Gomer Pyle
Encyclopedia
Gomer Pyle is a bubbly, gentle, rural auto mechanic
character played by American singer/ television actor Jim Nabors
. Gomer Pyle became a character on the TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show
, when actor Howard McNear, who played Floyd the barber
, suffered a stroke and took a respite from acting. Jim Nabors
was contracted to play Pyle, and did so for 27 episodes from 1962–1964. After two years of appearances on The Andy Griffith Show, McNear returned and Andy Griffith went to the producers seeking a vehicle for Nabors' Gomer Pyle. In 1964 the character was spun-off in a sitcom akin to No Time for Sergeants
, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
, which ran until 1969.
, North Carolina
. The only seen employee at Wally's Filling Station, Gomer lived in the back room. Wide-eyed and slack jawed, Gomer provided much of the comic relief during his two-year stint on The Andy Griffith Show. He was often awestruck by the simplest of things, resulting in the exclamation of his catchphrases, "shazam!", "g-o-l-l-y", "sur-prise, sur-prise, sur-prise!", and on occasion, when his innocence was tested, "shame, shame, shame!"
The character was employed as a service station attendant with scant knowledge of auto mechanics (in "The Great Filling Station Robbery", he thought a carburetor
was a hood ornament). He was later depicted as a skilled mechanic with a full knowledge of automobiles, perhaps due to training from his boss, or his cousin Goober
(later played by George Lindsey
). Gomer was usually seen sporting a ball cap with an upturned bill and his service station uniform with an ever-present handkerchief
dangling from his back pocket.
Gomer was sometimes deputized by Deputy Barney Fife
, when Sheriff Taylor was otherwise occupied. Though always compliant, Gomer's ineptitude usually made him more of a hindrance than a help in the line of duty. However, in the eyes of his friends, especially Sheriff Andy Taylor
, his shortcomings were generally outweighed by his gentle, generous spirit.
Gomer's Mayberry roots were evident in the spin-off
series Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
, where his countrified, backward nature served as the keystone for the show's humor, making him a comic foil to the hard-nosed drill instructor, Sgt. Vince Carter, played by the late Frank Sutton
.
At first Sergeant Carter was rankled and extremely irritated by the slow-witted Pyle, and dreamed of ways to rid himself of the private's presence. Over the course of the series, however, Carter increasingly respected Pyle, who, though unconventional, became a true Marine and a caring friend.
Both The Andy Griffith Show and Gomer Pyle USMC ended their runs by the late 1960s. While Mayberry RFD continued from 1968–71, where The Andy Griffith Show left off, the concept of returning Gomer to Mayberry was nixed, as the actor was given a CBS variety show of his own (which lasted two seasons). Gomer eventually returned, along with most of the original cast of The Andy Griffith Show, to the 1986 television movie
Return to Mayberry
. Gomer and Goober Pyle end up running a gas station/car repair shop called "G & G Garage".
Jim Nabors
briefly reprised his role in Cannonball Run II
, under the name Homer Lyle.
On an episode of The Lucy Show
, "Lucy Gets Caught Up in the Draft," Nabors has a cameo role as "Gomer Pyle".
When both The Carol Burnett Show
and GP were running on CBS first-run, there would be an annual crossover between the series – with a character played by Burnett appearing on GPUSMC, and Nabors appearing on Burnett's variety show.
Auto mechanic
An auto mechanic is a mechanic with a variety of car makes or either in a specific area or in a specific make of car. In repairing cars, their main role is to diagnose the problem accurately and quickly...
character played by American singer/ television actor Jim Nabors
Jim Nabors
James Thurston "Jim" Nabors is an American actor and singer. Born and raised in Sylacauga, Alabama, Nabors moved to Southern California because of his asthma. While working at a Santa Monica nightclub, The Horn, he was discovered by Andy Griffith and later joined The Andy Griffith Show, playing...
. Gomer Pyle became a character on the TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show
The Andy Griffith Show
The Andy Griffith Show is an American sitcom first televised by CBS between October 3, 1960, and April 1, 1968. Andy Griffith portrays a widowed sheriff in the fictional small community of Mayberry, North Carolina...
, when actor Howard McNear, who played Floyd the barber
Floyd Lawson
Floyd Lawson was a fictional character on the American TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show, which was inspired by a real barber in Andy Griffith's real-life hometown of Mt. Airy, North Carolina named Russell Hiatt who actually cut Andy Griffith's hair on a regular basis while Andy was young and living...
, suffered a stroke and took a respite from acting. Jim Nabors
Jim Nabors
James Thurston "Jim" Nabors is an American actor and singer. Born and raised in Sylacauga, Alabama, Nabors moved to Southern California because of his asthma. While working at a Santa Monica nightclub, The Horn, he was discovered by Andy Griffith and later joined The Andy Griffith Show, playing...
was contracted to play Pyle, and did so for 27 episodes from 1962–1964. After two years of appearances on The Andy Griffith Show, McNear returned and Andy Griffith went to the producers seeking a vehicle for Nabors' Gomer Pyle. In 1964 the character was spun-off in a sitcom akin to No Time for Sergeants
No Time for Sergeants (1958 film)
No Time for Sergeants is a 1958 American comedy film directed by Mervyn LeRoy starring Andy Griffith and featuring Myron McCormick, Don Knotts and most of the original Broadway cast. Warner Brothers contract player Nick Adams joined the cast as Stockdale's fellow military draftee Benjamin B....
, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.The show renders the title as Gomer Pyle - USMC. is an American situation comedy that originally aired on CBS from September 25, 1964, to May 2, 1969. The series was a spinoff of The Andy Griffith Show, and the pilot was aired as the finale of the fourth season of The Andy...
, which ran until 1969.
Character
Gomer Pyle was depicted as a good-natured, naïve hay-seed from the fictional town of MayberryMayberry
Mayberry is a fictional community in North Carolina that was the setting for two American television sitcoms, The Andy Griffith Show and Mayberry R.F.D. Mayberry was also the setting for a 1986 reunion television movie titled Return to Mayberry...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. The only seen employee at Wally's Filling Station, Gomer lived in the back room. Wide-eyed and slack jawed, Gomer provided much of the comic relief during his two-year stint on The Andy Griffith Show. He was often awestruck by the simplest of things, resulting in the exclamation of his catchphrases, "shazam!", "g-o-l-l-y", "sur-prise, sur-prise, sur-prise!", and on occasion, when his innocence was tested, "shame, shame, shame!"
The character was employed as a service station attendant with scant knowledge of auto mechanics (in "The Great Filling Station Robbery", he thought a carburetor
Carburetor
A carburetor , carburettor, or carburetter is a device that blends air and fuel for an internal combustion engine. It is sometimes shortened to carb in North America and the United Kingdom....
was a hood ornament). He was later depicted as a skilled mechanic with a full knowledge of automobiles, perhaps due to training from his boss, or his cousin Goober
Goober Pyle
Goober is a fictional character in the American TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show and its later sequel series Mayberry RFD. He was played by George Lindsey. Lindsey initially read for the part of Gomer Pyle, which went to singer Jim Nabors...
(later played by George Lindsey
George Lindsey
George Lindsey is an American character actor, best known for his role as "Goober Pyle" on The Andy Griffith Show, as well as for his tenure on Hee-Haw.-Early life and career :...
). Gomer was usually seen sporting a ball cap with an upturned bill and his service station uniform with an ever-present handkerchief
Handkerchief
A handkerchief , also called a handkercher or hanky, is a form of a kerchief, typically a hemmed square of thin fabric that can be carried in the pocket or purse, and which is intended for personal hygiene purposes such as wiping one's hands or face, or blowing one's nose...
dangling from his back pocket.
Gomer was sometimes deputized by Deputy Barney Fife
Barney Fife
Bernard "Barney" Fife is a fictional character in the American television program The Andy Griffith Show, portrayed by comic actor Don Knotts. Barney Fife is a deputy sheriff in the slow paced, sleepy southern community of Mayberry, North Carolina...
, when Sheriff Taylor was otherwise occupied. Though always compliant, Gomer's ineptitude usually made him more of a hindrance than a help in the line of duty. However, in the eyes of his friends, especially Sheriff Andy Taylor
Sheriff Andy Taylor
Sheriff Andrew "Andy" Jackson Taylor is the principal character on The Andy Griffith Show, an American sitcom which aired on CBS, . The character made a few appearances in the show's spinoff Mayberry R.F.D. and appeared in a reunion telemovie Return to Mayberry...
, his shortcomings were generally outweighed by his gentle, generous spirit.
Gomer's Mayberry roots were evident in the spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
series Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.The show renders the title as Gomer Pyle - USMC. is an American situation comedy that originally aired on CBS from September 25, 1964, to May 2, 1969. The series was a spinoff of The Andy Griffith Show, and the pilot was aired as the finale of the fourth season of The Andy...
, where his countrified, backward nature served as the keystone for the show's humor, making him a comic foil to the hard-nosed drill instructor, Sgt. Vince Carter, played by the late Frank Sutton
Frank Sutton
Frank Spencer Sutton was an American actor best remembered for his role of Gunnery Sergeant Vince Carter on the CBS television series Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.-Early life:...
.
At first Sergeant Carter was rankled and extremely irritated by the slow-witted Pyle, and dreamed of ways to rid himself of the private's presence. Over the course of the series, however, Carter increasingly respected Pyle, who, though unconventional, became a true Marine and a caring friend.
Both The Andy Griffith Show and Gomer Pyle USMC ended their runs by the late 1960s. While Mayberry RFD continued from 1968–71, where The Andy Griffith Show left off, the concept of returning Gomer to Mayberry was nixed, as the actor was given a CBS variety show of his own (which lasted two seasons). Gomer eventually returned, along with most of the original cast of The Andy Griffith Show, to the 1986 television movie
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
Return to Mayberry
Return to Mayberry
Return to Mayberry is an American television reunion movie for the 1960s American sitcoms The Andy Griffith Show and, to an extent, Mayberry R.F.D. as well. The movie premiered on April 13, 1986 on NBC, and was the highest-rated telemovie of 1986. Sixteen of the original cast members reunited for...
. Gomer and Goober Pyle end up running a gas station/car repair shop called "G & G Garage".
Jim Nabors
Jim Nabors
James Thurston "Jim" Nabors is an American actor and singer. Born and raised in Sylacauga, Alabama, Nabors moved to Southern California because of his asthma. While working at a Santa Monica nightclub, The Horn, he was discovered by Andy Griffith and later joined The Andy Griffith Show, playing...
briefly reprised his role in Cannonball Run II
Cannonball Run II
See also Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy DashCannonball Run II comedy film featuring Burt Reynolds and an all-star cast, released by Warner Bros. and Golden Harvest...
, under the name Homer Lyle.
On an episode of The Lucy Show
The Lucy Show
The Lucy Show is an American situation comedy that aired on CBS from 1962 until 1968. It was Lucille Ball's follow-up to I Love Lucy. A significant change in cast and premise for the 1965-66 season divides the program into two distinct eras; aside from Ball, only Gale Gordon, who joined the program...
, "Lucy Gets Caught Up in the Draft," Nabors has a cameo role as "Gomer Pyle".
When both The Carol Burnett Show
The Carol Burnett Show
The Carol Burnett Show is a variety / sketch comedy television show starring Carol Burnett, Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence, Lyle Waggoner, and Tim Conway. It originally ran on CBS from September 11, 1967, to March 29, 1978, for 278 episodes and originated from CBS Television City's Studio 33...
and GP were running on CBS first-run, there would be an annual crossover between the series – with a character played by Burnett appearing on GPUSMC, and Nabors appearing on Burnett's variety show.
In games
- In the 2008 video game, Call of Duty: World at WarCall of Duty: World at WarCall of Duty: World at War is a first-person shooter video game developed by Treyarch and published by Activision for PC, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360. It is generally considered to be the fifth mainstream game of the Call of Duty series and returns the setting to World War II. The game was...
, a soldier in the first level is named Pvt. Pyle. He is eventually killed by having his throat slit by a Japanese soldier.
In the military
- A popular Army cadenceMilitary cadenceIn the armed services, a military cadence or cadence call is a traditional call-and-response work song sung by military personnel while running or marching...
uses the line "Got me looking like Gomer Pyle" while highlighting complaints about adjusting to life in the U.S. ArmyUnited States ArmyThe United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. - "Gomer Pyle" has become U.S.M.C.United States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
slang for a recruit who continually messes up or needs extra training. Stanley KubrickStanley KubrickStanley Kubrick was an American film director, writer, producer, and photographer who lived in England during most of the last four decades of his career...
's film Full Metal JacketFull Metal JacketFull Metal Jacket is a 1987 war film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick. It is an adaptation of the 1979 novel The Short-Timers by Gustav Hasford and stars Matthew Modine, Vincent D'Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey, Arliss Howard and Adam Baldwin. The film follows a platoon of U.S...
depicts such a recruit who has this nickname applied to him.
In music
- The song "Theöne" by the band LambchopLambchop (band)Lambchop, originally Posterchild, is a band from Nashville, Tennessee. Lambchop is loosely associated with the alternative country genre...
, on their 1996 album How I Quit SmokingHow I Quit SmokingHow I Quit Smoking is the second album by Lambchop, released in 1996.-Track listing:#"For Which We Are Truly Thankful"#"The Man Who Loved Beer"#"The Militant"#"We Never Argue"#"Life's Little Tragedy"#"Suzieju"#"All Smiles and Mariachi"...
contains the lyric: "Gomer Pyle is just a man who served his country as best he can." - Sometime in the 1960s, the normally operaOperaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
tic Jim NaborsJim NaborsJames Thurston "Jim" Nabors is an American actor and singer. Born and raised in Sylacauga, Alabama, Nabors moved to Southern California because of his asthma. While working at a Santa Monica nightclub, The Horn, he was discovered by Andy Griffith and later joined The Andy Griffith Show, playing...
recorded an entire LP of songs sung in character, entitled Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. - An audio clip including Gomer Pyle saying, "Surprise, surprise, surprise!" is one of the many TV samples used on the Pink FloydPink FloydPink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
album The WallThe WallThe Wall is the eleventh studio album by English progressive rock group Pink Floyd. Released as a double album on 30 November 1979, it was subsequently performed live with elaborate theatrical effects, and adapted into a feature film, Pink Floyd—The Wall.As with the band's previous three...
, during the song "Nobody HomeNobody Home"Nobody Home" is a song from the Pink Floyd album The Wall.-Overview:In the song, the character Pink describes his lonely life of isolation behind his self-created mental wall. He has no one to talk to, and all he has are his possessions. The song describes what Roger Waters says he experienced...
". - Big Boi's song "Shutterbugg" contains the lyric: "It ain't so country though, nigga, this ain't no Gomer Pyle."
- An audience member calls to Joni Mitchell 'Joni you have more class than Mick Jagger, Richard Nixon or Gomer Pyle combined!" after her song "Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire." from her 1974 album Miles of Ailes.
Onscreen
- In Stanley KubrickStanley KubrickStanley Kubrick was an American film director, writer, producer, and photographer who lived in England during most of the last four decades of his career...
's Full Metal Jacket GySgt. Hartman (R. Lee ErmeyR. Lee ErmeyRonald Lee Ermey is a retired United States Marine Corps drill instructor and actor.Ermey has often played the roles of authority figures, such as his breakout performance as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Full Metal Jacket, Mayor Tilman in the Alan Parker film Mississippi Burning, Bill Bowerman in...
) in his motivating speech renames one of the new grunts (played by Vincent D'OnofrioVincent D'OnofrioVincent Phillip D'Onofrio is an American actor, director, film producer, writer, and singer. Often referred to as an actor's actor, his work as a character actor has earned him the nickname of "Human Chameleon"...
) Pvt. Gomer Pyle. - In Forrest GumpForrest GumpForrest Gump is a 1994 American epic comedy-drama romance film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis, starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright and Gary Sinise...
, Forrest is watching Gomer Pyle while recuperating from his wound in a military hospital. - In the FuturamaFuturamaFuturama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J...
episode "Roswell That Ends Well", Philip J. Fry's "grandfather" is an homage to Gomer Pyle, USMC, serving in Roswell, New MexicoRoswell, New MexicoRoswell is a city in and the county seat of Chaves County in the southeastern quarter of the state of New Mexico, United States. The population was 48,366 at the 2010 census. It is a center for irrigation farming, dairying, ranching, manufacturing, distribution, and petroleum production. It is also...
. - Jim Nabors appears in The Muppet ShowThe Muppet ShowThe Muppet Show is a British television programme produced by American puppeteer Jim Henson and featuring Muppets. After two pilot episodes were produced in 1974 and 1975, the show premiered on 5 September 1976 and five series were produced until 15 March 1981, lasting 120 episodes...
(Episode Six of Season One) and references his character Gomer Pyle. - On The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, in the episode "Bart the LoverBart the Lover"Bart the Lover" is the sixteenth episode of The Simpsons third season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 13, 1992. In the episode Mrs. Edna Krabappel, Bart's teacher, feels increasingly isolated and, looking for a companion, places a personal ad in the newspaper...
", Todd Flanders is seen watching an episode of the show. In "Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes", HomerHomer SimpsonHomer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
flashes back to watching Gomer Pyle as he mourns the loss of his couch. In "Bart Gets an ElephantBart Gets an Elephant"Bart Gets an Elephant" is the seventeenth episode of The Simpsons fifth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 31, 1994. In the episode, Bart wins a radio contest and is awarded an elephant named Stampy. After Stampy wrecks the Simpsons' house and eats all the...
", Homer is cleaning out the basement, finds an old TV GuideTV GuideTV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
, and imagines Pyle and Carter repeating their respective catch phrases "Shazam!" and "PY-Y-YLE!". - In the Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles episode "Goodbye to All That", at the military academy where John Connor and Derek Reese went on an undercover mission, a goofy cadet that John assists at the shooting range and who is also part of his training unit is named Pyle. The fact that the writers named this character as a tribute to Gomer Pyle was confirmed on the show's blog.
- On an episode of Home Improvement, Tim starts imitating Gomer Pyle after they drive a tank.
Other
- Gomer Pyle was promoted to Private First ClassPrivate First ClassPrivate First Class is a military rank held by junior enlisted persons.- Singapore :The rank of Private First Class in the Singapore Armed Forces lies between the ranks of Private and Lance-Corporal . It is usually held by conscript soldiers midway through their national service term...
during the run of the show. In 2001 Pyle was promoted to Lance CorporalLance CorporalLance corporal is a military rank, used by many armed forces worldwide, and also by some police forces and other uniformed organizations. It is below the rank of corporal, and is typically the lowest non-commissioned officer, usually equivalent to the NATO Rank Grade OR-3.- Etymology :The presumed...
by Marine Corps Commandant General James L. JonesJames L. JonesJames Logan Jones, Jr. is the former United States National Security Advisor and a retired United States Marine Corps General....
. In 2007 Gomer Pyle was promoted to CorporalCorporalCorporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
by Marine Corps Commandant General James T. ConwayJames T. ConwayJames Terry Conway is a retired United States Marine Corps four-star general who was the 34th Commandant of the Marine Corps...
. - The San Antonio, TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
neighborhood of Oak Hills Terrace consists of names of streets acquired from a TV GuideTV GuideTV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
of the era the neighborhood was established; one of the streets in the neighborhood is named Gomer Pyle. - The famous urban legendUrban legendAn urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
that suggested Jim Nabors married Rock HudsonRock HudsonRoy Harold Scherer, Jr., later Roy Harold Fitzgerald , known professionally as Rock Hudson, was an American film and television actor, recognized as a romantic leading man during the 1950s and 1960s, most notably in several romantic comedies with Doris Day.Hudson was voted "Star of the Year",...
stemmed from a joke put out by a California gay club involving the Gomer Pyle character. The punchline of the joke was that if Hudson and Nabors were to marry, Hudson would take Gomer Pyle's surname and from that point be known as "Rock Pyle".