September 25, 1964 - May 2, 1969
CBS Situation Comedy - 150 Filmed Episodes
Cast:
| Private Gomer Pyle: | Jim Nabors |
| Sgt. Vince Carter: | Frank Sutton |
| Duke Slater: | Ronnie Schell |
| Pvt. Frankie Lombardi: | Ted Bessell |
| Bunny, Carter's girlfriend: | Barbara Stuart |
| Sgt. Charles Hacker: | Allan Melvin |
| Lou Anne Poovie: | Elizabeth MacRae |
| Corporal Charles Boyle: | Roy Stuart |
| Colonel Edward Gray: | Forrest Compton |
| Pvt. Lester Hummel: | William Christopher |
| Cpl. Nick Cuccinello: | Tommy Leonetti |
| Larry: | Larry Hovis |
| Anderson: | Craig Huebing |
One of classic TV's earliest spin-off series,
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. was the country cousin to
The Andy Griffith Show. Originally introduced in
the third season of Andy Griffith, Gomer was the
local mechanic with an uncanny aptitude for annoyance.
Sweet as pie but as dense as a stump, Gomer forever
vexed Sheriff Andy Taylor and Deputy Barney Fife with
his sweet buffoonery. A stand-out in the ensemble cast,
Jim Nabors, who played Gomer, was offered his own
series after a little more than a year. The pilot was
aired as an episode of Andy Griffith, in which dimwitted
Gomer decides to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Which opens the door for an abundance of TV comedy possibilities
instead of having Gomer simply enroll in a military university.
Stationed at Camp Henderson in California, pie-eyed
Gomer finds himself in hot water with his drill instructor,
Sergeant Vince Carter. Carter is a tough-as-nails leather-
neck who wants nothnig more than to sculpt Pyle into a
model Marine. Gomer's back-woods naiveté stifles his
learning, much to the chagrin of his Sergeant. Essentially
a good man, high-strung Sergeant Carter is perpetually on
the verge of a nervous breakdown. He's a tough D.I. on the
surface, and can handle almost everything...except Pvt. Pyle.
Gomer brings out the worst in Carter, who is foiled by
just about everything the half-witted recruit does. As
much as Carter tries to dislike Gomer, he can't help but
develop a special friendship with him. No matter how
strained or challenging the relationship, Carter eventually
comes to care for Pyle deeply. Initially, Carter is a
confirmed bachelor, but he later develops a
relationship with a local girl named Bunny.
The road to becoming one of the few, the proud,
is a tough one, but Gomer's naive determination
serves him well. Gomer is honest to a fault and
cares more about the people around him than he
does about himself. In a way, his selflessness
and lack of mental muscle make him a far better
Marine than most of the men around him. Gomer
gets along well with most of his platoon mates,
and completely confounds those who don't grasp
his back-woods ways. Gomer also strikes up a
special relationship with Lou Ann Poovie,
a waitress at a restaurant near the base.
Corporal Boyle, Frankie Lombardi, Private Hummel,
Sgt. Hacker and Private (later promoted to corporal
and pictured below) Slater are among Gomer's closest
platoon mates. Most of them are city slickers, though
they learn a thing or two from Gomer's quirky blend
of country wisdom. They're a group of regular guys,
and each and every one of them benefits from Gomer
Pyle's huge heart, even if they are occasionally
befuddled by his bumpkinish ways.
Click HERE to download theme song.
(Theme song provided by Todd Fuller's Sitcoms Online.)
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Look for Gomer Pyle in TV Land.
Episode Guide
From EpGuides.com
Frank Sutton
By Marisa Bush
Frank Sutton's Grave
By Find A Grave
Gomer Pyle Message Board
From Todd Fuller's Sitcoms Online
The Gomer Pyle Page
By Lucky Ladybug
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
From The Internet Movie Database
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
From TV.com
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
From TVGuide.com
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
From Wikipedia
Jim Nabors
Official Website by Team Creations
These links were last tested June 2001.
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