MCHALE'S NAVY: WAR, ITALIAN STYLE {FOURTH SEASON PREMIERE} (TV)
Summary
The fourth season premiere in this series of comedies about an unusual Navy unit during World War II. In this episode, McHale and the rest of the 73 crew are sent to the Italian coastal town of Voltafiore, where they are hailed as liberators by the unctuous Mayor Lugatto. Captain Binghamton arrives belatedly and in a foul mood, believing that McHale changed the road sides around and caused him to be ambushed. Later, Lugatto attempts to overcharge Binghamton for some minor tailor work, and Binghamton smugly informs McHale that he and his men, who are approaching on a boat, are going to "rough it" and live in tents in the bivouac area, while he himself enjoys more comfortable quarters. Lugatto eavesdrops on the conversation and hatches a plan with his lieutenant Dino, and when the 73 boat arrives, it seemingly crashes into the pier and causes a good deal of damage. Lugatto panics, declaring that the American government will have to cough up for the repairs, though the sailors swear that they did not even touch the dock.
McHale is surprised to find that their friend Fuji has stowed away on the boat, and they quickly scheme to hide him from Binghamton. The captain angrily lectures them about the crash, demanding that they come up with the necessary 500,000 lire within twenty-four hours. When a bomber appears overhead, McHale and the others seek shelter in a hidden cellar, which they quickly realize to be a perfect place to hide Fuji. Further inspection reveals a quantity of counterfeit art and documents suggesting that Lugatto planned the dock "crash" himself, and they are relieved to realize that they are off the hook for the 500,000 lire after all. They confront the crooked mayor about his schemes, but Lugatto then spots Fuji and turns the tables on them, threatening to turn them in for harboring a "spy." Out of ideas, the men attempts to disguise Fuji a G.I., "Irving," and when the 442nd Infantry Regime rolls into town, they tell a suspicious Binghamton that Fuji is one of the many Japanese-American soldiers fighting for the Allies. Fuji leaves with the regiment, though McHale worries that he has made things worse by sending their hapless friend off to the front lines, but Fuji soon returns, happily revealing that the sergeant chose to release him. (Several more seconds/minutes may be missing from this asset.) Includes commercials.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: November 30, 1999 8:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:27:50
- COLOR/B&W: B&W
- CATALOG ID: B:13181
- GENRE: Comedy
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy; World War II
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 1962-1966
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - Kellogg's cereals
- TV - Commercials - Salem cigarettes
CREDITS
- Edward J. Montagne … Executive Producer
- Si Rose … Producer
- Hollingsworth Morse … Director
- Frank J. Gill Jr. … Writer
- G. Carleton Brown … 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
- Jay Novello … Cast, Mayor Mario Lugatto
- Dick Wilson … Cast, Dino Baroni
- Lloyd Kino … Cast, Nisei Sergeant