Sgt. Bilko (film)

Infobox_Film
name=Sgt. Bilko


caption = Movie poster for "Sgt. Bilko"
imdb_id=0117608
writer=Nat Hiken
Andy Breckman
starring=Steve Martin
Dan Aykroyd
Phil Hartman
director=Jonathan Lynn
music= Alan Silvestri | distributor= Universal Pictures
released=March 29 1996
runtime=93 min.
language=English
movie_series=
awards=
producer=Brian Grazer
budget= $29 million (estimated)|

"Sgt. Bilko" is a 1996 comedy film directed by Jonathan Lynn and written by Andy Breckman. It is an adaptation of the 1950s television series "The Phil Silvers Show" (which itself is often informally called "Sgt. Bilko" or simply "Bilko").

Plot

Master Sergeant Ernest G. Bilko, played by Steve Martin, is in charge of the motor pool at Fort Baxter, a small US Army base. Exploiting this position, he directs a number of scams ranging from gambling to renting out military vehicles. His commanding officer, Colonel Hall, overlooks Bilko's money making schemes, as he is more concerned with his own affairs. Bad news begins when inspector Major Thorn (played by Phil Hartman), Bilko's rival, arrives at the camp and begins to cast scrutiny on Bilko's record. The motivation for Thorn's actions is due to the intense rivalry between the two due to several mishaps in the past, particularly because Thorn's career was ruined due to one of Bilko's scams (A fixed boxing match at Fort Dix). Bilko when telling the story as soon as he mentions Fort Dix he says "Where I earned my stripes", which leads us to believe Bilko was originally a motorpool member in the 9th or 69th Infantry regiments of the US Army. Thorn's revenge ensues and ultimately it becomes a battle of wits between the two men. Thorn's reliance on sabotage ultimately leads to his downfall and he is sent to Greenland. Also within the movie's plot is Bilko's fiancee, Rita, whom Bilko has stood up several times at the altar. Bilko is given an ultimatum to win her back within 30 days or to lose her forever.

Though a Fort Baxter exists in Kansas, leading many to erroneously place the movie in Kansas [www.imdb.com/title/tt0117608/] , even a casual viewing of the film shows the movie as taking place in California, presumably near (and in) the actual city of Roseville in Placer County (adjacent to Sacramento). This can be shown by the frequent mentions of the City of Roseville, at the wedding ceremony ("by the power vested in me, by the state of California") and mention of a trip to Lake Tahoe (which would be difficult to do driving in a short weekend from Kansas, though technically not impossible).

Cast Details

Note: Only Major Cast details here.
*Steve Martin .... Master Sergeant Ernest G. Bilko
*Dan Aykroyd .... Colonel John T. Hall
*Phil Hartman .... Major Colin Thorn
*Glenne Headly .... Rita Robbins
*Daryl Mitchell .... Private First Class Wally Holbrook
*Max Casella .... Specialist Dino Paparelli
*Eric Edwards .... Private Duane Doberman
*Dan Ferro .... Specialist Tony Morales
*John Marshall Jones .... Sergeant Henshaw
*Brian Leckner .... Private First Class Sam Fender
*John Ortiz .... Specialist Luis Clemente
*Pamela Adlon .... Sergeant Raquel Barbella (as Pamela Segall)
*Mitchell Whitfield .... Private First Class Mickey Zimmerman
*Austin Pendleton .... Major Ebersole
*Chris Rock .... First Lieutenant Oster
*Cathy Silvers .... First Lieutenant Monday (as Catherine Silvers)
*Steve Park .... Captain Moon
*Debra Jo Rupp .... Mrs. Hall
*Richard Herd .... General Tennyson

Reception

The film holds a 5.1/10 rating on IMDb.

External links

*imdb title|id=0117608|title=Sgt. Bilko