Who created the character 'Sgt. Ernest Bilko' played by Phil Silvers?
"Steve Bilko Stephen Thomas Bilko (November 13, 1928 – March 7, 1978) was an American professional baseball player known for his home run hitting as a minor league player during the 1950s. He was 20 years old when he broke into Major League Baseball on September 22, 1949, with the St. Louis Cardinals. Nat Hiken, creator of ""The Phil Silvers Show"", supposedly took the name of the character Sgt. Bilko from Steve Bilko. Bilko was a home run-hitting first baseman of the 1950s and early 1960s, who enjoyed his greatest fame with the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast"
"who had a very similar appearance and voice to Silvers. ""Sgt Bilko's Vintage Emporium and The Phil Silvers Archival Museum"" houses personal and commercial memorabilia collected by Silvers' correspondent Steve Everitt is located in Fargo Village, Coventry, United Kingdom. Source: Internet Broadway Database Source: Turner Classic Movies Phil Silvers Phil Silvers (May 11, 1911 – November 1, 1985) was an American entertainer and comedic actor, known as ""The King of Chutzpah"". He starred in ""The Phil Silvers Show"", a 1950s sitcom set on a U.S. Army post in which he played Master Sergeant Ernest (Ernie) Bilko. Born Philip Silver or"
"Sgt. Bilko Sgt. Bilko is a 1996 American comedy film directed by Jonathan Lynn and written by Andy Breckman. It is an adaptation of the iconic 1950s television series ""The Phil Silvers Show"", often informally called ""Sgt. Bilko"", or simply ""Bilko"", and stars Steve Martin, Dan Aykroyd, and Phil Hartman. Master Sergeant Ernest G. Bilko is in charge of the motor pool at Fort Baxter, a small United States Army base that develops new military technology. Exploiting this position, he directs a number of scams, ranging from gambling to renting out military vehicles. His commanding officer, Colonel John Hall, overlooks"
"Phil Silvers Phil Silvers (May 11, 1911 – November 1, 1985) was an American entertainer and comedic actor, known as ""The King of Chutzpah"". He starred in ""The Phil Silvers Show"", a 1950s sitcom set on a U.S. Army post in which he played Master Sergeant Ernest (Ernie) Bilko. Born Philip Silver or Philip Silversmith on May 11, 1911, in Brooklyn, New York, in the working-class Brownsville section, he was the eighth and youngest child of Russian Jewish immigrants, Saul and Sarah (née Handler) Silver. His siblings were Lillian, Harry, Jack, Saul, Pearl, Michael, and Reuben Silver. His father, a"
"Sergeant Ernest G. ""Ernie"" Bilko; the show was also often referred to as ""Sgt. Bilko"" (Hiken had originally titled it ""You'll Never Get Rich""). Hiken was one of TV's first writer-producers and was the head writer for NBC's ""Four Star Revue"". He moved from radio to TV as a writer for Milton Berle's radio show, which preceded his legendary TV variety show ""Texaco Star Theater"". As a writer for ""Car 54, Where Are You?"" and ""The Phil Silvers Show"", he exhibited a comic flair, and his capacity for spoofing such entities as the United States Army, the U.S. government, and"
"Berle.) Silvers dominated the show and won a Tony Award for his performance. He repeated the role in the 1954 film version which was initially released in 3-D. According to the documentary on the DVD of ""It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World"", Silvers was not a traditional comedian: he was a comic actor. Silvers never did stand-up, and, out of character, he was not known for cracking jokes. Silvers became a household name in 1955 when he starred as Sergeant Ernest G. Bilko in ""You'll Never Get Rich"", later retitled ""The Phil Silvers Show"". The military comedy became a"
"has acquired the rights in the UK and released ""Sgt. Bilko – The Phil Silvers Show: - Complete Collection"" on DVD on September 22, 2014. In 1996, ""The Phil Silvers Show"" was the basis of a critically and commercially unsuccessful movie, ""Sgt. Bilko"", starring Steve Martin as Bilko, Dan Aykroyd as Colonel Hall, Max Casella as Paparelli, and Eric Edwards as Doberman. The plot centers around an investigation into wrongdoings in Fort Baxter by Major Thorn (played by Phil Hartman), an old rival of Bilko's, who will stop at nothing to get the better of Bilko. The Phil Silvers Show"
"comedy whose lead character (Sergeant Bilko, played by Silvers) was a crafty con-man. Maurice Gosfield, who played Private Duane Doberman in ""The Phil Silvers Show"", provided the voice for Benny the Ball in ""Top Cat"", and Benny's rotund appearance was based on Gosfield's. Additionally, Arnold Stang's vocal characterisation of the lead character, the eponymous Top Cat, was based on an impression of Phil Silvers' voice. Other influences include the movie ""Guys and Dolls"", in which actor Stubby Kaye played a short, stout, streetwise gambler: a virtual Benny the Ball prototype. Lastly, an unlikely contender (as it also came from Hanna"
"Billy Sands Billy Sands (January 6, 1911 – August 27, 1984) was an American character actor who appeared as a regular on ""The Phil Silvers Show"" (""Sgt Bilko"") as Pvt. Dino Papparelli and was a regular on ""McHale's Navy"" as Harrison ""Tinker"" Bell. He also made guest-starring roles on many other television series, including ""Car 54, Where Are You?"", ""All in the Family"", ""Here's Lucy"", ""Happy Days,"" and ""The Odd Couple"". Sands also appears in one of the opening scenes of ""Rocky"" as a booker for the fighters. Born William F. Sands in Bergen, New York to John F. and"
"from ""The Phil Silvers Show"". Maurice Gosfield from the original platoon voiced Benny the Ball. ""Hokey Wolf"" was another Hanna-Barbera production that borrowed heavily from ""The Phil Silvers Show"". The episode of ""The Flintstones"" that introduced Dino gave the pet dinosaur a Sgt. Bilko-styled voice and character. After this atypical debut, Dino never spoke again. Another episode recruited Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble into the army, where they were conned by an unnamed Bilko-like character into becoming astronaut test pilots. The film ""The Manchurian Candidate"" (1962) used the names of several people associated with ""Sgt. Bilko"" for the members of"
"comedians and comedy insiders. Dick Van Dyke, who made his TV debut on ""Bilko"", says he ""was always fascinated with Phil's sense of timing. Incredible."" Voice actor Daws Butler employed an impression of Silvers as the voice of the Hanna-Barbera cartoon character Hokey Wolf and also used the same voice in numerous cartoons for Jay Ward. The premise of ""The Phil Silvers Show"" was the basis for the Hanna-Barbera cartoon ""Top Cat"", for which Arnold Stang moderately imitated Silvers' voice for the title character. The 1993 cartoon series ""The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog"" featured a character called Wes Weasley,"
"Jess Cain Jess Daniel Dennis Cain III (June 17, 1926 – February 14, 2008) was an American radio personality. For 34 years, from 1957 to 1991, Cain was the morning drive personality on WHDH/850 in Boston. Cain also was a professional actor and appeared in numerous theater and musical theater productions, and appeared in early television on the Sergeant Bilko - a.k.a. ""The Phil Silvers Show"". In the Boston area, he was known especially for playing Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens' ""A Christmas Carol"". A native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he was a graduate of Northeast Catholic High School in Philadelphia"
"Harvey Lembeck Harvey Lembeck (April 15, 1923 – January 5, 1982) was an American comedic actor best remembered for his role as Cpl. Rocco Barbella on ""The Phil Silvers Show"" (a.k.a. ""Sgt. Bilko"" , a.k.a. ""You'll Never Get Rich"") in the late 1950s, and as the stumbling, overconfident quasi-outlaw biker Eric Von Zipper in beach party movies during the 1960s. He also turned in noteworthy performances in both the stage and screen versions of ""Stalag 17"". He was the father of actor and director Michael Lembeck and actress Helaine Lembeck. Born in Brooklyn, Lembeck started his career right out of"
"a Korean War patrol – Cpl. Allan Melvin, Pvt. Silvers, Pvt. Hiken, and Pvt. Lembeck. The characters also appear in the novel ""The Manchurian Candidate"", which has been plagued with multiple assertions of plagiarism. In 1987 a British tourist visiting Tibet wearing a Phil Silvers ""Sgt. Bilko"" T-shirt had Chinese soldiers attempt to rip it off her because they thought the picture was the Dalai Lama. Larry David, creator and star of ""Curb Your Enthusiasm"", has called ""The Phil Silvers Show"" his favorite television show. From 1957 to 1960, DC Comics published a Sergeant Bilko comic book which lasted 16"
"to acting for a career. His first professional acting job was in an Off-Broadway production in 1939. In 1955, Ford played the bank president in the NBC comedy series ""Norby"". He became an ""overnight"" success at age 54 when he played Colonel John T. Hall opposite Phil Silvers on Silvers' ""The Phil Silvers Show"" TV show (often known as Sergeant Bilko or just Bilko). His signature role may well be the part of Mayor George Shinn, a befuddled politico in the film adaptation of the Broadway show ""The Music Man."" Ford played the role straight and received glowing reviews. The"
"Dana Alice (nee Warboys) Sands, he began his professional career in 1946 when he appeared on Broadway with Spencer Tracy in Robert E. Sherwood's ""Rugged Path"". Sands died of lung cancer at the age of 73 while at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles on August 27, 1984. He is buried at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City, California. Billy Sands Billy Sands (January 6, 1911 – August 27, 1984) was an American character actor who appeared as a regular on ""The Phil Silvers Show"" (""Sgt Bilko"") as Pvt. Dino Papparelli and was a regular on ""McHale's Navy"" as"
"role as Henshaw, Sergeant Bilko’s right-hand man on that show. “He was proudest of that show,” Amalia Melvin said. “I think the camaraderie of all those guys made it such a pleasant way to work. They were so relaxed.” During this period, in addition to his role on ""The Phil Silvers Show"", Melvin was often cast in slightly loud, occasionally abrasive, but generally friendly second banana roles. Melvin was also adept at “tough guy” roles; in an example of his range as an actor, one episode of ""Sergeant Bilko"" featured Melvin doing a recognizable impersonation of Humphrey Bogart. In the"
"Bilko"" television show) and John Dierkes (an accountant working for the U.S. Treasury, who provided technical assistance to the makers of ""To the Ends of the Earth""). A former child actor, Frank Coghlan Jr, enlisted in the U.S. Navy, and later became an advisor to Hollywood on Navy-themed films. R. Lee Ermey, a former U.S. Marine who became a technical advisor on several Vietnam War films lensed in the Philippines became a lead actor in Stanley Kubrick's ""Full Metal Jacket"" as well as an advisor. Ermey said ""A technical advisor must be a salesman. He's got to be able to"
"May 8, 1962, at the Alvin Theatre, and then transferred to the Mark Hellinger Theatre and the Majestic Theatre, where the show closed on August 29, 1964, after 964 performances and 8 previews. The show's creators originally wanted Phil Silvers in the lead role of Pseudolus, but he turned them down, allegedly because he would have to perform onstage without his glasses, and his vision was so poor that he feared tripping into the orchestra pit. He is also quoted as turning down the role for being ""Sgt. Bilko in a toga"". (Silvers eventually played the role — wearing his"
"episodes shot at the CBS ""Hi Brown"" Studios in Chelsea, Manhattan. Most of the series was filmed to simulate a live performance. The actors memorized their lines, and performed the scenes in sequence before a studio audience. Thus, there are occasional flubs and awkward pauses. Actor Paul Ford, playing Bilko's commanding officer, was notorious for forgetting his lines; when he would get a blank expression on his face, Silvers and the rest of the cast would improvise something to save the scene, like ""Oh, you remember, Colonel, the top brass is coming..."" At that point, Ford would pick up where"
"great deal more than any other cast member, which provoked a great deal of animosity among the regular ""Carry On"" team. Despite Talbot Rothwell writing in January 1967 that the part ""simply yells for Phil Silvers all the way along. I just can't get this Bilko image out of my mind"", the central role of the fast-talking Foreign Legion Sergeant had originally been earmarked for Sid James. However, with a commitment to the ITV sitcom ""George and the Dragon"", Sid's part was recast. Sid suffered a heart attack on 13 May 1967, less than two weeks into the filming schedule."
"himself in an hourlong episode. Bilko's right-hand men were Cpl. Rocco Barbella (Harvey Lembeck) and Cpl. Steve Henshaw (Allan Melvin), and his long-suffering superior was Col. John T. Hall (Paul Ford). The large supporting cast included Herbie Faye (a former burlesque crony of Silvers) as Pvt. Sam Fender, Maurice Gosfield as Pvt. Duane Doberman, Joe E. Ross as camp cook Sgt. Rupert Ritzik, Beatrice Pons as loud-mouthed Mrs. Ritzik, Billy Sands as Pvt. Dino Paparelli, Jimmy Little as Sgt. Francis Grover, and Mickey Freeman as diminutive Pvt. Fielding Zimmerman. Other characters included Jack Healy as the tough-talking Pvt. Mullen, Ned"
"Brando and Lee J. Cobb. Shortly afterwards Phil Silvers sought him out for his television show because he had been impressed by Gwynne's comedic work in ""Mrs. McThing"". As a result, in 1955, Gwynne made a memorable appearance on ""The Phil Silvers Show,"" in the episode ""The Eating Contest"" as the character Corporal Ed Honnergar, whose depressive eating binges are exploited by Sgt. Bilko (Phil Silvers), who seeks prize money by entering Honnergar in an eating contest. Gwynne's second appearance on ""The Phil Silvers Show"" (in the episode ""Its For The Birds"" in 1956 in which Bilko persuades bird expert"
"The New Phil Silvers Show The New Phil Silvers Show is an American situation comedy starring comedian Phil Silvers which aired thirty episodes on CBS from September 28, 1963, to April 25, 1964, under the sponsorship of General Foods. Silvers tried to revive with considerable changes the theme of his earlier much more successful ""The Phil Silvers Show"" (CBS, 1955–1959). In the 1963–1964 version, Silvers played Harry Grafton, a plant foreman at the Osborne Corporation, who like the previous Bilko character is always eager to embrace a get-rich-quick scheme. The large supporting cast included Stafford Repp as Grafton's supervisor, Mr."
"Jim Steranko James F. Steranko (; born November 5, 1938) is an American graphic artist, comic book writer/artist, comics historian, magician, publisher and film production illustrator. His most famous comic book work was with the 1960s superspy feature ""Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D."" in Marvel Comics' ""Strange Tales"" and in the subsequent eponymous series. Steranko earned lasting acclaim for his innovations in sequential art during the Silver Age of Comic Books, particularly his infusion of surrealism, pop art, and graphic design into the medium. His work has been published in many countries and his influence on the field has remained"
"Bernard Fein Bernard Fein (November 13, 1926, New York City – September 10, 1980, Los Angeles, California) was an American actor, television producer, screenwriter and film director. He is best known for co-creating and associate producing the 1960s American television sitcom, ""Hogan's Heroes""; a show which he also occasionally wrote for, including the pilot episode. He directed only one film, the 1974 Swedish movie ""Pogled iz potkrovlija"". As an actor Fein's first big break came in 1955 when he landed the recurring role of Pvt. Gomez on ""Sergeant Bilko"" which he portrayed through 1959. He appeared regularly as a guest"
"died from prostate cancer in his Beacon Hill home at the age of 81. He was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in November 2008. Jess Cain Jess Daniel Dennis Cain III (June 17, 1926 – February 14, 2008) was an American radio personality. For 34 years, from 1957 to 1991, Cain was the morning drive personality on WHDH/850 in Boston. Cain also was a professional actor and appeared in numerous theater and musical theater productions, and appeared in early television on the Sergeant Bilko - a.k.a. ""The Phil Silvers Show"". In the Boston area, he was known"
"threatened his existence as an interesting entertainer."" In a joint appearance with Phil Silvers on Dick Cavett's show, Benny recalled that he had advised Silvers not to appear on television. However, Silvers ignored Benny's advice and proceeded to win several Emmy awards as Sergeant Bilko on the popular series ""The Phil Silvers Show"", while Benny claimed he never won any of the television honors. Benny also acted in films, including the Academy Award-winning ""The Hollywood Revue of 1929"", ""Broadway Melody of 1936"" (as a benign nemesis for Eleanor Powell and Robert Taylor), ""George Washington Slept Here"" (1942), and notably, ""Charley's"
"Stephen Furst Stephen Nelson Feuerstein (May 8, 1954 – June 16, 2017), better known as Stephen Furst, was an American actor and film and television director. After gaining attention with his featured role as Kent ""Flounder"" Dorfman in the comedy film ""National Lampoon's Animal House"" and its spin-off television series ""Delta House"", he went on to be a regular as Dr. Elliot Axelrod in the medical drama series ""St. Elsewhere"" from 1983 to 1988, and as Centauri diplomatic attaché Vir Cotto in the science fiction series ""Babylon 5"" from 1994 to 1998. Other notable film roles included the college comedy"
"research some historical costume or weapon for a story, it was just as good to use a John Severin drawing as it was to find a photo of the real thing. They don't make 'em like that anymore."" Following the cancellation of EC's comic book line in the wake of the Comics Code in the mid-1950s, Severin began working for Atlas Comics, the 1950s forerunner of Marvel Comics. ""Sergeant Barney Barker"", drawn by Severin, was Atlas' answer to ""Sgt. Bilko"". Artist and colorist Stan Goldberg, a company colleague, recalled in 2005, After Atlas transitioned to become Marvel Comics in the"
"created in 1969 by Lucho Olivera as a single story, but its good reception turned it into a regular publication. Olivera worked initially at both the drawings and the scripts, but he later left his scriptwriting duties to Sergio Mulko, who was working by then under the pseudonym ""Leo Gioser"". Mulko wrote with a higher emphasis on the psychology and motivations of the character. The series was relaunched in 1980, with the scripts of Robin Wood. Wood was later replaced by Ricardo Ferrari and Alfredo Julio Grassi. Lucho Olivera stayed working with the drawings during all of the editorial history"
"ran until 1961 with drawings by Pratt, Jorge Moliterni, Horacio Porreca and Gisela Dexter. An additional ""Sargento Kirk"" story was published in 1973 in the magazine ""Billiken"", drawn by Gustavo Trigo. Sergeant Kirk is a former soldier of the American Civil War who goes on to serve in the post-war Wild West. Forced to participate in a massacre of American Indians by the U.S. Army, Kirk deserts and devotes himself to defending the Indians. An essentially noble man, Kirk treats even his enemies with tolerance and humanitarianism. Among Kirk's companions appearing in the series are ""El Corto"", Dr. Forbes and"
"Philip Whitchurch Philip Whitchurch (born 30 January 1951) is an English stage, film, and television actor. He is best known for playing Chief Inspector Philip Cato in ""The Bill"" from 1993 to 1995. He also played another character, Inspector Twist, on the same show, as well as Tyler in ""My Hero"" from 2000 to 2006. His other television work includes ""Sharpe"", ""The Brothers McGregor"",""The Detectives"", ""Peak Practice"", ""Holby City"", ""Bergerac"", ""Boon"", ""Casualty"", ""Monarch of the Glen"", ""Midsomer Murders"", ""G.B.H."", ""Van der Valk"", ""The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles"", ""Waterfront Beat"", ""Dramarama"", ""Peak Practice"", ""Wire in the Blood"", ""Foyle's War"", ""Mersey Beat"","