Sgt. Bilko

Trouble with Sergeant Bilko ( Sgt Bilko ) is an American comedy film directed by Jonathan Lynn in the year 1996., The main role is played by Steve Martin. The plot is based on the American television comedy series The Phil Silvers Show in the 1950s.

Action

The Private First Class Wally Holbrook meets at the base of the U.S. Army, commanded by Colonel John T. Hall, a. The Colonel says that he is a mechanic and therefore the motor pool (a kind of workshop for the base ) has been allocated, which is led by Master Sergeant Ernest G. Bilko. Colonel Hall warns the young Holbrook before Bilko and his men, and advises him to hide his money in the hat. In the motor pool arrived Holbrook noticed immediately that the entire company indulges only the gambling capital and strikes from betting the soldiers of the entire base. Also lotteries and dog races are held. Holbrook is excluded from his new comrades, to see what he carries with him. Also Bilko immediately noticed the hiding of Holbrooks money. Holbrook is privy to the machinations: His first assignment is to turn back the mileage of the car of Colonel Hall, since the car was awarded over the weekend. This is however still firmly convinced of his soldierly duties and therefore refuses to do that. Meanwhile, a confrontation with Colonel Hall, who asks for his car, however, Bilko has dozens of excuses ready to distract from the real issue.

Bilko has one day by 12 clock an appointment. At lunch, he muses about what it might be for one since. When it finally occurs to him, but it is too late: His fiancée Rita Robbins waiting once again in vain in the church after the wedding ceremony. Bilko is late again and has a number of excuses ready. Rita is Bilko but an ultimatum: If he does not marry out within 30 days, it is for ever and ever.

Holbrook is on time by 5 clock in the morning with the wake-up call. In the lounge of the company arrived, he sees the effects of the party the previous day and is once again determined that it lacks the people at the necessary discipline. Slowly, rumors are circulating in the Army, that smaller bases to be closed for financial reasons. These rumors thicken even more when Major Colin Thorn as stage manager of the Defense of the United States visited the base. Since the base developed a novel Hoover tanks, Thorn wants to see the progress. In the demonstration, everything goes wrong: Although the tank floats, but he fires a shot, he gets out of control. Thorn wants the base already back with the hint to suggest this, leave. However, when he hears that Bilko is stationed at the base, he decides to stay. Thorn and Bilko joins an old enmity: Some years ago a boxing match was on another army base organized. As Bilko the outcome of the struggle never wanted to leave to chance bets, he manipulated the fight by offers one of the two opponents, so this intentionally KO goes. Due to an error, the money is actually delivered to the wrong boxer. So, Both think they are knocked out. go Thus, the fight ends with a whacked both boxers after just one blow. Thorn suspected manipulation and finds the money in the locker of one of the boxers. He keeps his money under his nose, as just the Military Police enters the room at that moment. Thorn is arrested by mistake. As punishment, he is transferred to a base in Greenland. This fact he wears after Bilko.

From Thorn also the state of the company now is criticized because it lacks both the people of military skills as well as to physical fitness, what Thorn makes clear in the case of Private Doberman, which exceeds the maximum permissible weight of the U.S. Army visible. Thorn hired two specialists who will supervise the activities of Bilko. These are some inconsistencies, but Bilko has a plausible explanation for everything. In the inventory of his unit, the two are skillfully Bilkos of men duped. Finally, the inspectors Thorn Report that Bilko which has experienced some ominous events, but ultimately could provide a suitable explanation for each of these events. Thorn persuaded Hall, Bilko and his troupe to leave to attend a maneuvers near Las Vegas. In the absence of Bilko, who now prefers to play with his men in Las Vegas, rather than participate in the maneuvers, the specialists crack his computer. Once they have done this, Thorn sends off the two and manipulates the data so that it looks as if Bilko misappropriated the funds for the Hoover tank project.

Confronted with these fabricated evidence, Colonel Hall is forced to Bilko to move to Greenland, to spare him the military court. But this already know how he can take revenge on Thorn. He persuades Hall by means of a tricked again to host a screening of the Hoover tank. It guarantees that everything will work and the base thus can escape its closure. Thorn will set a trap: In the saloon converse of Bilkos two men about the fact that the Hoover Tactical plug-in card is the faulting module, but the problems are now resolved. Then these stolen in the night said plug-in card from the tank. The following day it comes to taking a further demonstration, also the responsible General and numerous members of Congress take part in this spectacle. The tank begins his demonstration: He hovers over the small lake and fires on the first goal - which is also made. The tank takes off for a second attempt and the second goal is destroyed without difficulty. Thorn is beside himself with rage. The rest of the audience, however, is thrilled. In reality, only a fire beam is sent through the tube of the tank by means of flame throwers, but the aim is blown up by remote ignition of Bilkos men. The audience of the show so much that not even notice that the tanks target targeted three, but four target flies into the air. Under congratulations accused Thorn Bilko of fraud; all keep this accusation baseless. After Thorn but Bilko necessarily will wipe one, he blabs and shows triumphantly stolen from him plug-in card, without which the tanks would not be allowed to work. Thorn has transferred himself and eventually ends up back in Greenland. After all the dangers were averted, also private Holbrook has settled with the group. He is already busy turning back the odometer of the car of Colonel Hall. Also, it comes in the end was the wedding between Sergeant Bilko and Rita Robbins.

Reviews

James Berardinelli wrote on ReelViews that the film to the unwitzigen and unoriginal films Martins belong recent times. The comedy vacillate in their quality of mediocre to awful. The cast list look like a meeting of the alumni of the television show Saturday Night Live.

Roger Ebert wrote in the Chicago Sun - Times of 29 March 1996 that he could imagine Jim Carrey or Joe Mantegna in the role of Sgt Bilko. However, he praised at the end of the presentation by Steve Martin.

Background

The film was shot in California. The cost of production was estimated at 39 million U.S. dollars, the film played in the cinemas of the United States 30.4 million U.S. dollars.

Footnotes

Screenplay Brian Grazer Film score German television comedy Flamethrower Chicago Sun-Times
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