Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 21, 2024

Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. comically takes its audiences through the rigors of Marine boot camp in what was one of the most watched and, today, most treasured of vintage TV productions from the 1960s. The show aired on CBS for five seasons and a total of 150 episodes from September 1964 to May 1969. It might surprise casual TV viewers, but format historians will know that the show -- which is about a fairly incompetent and naive Marine boot camp recruit who is constantly at odds with his no-nonsense drill instructor (the show was indeed a significant reference in and plot device for Stanley Kubrick's 1987 Vietnam War masterpiece Full Metal Jacket) -- is a spin-off of The Andy Griffith Show. Andy Griffith introduced the character of Gomer Pyle as a gas station attendant in Mayberry. While the place and the uniform have changed, Gomer Pyle is the same affably preposterous individual or five seasons here as he was for one episode there. It's good stuff that withstands the test of time and still brings plenty of laughs with it, now 60 years after its small screen debut.

The show's plot is, in a nutshell, that of a country bumpkin with little experience in the world beyond the quaint and laid-back world of Mayberry, suddenly thrust into the incessantly rigorous, fully demanding, and completely structured world of Marine boot camp. Gomer Pyle is not so much fully incompetent as he is just blissfully unaware of how things work -- and, really incapable, it seems, of grasping those things -- not just within this one universe of boot camp, but in life in general. He's extraordinarily naive, and that is where much of the humor and conflict arise. On one hand, Pyle seems to take so much to mean something other than the situation or even common sense dictates, and that's a problem for his relationship with his strict drill sergeant, Vince Carter (Frank Sutton), who in classic gunnery sergeant manner pushes his men to their limits. But Pyle cannot be pushed, because he does not understand the push. He does not push back out of malice but rather out of misunderstanding. He's not insubordinate, just incapable of understanding the general flow of life in the military. His life experience is so limited and focused, and his nature so basic, his mind so simple, and his heart so pure, that the rough-and-tumble world of "tough love" and pushing for his own benefit just goes over his head. It's a great dynamic that plays well and plays well over the long haul.

Indeed, it's the "long haul" that must have at least given the show's creative talents pause when considering its story. Can the tale of clashing personalities, in what is more or less a confined area, in a point of life that is meant to be short, really work as a sustained TV program? While these are legitimate questions to consider, Gomer Pyle certainly answers them with a confident forward movement. The dynamic somehow never grows old. New situations arise to further the mental, emotional, and psychological chasm between Pyle and Carter, and the show is always finding new ways and new angles to further the conflict and build on the dynamics that push them apart. This includes Pyle's interactions with, influence on, and irritation of his fellow soldiers. the show follows his progress through the Marines, whatever that looks like for him, as well as advancing, every so slightly and gently, his civilian life as well, which of course always circles back and is defined by both his military standing and his naivete. The show, then, might be based on Pyle's life and perspectives on living, but it's not just a constant back-and-forth between him and Carter. That only worked for half of Kubrick's film, but the opportunity to paint a larger, and comedic, picture in Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. allows it to flourish and thrive for five full seasons.

One of the main reasons for the show's longevity is that it's not just a product of situational humor. Certainly, situational humor is key to the show, but Gomer Pyle works in its situational humor because it's a product of careful characterization. The show is rarely content to think up a situation and then think of a way for its characters to interact in that situation. Rather, most everything plays out of the convergence of necessary goings-on at boot camp with the well-considered character dynamics and not so much evolving personalities and understandings, but rather in the established norms that never really change but rather mature -- even if ever so slightly -- as time goes on and Pyle and Carter begin to understand one another maybe just a little bit better. Gomer Pyle puts its characters first, and because the humor is often derived from them, and not vice versa, it remains impressively fresh and engaging over 150 episodes. Of course, Nabors, is terrific in the lead role, playing the part with tongue in cheek and hamming up the silliness while being able to keep the character fresh because of the well written situational antics in which his personality clashes with the people, places, things, and even ideals and concepts around him.

Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Season one was shot in black-and-white, and its Blu-ray presentation looks quite good for the majority of the runtime. While the black an white grading never finds anywhere close to the rich contrast and dynamics audiences might be growing used to seeing on high end black and white UHD/HDR releases, the SDR grading here certainly offers a good foundational presentation of the content, with serviceable grading through the range, decent blacks, and adequate whites. Texturally, the image is fine. There are some softer shots and instances of grain spiking a bit, but overall it's more or less consistent in its filmic output and well capable of capturing good textures and fine clarity to faces, military uniforms, and various odds and ends both around the base's exterior and in the barracks proper. There are some spots and speckles here and there, but rarely do such things advance to such a degree as to become a bother. In fact, much of it is very clean and nicely filmic, with pops and speckles at times more of a rarity and less of a commonplace consideration.

Seasons two, three, four, and five were shot in color. The show also looks very good in color as well. It's tonally distinct, of course, and the show's tenor takes on a slightly different feel, but it quickly feels like the show's home once the jarring transition settles in. The image retains a very nice and filmic appearance. Grain is fairly consistent in density: more or less light but very much in evidence. The result is a very sharp, clear picture that is wonderfully detailed, right down to the finest dents on lockers and other small details and definition on various surfaces and objects in offices and elsewhere around camp (and other locales throughout the rest of the series as well). Of course, the image soars when it comes to close-ups of faces and clothes, which are brilliantly detailed to a nearly tactile level, showing fine scruff and pores on faces and intimate qualities and characteristics on clothes. The color is very good, with the notable green military fatigues a standout. White undershirts are crisp, skin tones are healthy, and black levels are very good indeed. The color seasons are also home to the odd spot and speckle, but there are no serious print issues and no encode problems of note, either. Fans are going to be delighted!

Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. is a sixty-year-old show, so sound design is not expected to be dynamic, and indeed the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack shows the material's age. The sound design is basic, and the elements are likewise simple, but the presentation delivers the core, simplistic elements with pleasantly clear and detailed parameters. Of course, the spacing is limited to the front, and there is not a significant feeing for width. Content stays mostly centered with some modest stray to the edges, but that means, at least, that dialogue does image well enough to the center and plays with adequate clarity as well. Music pushes far enough to the sides and also boasts sufficient clarity for what it is. Additionally, minor ambient effects are nicely spaced and suitably defined. The laugh track doesn't push wide, either, but does stray a little from a center-imaged location. Nothing here stands out as being particularly good, but nothing stands out as particularly bad, either.

Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The supplemental content for Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.: The Complete Series starts fairly strong with a handful of extras on the first season discs and then...there's nothing else through the series run. As with most TV show releases of this variety, each season ships in its own Amaray case. There are no individual season slipcovers, but the set does ship inside an average style and sturdiness slip box. No DVD or digital copies are included, either.

Season One, Disc One:

• Pilot Episode "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. from The Andy Griffth Show (480i, 28:09): The episode that debuted the character and concept. Includes the option to play the episode alone or with the "Sales Presentation" which is also included separately (see the next supplement below).
• Sales Presentation (480i, 2:39): Jim Nabors introduces and closes out the episode, as is optionally seen with the episode above.

Season One, Disc Two:

• Audio Commentary: Ronnie Schell, who played "Duke" on the show, discusses the first episode on the disc, "Gomer and the Dragon Lady."

Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. is a treat of a show that has withstood the test of time for its simplistic charms and status as one of the most engaging and humorous "fish out of water" shows out there. Nabors is brilliant in every scene, playing the part with a simple charm that is consistent from the first episode to the last, and it is that stagnation as a character deeply set in his ways -- that even the Marine Corps cannot change -- that is the show's bread and butter. It's simple but it's just a pleasure. Paramount's Blu-ray is thin on extras, but the video looks very good and the 2.0 lossless audio is just fine within context. Highly recommended!