"McHale's Navy" (1962) TV series 1962-1966

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Release Date:

11 October 1962 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | War

Tagline:

Batten down the hatches!

Plot:

The misadventures of a misfit PT Boat crew during World War II.

Plot Keywords:

Navy | Prisoner Of War | Gambling | US Navy | Con Artist

Awards:

Nominated for 5 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Ernest Borgnine	...	Lt. Commander Quinton McHale (138 episodes, 1962-1966)
Joe Flynn	...	Captain Wallace B. Binghamton / ... (138 episodes, 1962-1966)
Tim Conway	...	Ensign Charles Parker (138 episodes, 1962-1966)
Carl Ballantine	...	Lester Gruber (138 episodes, 1962-1966)
Gary Vinson	...	George Christopher (138 episodes, 1962-1966)
Billy Sands	...	Harrison Bell (138 episodes, 1962-1966)
Edson Stroll	...	Virgil Edwards (138 episodes, 1962-1966)
John Wright	...	Willy Moss (138 episodes, 1962-1966)
Yoshio Yoda	...	Fuji Kobiaji (138 episodes, 1962-1966)
Bob Hastings	...	Lt. Elroy Carpenter / ... (129 episodes, 1962-1966)
Gavin MacLeod	...	Joseph Haines / ... (73 episodes, 1962-1964)

Series Directed by
Sidney Lanfield		(52 episodes, 1962-1964)
Hollingsworth Morse		(29 episodes, 1964-1966)
Charles Barton		(9 episodes, 1964-1965)
Edward Montagne		(8 episodes, 1962-1963)
Oscar Rudolph		(5 episodes, 1963)
Earl Bellamy		(5 episodes, 1964)
Sidney Miller		(3 episodes, 1965)
Jean Yarbrough		(3 episodes, 1965)
Norman Abbott		(2 episodes, 1963-1964)
Frank McDonald		(2 episodes, 1964)

Series Writing credits
William Raynor		(26 episodes, 1963-1966)
Myles Wilder		(26 episodes, 1963-1966)
Ralph Goodman		(15 episodes, 1963-1965)
Marty Roth		(11 episodes, 1962-1964)
George Carleton Brown		(11 episodes, 1963-1965)
Stan Dreben		(11 episodes, 1963-1965)
Frank Gill Jr.		(11 episodes, 1963-1965)
Sam Locke		(9 episodes, 1964-1966)
Joel Rapp		(9 episodes, 1964-1966)
Barry E. Blitzer		(8 episodes, 1964-1965)
Ray Brenner		(6 episodes, 1964-1965)
Si Rose		(5 episodes, 1962-1964)
Larry Markes		(5 episodes, 1962-1963)
Michael Morris		(5 episodes, 1962-1963)
Bruce Howard		(5 episodes, 1965-1966)
John Fenton Murray		(5 episodes, 1965-1966)
Bob Fisher		(4 episodes, 1963-1964)
Arthur Marx		(4 episodes, 1963-1964)
Frank Waldman		(3 episodes, 1963-1965)
Tom Waldman		(3 episodes, 1963-1965)
Allan Manings		(3 episodes, 1965)
Danny Arnold		(2 episodes, 1962-1963)
Walter Kempley		(2 episodes, 1962-1963)
Gene L. Coon		(2 episodes, 1962)
Arnold Horwitt		(2 episodes, 1963)
Danny Simon		(2 episodes, 1963)

Series Produced by
Edward Montagne	....	producer / executive producer (138 episodes, 1962-1966)
Si Rose	....	producer / associate producer (102 episodes, 1963-1966)

Series Original Music by
Axel Stordahl		(42 episodes, 1962-1963)
Frank Comstock		(33 episodes, 1964-1965)
Jack Elliott		(29 episodes, 1965-1966)
Cyril J. Mockridge		(5 episodes, 1963)

Series Cinematography by
John F. Warren		(35 episodes, 1962-1963)
Lionel Lindon		(31 episodes, 1963-1965)
Ray Flin		(26 episodes, 1962-1965)
Benjamin H. Kline		(25 episodes, 1962-1965)
Nicholas Musuraca		(24 episodes, 1965-1966)
Bud Thackery		(12 episodes, 1962-1966)
William Margulies		(11 episodes, 1962-1966)
John L. Russell		(11 episodes, 1962-1965)
Jacques R. Marquette		(8 episodes, 1963-1964)
Walter Strenge		(8 episodes, 1965-1966)
Ray Rennahan		(6 episodes, 1963-1965)
Richard L. Rawlings		(4 episodes, 1962-1964)
Robert Tobey		(3 episodes, 1963-1964)
Ray Fernstrom		(3 episodes, 1964-1965)
Fred Mandl		(2 episodes, 1962)
Irving Lippman		(2 episodes, 1963-1966)
Vaughn Wilkins		(2 episodes, 1966)

Series Film Editing by
Sam E. Waxman		(121 episodes, 1962-1966)
Edwin H. Bryant		(5 episodes, 1965)
Richard G. Wray		(4 episodes, 1965)
Danford B. Greene		(2 episodes, 1964)
Robert Seiter		(2 episodes, 1964)

Series Art Direction by
Russell Kimball		(102 episodes, 1962-1965)
Alexander A. Mayer		(30 episodes, 1965-1966)
Henry Larrecq		(25 episodes, 1964-1965)

Series Set Decoration by
John McCarthy Jr.		(137 episodes, 1962-1966)
James Redd		(69 episodes, 1962-1965)
James M. Walters Sr.		(43 episodes, 1963-1965)
Ralph Sylos		(28 episodes, 1963-1966)
Robert C. Bradfield		(17 episodes, 1963-1966)
John M. Dwyer		(10 episodes, 1966)
Claire P. Brown		(5 episodes, 1965-1966)
Perry Murdock		(2 episodes, 1965)
Anthony D. Nealis		(unknown episodes)

Series Makeup Department
Bud Westmore	....	makeup artist (93 episodes, 1963-1966)
Larry Germain	....	hair stylist (87 episodes, 1963-1966)
Florence Bush	....	hair stylist (54 episodes, 1962-1964)
Jack Barron	....	makeup artist (53 episodes, 1962-1964)
Leo Lotito Jr.	....	makeup artist (32 episodes, 1962-1963)
Virginia Darcy	....	hair stylist (20 episodes, 1964-1965)

Series Production Management
James Nicholson	....	unit manager (30 episodes, 1965-1966)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
George Bisk	....	assistant director (91 episodes, 1962-1965)
Chuck Colean	....	assistant director (40 episodes, 1965-1966)
Jack Doran	....	assistant director (24 episodes, 1964-1965)
Wendell Franklin	....	assistant director (unknown episodes)
Lou Watt	....	assistant director (unknown episodes)

Series Art Department
Robert M. Anderson	....	assistant property master (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Earl Crain Sr.	....	sound (134 episodes, 1962-1966)
Melvin M. Metcalfe Sr.	....	sound (5 episodes, 1962-1966)
William H. Lynch	....	sound (5 episodes, 1963-1964)
Lyle Cain	....	sound (4 episodes, 1962-1965)
Corson Jowett	....	sound (4 episodes, 1962-1965)
Terrance Emerson	....	sound cable man (4 episodes, 1966)
Robert R. Bertrand	....	sound (3 episodes, 1962-1966)
Earl Crain Jr.	....	sound (3 episodes, 1962-1963)
Clarence Self	....	sound (3 episodes, 1962-1963)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Earl C. Williman	....	lamp operator (33 episodes, 1963-1964)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Vincent Dee	....	costume supervisor (136 episodes, 1962-1966)
Don Snyder	....	costumes (11 episodes, 1965-1966)
Kay Hayden	....	costumes (7 episodes, 1965-1966)

Series Editorial Department
David J. O'Connell	....	editorial department head / editorial supervisor (138 episodes, 1962-1966)

Series Music Department
Axel Stordahl	....	composer: theme music / composer: title music / ... (138 episodes, 1962-1966)
Stanley Wilson	....	musical supervision / music supervision (138 episodes, 1962-1966)
Jack Elliott	....	music score (unknown episodes)
Cyril J. Mockridge	....	music score (unknown episodes)

Series Other crew
Si Rose	....	script supervisor / script consultant (36 episodes, 1962-1963)
Rick Mittleman	....	script consultant (22 episodes, 1964-1965)

Production Companies

• Sto-Rev-Co Productions

Distributors

• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (original airing)
• MCA Television
• MCA/Universal Pictures
• Studios USA Television

Other Companies

• Technicolor Corporation  processing (1965-1966)

Also Known As:

McHale's Men (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

30 min (138 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

New Zealand:G | Australia:G | USA:TV-G

Filming Locations:

CBS Studio Center - 4024 Radford Avenue, Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Sto-Rev-Co Productions

Trivia:

The vessel used for shots of the PT-73 under way was a 72-foot type II Vosper MTB (Motor Torpedo Boat), a British design built under license in the U.S. for export to Russia. The war ended in August 1945 before the boat, the real number of which was PT-694, could be sent to the Soviet Union. The boat was then purchased by Howard Hughes and used as a chase boat for the one and only flight of his Spruce Goose aircraft. The boat was then sold to the studio - as there were few other real PT boats left in existence at the time - and some liberties were taken in reconfiguring it to look like a PT Boat. Vosper PT's did not have machine gun turrets on either side of the pilot house (though ironically the real PT-73, a Higgins design did) as the PT-73 in the show did. Other irregularities are the main mast aft and a small mast right in front of the cockpit. Shots of the crew aboard the PT-73 were filmed on a full-scale mock-up in a soundstage. "PT-73" was later sold to the mayor of Hawthorne, California, and was converted to a sport fishing boat. It was later destroyed when it broke loose of its mooring near Santa Barbara and washed up on the beach during a storm. The real PT-73 was a 78-foot Higgins boat assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 13, which saw service in the Aleutians and in the Southwest Pacific theater. On 15 January, 1945 it ran aground, and was destroyed to prevent it falling into enemy hands.

Quotes:

Lieut. Comdr. Quinton McHale: Stall em! I don't care how you do it but stall 'em!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Gamera (#4.2)" (1991)

Classic WWII comedy series starring Ernest Borgnine!

"McHale's Navy" is probably one of the classiest and the most funniest sitcom of its day to ever depict the misadventures of a misfit band of recruits who are in command and in charge of a PT Cruiser Boat during the scenes around a Naval Military Base on a secured island in the South Pacific in World War II,under the command of Lt. Cmdr. Quinton McHale(Ernest Borgnine),and his commanding officer who keeps a watchful eye on McHale and his crew,Capt.Wallace Binghamton(Joe Flynn),and Binghamton's nerdish assistant Ensign Charles Parker(Tim Conway). This show had it all with some of the funniest stuff I've ever seen and believe me some of the hijinks that McHale and his band of recruits get into is enough right there to steal the thunder of the show,courtesy of not only the 'big smiling face' of Ernest Borgnine,but from Tim Conway who hilarious situations made the show itself stand out,and it would prove the standing point when he would go on to host his own show,and from there into an nine-year hiatus for "The Carol Burnett Show". Oh yeah,lets not forget Joe Flynn as well,since him and Conway were the perfect comedy team and with them in this series it would have not survive. This series also had some familiar faces here as well including several actors who would go on to make a name for themselves,including actor Gavin MacLeod,who played Private First Class Joesph "Happy" Haines.

It was from this series that MacLeod would go to do other roles as well including a seven-year stint on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show",and from there as Captain Stubbing on "The Love Boat". This series also had singing sensation Billy Sands as "Tinkerbell",and many more. "McHale's Navy",ran on ABC-TV for five seasons from 1962 to 1966 and produced 138 episodes,all in black and white and produced by Revue Productions/Universal Studios in Hollywood. During the show's five year-run,since studios executives at Universal,which produced the series,decided that the cast should make the jump from the small screen to the big screen,producing three theatrical features for the studio,and this time around they were to be produced in color....... "McHale's Navy"(1964),"McHale's Navy Joins The Air Force"(1965),and the final,"McHale's Navy Joins The Army"(1965)while the TV series was still on the air,and the TV series was still in black and white.

What killed McHale's Navy after being a great hit? During the show's final season(1965-1966)McHale,and his crew along with Binghamton and Parker,not to mention Binghamton's second Lt. Carpenter,were all shipped from the operations in the South Pacific to the operations of Europe,where they were shipped to Italy to fight against the Germans. In the Pacific,they were up against the Japanese,but the Germans? That what killed the show,and from there the laughter stopped after five seasons.