MCHALE'S NAVY: WHO WAS THAT GERMAN I SAW YOU WITH? (TV)
Summary
The fourth season premiere in this series of comedies about an unusual Navy unit during World War II. In this episode, Binghamton is thrilled to learn that a famous photographer, Pete Morgan, is coming to the base – but Elroy timidly reveals that he is coming to meet McHale, not the captain. Despite never having been in battle himself, Binghamton takes offense and decides that he will send McHale and his men off on a useless errand during the photographer's visit, and Parker reacts with outrage to the order. McHale's men arrange a "strike," but he tells them that they will instead take Morgan along with them on the mission, tricking Binghamton by claiming that his flight is late. Binghamton and Elroy figure out the scheme, however, and Binghamton decides that he will land the front cover of Globe magazine if he is photographed bringing the "mutineers" in for punishment. But when he ventures out to capture them, he is caught by several German soldiers disguised as Navy sailors and held as a hostage, demanding that he take them back to their patrol unharmed.
Parker borrows a bike from an Italian local when their Jeep breaks down, and the German soldiers lambast Binghamton for carelessness when their car runs out of gas. Parker "runs into" the group and realizes only belatedly that he too is now a German prisoner, while back at the base McHale finds that Fuji has thrown a "victory party," glad that Binghamton and Parker are now out of their hair, but McHale declares that they must rescue their comrades despite their annoying behavior. Elroy talks with Morgan, promising that Binghamton is a far more interesting subject than McHale, and when Binghamton arrives in their midst pushing the stalled car, Elroy fails to notice the enemy soldiers and proudly tells Morgan all about Binghamton's fearsome reputation as a "Kraut-killer," much to the Germans' displeasure. Binghamton hastily refutes the claims, but Morgan decides that his modesty proves him to be "the real deal." McHale and his men soon arrive and, pretending to be drunk, boisterously demand that Morgan take their photo, using the distraction to disarm and capture the German soldiers – though Binghamton quickly claims that the ruse was his idea, saying that McHale is merely "grandstanding." Later, their pictures appear in Globe magazine, and Binghamton is forced to promise to be "nice" to the men for a spell, lest McHale ask Morgan to run a particularly embarrassing shot of the captain. Includes commercials.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: October 20, 1966 8:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:28:36
- COLOR/B&W: B&W
- CATALOG ID: B:13182
- GENRE: Comedy
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy; World War II
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 1962-1966
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - Children's Sucrets throat lozenges
- TV - Commercials - Kellogg's cereals
- TV - Commercials - Salem cigarettes
CREDITS
- Edward J. Montagne … Executive Producer
- Si Rose … Producer
- Hollingsworth Morse … Director
- John Fenton Murray … Writer
- Jack Elliott … Music by
- Axel Stordahl … Theme Music by
- Ernest Borgnine … Cast, Lt. Cmdr. Quinton McHale
- Joe Flynn … Cast, Captain Wallace B. Binghamton
- Tim Conway … Cast, Ensign Charles Parker
- Carl Ballantine … Cast, Lester Gruber
- Bob Hastings … Cast, Lt. Elroy Carpenter
- Gary Vinson … Cast, George "Christy" Christopher
- Billy Sands … Cast, 'Tinker' Bell
- Edson Stroll … Cast, Virgil Edwards
- John Wright … Cast, Willy Moss
- Yoshio Yoda … Cast, Fuji Kobiaji
- Herb Vigran … Cast, Pete Morgan
- Peter Coe … Cast, The 1st German
- James Frawley … Cast, The German Sergeant