McHale's Navy Joins the Air Force is a 1965 film based upon the television 1962–66 sitcomMcHale's Navy. Series supporting players Joe Flynn and Tim Conway are the leads for this sequel to the first movie made in 1964 also named McHale's Navy. Most of the film is based on their two characters particularly Ensign Parker. Series star Ernest Borgnine was unavailable due to a scheduling conflict while he appeared in the 1965 film The Flight of the Phoenix. However, in a Cinema Retro interview, Borgnine said the producerEdward Montagne wanted to make the film cheaply, without him and would not show him the script. Carl Ballantine also doesn't appear in the movie and the PT-73 crew is not seen in large portions of the film. The movie, which also features Ted Bessell, was directed by series producer Edward Montagne. Except forQuinton McHale and Lester Gruber the film features all the main characters from the TV series. The film is titled "McHale's Navy Joins the Air Force" and similar designations on the TV show are U.S.A.F.. Since the film is situated "Somewhere in the South Pacific 1943" this would be historically inaccurate. Until 1947 the Air Force was part of the U.S. Army and was known as the U.S. Army Air Forces beginning in 1941. The film was released to VHS on March 31, 1998.
Plot
Binghamton is sent to a staff meeting in Brisbane, Australia and is forced to use the PT-73 to get there after Fuji sabotages Lt. Carpenter's PT-116. While in Brisbane, Binghamton orders the PT-73 crew to remain on board, but they switch uniforms with Russian crewmen on the adjoining docked ship so they can leave the ship without being noticed. In a mix up Parker switches uniforms with Lt. Harkness who then is mistakenly arrested by the Russian NKGB and put on the Russian ship, but he later escapes and spends the entire movie trying to get back. Parker impersonates Lt. Harkness with Binghamton helping him until Harkness comes back. Because of Harkness's reputation as a lady killer women are drawn to the very shy Parker. Parker also has to avoid General Harkness who is Lt Harkness's father for fear of being found out. In the meantime Harkness is promoted three times to Lt. Colonel by unwittingly scoring three military victories. Even after being found out, Parker is by then too big a hero and the military brass decide to sort of cover up the whole mix up of Parker pretending to be someone else. At the end of the film Parker does an impressive impersonation of then President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Cast
... Captain Wally Binghamton Tim Conway ... Ensign Charles Parker Bob Hastings ... Lt. Elroy Carpenter Gary Vinson ... George Christopher Billy Sands ... Motor Machinist Mate Harrison Bell Edson Stroll ... Virgil Edwards Bobby Wright ... Willy Moss Yoshio Yoda ... Takeo 'Fuji' Fugiwara Gavin MacLeod ... Seaman Joseph Haines Tom Tully ... Gen. Harkness Susan Silo ... Cpl. 'Smitty' Smith Henry Beckman ... Col. Platt Ted Bessell ... Lt. Wilbur Harkness Jean Hale ... Sgt. Madge Collins Cliff Norton ... Maj. Bill Grady Jacques Aubuchon ... Dimitri
