44 December 1985 Marxism Today

Like Bilko, it was about life in the US army during the 1950s. But whereas the humour THE LEGENDARY BILKO of MASH reflected the smart-arsed mod­ ernism of the 1960s, Ernie Bilko's appeal Jeff Randall was pure . Phil Silvers, ne Silver, was one of eight children born into a family of poor Russian The late 1950s were halcyon years for characters in the show were ideal stooges immigrants in , . If his American cinema and tv comedy. On the for Bilko's self-interested schemes. Like formal education lacked substance- he left silver screen, Rock Hudson and Doris Day . the pea-brained GI Doberman, who be­ school at 12 - his training in the art of had a string of smash hits; Bob Hope and lieved everything his sergeant told him, comedy was straight out of the top drawer. Bing Crosby were still on the road; and but who never saw him dealing off the As a young teenager, he made his debut in Curtis and Lemmon, with the aid of bottom of the pack; and the blonde woman , after which he worked as a Monroe, were camping it up in Some Like officer who knew Ernie would never marry nightclub comedian, and then toured with It Hot. At the same time, the advent of her, but who strove relentlessly to get him the famous Minsky troupe. His break into mass tv gave rise to a number of long- on the hook. big-time movies came at the age of 29 in running success stories, like the Ed Sulli­ It has been said that Silvers' Bilko paved 1941 when he had a minor role in Tom, van Show; Lucille Ball's / Love Lucy; and, the way for the hugely successful film and Dick and Harry. Other films followed, but for many, the funniest of them all - Phil tv series of the next generation - MASH. true stardom arrived when he was cast to Silvers' portrayal of the incorrigible play the fast-talking, work-shirking Sergeant Bilko. Sergeant Bilko who knew a sucker when he It is hard to believe the extent to which saw one and gave none of them an even American tv funnies have gone down the break. On the face of it, the Sergeant was drain since then. The garbage of the 1980s not a pleasant character. But Silvers' treat­ - Cheers, Taxi and the Mork & Mindy ment of the role made Ernie Bilko one of show, all of which are about as funny as tv's most lovable rogues. toothache - must have the late Just how much of Silvers' own personal­ turning in his grave. To borrow a phrase ity went into the creation of Bilko is a once used to describe the novels of Harold matter for conjecture. Undoubtedly, both Robbins: they are chewing gum for the were enthusiastic gamblers - the differ­ mind. ence being that Bilko always had the cards Silvers' legendary Bilko was altogether marked, and the odds loaded in his favour. more substantial fare. The show became Such was the popular appeal of the Bilko an instant hit because in farcical terms it show that between 1955 and 1959 it ran to captured the mood of the time. Yet, 30 140 episodes. But like many performers years on, the reruns retain all the sparkle associated with one inimitable character, the creators intended. A cliche it may be, Silvers found it nigh impossible to become but class acts don't tarnish. The brilliance anyone else. Just as in this country, War­ of the Bilko scriptwriters was to take the ren Mitchell is inextricably linked with conventional order of things, and stand pipe-smoking Alf Garnett, to millions of it on its head. With a military man - Americans Phil Silvers will always be the President Eisenhower - running America, mercurial Bilko. Bilko represented the voice of the cynical Of Silvers' later work, the best by far ranks below. In those crisp one-liners, was his appearance in the 1960s cinema Bilko let them know who was really run­ comedy It's a Mad Mad Mad World. He ning the show - and they loved him for it. starred with many other big-name perfor­ At his fictional Kansas army base, Fort mers, but for me his performance surpas­ Baxter, the flabby and bald-headed Bilko sed them all. After the new Phil Silvers was king. Nothing moved without his say show failed to take off in 1964, largely so. For those wanting parties or pass-outs, because the public could not accept him women or wine, Ernie Bilko was the man playing a factory worker, he went into to see: a ubiquitous Mr Fix-It who did semi-retirement, although he continued to nothing for nothing, and took a cut in appear regularly on chat shows both sides everything worth anything. of the Atlantic. Above him, in rank only, was the bumb­ Phil Silvers may have died last month, ling Colonel Hall, ever-ready to be fooled but the memory of Sergeant Bilko lives on. by one of Bilko's money-making ruses; And the tv repeats will keep us laughing ever-nervous that Bilko was about to con for many years to come. him rotten. In outwitting the establish­ ment, Bilko never needed excuses: he BBC2 hope to be screening the Sergeant Bilko always had a perfectly good reason. Other series early in 1986.