"24 Bilko's have been flashing around this room with nobody to watch him." Tony Hancock in 'The Economy Drive. This is a festive month for me and my family but doing my best while I'm awake means that by the time I'm in my dressing gown and ready for bed I fall asleep faster than I'd like to (until my holiday!) 'Bilko Goes to Monte Carlo' keeps me going on many an evening, and I like to rewatch it, together with my dozen or so favourite episodes of the show. It's a beautifully shaped episode and you're sure that Nat Hiken (and Billy Friedberg) enjoyed writing it as much as you enjoy watching it unfold. It's one of the finest examples of the ultimate Bilko masterpiece, as he spends sleepless nights figuring out how to beat random roulette, and with the frenetic boyish support of his ragtag, Runyonesque/Renaissance platoon and fellow sergeants, defies all odds, manages to outwit and outsmart his Colonel, Mrs. Ritzik, bureaucracy, the Army, the Air Force, and a few generals on the way.
The "sky is the limit," and the universe seemingly bends to his lightning-quick scheme, conspiring to literally fly him to Monte Carlo ('that's near Europe!') in a matter of hours with over 10,000 dollars in his pocket to maybe make millions for him and his pals. After a moment of faltering courage as he worries about letting his loyal friends down, the kindly casino manager helps him out (before Bilko is accidentally inspired to find a way to bilk him too). As things continue to unravel and spark (and the live audience bursts into increasingly delighted laughter), it truly only gets better even when he must return home without his "end of the rainbow" and those promised riches, and you're left feeling like Bilko was - for yet another moment - on top of the world Xo
Comments
Post a Comment