'Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C.: The Complete Series'
(Jim Nabors, Ronnie Schell, Frank Sutton, William Christopher, Forrest Compton, et al / 24-DVD / NR / 2015 / CBS)
Overview: Bring home all five seasons of the classic sitcom starring Jim Nabors as 'Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. – The Complete Series' arrives on DVD. The hit series, a spin-off of The Andy Griffith Show, follows Gomer Pyle (Nabors), a naive country boy who leaves his hometown of Mayberry to join the U.S. Marine Corps.
DVD Verdict: This was one of the funniest shows of the 1960's. This took the premise of putting the very innocent and naive Gomer Pyle from the Andy Griffith show and putting him into the the greatest killing machine ever. The thing that made this show great was not only his interaction with Sergeant Carter, but with other people as well. The situations that Gomer would get into as a result of his naive nature helped to make this show the classic that it was.
Also, Frank Sutton created one of the classic characters in the history of television in Sergeant Carter. Not only could Carter be easily exasperated, but in a lot of instances he also could be seen as more of a big brother to Gomer as he bumbled his way through his hitch in the marines.
Personally, I really admire the Pyle character, now watching this show as an adult. Besides being a caring person for his fellow man in general, he even goes out of his way to help out animals, as in one episode where he befriends a skunk. Nabor's timing playing Pyle was dead on, something you notice much more as an adult than as a kid watching the show.
And I admit, every time Sergeant Carter loses his temper and yells at Pyle I would laugh out loud, even though you know it's coming, it's still funny as the first time. It's sad Frank Sutton died in '74 because he could have had a great career as a comic actor, he was truly memorable on this show.
In some of the episodes,you would always find Gomer in a tight spot, but is always there to lend a helping hand, but there was episode I do recall where Gomer was messing around with a underage girl by taking her on a date. In this day and age, no servicemen in the Armed Forces wouldn't be caught dead messing around with an underage girl, and Gomer should know better.
There was episodes were Gomer would occasionally goof-off, but you still had his fellow recruits to help him and sometimes under the watchful eye of both Carter and also Colonel Gray - who was on their case all the time. There was always a predicament in each of their escapades, but they sometimes before the end of the episode got it right.
Even after five seasons, and when the show went off the airwaves in 1969, all of the buddies that live in the barracks were promoted and moved on from Sergeant Carter, but Gomer? He was still a private in the Marines after five seasons!
Anyway, that aside, the show was created by the talent team of Sheldon Leonard, Ronald Jacobs, and sometimes produced by Sheldon Leonard and Aaron Ruben and also by Andy Griffith himself; who was the show's executive producer. The black and white episodes from the first season(1964-1965) including the forgotten pilot episode were very hilarious with Gomer getting into all kinds of mischief on the barracks and off the base, but the color episodes(1965-1969) were funny during its first two seasons, but faded after the show's fifth and final season.
So, for this incredible 'Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C.: The Complete Series' 24-Disc DVD Box-Set, come laugh along as Pyle’s perpetual wide-eyed innocence gets on the nerves of his tough, loudmouthed sergeant, Sergeant Vince Carter (Frank Sutton). Available for the first time as one complete collection, and in sleek new packaging, 'Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. – The Complete Series' is a Full Screen Presentation (4x3) Aspect Ratio enhanced for 16x9 TVs and comes with the Special Features of:
- Audio Intros By Jim Nabors on Select Episodes
- Audio Commentaries By Jim Nabors And Ronnie Schell on Select Episodes
- Pilot Episode: "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C." From The Andy Griffith Show
- The Lucy Show Clip "Lucy Gets Caught In The Draft"
- Jim Nabors On The David Frost Show
- Jim Nabors Hour Clip
DVD Box-Set Purchase Link