McHale's Navy: The TV Series

"McHale's Navy" holds a special place in my heart, and I'm sure in the hearts of many people of my generation, as we were kids or teenagers when this comedy initially aired on television (and there were also two movies released). So many fond memories of the cast of this show, and I wish there were a way to give each of the cast members a hug and let them know how important they were to us; but unfortunately, most are no longer with us. As of this writing, of the regular cast, only John Wright, who played PT 73 radioman Willy Moss, and Yoshio Yoda, who played Fuji, the crew's POW houseboy and cook, are still with us. Ernest Borgnine, who played Lieutenant Commander Quinton McHale, died in 2012, age 95, Joe Flynn, who played Captain Binghamton, died of a heart attack in 1974 at the age of 49, Bob Hastings, who played Binghamton's aide Lieutenant Elroy Carpenter died of cancer in 2014, age 89, Carl Ballantine, who played the PT 73's Torpedoman Lester Gruber, died in 2009, age 92, Billy Sands, who played the PT 73's Machinist Harrison "Tinker" Bell, died in 1984 from lung cancer, age 73, Edson Stroll, who played PT 73's Gunner Virgil Edwards, died of cancer in 2011, age 82, Gavin MacLeod, who played Seaman "Happy" Haines died in 2021, age 90, Gary Vinson, who played Quartermaster "Christy" Christopher, died of a self inflicted bullet wound in 1984, age 47. As for some of the actors/actresses who appeared somewhat regularly in the series: Jacques Aubuchon, who played native chief Urulu, died of heart problems in 1991, age 67, Roy Roberts, who played Admiral Rogers, died of a heart attack in 1975, age 69, Herbert Lytton, who played Admiral Reynolds, died in 1981, age 83, Jane Dulo, who played Nurse Molly Turner, died after heart surgery in 1994 (I found various birth years for her, so her age at death was between 75 and 81), Canadian actor Henry Beckman, who played Colonel Harrington when the PT 73 was serving in Italy, died in 2008, age 86, Makoto Iwamatsu, who went by the professional name Mako, and who played the role of a number of Japanese officers, died from cancer in 2006, age 72, Jay Novello, who played Mario Lugatto, the conniving mayor of Volta Fiore when the show was set in Italy during its last season, died in 1982, age 78

McHale's Navy ran for four seasons beginning in 1962, all were in black and white, which was common in those days, although by 1965 most series were switching to color, and the 1964 and 1965 full length movies, based upon the series, were filmed in color. The series was broadcast on the ABC network. The first three seasons of the series were set during World War Two in the South Pacific islands in the "general vicinity" of Australia, with the main setting being a U.S. Navy supply base on the island of Taratupa, a fictional island name created purely for the television series. The last season of the show was set in Italy in 1943/44. It's important to remember, when the series first aired, there were millions upon millions of former participants from World War Two, including Ernest Borgnine,* who ranged from middle aged to senior citizens. 

One of Taratupa's PT boats was PT 73, under the command of Lt. Commander Quinton McHale (PT boat =patrol torpedo boat), a man who, prior to the war, had spent years sailing these same waters, and who knew the many islands, the people and the tribal chieftains, which made him an important asset for the US Navy when the war started. McHale and his men are carefree and they have a good time having parties, swimming and water skiing when they aren't patrolling or sent on missions to engage the Japanese, who occupy some of the islands not too far away. While the crew seems lax, they are good in their various roles on the PT boat and in combat. They also have a lot of feelings for the villagers on some of the islands, with a special soft spot for children. The base was commanded by Captain Wallace Binghamton, a man almost more at war with McHale and his men than with the Japanese. Binghamton wants to get rid of McHale, but even when he has McHale on the ropes, something happens to help McHale escape transfer or court martial. Captain Binghamton's aide is Lieutenant Elroy Carpenter, a man who will do anything to stay on Binghamton's good side, no matter how much humiliation he has to endure. On the other hand, McHale's second in command is Ensign Charles Parker, a well meaning klutzy bungler, who often quotes official Navy regulations.

Binghamton has McHale and his crew stationed off of the immediate base, on what is called "McHale's Island," and McHale and the boys have a Japanese POW (prisoner-of-war) who cooks and takes care of their living quarters there. "Fuji" is a great cook, and the crew accepts him as one of their own. Fuji's cooking is a major part of one episode, as Captain Binghamton is quite taken with the food he tries by chance, and he wants "McHale's cook" to prepare food for an admiral coming to the base. There's a BIG problem! Did I mention that Binghamton doesn't know about Fuji, because McHale and his crew keep Fuji hidden at their quarters, and whenever Binghamton is spotted heading for the island (he has to come by boat or skiff), McHale sends Fuji off into the jungle to hide until Binghamton leaves; so, "Fuji, get lost," is a line oft heard in the show's episodes; after all, Fuji could be captured... AGAIN! hahaha 

So, if you grew up with "McHale's Navy," or became very or somewhat familiar with it at some part through television reruns, stir some memories again, as the entire series is available on DVD, as are the two color movies they made back then too. If you've never seen or heard of "McHale's Navy," give it a try, you might just get hooked.** The DVDs also have interviews from some of the surviving cast from when the DVDs were in preparation.

*Ernest Borgnine had been in the Navy in the 1930s, but he left just prior to the Pearl Harbor attack, which then saw him re-enlist. He served in the Atlantic/Western European part of the war. His parents were Italian immigrants, and while he was born in the U.S., he lived with his mother in Italy for the several years his mother and father were separated because of marital difficulties; after which, they returned to the United States. Borgnine, whose real family name was the similar "Borgnino," was fluent in Italian and when the show was set in Italy, he displayed his fluent Italian in some episodes.   

** The 1997 movie, starring Tom Arnold as McHale, doesn't count as seeing "McHale's Navy," nor does it capture anything like the essence of the great television series from the 1960s. Ernest Borgnine appears in the movie, but he couldn't save it either.        

Photo is from the Shout! Factory 2007 DVD, Season One (all four seasons are on DVD)

WORD HISTORY:

Mast-English has more than one word of this spelling, but this is the noun with by far the most common meaning, "tall pole or poles used to hold the sail(s) or rigging of a ship or a boat." "Mast" goes back to Indo European "mastos/mazdos," which meant "post, pole." This gave Old Germanic "mastaz," with the same meaning, but also the specific "pole used for a ship's sail," and this gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "mæst" ("pole used for a ship's sail"), and this then became "mast," where it has been for hundreds of years.^

     

^ The expression "before the mast," as in the book, "Two Years Before the Mast" by Richard Henry Dana in the 1800s, refers to the quarters for non officers on ships commonly being in the front of the ship; that is, before where the mast was located; thus, also it can mean "a regular sailor," not an officer.