MovieChat Forums > Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (1964) Discussion > Were Jim Nabors, Ronnie Schell and Frank...

Were Jim Nabors, Ronnie Schell and Frank Sutton friends in real life?

posted 11 years ago by flapdoodle64
5 replies | jump to latest

I read recently that after GPUSMC, Nabors had his own variety show for 2 seasons, and that Sutton and Schell were on it. Was this just because these guys had demonstrated, on GPUSMC, that they were good comedic actors who had good screen chemistry with Nabors, or were they also personal friends of Nabors?

Ronnie Schell is interesting because he quit GPUSMC to do his own show, which flopped, and then was taken back by the producers of GPUSMC to resume his old role, except his character, Duke, got promoted to Corporal when he returned.

Usually, when an actor quits a show, the producers won't take him back. In extreme cases, like when McLean Stevenson quit MASH, they kill the character, so as to show the actor that he has burned his bridges.

[–] ohiovalley10 10 years ago

Check out the page for "The Jim Nabors Hour." A contributor posted a story about Jim's loyalty to Sutton, that he wouldn't allow the show to go on if Sutton were kicked out. I believe it. I think both ideas are right, that they were Nabors's personal friends AND they were good comedic actors.

[–] dini0519 10 years ago

I was touched to read how loyal Gomer was to Sgt Carter, even in real life. Great story.

Dini

[–] stones78 (426) 3 years ago

That is a nice, but probably forgotten story. More respect for Nabors after reading about that.

[–] jayzahn-07474 8 years ago

Gomer Pyle went off the air when ratings were still good. I think Jim Nabors preferred to do the variety show at the time. So he probably felt he owed Sutton for taking his good Sgt. Carter gig away.

With Schell, Good Morning World was a big upgrade in role, a co-starring role, over Gomer Pyle. The producers probably understood at the time. They may have made a deal beforehand if the new show flopped that he could come back. Marla Gibbs did this when she was offered a lead in a spinoff show. That she could go back to the Jeffersons if it didn't work out.

[–] PaladinNJ (21510) a year ago

Norman Fell and Audra Linley were offered the same deal with Three's Company if the Ropers didn't work out. The deal became null and void when it was picked up for a second season. Then they pulled the rug out from under them and cancelled it.