Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (DVD)

Connect to Facebook/Twitter, recommend via email and much more.

---

Although the tradition of the "rustic" or country bumpkin in American literature goes all the way back to Washington Irving and his Sketch Book (1820), the zenith of the naïve character in television came in the '60s. Maybe it was because the United States was enmeshed in an unpopular war, with a draft siphoning young men for a tour of Vietnam, that Americans found not only humor but comfort in characters whose view of the world was so pure and innocent. Maybe it was an unconscious desire to return to the relative carefree stability of the Eisenhower years. Whatever the reason, the '60s gave us not only rural comedies like "The Andy Griffith Show," "The Beverly Hillbillies," "Petticoat Junction," "Green Acres" and a TV version of "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," but two shows as well that featured country boys trying to make it in the peacetime military: "No Time for Sergeants," and "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C."

Ironically, Andy Griffith had a foot in both of those shows. The former was based on a film he starred in about a hillbilly who joins the Air Force, while the latter was a spin-off of his own situation comedy. What's interesting about this first-season release of "Gomer Pyle" is that it includes the supplemental material that was televised along with the pilot, which was released as an episode of "The Andy Griffith Show." Gomer, fans will remember, was the "Goll-ee" and "Shazam!" wide-eyed village idiot who worked at Wally's Filling Station. In the pilot, he gets it in his head that he's going to join the Marines. Why? Because he sees in a recruitment brochure that one of the Corps' most illustrious includes a general named Pyle. "If one Pyle can make it, I figure another one can too," he tells Andy. And so his friend drives him to the camp and hangs around, thinking the Marines are going to reject him before the first day is over.

In an introduction to the episode, Jim Nabors (Pyle) appears in front of the camera talking directly to the audience. He announces that in the series Pyle won't act as stupid as he does in the pilot (apparently the writers and CBS felt they pushed the bumpkin button a little hard) and then Nabors, an operatic-quality vocalist, actually sings part of an aria. You've really got to give credit to Paramount for finding the intro/outro and adding it to this five-disc collection, because it really gives you a contextual sense of television in 1964.

Season One follows Gomer and his fellow enlistees/recruits through boot camp. Though there's a full complement of troops at Camp Henderson in California, including "Hogan's Heroes" veteran Larry Hovis (as Larry) and veteran character actor Ronnie Schell (as Duke), it's really a two-character show. Squaring off against Gomer is his drill instructor, Sergeant Vince Carter (Frank Sutton). On "The Andy Griffith Show" Andy's reaction to Gomer's antics was part of the humor, and his eye-rolling, mouth agape responses were pretty much in line with the audience's reactions. Here, Carter is just as incredulous, but he shouts, and he shouts, and he orders Pyle to drop and give him 50 or pull more K.P. At first he thinks Pyle is putting on an act, or that he's trying to be a wise guy. But as Carter gradually comes to realize that Pyle is the real deal--a homespun, folksy character who sees nothing but the good in people--he takes on Pyle as a project, to teach him the ways of the world for his own good. Over the seasons, a special relationship developed between Carter and Pyle, though, of course, Pyle still drove him bonkers.

Here's a rundown on the first season's 30 (yep, 30!) episodes, which are housed on five single-sided discs in three clear keep-cases with a cardboard sleeve:

1) "Gomer Overcomes the Obstacle Course"--Gomer shows how eager he is to please his new sergeant when he tries extra hard to run the obstacle course.

2) "Guest in the Barracks"--When Gomer helps sneak a recruit's girlfriend into the barracks, Carter goes ballistic.

3) "Private Ralph Skunk"--Gomer adopts a pet skunk, and in true "Andy Griffith" fashion he turns it into a secret weapon for the Marines.

4) "Captain Ironpants"--In this "Pygmalion" episode, Gomer tries to transform a lady Marine into a glamorous woman. Physician, heal thyself!

5) "Gomer Learns a Bully"--When a new recruit turns out to be a bully and Gomer his favorite whipping boy, Gomer has his own way of dealing with the problem.

6) "Pay Day"--Gomer goofs off, and causes a military fiasco when he decides fair is fair, he won't accept his paycheck.

7) "Nobody Loves a Sergeant"--The harder Carter is on Gomer, the more Gomer is convinced he likes him.

8) "Gomer and the Dragon Lady"--Carter sets up Gomer with a "dragon lady" as punishment for another foul-up.