Sgt. Bilkois a 1996 Americanmilitarycomedy filmdirected byJonathan Lynnand written byAndy Breckman.It is an adaptation of the 1950s television seriesThe Phil Silvers Show,often informally calledSgt. Bilko,or simplyBilko,and starsSteve Martin,Dan Aykroyd,Phil HartmanandGlenne Headly.
| Sgt. Bilko | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Jonathan Lynn |
| Written by | Andy Breckman |
| Based on | The Phil Silvers Show byNat Hiken |
| Produced by | Brian Grazer |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Peter Sova |
| Edited by | Tony Lombardo |
| Music by | Alan Silvestri |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 94 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $39 million |
| Box office | $37,956,793 |
Plot
editMaster SergeantErnest G. Bilko is in charge of the motor pool at Fort Baxter, a smallUnited States Armybase that develops new military technology. Exploiting this position, he directs a number of scams, ranging from gambling to renting out military vehicles. His commanding officer,ColonelJohn Hall, overlooks Bilko's money-making schemes, as he is more concerned with problems in the "Hover Tank" that the base is designing.
MajorColin Thorn, an officer from theU.S. Army Inspector General's office, arrives at the camp and begins to scrutinize Bilko's record. Officially, Thorn is at Fort Baxter to conduct a general inspection and determine if the base should remain open in light of recent defense cutbacks. He is also determined to get revenge on Bilko to settle an old score the two have fromFort Dix,where Thorn was nearly court-martialed after a fixed bo xing match which resulted in Thorn being shipped off toGreenlandin the belief that he tried to fix the fight.
Bitter and unprincipled, Thorn is not above breaking the law to ruin Bilko. He attempts to steal Bilko's long-time fiancée Rita, whom Bilko has stood up at the altar more than a dozen times. Rita is tired of waiting and gives Bilko 30 days to win her back or lose her for good.
Bilko, with the help of newly assigned Private First Class Wally Holbrook, devises a means of avoiding Thorn's attempt to transfer him to Greenland: He rigs a demonstration of the base's malfunctioning Hover Tank, staged before a four-star general and numerous government officials. Since Thorn had deliberately tried to sabotage the tank the previous night, he confronts Bilko, Hall, and the general, loudly insulting Bilko and Hall. While ranting, he confesses to sabotaging the Hover Tank. Thorn is sent off again to Greenland.
The last day of Rita's ultimatum has come. Just as she sadly begins to write Bilko off forever, Rita hears men outside her house, serenading her with afavorite songof hers and Bilko's. Looking out, she sees Bilko and his platoon. Bilko asks Rita to marry him, and she accepts. The next day is their wedding day, but Rita shows up late, due to a mix-up overDaylight Saving Time.After they play another card game (if Bilko wins, they get married), they finally get married. Unknown to Bilko, Rita is holding four aces in her hand.
Cast
edit- Steve MartinasMaster SergeantErnest G. Bilko
- Dan Aykroydas Col. John T. Hall
- Phil Hartmanas Maj. Colin Thorn
- Glenne Headlyas Rita Robbins
- Daryl Mitchellas Pfc. Walter "Wally" T. Holbrook
- Austin Pendletonas Maj. Ebersole
- Max Casellaas Spc. Dino Paparelli
- Eric Edwards as Pvt. Duane Doberman
- Dan Ferroas Spc. Tony Morales
- John Marshall Jonesas Sgt. Henshaw
- Brian Leckner as Pfc. Sam Fender
- John Ortizas Spc. Luis Clemente
- Pamela Segallas Sgt. Raquel Barbella
- Mitchell Whitfieldas Pfc. Mickey Zimmerman
- Catherine Silversas 1st Lt. Monday
- Debra Jo Ruppas Mrs. Hall
- Richard Herdas Gen. Tennyson
- Steve Kehela as Master Sergeant Stan Sowicki
- Steve Parkas Capt. Moon
- Chris Rockas 1st Lt. Oster
- Travis Trittas Self
Casting
editAlbert Brookswas offered the role of Ernest G. Bilko, but turned it down.[1]
Reception
editOn the film-critic aggregatorRotten Tomatoes,Sgt. Bilkoreceived a 30% positive ratings from 40 reviews, with an average rating of 4.6/10.[2]OnMetacritic,it has a score of 47 out of 100 based on reviews from 23 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[3]
Gene SiskelandRoger Ebertgave it two thumbs up ontheir television show.[4]Ebert praised Steve Martin's performance and enjoyed "all the little jokes hidden in the corners" of the movie.[5]Audiences surveyed byCinemaScoregave the film a grade of "B+" on a scale of A+ to F.[6]It won the award for Worst Resurrection of a TV Show at the1996 Stinkers Bad Movie Awards.[7]It also failed at the box office.[8]
References
edit- ^Evans, Bradford (June 30, 2011)."The Lost Roles of Albert Brooks".Vulture.
- ^Sgt. BilkoatRotten Tomatoes
- ^"Sgt. Bilko Reviews".Metacritic.CBS Interactive.RetrievedSeptember 20,2022.
- ^Sgt. Bilko, Jack & Sarah, A Family Thing, Carried Away, From the Journals of Jean Seberg, 1996, (incomplete).August 14, 2019.RetrievedMarch 10,2021– via siskelebert.org.
- ^"Sgt. Bilko".RogerEbert.1996-03-29.Retrieved2021-03-10.
- ^"Cinemascore".Archived fromthe originalon 2018-12-20.Retrieved2020-07-21.
- ^"Past Winners Database".Archived fromthe originalon 2007-01-03.Retrieved2021-06-07.
- ^Sgt. BilkoatBox Office Mojo