitcom
When this movie was released in the sixties, McHale's Navy fans were finally treated to seeing their heroes presented in wide-screen technicolor. A low-budget film, yet funny and entertaining. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A "McHale's Navy" movie without McHale? Sure. Why not?
If you thought it was strange that the ABC situation comedy "McHale's Navy" was given the opportunity to make a theatrical film in 1964, then you might not know what to make of the decision the following year to release another film in which the title charcter played by Ernest Borgnine does not appear. Granted, Borgnine's character always seemed to working on a different level than his hair brained crew and the inept base commander, but you would have to think that having their Academy Award winning star (for "Marty") skip this sequel would have been a fatal flaw.

The two reasons it is not is because Tim Conway, as Ensigh Charles Parker and Joe Flynn as Captain Wallace B. Binghamton are still engaging in their zanny antics. The rather strange title comes from the idea that Parker is mistaken for a hot shot fighter pilot in the Air Force (which, of course, was still the Army Air Corps during World War II, but for some reason historical fidelity was not high on the producer's list). Of course, every time Parker screws up he gets promoted. Obviously, with Borgnine apparently on vacation (the series would air through 1966), Parker and Flynn get more slapstick to do, but the script by John Fenton Murray, based on William J. Lederer's story, actually slips in some satire to go along with the physical comedy.

Is 1965's "McHale's Navy Joins the Air Force" better than the 1964 "McHale's Navy" film? Well, yes and no. This one is actually funnier because of the free reign Conway and Flynn have, which is a good thing, but getting so far away from the original series (and its star) still bugs me. But despite that potentially fatal flaw this odd little film is actually an enjoyable experience for fans of the series. For others it is a reminder of what military situation comedies were like between "Sgt. Bilko" and "Hogan's Heroes" (i.e., before "M*A*S*H").

Actually, that last aside should be more specific in reference to the early couple of seasons for "M*A*S*H" when the series was very much in the mold of Bilko/McHale/Hogan. It was not until the classic episode "Sometimes You Hear the Bullet" that we first saw how "M*A*S*H" could become television's first true dramedy.

Tin Conway and Joe Flynn steal the Show!
I think this movie is even funnier than the first McHales Navy flick and I only gave it 4 stars because McHale is not in it, nor is Gruber. It dosen't matter that much because, even in the classic TV series, there was many an episode where McHale was away at 'com fleet' and the boys still got up to the usual hijinks. I always figured the main attractions were Parker and Binghamton anyway and this movie is full of their classic slapstick. I laughed a lot. Unlike the comedy of today with sassy brats and women with an attitude, this film will take you back to a simpler time and funny stuff that still stands up today, unless your cynicism has replaced your sense of humor. The Plot? Ensign Parker gets mistaken for an Air Firce General's hot-shot son after Binghamton accidently turns the real boy over to the Russian Secret Police. The more dumber the things that Parker does, the higher he gets promoted as they carry on with the masquerade. I wont spoil it by telling you any more in case you want to see it for yourself. So if you are a fan of the TV series, get this movie. By the way, it's interesting to see the big fat guy who played native chief "Urulu" in the TV series playing the role of a Russian Sailor in this flick. Great stuff!

Flynn and Conway are hilarious turn in a classic performance
I had seen this movie when I was a kid, but I had forgotten HOW funny it was. I laughed myself silly. The opening scene is a little contrived, with Binghamton blowing his cool and pushing the crew one by one into the water. But the real laughs begin when the crew, along with "Old Leadbottom," arrive in port is Australia. One of the movie's highlights is the scene with Parker trying to take Binghamton's picture and then trying to help him up the ladder. The action progresses quickly, and then next thing we know (or so it seems), Parker is the "navigator" on a DC-3, with Binghamton also stuck on board. The laughs don't stop until the movie is over. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great Movie
A classically funny movie. Jim Hutton and Paula Prentiss are great. ... Read more