The Failure of Phil Silvers

Two fine comedians couldn’t make television lighting strike twice in the early 1960s.

Groucho Marx spent more than a decade wisecracking with contestants on You Bet Your Life, but when he tried a similar show in 1962 called Tell It to Groucho, it bombed.

Likewise, Phil Silvers’ Bilko show ended with the 1950s and he tried again in 1963 with a self-titled show, basically playing Bilko. But he couldn’t make it fly, despite the presence of director Rod Amateau and writers Harvey Bullock and Bob Allen.

Here’s a look-ahead to the new show, which appeared in newspapers starting around Sept. 13, 1963.

Silvers Still Bilko In New Civilian Role
By ERSKINE JOHNSON
Hollywood Correspondent Newspaper Enterprise Assn.
HOLLYWOOD, Sept. 13 (NEA)—Sgt. Bilko—oops, I mean Harry Grafton of the "NEW Phil Silvers Show"—leaves the factory set and plops down on a couch in his dressing room in corner of Stage 10 at the Fox studio. "Just a little dizzy," apologizes Silvers, who is Harry Grafton now. "Maybe it's tension—the new show, my wife expecting our fourth child, the freeway traffic this morning. A little hot tea should fix me up. Boy, a little hot tea, please."
The NEW Phil Silvers show makes its debut on CBS-TV Sept. 28. But as almost everyone knows, Sgt. Bilko is still with us except he is a factory maintenance boss now in a blue baseball cap and gray coveralls.
The name of Grafton is as appropriate as Gladasya Prods., the company Phil formed and which gives him full say on his laugh-getting and a chance to keep more of the big money the network is paying him for his enormous talents.
Harry Grafton, like Sgt. Bilko, is all "graft" in his diverse activities. The "Gladasya" goes back to Phil's early movie career when he always played the friend of the hero. His most important and sometimes only line always seemed to be, "Glad to see ya." That's how "Gladasya Prod." was born.
Phil is happy to explain how Harry Grafton was born.
Sipping the hot tea, he says: "Sure I was disappointed when CBS canceled the Bilko show. I didn't understand then, but I do now. It cost too much. It was split too many ways. The network tried to help me swing a deal to bring Bilko back to television, but it was still too expensive, too complicated, cut too many ways.
So how close Is Harry Grafton to Bilko? The answer includes the question, "How close is Phil Silvers to Bilko?"
Very close, yes sir. Phil has been playing Bilko in one way or another practically all of his life, you might say.
But for the first time, he's now in a position to let the fast talking scamp set him up financially for the rest of his me.
As Harrv Grafton, Phil will have as many things going for him as Bilko. His "sidelines" as the maintenance boss in the factory include a sliding wall behind which he operates a little factory of his own; leasing part of the warehouse after hours to an amateur theatrical group, and ownership of a coffee wagon.
Such a coffee wagon you’ve never seen. In addition to coffee, there are daily foreign food delights which usually are served along with dancing girls costumed to match.
For foils and accomplices, Phil's factory crew includes his old pal Herbie Faye as "Waluska," and Jim Shane, a six-foot, six-inch 235 pounder who will be the fall guy for Phil's wildest schemes. Stafford Repp, as the plant manager, will be as confused as Bilko's old army boss.
"This says Phil, "I'm gambling on myself. But I'm not playing the big tycoon behind the scenes. I'm sitting in only on what I know about."
The tea and the dizziness gone, Phil goes back to work as a baby sitter with a 14-month-old baby boy on his lap. As the father of four girls, Phil cracks between scenes: "It better be a boy, this next girl."

Hot tea may have fixed Silvers, but something more was needed to fix his show. First, CBS changed the time slot. And then Silvers decided to re-work the series.

This unbylined story in the South Bend Tribune of Jan. 25, 1964 was one of a number that explained the situation.

Silvers Admits He Made Mistake
HOLLYWOOD—Phil Silvers expands his television format introduces his new television family on "The New Phil Silvers Show" next Saturday.
Elena Verdugo, the onetime heroine of all Brooklyn in "Meet Millie" has been signed to portray Audrey, Harry Grafton's sister.
"Phil as Grafton will no longer be top dog. He'll have to contend a sharp, determined sister who knows his every trick," producer Rod Amateau said.
Boy Is Added
Amateau also announced that Sandy Descher, 18-year-old actress who made 50 films before she was ten and who was last seen on "The New Loretta Young Show," will portray Audrey's daughter, Susan.
Ten-year-old Ronnie Dapo, a lively lad in the film version of "The Music Man" and who will soon be seen in the film “Kisses For My President," will play Andy Grafton's nephew.
Silvers explained the new approach for the series this way: "I had put my head in the sand. We were trying to relate to the common people. It didn't occur to us that the factory foreman isn't the underdog; the underdog is the factory owner. In comedy anyway."
"I set a standard with Bilko," he said, "and I haven't lived up to it. My pride is such that I got a necessary kick in the pants this season. So we shut down for five weeks to take a breather and improve the series as best we could."
Honesty Is Incredible

Silvers' honesty is almost incredible. He assumes all the blame himself. Other stars belittle the network, sponsor, scripts, or rap viewers for not having enough intelligence to appreciate their work.
In giving the series a face-lift Silvers has burned 10 completed new scripts. A tremendously expensive bonfire.
"The 11 shows with the new format will be a situation family comedy," he said, "but not as sweet as those already on the air.
"The important thing is we've got Grafton out of the factory and into the world where he can operate under all kinds of conditions."
Credits Fan Loyalty
Silvers credits fan loyalty with preventing a total catastrophe.
"If it hadn't been for the affection of the fans who stayed with me maybe the show would have been off the air by now," he said. "Well, I owe those people something—a good series.
"And they're going to get it. If the new format is a big success I will stay with it next season. If not, I've got an entirely new idea for next fall that I really believe in.
"I can't reveal what it is, but it would be a new character in new setting with a new cast. It's my responsibility to my audience, and I want to discharge it the best way I know how."

Viewers didn’t accept a Bilko-like character in a family-like setting, especially when they could watch re-runs of the original Phil Silvers show. The New Phil Silvers Show lasted 30 episodes and by the summer, Silvers was in a touring company of his biggest hit: Top Banana.

Silvers was back on television the following season, but not on camera. Silvers’ production company, Gladasya, put a new show on the air, one that lives on in reruns today. It was about seven stranded castaways on an uncharted desert isle. I don’t need to name the series, do I? Silvers guest starred in my favourite episode as fast-talking, shady, show biz producer Harold Hecuba. In essence, he was playing Bilko one more time.