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On April 3, 1962, the anthology series Fred Astaire's Premiere Theatre aired a one-hour drama entitled Seven Against the Sea, featuring Ernest Borgnine as Quinton McHale, commander of a Navy PT boat whose island base is bombed by the Japanese during World War II. In spite of orders to reconstruct the base, McHale and his surviving men go native, building a still, relaxing with the islanders, and waiting for their chance of rescue. The Japanese reappear, however, and McHale and his men must battle valiantly to keep the island. Based on that dramatic premise, ABC commissioned a series -- albeit a comedy -- that began on October 11, 1962. Borgnine returned from the original drama as Lt. Commander McHale of PT-73, as did Gary Vinson as quartermaster George "Christy" Christopher. Also featured in the series were McHale's superiors, Capt. Wallace Binghamton (Joe Flynn) and Lt. Elroy Carpenter (Bob Hastings), the officers who always sought to put an end to McHale's non-regulation way of life. McHale's crew included second-in-command Ensign Charles Parker (Tim Conway, in a breakout role); Lester Gruber (Carl Ballantine); Harrison "Tinker" Bell (Billy Sands); Virgil Edwards (Edson Stroll); Joseph "Happy" Haines (The Love Boat's Gavin MacLeod); and Fuji Kobiaji (Yoshio Yoda), a Japanese deserter who dressed in POW clothes just in case anyone came looking for him. Others included McHale's love interest, nurse Molly Turner (Jane Dulo), and Polynesian chief Urulu (Jacques Aubuchon), who delighted in taking advantage of whoever came into his village. Included on this set are all 36 episodes from the first season, along with a featurette, "The Crew Reunion," in which the crew of the PT-73 reunite after 40 years. Christina Urban

Product Details

• UPC: 826663104189
• Source: SHOUT FACTORY THEATR
• Presentation: B&W
• Sound: Dolby Digital Stereo
• Language: English
• Time: 15:30:00
• Sales Rank: 7,774

This set contains DVDs which may be available separately:

• McHale's Navy: An Ensign for McHale
• McHale's Navy: A Purple Heart for Gruber
• McHale's Navy: McHale and His Seven Cupids
• McHale's Navy: PT 73 Where Are You?
• McHale's Navy: Movies Are Your Best Diversion
• McHale's Navy: Operation Wedding Party
• McHale's Navy: Who Do the Voodoo?
• McHale's Navy: Three Girls on an Island
• McHale's Navy: McHale's Paradise Motel
• McHale's Navy: The Battle of McHale's Island
• McHale's Navy: The Day They Captured Santa Claus
• McHale's Navy: Beauty and the Beast
• McHale's Navy: The Captain's Mission
• McHale's Navy: Send Us a Hero
• McHale's Navy: The Captain Steals a Cook
• McHale's Navy: The Ensign Gets a Zero
• McHale's Navy: The Big Raffle
• McHale's Navy: The Natives Get Restless
• McHale's Navy: One of Our Engines Is Missing
• McHale's Navy: The Confidence Game
• McHale's Navy: Six Pounds From Paradise
• McHale's Navy: Washing Machine Charlie
• McHale's Navy: Nippon Nancy Calling
• McHale's Navy: One Enchanted Weekend
• McHale's Navy: The Mothers of PT 73
• McHale's Navy: H.M.S. 73
• McHale's Navy: A Wreath for McHale
• McHale's Navy: Portrait of a Peerless Leader
• McHale's Navy: Instant Democracy
• McHale's Navy: Camera, Action, Panic
• McHale's Navy: Alias Captain Binghamton
• McHale's Navy: Parents Anonymous
• McHale's Navy: McHale's Millions
• McHale's Navy: The Hillbillies of PT 73
• McHale's Navy: The Monster of McHale's Island
• McHale's Navy: Uncle Admiral

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