Three famous catch-phrases: “Shazam!”, “Gaaw-aawl-ly” and “Surprise, surprise, surprise!”.
Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C.
9/25/1964 – 9/9/1970
CBS 30 minutes
Black & White (1964-1965)
Color (1965-1970)
150 total episodes
Gomer Pyle Cast – “Well, gollllly”
Jim Nabors as Private Gomer Pyle
Frank Sutton as Sergeant Vincent Carter
Ted Bessell as Private Frankie Lombardi (1965-1966)
William Christopher as Private Lester Hummel (1966-1968)
Forrest Compton as Colonel Edward Gray (1965-1969)
Larry Hovis as Private Larry Gotschalk (1964-1965)
Tommy Leonetti as Corporal Nick Cuccinelli (1964-1965)
Elizabeth MacRae as Lou-Ann Poovie (1967-1969)
Allan Melvin as Sergeant Charley Hacker (1965-1969)
Ronnie Schell as Private/Corporal Gilbert ‘Duke’ Slater (1964-1967, 1968-1969)
Barbara Stuart as Bunny Wilson (1965-1969)
Roy Stuart as Corporal Chuck Boyle (1965-1968)
“Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C.” by Earle Hagen
Gomer Pyle Tidbits – Shazam!
Gomer Pyle (Jim Nabors) was originally a filling station attendant at Wally’s Filing Station in Mayberry, North Carolina as a character on the Andy Griffith show. But he got drafted and joined the Marines.
Gomer took basic training Camp Wilmington in North Carolina where he first ran across Sgt. Vincent Carter (Frank Sutton). The seemingly gruff sergeant was constantly frustrated with Gomer. Eventually the sergeant realized that Gomer was sincere, but naive and took a liking to him.
When Gomer gets a permanent posting it is to Camp Henderson in Los Angeles. And guess who gets posted with him? Sergeant Carter!
Passings
Frank Sutton died in 1974 of a heart attack, Tommy Leonetti in 1979 of cancer, and Ted Bessell in 1996 of an aortic aneurysm.
