2017 Dead Pool

Jim Nabors a/k/a Gomer Pyle dead at 87.

Frank Sutton (Sergeant Carter) died all the way back in 1974 of a heart attack. Weirdly seems appropriate, as Gomer was surely driving him to his death on about every episode.

Quote: AZDuffman

Jim Nabors a/k/a Gomer Pyle dead at 87.

What a ridiculous show he had. Right
in the middle of the Vietnam war
and nobody questioned why a marine
like Gomer never went overseas.

Quote: rxwine

Frank Sutton (Sergeant Carter) died all the way back in 1974 of a heart attack. Weirdly seems appropriate, as Gomer was surely driving him to his death on about every episode.

I used to like watching that show when I was home sick from school then later between classes at community college. Ads for every for-profit tech school out there during the show. They must have leased time on UHF channels.

Quote: Evenbob

I read his book years ago. The actor
who played him in Right Stuff got it
pretty close. A quiet macho guy who
did what he liked and had zero fear
of anything. You face death on a daily
basis and watch all your friends die
around you, fear just goes away eventually.

Kind of ironic; I think it was noted when it happened, but the actor who played Yeager in The Right Stuff died earlier this year. Sam Shepard. One of my favorites. He was at least 20 years younger than Gen Yeager.

Also funny that he absolutely got the attitude completely right, and looked nothing like him. I met Gen Yeager in 1995, when he was flying Young Eagles around at SunNFun, and I was a show rookie. It was an accidental meeting, and I was struck dumb with awe, ran into him at the base of the control tower. I had just worked him in on the radio, and I was so excited about having spoken to him ATC to Best.Pilot.Ever. that I wasn't looking for more.

Recovered enough to have him sign the brim of my work hat and his picture in the program. Stuttered out something about how much I admired his career and accomplishments. He smiled slightly and said thank you. Not a verbose guy.

He might be 5'5" or so. I towered over him. I had thought he would look more like Sam in person. Nope. Short, compact, silvery, squinty.

One of my very favorite memories of that career. Still in awe. What a guy.

Quote: beachbumbabs

He might be 5'5" or so. I towered over him. I had thought he would look more like Sam in person. Nope. Short, compact, silvery, squinty.
.

All the early jet pilots had to be short,
no room in the cockpit. Even the
WWII fighter pilots had to be pretty
short. Yeager should take one last
flight and auger in, but a guy like
that would never do it. He doesn't
have it in him to fail on purpose.

When I first heard about it, I considered the dead pool in poor taste. Now I find myself making a list for 2018.

Quote: Evenbob

What a ridiculous show he had. Right
in the middle of the Vietnam war
and nobody questioned why a marine
like Gomer never went overseas.

It purposely avoided the Vietnam War to keep a positive note.
It was popular with the Marines. They gave Gomer two honorary promotions to higher rank.
The military let them use real equipment. Mortars, everything.


The show was rarely below #3 rating for its 5 year run. It was still popular to the last episode.

Quote: rxwine

The show was rarely below #3 rating for its 5 year run. It was still popular to the last episode.

I wasn't very picky in the 60's, but even
I thought it was a stupid show. I wanted
to punch Gomer in his schzam stupid face
half the time, nobody was that cornball in real
life.

Quote: JimRockford

When I first heard about it, I considered the dead pool in poor taste. Now I find myself making a list for 2018.

Of course it is in poor taste.

That never stopped anyone around here.