Phil Silvers was a great comedian and by that I mean his characters were for the most part snidely, largely unsympathetic characters who had very little scruples. Here are all those traits wrapped into one person, Sgt. Bilko.
Forget the 90's movie version with Steve Martin. The real Bilko is Phil Silvers and to think that this show came out in the 50's is a little astonishing. 50's sitcom were mostly about families and happy families at that. Bilko is not a happy fella even though he tries very hard to be. He is a con man who worries that he will get caught every minute of the day. That was the essence of the show. Bilko comes up with a grand scheme but there are always something that comes up to prevent him getting the thing he wants the most of all: All the money in the world.
What makes this show so different from other 50's sitcoms is that Bilko is not a hero and he knows it. He is not self confident and he doesn't seem to have any real friends, just the ass kissers that follow him around all the time to get in on one of his schemes.
When you look at sitcoms today, they have been sliding towards the level they had with the bad ones of the 50's. Family shows with a moral. That's too bad but this one is surprisingly fresh even after so many years. Too bad that you can't find an actor who would be able to play the character. Phil Silvers is the one and only Bilko. Bravo!
Forget the 90's movie version with Steve Martin. The real Bilko is Phil Silvers and to think that this show came out in the 50's is a little astonishing. 50's sitcom were mostly about families and happy families at that. Bilko is not a happy fella even though he tries very hard to be. He is a con man who worries that he will get caught every minute of the day. That was the essence of the show. Bilko comes up with a grand scheme but there are always something that comes up to prevent him getting the thing he wants the most of all: All the money in the world.
What makes this show so different from other 50's sitcoms is that Bilko is not a hero and he knows it. He is not self confident and he doesn't seem to have any real friends, just the ass kissers that follow him around all the time to get in on one of his schemes.
When you look at sitcoms today, they have been sliding towards the level they had with the bad ones of the 50's. Family shows with a moral. That's too bad but this one is surprisingly fresh even after so many years. Too bad that you can't find an actor who would be able to play the character. Phil Silvers is the one and only Bilko. Bravo!