Figure 1.-- One McHale's Navy" episode is an example of how obnoxious, spoiled brats were often costumed in short pants at a time when almost all boys on American television wore long pants--except Eddie Munster. The boy wearing short pants and proper knee socks, with a polo shirt. Wearing knee socks with his shorts without being actially mentioned, emphasized being pamered by the adults in his life. I believe the name of this episode was 'Monster of Midway'.

"McHale's Navy" is a particularly witless sitcom, set around the World War II U.S. Navy in the South Pacific. Of course President Kennedy's much more serious World War II experiences with PT-boats may have in part inspired the series. It was popular for several years. ABC brodcast 138 half-hour episodes from October 1962 through August 1966. The series stared Ernest Borgnine. It was syndicated for a time. We do not notice it being shown in syndication now, but that probably reflect the increasing tendency not to show black and white series. Children were rarely involved in the episodes.

TVology

"McHale's Navy" is a particularly witless sitcom, set around the World War II U.S. Navy in the South Pacific. Of course President Kennedy's much more serious World War II experiences with PT-boats may have in part inspired the series. It was popular for several years. ABC brodcast 138 half-hour episodes from October 1962 through August 1966. The series stared Ernest Borgnine. It was syndicated for a time. We do not notice it being shown in syndication now, but that probably reflect the increasing tendency not to show black and white series.

Episodes

Children were rarely involved in the episodes.

Monster at Midway

One McHale's Navy" episode is an example of how Hollywood often costumed obnoxious, spoiled brats in short pants at a time when almost all boys on American television wore long pants--except Eddie Munster. We are not sure just why this connection developed. Interestingly, some big Hollywood stars dressed their boys in short pants outfits. The boy is this McHale's Navy episode wears short pants and proper knee socks, with a striped "T" shirt. This is not an outfit that a boy would have worn at the time. Shorts and "T"-shirts were worn during the summer, but not with knee socks abnd leather shoes. Wearing knee socks with his shorts without being actially mentioned, emphasized being pamered by the adults in his life. I believe the name of this episode was 'Monster of Midway'. The boy is the spoiled son of an admiral who is given to McHale's crew to monitor for a period of time. The boy is so ensuferable that McHale finally takes him over his lap and spanks him. After McHale straigtens him out, he is last seen wearing a pair of long pants showing a coming of age. The episode first aired on June 13, 1963. Teddy Rooney played the admiral's son. He is the son of Mickey Rooney and Martha Vickers and was about 13 years old when this episode was filmed. A reader writes, "I wonder if these TV writers were really showing us their own feelings about boys' clothes, recalled from their own memories of days past, not the times in which they were writing? Looking at Teddy Rooney's clothes in this episode from 1963 - I'd say except for his kneesocks and shoes, his clothes were otherwise what you'd see a boy his age wearing in the early 60s."

The Boy Scouts of PT 73

There is another episode of "Mc Hale's Navy" that features some young guest stars. In "The Boy Scouts of PT 73" three Italian boys, ranging in age from about 10 to 13 uears of age, have been stealing goods from Captain Binghampton's office and around the base. Suspicion falls on the crew of PT 73, but with a little ingenuity they defend their honor and make the Captain look silly. All in a day's work for them. The real culprits are three Italian boys who are nabbed by Mc Hale, Parker, and the rest. Mr. Parker believes he can reform the boys by teaching them the Boy Scouts' code. His efforts seem in vain until Mr. Parker takes the blame for an accident the boys caused. No one has ever stood up for the boys like that, and parker has earned their loyalty. Thefts continue around the base, however, and the Captain has the PT 73 crew jailed on suspicion. The boys help Mc hale and the others out by placing all the goods - quite a cache - in Binghampton's office. Later, when an army general stops by on a call, he thinks the real thief is Binghampton, and Mc Hale and the boys once agin outfox the captain. Two of the Italian boys wear flat caps; the oldest wears a short jacket and long trousers; the middle wears a jacket and tattered knee length pants with long stockings; and the youngest wears a jacket, short pants, and crew length socks - longer than ankle socks, but much shorter than knee socks.

Created: 8:49 PM 6/16/2010
Last updated: 4:19 PM 6/21/2010