Classic Hollywood: Phil Silvers a master at the con in ‘Sgt. Bilko’
Funny man Phil Silvers was the comic relief in countless movie musicals in the 1940s and became the toast of Broadway in 1951 in the comedy “Top Banana,” winning a Tony and then reprising his role in the 1954 film. He achieved small-screen stardom in the well-remembered comedy series “The Phil Silvers Show” (originally titled “You’ll Never Get Rich” and known to fans as “Sgt. Bilko”), which premiered on CBS in 1955 and continued through 1959. The multiple-Emmy-winning sitcom, set at a fictional Army post in Kansas, cast Silvers as Master Sgt. Ernie Bilko, who happened to be the post’s ace con man. Shout! Factory has just released the complete series on DVD. Besides all 142 episodes, the set includes the original network opening and commercials, audio commentaries and other goodies.
Only good movies
Get the Indie Focus newsletter, Mark Olsen's weekly guide to the world of cinema.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
