A WREATH FOR MCHALE - McHale's Navy Sitcom TV Series

An American sitcom starring Ernest Borgnine that aired 138 half-hour episodes over four seasons on the ABC television network. The series was filmed in black and white and originated from a one-hour drama titled "Seven Against the Sea", broadcast on April 3, 1962 as part of the Alcoa Premiere anthology series. The ABC series spawned three feature films: McHale's Navy (1964); a sequel, McHale's Navy Joins the Air Force (1965); and a 1997 sequel-remake of the original series. This comedy series was set in the Pacific theatre of World War II—for the last season, the setting changed to the European theater in Italy—and focused on antics of the misfit crew of PT-73 led by Lieutenant Commander Quinton McHale, played by Borgnine. The producer, Edward Montagne, had enjoyed success with The Phil Silvers Show (1955–1959), a military comedy about an opportunistic non-commissioned officer and his loyal platoon putting loony things over on the camp commander. While the pilot had been dramatic, with overtones of Henry Fonda's introspective Mister Roberts, Montagne turned the "McHale" project into "Bilko in the Navy" and recruited Sergeant Bilko actors and writers. At the time of the series, then-President John F. Kennedy was known as the wartime commander of PT-109. A popular book, PT 109: John F. Kennedy in WWII by Robert J. Donovan came out the previous year and PT-109 was referenced in the episode "Jolly Wally". Cast Ernest Borgnine as Lieutenant Commander Quinton McHale Joe Flynn as Captain Wallace B. (Wally) Binghamton Tim Conway as Ensign Charles Parker Bob Hastings as Lieutenant Elroy Carpenter Carl Ballantine as Torpedoman's Mate Lester Gruber Gary Vinson as Quartermaster "Christy" Christopher Billy Sands as Motor Machinist Mate "Tinker" Bell Edson Stroll as Gunner's Mate Virgil Edwards John Wright as Radioman Willy Moss Gavin McLeod as Seaman Happy Haines (1962–1964, 73 episodes) Yoshio Yoda as Fuji

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