List of Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. episodes
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. is an American situation comedy created by Aaron Ruben that originally aired on CBS from September 25, 1964, to May 2, 1969. The series was a spinoff of The Andy Griffith Show, and the pilot episode was introduced as the final fourth-season episode which aired on May 18, 1964. The show ran for five seasons, with a total of 150 half-hour episodes, 30 in black-and-white and 120 in color. Despite the series' positive reception (the show remained in the Top 10 Nielsen ratings for all five seasons),[1] Nabors quit because he desired to move to something else, 'reach for another rung on the ladder, either up or down'.[2] In 2006, CBS began releasing the show on DVD; the last season was released in November 2008.
Set in California (originally in North Carolina), it stars Jim Nabors as sweet-but-naive private Gomer Pyle, Frank Sutton as Gomer's hard-nosed and irritable sergeant Vince Carter, and Ronnie Schell as Pyle's best friend, Duke Slater. Though military-themed, the show never discussed the Vietnam War and instead focused on the relationship between Gomer and Sergeant Carter. The series is episodic in format; self-contained plots play out before the episode concludes.
Series overview[]
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | Rank | Rating | Tied with | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||||||
| Pilot | 1 | May 18, 1964 | N/A | N/A | N/A | |||
| 1 | 30 | September 25, 1964 | April 16, 1965 | 3 | 30.7 | N/A | ||
| 2 | 30 | September 17, 1965 | April 15, 1966 | 2 | 27.8 | N/A | ||
| 3 | 30 | September 14, 1966 | April 12, 1967 | 10 | 22.8 | The Virginian The Lawrence Welk Show The Ed Sullivan Show | ||
| 4 | 30 | September 8, 1967 | April 12, 1968 | 3 | 25.6 | N/A | ||
| 5 | 30 | September 27, 1968 | May 2, 1969 | 2 | 27.2 | N/A | ||
Episodes[]
Pilot (1964)[]
The pilot was an episode of The Andy Griffith Show. "No. overall" and "No. in season" for the pilot indicate the airing and location of the episode within the parent series. The pilot was shot in black-and-white.
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 127 | 32 | "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C." | Aaron Ruben | Aaron Ruben | May 18, 1964 | |
| Gomer Pyle leaves Mayberry to join the Marine Corps under the command of Sergeant Carter. | ||||||
Season 1 (1964–65)[]
All 30 episodes in black-and-white
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Gomer Overcomes the Obstacle Course" | Aaron Ruben | Aaron Ruben | September 25, 1964 | |
| Gomer goes above and beyond the call of duty to conquer the obstacle course and please Sergeant Carter. | ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "Guest in the Barracks" | Coby Ruskin | Bob Ross | October 2, 1964 | |
| Gomer sneaks a recruit's girlfriend into the barracks, causing Sergeant Carter to lose his temper. | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | "Private Ralph Skunk" | Coby Ruskin | Aaron Ruben | October 9, 1964 | |
| Despite the protests of Sergeant Carter, Gomer adopts a pet skunk, which he uses as a secret weapon for the Marines to pay back Sgt. Whipple (Buck Young) for cheating. | ||||||
| 4 | 4 | "Captain Ironpants" | Coby Ruskin | Garry Marshall & Jerry Belson | October 16, 1964 | |
| Gomer encourages a strict, no-nonsense lady Marine (Pippa Scott) to be more feminine. | ||||||
| 5 | 5 | "Gomer Learns a Bully" | Coby Ruskin | Harvey Bullock | October 23, 1964 | |
| A troublesome new recruit is transferred to Sergeant Carter's platoon and makes Gomer his patsy. | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | "Pay Day" | Coby Ruskin | Garry Marshall & Jerry Belson | October 30, 1964 | |
| Gomer refuses part of his paycheck when he's caught loafing, over the objections of the Pentagon. Charles Lane guest stars. | ||||||
| 7 | 7 | "Nobody Loves a Sergeant" | Sheldon Leonard | Jim Fritzell & Everett Greenbaum | November 6, 1964 | |
| Gomer just can't help liking Sergeant Carter, no matter how much the sergeant tries to get the recruit to hate him. | ||||||
| 8 | 8 | "Gomer and the Dragon Lady" | Coby Ruskin | Harvey Bullock | November 13, 1964 | |
|
Carter pits Gomer against the alluring, yet unkissable, "Dragon Lady" (Barbara Stuart) as revenge for fouling up an exercise. But it's Carter himself that yields the punishment when she beats him up instead, while Gomer gets a kiss from "Dragon Lady". Notes: Stuart returns in Seasons 2-5 as Carter's girlfriend Bunny. This episode is the first set entirely in the fictional Camp Henderson in California. | ||||||
| 9 | 9 | "Survival of the Fattest" | Coby Ruskin | Bob Ross | November 20, 1964 | |
| Gomer and Carter surprise everyone as the oddest pair in a five-day wilderness survival test. | ||||||
| 10 | 10 | "A Date for the Colonel's Daughter" | Coby Ruskin | Bob Ross | November 27, 1964 | |
|
Gomer takes the Colonel's daughter to an enlisted men's dance, but the Colonel's overprotective wife does not approve. Starring: Karl Swenson and Wayne Rogers | ||||||
| 11 | 11 | "They Shall Not Pass" | Howard Morris | Richard M. Powell | December 4, 1964 | |
| Gomer comes up with astounding tactics on the field when the platoon participates in war games. Forrest Compton debuts. | ||||||
| 12 | 12 | "Sergeant Carter, Marine Babysitter" | Howard Morris | James Allardice & Tom Adair | December 11, 1964 | |
| Carter gives Gomer a lift on his way to pick up a date and ends up spending the evening babysitting. | ||||||
| 13 | 13 | "The Case of the Marine Bandit" | Coby Ruskin | Art Baer & Ben Joelson | December 18, 1964 | |
| Gomer and Carter become accomplices in a rather ingenious robbery scheme. | ||||||
| 14 | 14 | "Sergeant of the Week" | Coby Ruskin | Art Baer & Ben Joelson | December 25, 1964 | |
| Carter thinks Gomer is dying so he tries to make the recruit's "last days" the best of his life. | ||||||
| 15 | 15 | "Grandpa Pyle's Good Luck Charm" | Coby Ruskin | James Allardice & Tom Adair | January 1, 1965 | |
| Gomer is convinced the good luck charm given to him by his grandfather will make him a great leader. | ||||||
| 16 | 16 | "Dance, Marine, Dance" | Coby Ruskin | Ben Joelson & Art Baer | January 8, 1965 | |
| Carter tries everything to get him and Gomer out of a contract for dance lessons. | ||||||
| 17 | 17 | "Sergeant Carter's Farewell to His Troops" | Coby Ruskin | Richard M. Powell | January 15, 1965 | |
| The troops hope a sexy lady Marine can talk Sergeant Carter out of quitting the Corps. | ||||||
| 18 | 18 | "The Feudin' Pyles" | Coby Ruskin | Hy Kraft | January 22, 1965 | |
| Gomer befriends a country boy from near Mayberry, but discovers that their families are feuding. | ||||||
| 19 | 19 | "Love Letters to the Sarge" | Coby Ruskin | Art Baer & Ben Joelson | January 29, 1965 | |
| Sergeant Carter is unaware that Gomer is the one sending him anonymous love notes. | ||||||
| 20 | 20 | "Sergeant Carter Gets a "Dear John" Letter" | Coby Ruskin | Aaron Ruben | February 5, 1965 | |
| Carter thinks it's bad enough that he's gotten a "Dear John" letter - then finds out that Gomer is the "other man". Sherry Jackson guest stars. | ||||||
| 21 | 21 | "Daughter of the Sarge" | Coby Ruskin | Harvey Bullock & R.S. Allen | February 12, 1965 | |
| Sergeant Carter's adopted Korean daughter announced her engagement to a Marine, whom the sergeant assumes is Gomer. | ||||||
| 22 | 22 | "Officer Candidate Gomer Pyle" | Coby Ruskin | Harvey Bullock & R.S. Allen | February 19, 1965 | |
| Sergeant Carter takes the Officer Training exam, then Gomer decides to take the same test - and actually passes! | ||||||
| 23 | 23 | "Old Man Carter" | Coby Ruskin | Ben Joelson & Art Baer | February 26, 1965 | |
| The platoon throws a big birthday party for Carter, but it just makes him feel "old". | ||||||
| 24 | 24 | "Gomer Makes the Honor Guard" | Coby Ruskin | Aaron Ruben | March 5, 1965 | |
| Carter has to pick four men from his platoon as honor guards, and hopes that one of them is not Gomer. | ||||||
| 25 | 25 | "My Buddy – War Hero" | Alan Rafkin | Ben Joelson & Art Baer | March 12, 1965 | |
| Gomer tries to keep Sergeant Carter and his old wartime buddy (Don Rickles) from having a fallout over conflicting memories of a combat incident. | ||||||
| 26 | 26 | "Double Date With the Sarge" | Alan Rafkin | Richard M. Powell | March 19, 1965 | |
| Carter double-dates with Gomer and faces a financial crisis when the dates order filet mignon. | ||||||
| 27 | 27 | "The Jet Set" | Alan Rafkin | Ben Joelson & Art Baer | March 26, 1965 | |
| Gomer accidentally winds up on a flight to Rome while trying to do a simple errand downtown, thanks to Duke Slater (Ronnie Schell). | ||||||
| 28 | 28 | "Sergeant of the Guard" | Alan Rafkin | Richard M. Powell | April 2, 1965 | |
| Gomer hopes to catch a gang of thieves who have been robbing a Marine warehouse. | ||||||
| 29 | 29 | "Gomer Dates a Movie Star" | Alan Rafkin | Budd Grossman | April 9, 1965 | |
| Gomer has a dilemma when he's asked to escort both the Colonel's daughter and a famous movie star to a dance. | ||||||
| 30 | 30 | "Gomer the M.P." | Coby Ruskin | Harvey Bullock | April 16, 1965 | |
| Gomer puts a government investigator in the brig while on M.P. duty. | ||||||
Season 2 (1965–66)[]
All episodes from Season 2 onwards filmed in color
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | 1 | "P.F.C. Gomer Pyle" | Aaron Ruben | Ben Joelson & Art Baer | September 17, 1965 | |
| Carter postpones his vacation until his platoon pass their PFC exams, but the only one who doesn't pass is Gomer. Jack Larson guest stars. | ||||||
| 32 | 2 | "Third Finger, Left Loaf" | Coby Ruskin | R.S. Allen & Harvey Bullock | September 24, 1965 | |
| Gomer repeatedly misplaces a friend's wedding ring the day before the ceremony, then thinks it might be buried in one of 600 loaves of bread he had baked. Will Gomer succeed in driving Sgts. Carter and Hacker crazy? Allan Melvin debuts as Sgt. Hacker. | ||||||
| 33 | 3 | "The Blind Date" | Coby Ruskin | Jack Elinson | October 1, 1965 | |
| Gomer's blind date thinks he's a millionaire - because Carter told her so. Barbara Stuart debuts as Carter's girlfriend Bunny. | ||||||
| 34 | 4 | "Home on the Range" | Coby Ruskin | Art Baer & Ben Joelson | October 8, 1965 | |
| Gomer befriends a group of homeless hillbillies and houses them in a war games target shack. Dabbs Greer guest stars. | ||||||
| 35 | 5 | "Gomer Untrains a Dog" | Coby Ruskin | Jack Elinson | October 15, 1965 | |
| Gomer makes a pet out of a ferocious guard dog. | ||||||
| 36 | 6 | "Supply Sergeants Never Die" | Coby Ruskin | Harvey Bullock & R.S. Allen | October 22, 1965 | |
| Carter believes the position of Supply Sergeant is for knuckleheads; so he makes a bet making Gomer the man for the job. Jeff Corey guest stars. | ||||||
| 37 | 7 | "Cat Overboard" | Christian Nyby | Jack Elinson | October 29, 1965 | |
| Gomer sneaks a stray cat aboard a ship and finds out it's pregnant. Meanwhile, Carter must deal with Chief Petty Officer Simpson's strict rules of contraband. However when Simpson (Tige Andrews) finds out about Henrietta and although angry at Gomer for sneaking her aboard his ship, he shows compassion and takes her down to the sick bay to give his pharmacists training in delivering her kittens. | ||||||
| 38 | 8 | "Gomer Captures a Submarine" | Christian Nyby | Jack Elinson | November 5, 1965 | |
| Gomer fouls up a simple reconnaissance mission and must save Carter's position on the ship. Michael Barrier guest stars. | ||||||
| 39 | 9 | "The Grudge Fight" | Peter Baldwin | Bill Idelson & Sam Bobrick | November 12, 1965 | |
| Carter unknowingly challenges Chief Petty Officer Simpson to a match and must pay the consequences in doing so when he learns that Simpson was a former boxing champ. Meanwhile to try and save Carter from making a huge mistake, Gomer and his friends try psychological warfare on Simpson to convince him to call off the match by leading him to believe that Carter is an ex-boxing champ from the Marines' boxing team. | ||||||
| 40 | 10 | "Gomer the Star Witness" | Peter Baldwin | Ben Joelson & Art Baer | November 19, 1965 | |
| Gomer is the only witness when Carter gets into a car accident. Roy Stuart debuts as Corporal Boyle. Willis Bouchey guest stars. | ||||||
| 41 | 11 | "A Visit From Cousin Goober" | Peter Baldwin | Bill Idelson & Sam Bobrick | November 26, 1965 | |
| Gomer's cousin Goober (George Lindsey) pays a surprise visit and slips into a uniform. Charles Aidman and John S. Ragin guest star. | ||||||
| 42 | 12 | "A Groom for Sergeant Carter's Sister" | Coby Ruskin | Bill Idelson & Sam Bobrick | December 3, 1965 | |
| Gomer tries to convince Carter that his future brother-in-law is not so bad. Marlyn Mason guest stars. | ||||||
| 43 | 13 | "Gomer Minds His Sergeant's Car" | Coby Ruskin | Art Baer & Ben Joelson | December 10, 1965 | |
| Carter's car gets stolen and wrecked - while Gomer is supposed to keep an eye on it. | ||||||
| 44 | 14 | "Gomer, the Peacemaker" | Coby Ruskin | Ben Joelson & Art Baer | December 17, 1965 | |
| Gomer tries to help Carter and his girlfriend patch things up. | ||||||
| 45 | 15 | "Gomer Pyle, P.O.W." | Coby Ruskin | Carl Kleinschmitt & Dale McRaven | December 24, 1965 | |
| Gomer gets captured by the enemy while on maneuvers. Jamie Farr guest stars. | ||||||
| 46 | 16 | "Gomer Pyle, Civilian" | Peter Baldwin | Rick Mittleman | December 31, 1965 | |
| Gomer signs up for a civilian job on the base when Carter orders him to take a furlough. | ||||||
| 47 | 17 | "Gomer and the Beast" | Lee Philips | Bill Idelson & Sam Bobrick | January 7, 1966 | |
| Gomer tries to cheer up an unhappy waitress whose boyfriend turns out to be a tough Marine sergeant (Michael Conrad). | ||||||
| 48 | 18 | "Grandma Pyle, Fortuneteller" | Peter Baldwin | Bill Idelson & Sam Bobrick | January 14, 1966 | |
| Gomer's grandma (Enid Markey) predicts fortune in Carter's future. | ||||||
| 49 | 19 | "Arrivederci, Gomer" | Peter Baldwin | Harvey Bullock & R.S. Allen | January 21, 1966 | |
|
Gomer sings an Italian love song to his friend's sister (Gigi Perreau), leading her mother (Lillian Adams) to assume he's proposing. Note: Frank Sutton doesn't appear in this episode. | ||||||
| 50 | 20 | "Sergeant Carter Dates a Pyle" | Coby Ruskin | Rick Mittleman | January 28, 1966 | |
| Gomer thinks his visiting cousin Bridey would be perfect for Carter. Confusion then ensues when Carter sees Gomer talking in turn to four separate women, two of them homely and two of them attractive, and wonders whether he should accept a date, or instead run and hide. | ||||||
| 51 | 21 | "Little Girl Blue" | Coby Ruskin | Dale McRaven & Carl Kleinschmitt | February 4, 1966 | |
| Gomer makes friends with the young daughter of a visiting colonel. | ||||||
| 52 | 22 | "A Star Is Born" | Coby Ruskin | Art Baer & Ben Joelson | February 11, 1966 | |
| Carter gets top billing in a documentary about the Marines. George Petrie guest stars. | ||||||
| 53 | 23 | "Gomer and the Phone Company" | Coby Ruskin | Bill Idelson & Sam Bobrick | February 25, 1966 | |
| Gomer tries to return $40 dollars that fell out of a pay phone and ends up arrested. | ||||||
| 54 | 24 | "Duke Slater, Night Club Comic" | Coby Ruskin | Bill Idelson & Sam Bobrick | March 4, 1966 | |
| Duke wins a talent contest with his impressions of Gomer and Carter. | ||||||
| 55 | 25 | "Vacation in Vegas" | Coby Ruskin | Rick Mittleman | March 11, 1966 | |
| Gomer wins a free weekend for two in Las Vegas and invites Carter on the trip. | ||||||
| 56 | 26 | "Opie Joins the Marines" | Coby Ruskin | Aaron Ruben | March 18, 1966 | |
|
Opie Taylor runs away from Mayberry to join the Marines. Guest Stars: Ron Howard as Opie Taylor and Andy Griffith as Andy Taylor | ||||||
| 57 | 27 | "A Date With Miss Camp Henderson" | Coby Ruskin | Carl Kleinschmitt & Dale McRaven | March 25, 1966 | |
| Carter bets that Gomer can't get a date with a beauty contest winner (Susan Oliver). | ||||||
| 58 | 28 | "Gomer and the Father Figure" | Peter Baldwin | Bill Idelson & Sam Bobrick | April 1, 1966 | |
| Carter and Gomer are victims of an old man's con game. Douglas Fowley guest stars. | ||||||
| 59 | 29 | "Desk Job for Sergeant Carter" | Peter Baldwin | Harvey Bullock | April 8, 1966 | |
| Carter gets a temporary desk job and is hurt that his platoon doesn't miss him. | ||||||
| 60 | 30 | "Gomer, the Would-Be Hero" | Peter Baldwin | Dale McRaven & Carl Kleinschmitt | April 15, 1966 | |
| Carter lets Gomer take the credit for a heroic act so his girlfriend won't find out he'd been cheating on her. Ted Knight and Ralph Manza guest star. | ||||||
Season 3 (1966–67)[]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 61 | 1 | "Lies, Lies, Lies" | Coby Ruskin | Arnie Rosen | September 14, 1966 | |
|
Gomer's friends don't believe that he met a movie star and that she has invited them to a barbecue at her mansion. Guest Star: Deborah Walley | ||||||
| 62 | 2 | "Crazy Legs Gomer" | Coby Ruskin | Harvey Bullock & R.S. Allen | September 21, 1966 | |
| Carter has an idea of how to win the inter-squad competition - he'll use Gomer. | ||||||
| 63 | 3 | "Gomer, the Carrier" | Coby Ruskin | Rick Mittleman | September 28, 1966 | |
| Gomer and Carter are the only ones who don't catch the German measles. | ||||||
| 64 | 4 | "Caution: Low Overhead" | Coby Ruskin | Ray Brenner & Barry E. Blitzer | October 5, 1966 | |
|
Carter sets out to prove that a crook sold Gomer a cut-rate watch. Note: This is the first of four episodes to feature Sid Melton as Friendly Freddy. | ||||||
| 65 | 5 | "Show Me the Way to Go Home" | Coby Ruskin | Bill Idelson & Sam Bobrick | October 12, 1966 | |
|
A wife accuses Gomer of making her husband an alcoholic. Guest Stars: Keenan Wynn and Pert Kelton | ||||||
| 66 | 6 | "How to Succeed in Farming Without Really Trying" | Coby Ruskin | Rick Mittleman | October 19, 1966 | |
| Carter pours vodka in Gomer's prize watermelon. | ||||||
| 67 | 7 | "Gomer and the Little Men from Outer Space" | Coby Ruskin | Bill Idelson & Sam Bobrick | October 26, 1966 | |
| Gomer is sent to a psychiatrist when he claims to have seen little men from outer space. | ||||||
| 68 | 8 | "The Borrowed Car" | Coby Ruskin | R.S. Allen & Harvey Bullock | November 2, 1966 | |
| Gomer gets arrested when he borrows, then wrecks, Carter's car. | ||||||
| 69 | 9 | "Gomer Pyle, Super Chef" | Coby Ruskin | Barry E. Blitzer & Ray Brenner | November 9, 1966 | |
| Carter bets that Sergeant Hacker can't teach Gomer how to cook in a week. Will both Sgts lose their Stripes? | ||||||
| 70 | 10 | "Marry Me, Marry Me" | Coby Ruskin | Carl Kleinschmitt & Dale McRaven | November 16, 1966 | |
|
Gomer is threatened with a breach of promise suit after a girl claims he proposed marriage to her. Note: this episode uses the same basic plot as The Andy Griffith Show episode Barney on the Rebound. | ||||||
| 71 | 11 | "Cold Nose, Warm Heart" | Coby Ruskin | Rick Mittleman | November 23, 1966 | |
| Carter gives his girlfriend a puppy, which he then must compete against for her affections, as she can barely stand to leave the puppy's side. | ||||||
| 72 | 12 | "Follow That Car" | Coby Ruskin | Barry E. Blitzer & Ray Brenner | November 30, 1966 | |
| Gomer and Carter get kidnapped by smugglers. | ||||||
| 73 | 13 | "It Takes Two to Tangle" | Coby Ruskin | Rick Mittleman | December 14, 1966 | |
| Carter learns that his girlfriend was seen with another man. | ||||||
| 74 | 14 | "Whither the Weather" | Coby Ruskin | Rick Mittleman | December 21, 1966 | |
| Gomer proves to predict the weather better than the Weather Bureau. | ||||||
| 75 | 15 | "Love's Old Sweet Song" | Coby Ruskin | Bill Idelson & Sam Bobrick | December 28, 1966 | |
| Gomer is rewarded a kiss from a singer (Elizabeth MacRae), leading Carter to perform his own song. | ||||||
| 76 | 16 | "Gomer, the Recruiter" | Coby Ruskin | Barry E. Blitzer & Ray Brenner | January 4, 1967 | |
| While briefly manning Carter's recruiting booth in Hollywood, Gomer recruits a wanted bank robber into the Marines. | ||||||
| 77 | 17 | "The Secret Life of Gomer Pyle" | Coby Ruskin | Bill Idelson & Sam Bobrick | January 11, 1967 | |
| Due to photoshopped pictures in a magazine, Carter thinks Gomer is spending Sundays at the beach with beautiful girls, when he is actually hooking rugs with older women. | ||||||
| 78 | 18 | "Go Blow Your Horn" | Coby Ruskin | Ray Brenner & Barry E. Blitzer | January 18, 1967 | |
| Carter tries to get rid of Gomer by encouraging him to join the band. | ||||||
| 79 | 19 | "You Bet Your Won Ton" | Coby Ruskin | Barry E. Blitzer & Ray Brenner | January 25, 1967 | |
| Gomer hosts a farewell dinner in a Chinese restaurant, but doesn't realize it's a gambling parlor. | ||||||
| 80 | 20 | "Sue the Pants Off 'Em" | Coby Ruskin | Ray Brenner & Barry E. Blitzer | February 1, 1967 | |
| Two crooked lawyers try to talk Gomer and Carter into filing a phony damages suit. | ||||||
| 81 | 21 | "Gomer and the Card Shark" | Coby Ruskin | Bill Idelson & Sam Bobrick | February 8, 1967 | |
| Carter and Duke enlist Gomer to expose a card hustler. | ||||||
| 82 | 22 | "To Re-Enlist or Not to Re-Enlist" | Coby Ruskin | Rick Mittleman | February 15, 1967 | |
| Carter does everything to keep Gomer from re-enlisting, including getting Gomer a girlfriend. | ||||||
| 83 | 23 | "Lou-Ann Poovie Sings Again" | Coby Ruskin | Bill Idelson & Sam Bobrick | February 22, 1967 | |
| Gomer and Carter compete for the affections of a nightclub singer - who has imperfect pitch. | ||||||
| 84 | 24 | "Gomer, the Welsh Rarebit Fiend" | Coby Ruskin | Rick Mittleman | March 1, 1967 | |
| Gomer sleepwalks after eating too much Welsh Rarebit and tells off Carter. | ||||||
| 85 | 25 | "Sing a Song of Papa" | Coby Ruskin | Aaron Ruben | March 8, 1967 | |
| A club owner asks Gomer to sing every night, which doesn't sit well with Carter. | ||||||
| 86 | 26 | "Where There's a Will" | Coby Ruskin | Larry Markes | March 15, 1967 | |
| Gomer joins a group taking special paratrooper training. | ||||||
| 87 | 27 | "Lost, the Colonel's Daughter" | Coby Ruskin | Ray Brenner & Barry E. Blitzer | March 22, 1967 | |
| After promising to take the colonel's daughter to a movie, he instead loses her in a crowded go-go club, then finds her at a party in a beatnik joint. | ||||||
| 88 | 28 | "The Crow Ganef" | Coby Ruskin | Rick Mittleman | March 29, 1967 | |
| Gomer makes friends with a thieving crow that places its loot on his locker. | ||||||
| 89 | 29 | "One of Our Shells Is Missing" | Coby Ruskin | Barry E. Blitzer & Ray Brenner | April 5, 1967 | |
| Carter and Gomer search for a live mortar shell that got lost during practice. | ||||||
| 90 | 30 | "Lou-Ann Poovie Sings No More" | Coby Ruskin | Jack Elinson & Iz Elinson | April 12, 1967 | |
| Gomer gets Lou-Ann a job at a record store after she loses her singing gig. | ||||||
Season 4 (1967–68)[]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 91 | 1 | "A Visit from Aunt Bee" | Coby Ruskin | Bill Idelson & Sam Bobrick | September 8, 1967 | |
| Aunt Bee (Frances Bavier) visits Gomer and does not like the way Carter treats him. | ||||||
| 92 | 2 | "The Recruiting Poster" | Coby Ruskin | Jack Elinson & Iz Elinson | September 15, 1967 | |
| Gomer discovers that his face will be on a recruiting poster – and not Sergeant Carter's. | ||||||
| 93 | 3 | "Corporal Carol" | Coby Ruskin | R.S. Allen & Harvey Bullock | September 22, 1967 | |
|
A man-hungry female Marine (Carol Burnett) tries to break up Gomer and Lou Ann. Note: Frank Sutton doesn't appear in this episode. | ||||||
| 94 | 4 | "Leader of Men" | Coby Ruskin | Norman Paul | September 29, 1967 | |
| A visiting Congressman suggests that Gomer get a promotion, and Carter almost loses his stripes training his recruit to take command. | ||||||
| 95 | 5 | "Gomer, the Beautiful Dreamer" | Coby Ruskin | Rick Mittleman | October 6, 1967 | |
| Gomer's dreams keep coming true, and his latest is about Carter proposing to Bunny. | ||||||
| 96 | 6 | "The Great Talent Hunt" | Coby Ruskin | Ray Brenner & Barry E. Blitzer | October 13, 1967 | |
| The platoon has a chance at fame when Gomer represents them in a talent contest. | ||||||
| 97 | 7 | "Gomer Says "Hey" to the President" | Coby Ruskin | Rick Mittleman | October 20, 1967 | |
| Gomer gets lost in The White House and ends up in the President's office. | ||||||
| 98 | 8 | "And A Child Shall Lead Them" | Coby Ruskin | Barry E. Blitzer & Ray Brenner | October 27, 1967 | |
| Gomer and Carter try to help a Japanese boy who claims to be lost. Before telling them his diplomatic parents' address, the boy leads them on detours to a boat ride, an amusement park, and a baseball game. | ||||||
| 99 | 9 | "The Show Must Go On" | Coby Ruskin | Norman Paul | November 3, 1967 | |
|
Gomer gets stage fright and loses his voice right before a Washington show. Note: This episode is known for Nabors' performance of "The Impossible Dream".[3] The United States Marine Corps Band guest stars as themselves. | ||||||
| 100 | 10 | "The Better Man" | Coby Ruskin | Story by : John Barbour & Whitey Mitchell Teleplay by : John Barbour, Whitey Mitchell & Jack Elinson | November 10, 1967 | |
|
Lou Ann's father and ex-fiancé come to town and try to talk her into dumping Gomer. Note: Frank Sutton doesn't appear in this episode. | ||||||
| 101 | 11 | "To Watch a Thief" | John Rich | Rick Mittleman | November 17, 1967 | |
| Gomer thinks Carter stole a watch. | ||||||
| 102 | 12 | "The Prize Boat" | John Rich | Story by : John Barbour & Gordon Mitchell Teleplay by : R.S. Allen & Harvey Bullock | November 24, 1967 | |
| Gomer wins a boat in a jingle contest, but Carter's the one who gets in trouble. | ||||||
| 103 | 13 | "Friendly Freddy Strikes Again" | John Rich | William Raynor & Myles Wilder | December 1, 1967 | |
| Freddy sells Gomer a ring for Lou Ann, then tries to get it back. | ||||||
| 104 | 14 | "Change Partners" | Peter Baldwin | R.S. Allen & Harvey Bullock | December 8, 1967 | |
| Carter and Bunny have an argument. | ||||||
| 105 | 15 | "Wild Bull of the Pampas" | Peter Baldwin | Ronny Pearlman | December 15, 1967 | |
|
A Latin American military man (Larry Storch) plots to overthrow Sgt. Carter. Note: Nabors sings the Mexican classic Cielito Lindo in this episode. | ||||||
| 106 | 16 | "Gomer, the Good Samaritan" | Peter Baldwin | Ray Brenner & Barry E. Blitzer | December 22, 1967 | |
| Gomer is supposed to pick up a general, but gets sidetracked along the way helping strangers, including a scout troop and a mother with car trouble. | ||||||
| 107 | 17 | "Gomer, the Privileged Character" | Peter Baldwin | Rick Mittleman | December 29, 1967 | |
| Gomer is chosen to perform at a base variety show, excusing him from his regular duties. | ||||||
| 108 | 18 | "Gomer Goes Home" | Coby Ruskin | William Raynor & Myles Wilder | January 5, 1968 | |
| Gomer returns to Mayberry and gets involved in the search for a bank robber. Cameos by Andy Griffith, Ron Howard, Frances Bavier and George Lindsey. | ||||||
| 109 | 19 | "A Dog Is a Dog" | Coby Ruskin | Bill Idelson & Harvey Miller | January 12, 1968 | |
| Carter and Gomer are supposed to watch the colonel's German shepherd, but Gomer loses it. | ||||||
| 110 | 20 | "Love Finds Gomer Pyle" | Coby Ruskin | William Raynor & Myles Wilder | January 19, 1968 | |
| A 15-year-old girl falls in love with Gomer. | ||||||
| 111 | 21 | "Gomer and the Queen of Burlesque" | Coby Ruskin | Barry E. Blitzer & Ray Brenner | February 2, 1968 | |
|
Sergeant Hacker sets up Gomer with an exotic dancer. Note: Frank Sutton doesn't appear in this episode. | ||||||
| 112 | 22 | "The Carriage Waits" | Coby Ruskin | Bill Idelson & Harvey Miller | February 9, 1968 | |
| A department store sends Gomer a baby carriage by mistake. | ||||||
| 113 | 23 | "Sergeant Iago" | Coby Ruskin | Rick Mittleman | February 16, 1968 | |
| Gomer has Carter tell Lou Ann he's seeing other women to make her jealous. | ||||||
| 114 | 24 | "Goodbye, Dolly" | Coby Ruskin | Ray Brenner & Barry E. Blitzer | February 23, 1968 | |
| Gomer rescues a horse from the glue factory and tries hiding her at the base. | ||||||
| 115 | 25 | "The Price of Tomatoes" | Coby Ruskin | William Raynor & Myles Wilder | March 1, 1968 | |
| Gomer makes friends with a farmer (Denver Pyle) who says Camp Henderson is on his land. | ||||||
| 116 | 26 | "Chef for a Day" | Coby Ruskin | William Raynor & Myles Wilder | March 8, 1968 | |
| Gomer might be assigned to the kitchen permanently because of his cooking skills. | ||||||
| 117 | 27 | "Gomer and the Night Club Comic" | Coby Ruskin | Harvey Bullock & R.S. Allen | March 22, 1968 | |
| Gomer tries to help a night club comedian (Jerry Van Dyke) who's about to lose his job. | ||||||
| 118 | 28 | "Love and Goulash" | Coby Ruskin | Ronny Pearlman | March 29, 1968 | |
|
Gomer gets involved in a Hungarian family feud when he spends the weekend with a friend. Note: Frank Sutton doesn't appear in this episode. | ||||||
| 119 | 29 | "And Baby Makes Three" | Coby Ruskin | Harvey Bullock & R.S. Allen | April 5, 1968 | |
| Gomer sneaks a baby onto the base while babysitting for a friend – just as the colonel is due on an inspection tour. | ||||||
| 120 | 30 | "Friendly Freddy, the Gentleman's Tailor" | Coby Ruskin | Rick Mittleman | April 12, 1968 | |
|
Gomer and Carter buy "Hong Kong suits" from Friendly Freddy. Note: This episode marks the final appearance of Corporal Boyle (Roy Stuart). | ||||||
Season 5 (1968–69)[]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 121 | 1 | "Car for Sale" | John Rich | Rick Mittleman | September 27, 1968 | |
| Sergeant Hacker (Allan Melvin) plays a practical joke on Carter to make him think his car gets first incredible, then terrible, gas mileage. | ||||||
| 122 | 2 | "Corporal Duke" | John Rich | Bill Idelson & Harvey Miller | October 4, 1968 | |
| Duke Slater (Ronnie Schell) returns to Camp Henderson upon his promotion to corporal, but can't seem to escape his old reputation. | ||||||
| 123 | 3 | "The Booty Prize" | John Rich | Duke Vincent & Bruce Johnson | October 11, 1968 | |
| Thanks to Gomer, Carter's Unit wins the battalion's booby prize - a lead boot that gets stuck on Gomer's foot. | ||||||
| 124 | 4 | "The Return of Monroe" | John Rich | Rick Mittleman | October 18, 1968 | |
|
Gomer must compete for Lou-Ann when her ex-boyfriend comes to visit. Guest Star: Joyce Jameson | ||||||
| 125 | 5 | "Just Move Your Lips, Sergeant" | John Rich | Harvey Bullock & R.S. Allen | October 25, 1968 | |
|
The platoon risks their chance to sing in a movie when it turns out Carter is not very good. Note: The plot of this episode is very similar to The Andy Griffith Show episode Barney and the Choir. | ||||||
| 126 | 6 | "All You Need Is One Good Break" | John Rich | Jack Elinson & Norman Paul | November 8, 1968 | |
|
Gomer and Carter get credit for a stuntwoman's heroics. Guest Star: George Fenneman | ||||||
| 127 | 7 | "A Marriage of Convenience" | John Rich | Harvey Bullock & R.S. Allen | November 15, 1968 | |
|
A foreign movie star will be deported unless either Gomer or Carter marries her. Guest Stars: Nita Talbot and Jesse White | ||||||
| 128 | 8 | "A Star Is Not Born" | John Rich | Norman Paul & Jack Elinson | November 22, 1968 | |
|
Carter has trouble with his one line of dialogue when he's cast in a movie. Guest Stars: Sheldon Leonard, Hamilton Camp, Jamie Farr and Barry Williams | ||||||
| 129 | 9 | "Come Blow Your Top" | John Rich | Jack Elinson & Norman Paul | November 29, 1968 | |
|
Carter is challenged to hold his temper for 24 hours and enlists Gomer to help him win the bet. Guest Star: Allan Melvin | ||||||
| 130 | 10 | "A Little Chicken Soup Wouldn't Hurt" | Coby Ruskin | Aaron Ruben | December 6, 1968 | |
|
Gomer and his buddies can't get enough of a lonely widow's cooking. Guest Star: Molly Picon | ||||||
| 131 | 11 | "Gomer, the Perfect M.P." | John Rich | Norman Paul & Jack Elinson | December 13, 1968 | |
| Gomer refuses to let Carter pass through the camp's back gate while on guard duty. | ||||||
| 132 | 12 | "The Wild Bull Returns" | Coby Ruskin | Jack Elinson & Norman Paul | December 20, 1968 | |
| Camp Henderson's good neighbor policy is put to the test when a visiting South American general (Larry Storch) falls for Carter's girlfriend. | ||||||
| 133 | 13 | "Hit and Write" | Coby Ruskin | Bill Idelson & Harvey Miller | December 27, 1968 | |
|
Carter agrees to pay for a scratched fender...until he sees the bill. Guest Stars: Al Lewis and Kathleen Freeman | ||||||
| 134 | 14 | "Two on the Bench" | Gary Nelson | Bill Idelson & Harvey Miller | January 3, 1969 | |
| Carter doesn't believe that Gomer actually knows a famous football star. | ||||||
| 135 | 15 | "A Tattoo for Gomer" | John Erman | Carl Kleinschmitt | January 10, 1969 | |
| A practical joke backfires when Lou-Ann takes a shine to Gomer's fake tattoo. | ||||||
| 136 | 16 | "Win-A-Date" | John Erman | Norman Paul & Jack Elinson | January 17, 1969 | |
| Gomer and Carter appear as contestants on a TV dating show, leading to romantic complications. | ||||||
| 137 | 17 | "Marriage, Sgt. Carter Style" | Gary Nelson | R.S. Allen & Harvey Bullock | January 24, 1969 | |
| Carter tries to push Gomer into a hasty wedding so he won't reenlist. | ||||||
| 138 | 18 | "To Save a Life" | John Rich | Jack Elinson & Norman Paul | January 31, 1969 | |
|
Gomer tries to pay back Carter, who can't stop thanking him for saving his life. Note: This episode's plot is basically identical to The Andy Griffith Show episode Andy Saves Gomer. | ||||||
| 139 | 19 | "Dynamite Diner" | John Rich | Harvey Bullock & R.S. Allen | February 7, 1969 | |
|
Gomer and Lou-Ann help out with the opening of a new diner, but the owners are planning to rob the bank next door. Note: Frank Sutton doesn't appear in this episode. | ||||||
| 140 | 20 | "Freddy's Friendly Computer" | John Rich | Bill Idelson & Harvey Miller | February 14, 1969 | |
|
Gomer and Carter are victims of a new computer dating service run by Friendly Freddy. | ||||||
| 141 | 21 | "Gomer Maneuvers" | John Rich | Bill Idelson & Harvey Miller | February 21, 1969 | |
| Gomer causes tension when he reveals the platoon's position during war game maneuvers. | ||||||
| 142 | 22 | "Gomer Tends a Sick Cat" | John Rich | Duke Vincent & Bruce Johnson | February 28, 1969 | |
|
Gomer overhears a conversation about a sick cat, but thinks Carter's the one who's ill. Note: This episode marks the final appearance of Carter's girlfriend Bunny (Barbara Stuart). | ||||||
| 143 | 23 | "I'm Always Chasing Gomers" | John Rich | Carl Kleinschmitt | March 7, 1969 | |
|
Carter flies to visit his mother in Kansas to avert a nervous breakdown, but Gomer accidentslly gets on the same flight. Guest Star: Kathleen Freeman | ||||||
| 144 | 24 | "The Short Voyage Home" | John Rich | Norman Paul & Jack Elinson | March 14, 1969 | |
| Gomer trusts Carter with his life savings, but the sergeant gets his pocket picked by a little old lady (Ellen Corby). | ||||||
| 145 | 25 | "Proxy Papa" | John Rich | Harvey Bullock & R.S. Allen | March 21, 1969 | |
| A fellow Marine breaks his leg, so Gomer and Carter must bring his pregnant wife (Jackie Joseph) to the hospital. | ||||||
| 146 | 26 | "Flower Power" | John Rich | Bill Idelson & Harvey Miller | March 28, 1969 | |
|
Three hippies help Gomer paint a truck for maneuvers. | ||||||
| 147 | 27 | "Hare Today, Gone Tomorrow" | John Rich | Rick Mittleman | April 4, 1969 | |
| Carter allows a pet rabbit to escape, without realizing it belongs to the general's son. The men spend days trapping other rabbits, but none have the unique identifying spot. | ||||||
| 148 | 28 | "Showtime with Sgt. Carol" | John Rich | Aaron Ruben | April 18, 1969 | |
| Carol Barnes (Carol Burnett) returns to Camp Henderson and hopes to recruit Gomer into singing in her talent show. | ||||||
| 149 | 29 | "My Fair Sister" | John Rich | Jack Elinson & Norman Paul | April 25, 1969 | |
| Carter tries to make his sister good enough for Gomer to escort her to a dance. | ||||||
| 150 | 30 | "Goodbye Camp Henderson, Hello Sergeant Carter" | John Rich | Aaron Ruben | May 2, 1969 | |
|
Gomer requests a transfer to another base so he won't be a bother to Sergeant Carter anymore. | ||||||
References[]
- ^ Farber, David; Bailey, Beth (2003). The Columbia Guide to America in the 1960s. Columbia University Press. pp. 401–402. ISBN 978-0-231-11373-1. Retrieved 2008-12-06.
- ^ Jim Nabors finished with Gomer
- ^ "Jim Nabors Sings Stirring Version Of "The Impossible Dream" On Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.".
Categories:
- Lists of American sitcom episodes
- The Andy Griffith Show