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Currentfilm.com Review: A highly popular spin-off of "The Andy Griffith Show", "Gomer Pyle, USMC" ran from 1964-1969 and featured Jim Nabors as the bumbling Gomer Pyle, who left Mayberry and joined the Marine Corps., where he proceeded to annoy the daylights out of his Drill Instructor, Gunnery Sergeant Vince Carter (played by Frank Sutton). The series followed Gomer as he went on a series of (mis)adventures at the Marine base, infuriating Carter and trying to be friends with his superior, who isn't looking for a "pal". The series certainly doesn't change the plot or the scenery much, but despite some predictable elements of the series, the show's writers still managed to mine new situations out of the basic idea. However, as funny as the situations often were, the core of the series was always putting Nabors up against Sutton. Perfectly portraying the good-hearted (if rather slow) Pyle, it's still fun to see Pyle get under the skin of Sutton years later. To Sutton's credit, he manages to make Carter more than a one-dimensional tough guy, as while Carter could have moments of near implosion, there were also flashes of heart here-and-there, where one could see that Carter didn't hate Pyle quite as much as he seemed. Some of the highlights of this season include: "Marry Me, Marry Me" (Gomer marries a woman after a single date), "Lies, Lies, Lies" (When Gomer tries to tell the others that a movie star has invited him for a barbecue, they don't believe him), "How to Succeed in Farming Without Really Trying" (Carter pumps vodka into Gomer's prize watermelon), "Gomer Pyle, Super Chef" (Carter bets Sgt. Hacker that he can't teach Gomer to cook) and "To Re-Enlist of Not to Re-Enlist" (Carter will try anything to prevent Gomer from re-enlisting.) Season 3 61. 3- 1 14 Sep 66 Lies, Lies, Lies 62. 3- 2 21 Sep 66 Crazy Legs Gomer 63. 3- 3 28 Sep 66 Gomer the Carrier 64. 3- 4 5 Oct 66 Caution: Low Overhead 65. 3- 5 12 Oct 66 Show Me The Way to Go Home 66. 3- 6 19 Oct 66 How to Succeed in Farming Without Really Trying 67. 3- 7 26 Oct 66 Gomer and the Little Men From Outer Space 68. 3- 8 2 Nov 66 The Borrowed Car 69. 3- 9 9 Nov 66 Gomer Pyle, Super Chef 70. 3-10 16 Nov 66 Marry Me, Marry Me 71. 3-11 23 Nov 66 Cold Nose, Warm Heart 72. 3-12 30 Nov 66 Follow That Car 73. 3-13 14 Dec 66 It Takes Two to Tangle 74. 3-14 21 Dec 66 Whither the Weather 75. 3-15 28 Dec 66 Love's Old Sweet Song 76. 3-16 4 Jan 67 Gomer the Recruiter 77. 3-17 11 Jan 67 The Secret Life of Gomer Pyle 78. 3-18 18 Jan 67 Go Blow Your Horn 79. 3-19 25 Jan 67 You Bet Your Won Ton 80. 3-20 1 Feb 67 Sue The Pants Off 'Em 81. 3-21 8 Feb 67 Gomer the Card Shark 82. 3-22 15 Feb 67 To Re-enlist or Not to Re-enlist 83. 3-23 22 Feb 67 Lou Ann Poovie Sings Again 84. 3-24 1 Mar 67 Gomer, the Welsh Rarebit Fiend 85. 3-25 8 Mar 67 Sing a Song of Papa 86. 3-26 15 Mar 67 Where There's a Will 87. 3-27 22 Mar 67 Lost, the Colonel's Daughter 88. 3-28 29 Mar 67 The Crow Ganef 89. 3-29 5 Apr 67 One of Our Shells is Missing 90. 3-30 12 Apr 67 Lou Ann Poovie Sings No More The DVD VIDEO: "Gomer Pyle"'s third season is presented by Paramount in 1.33:1 full-frame, the show's original aspect ratio. Picture quality is generally pretty good, although the episodes can look a tad inconsistent, with some scenes looking crisp and clean and others suffering from some minor specks and marks on the elements. Sharpness and detail were pleasing, as while the picture certainly did not appear exceptionally crisp, it didn't look noticably soft or hazy, either. Colors looked bright and warm, with no smearing or other faults. SOUND: The show's mono soundtrack sounded crisp and clean, with clear dialogue and no distortion or other faults. EXTRAS: Nothing. Final Thoughts: Nabors and Sutton continue to bring the laughs in this very funny third season, which sees the writing and performances continuing to improve. The DVD presentation offers fine audio/video, but no extras. Still, recommended for fans. |