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	{{Infobox comedian		{{Infobox comedian
	\| name = Phil Silvers		\| name = Phil Silvers
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	\| birth_name = Philip Silver		\| birth_name = Philip Silver
	\| birth_date = {{Birth date\|1911\|5\|11}}		\| birth_date = {{Birth date\|1911\|5\|11}}
	\| birth_place = [[Brooklyn]], [[New York ~~(state)\|New York]]~~, U.S.		\| birth_place = Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
	\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|1985\|11\|1\|1911\|5\|11}}		\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|1985\|11\|1\|1911\|5\|11}}
	\| death_place = [[Century City, California~~\|Century City]], [[California]]~~, U.S.		\| death_place = Century City, California, U.S.
	\| nationality = American		\| nationality = American
	\| influences = [[Groucho Marx]], [[Charlie Chaplin]]		\| influences = [[Groucho Marx]], [[Charlie Chaplin]]
	\| influenced = [[Dana Snyder]], [[Larry David]]		\| influenced = Dana Snyder, Larry David
	\| genre = [[Character comedy]]		\| genre = [[Character comedy]]
	\| notable_works = ''[[The Phil Silvers Show]]''		\| notable_works = ''[[The Phil Silvers Show]]''
	\| other_names = Philly Silvers<br>The King of [[Chutzpah]]		\| other_names = Philly Silvers<br>''The King of Chutzpah''
	\| spouse = {{marriage\|[[Jo-Carroll Dennison]]\|1945\|1950\|end=divorced}}<br>{{marriage\|Evelyn Patrick\|1956\|1966\|end=divorced}}		\| spouse = {{marriage\|Jo-Carroll Dennison\|1945\|1950\|end=divorced}}<br>{{marriage\|Evelyn Patrick\|1956\|1966\|end=divorced}}
	\| children = 5		\| children = 5
	\| occupation = Actor, Comedian		\| occupation = Actor, Comedian
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	'''Phil Silvers''' (May 11, 1911 – November 1, 1985) was an American [[entertainer]] and [[comedy]] actor, known as "The King of [[Chutzpah]]". He is best known for starring in ''[[The Phil Silvers Show]]'', a 1950s [[sitcom]] set on a [[United States Army\|U.S. Army]] post in which he played Master Sergeant Ernest (Ernie) Bilko.		'''Phil Silvers''' (May 11, 1911 – November 1, 1985) was an American entertainer and comedy actor, known as "The King of [[Chutzpah]]". He is best known for starring in ''[[The Phil Silvers Show]]'', a 1950s [[sitcom]] set on a [[United States Army\|U.S. Army]] post in which he played Master Sergeant Ernest (Ernie) Bilko.

	==Early life and career==		==Early life and career==

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{{Infobox comedian
| name = Phil Silvers
| image = Phil Silvers Top Banana.JPG
| imagesize = 200px
| caption = Publicity photo of Silvers<br />from the musical ''Top Banana''
| birth_name = Philip Silver
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1911|5|11}}
| birth_place = [[Brooklyn]], [[New York (state)|New York]], U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1985|11|1|1911|5|11}}
| death_place = [[Century City, California|Century City]], [[California]], U.S.
| nationality = American
| influences = [[Groucho Marx]], [[Charlie Chaplin]]
| influenced = [[Dana Snyder]], [[Larry David]]
| genre = [[Character comedy]]
| notable_works = ''[[The Phil Silvers Show]]''
| other_names = Philly Silvers<br>The King of [[Chutzpah]]
| spouse = {{marriage|[[Jo-Carroll Dennison]]|1945|1950|end=divorced}}<br>{{marriage|Evelyn Patrick|1956|1966|end=divorced}}
| children = 5
| occupation = Actor, Comedian
| yearsactive = 1937–1983
}}

'''Phil Silvers''' (May 11, 1911 – November 1, 1985) was an American [[entertainer]] and [[comedy]] actor, known as "The King of [[Chutzpah]]". He is best known for starring in ''[[The Phil Silvers Show]]'', a 1950s [[sitcom]] set on a [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] post in which he played Master Sergeant Ernest (Ernie) Bilko.

==Early life and career==
Born '''Philip Silver'''<ref>{{cite book |title=This Laugh Is on Me: The Phil Silvers Story |author=Silvers, Phil |author2=Saffron, Robert |page=15 |publisher=[[Prentice-Hall]] |location=Englewood Cliffs, N.J. |year=1973 |isbn=0-13-919100-3}}</ref> or '''Philip Silversmith'''<ref name="Britannica">http://www.britannica.com/biography/Phil-Silvers</ref> on May 11, 1911, in [[Brooklyn]], [[New York (state)|New York]], in the working-class [[Brownsville, Brooklyn|Brownsville]] section,<ref>Erickson, Hal.[http://www.answers.com/topic/phil-silvers "AMG Allmovie Guide. Phil Silvers Biography"] answers.com, accessed November 26, 2011</ref> he was the eighth and youngest child of [[Russian Jewish]] immigrants, Saul and Sarah (née Handler) Silver. His siblings were Lillian, Harry, Jack, Saul, Pearl, Michael, and Reuben Silver. His father, a sheet metal worker, helped build the early New York skyscrapers.

Silvers started entertaining at age 11, when he would sing in theaters when the film projector broke down (a common occurrence in those days), to the point where he was allowed to keep attending the same movie theater free of charge, to sing through any future breakdowns.<ref name=master>[http://www.masterworksbroadway.com/artist/phil-silvers "Phil Silvers"] masterworksbroadway.com, accessed November 25, 2011</ref> By age 13, he was working as a singer in the [[Gus Edwards]] Revue, and then worked in vaudeville and as a burlesque comic.<ref>{{cite book|last=Monush|first= Barry|title=Screen World Presents the Encyclopedia of Hollywood Film Actors: From the silent era to 1965|year=2003|publisher= Hal Leonard Corporation|ISBN=1-55783-551-9|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=toTIb1Ek2WwC&pg=PA681&lpg=PA681&dq=%22Phil+Silvers%22+%22This+Laugh+Is+On+Me%22&source=bl&ots=ek0036OgNE&sig=ntlkIhyt02VCsdV_v5HOayb3pOw&hl=en#v=onepage&q=%22Phil%20Silvers%22%20%22This%20Laugh%20Is%20On%20Me%22&f=false "Phil Silvers" 681]}}</ref>

Silvers next worked in short films for the [[Vitaphone]] studio, such as ''[[Ups and Downs (1937 film)|Ups and Downs]]'' (1937), and on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]], where he made his début in the short-lived show ''Yokel Boy'' in 1939. Critics raved about Silvers, who was hailed as the bright spot in the mediocre play.<ref>{{cite book |last= Bordman |first= Gerald and Norton, Richard |page=575 (link: [https://books.google.com/books?id=OVdShkzkX74C&pg=PA575&dq=%22Yokel+Boy%22+%22Phil+Silvers%22&hl=en#v=onepage&q=%22Yokel%20Boy%22%20%22Phil%20Silvers%22&f=false 'Yokel Boy']) |title= American Musical Theatre: A Chronicle |year=2010 |publisher= Oxford University Press| ISBN= 0-19-972970-0}}</ref> The Broadway revue ''High Kickers'' (1941) was based on his concept.<ref>{{cite book|last=Suskin|first= Steven|title=The Sound of Broadway Music|year=2011|publisher= Oxford University Press| ISBN= 0-19-979084-1|page=[https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=yy_9UJLhAUMC&lpg=PT407&pg=PT407#v=twopage&q&f=false 123]}}</ref>

He made his feature film début in ''Hit Parade of 1941'' in 1940<ref>Crowther, Bosley.[https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9502EED61E3CE73ABC4D53DFB467838B659EDE "Movie Review: 'Hit Parade of 1941' at Loew's Criterion"] ''The New York Times'', December 5, 1940</ref> (his previous appearance as a 'pitch man' in ''[[Strike Up the Band (film)|Strike Up the Band]]'' was cut). Over the next two decades, he worked as a [[character actor]] for [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]], [[Columbia Pictures|Columbia]], and [[20th Century Fox]], in such films as 1942's ''[[All Through the Night (film)|All Through the Night]]'' with [[Humphrey Bogart]]. That same year, he played a scene with [[W.C. Fields]] in ''[[Tales of Manhattan]]'' which was cut from the original release, but restored decades later in home video issues. Silvers also appeared in ''[[Lady Be Good (1941 film)|Lady Be Good]]'' (1941), ''[[Coney Island (1943 film)|Coney Island]]'' (1943), ''[[Cover Girl (film)|Cover Girl]]'' (1944), and ''[[Summer Stock]]'' (1950).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fandango.com/philsilvers/filmography/p65703|title=Phil Silvers Filmography|publisher=www.fandango.com|accessdate= November 25, 2011}}</ref> When the studio system began to decline, he returned to the stage. ''Cover Girl'' demonstrates that Silvers was an accomplished dancer, performing flawlessly in quick-tempo trios with famed dancers Gene Kelly and Rita Hayworth.

Silvers wrote the lyrics for [[Frank Sinatra]]'s "[[Nancy (With the Laughing Face)]]".
Although he was not a songwriter, he wrote the lyrics while visiting composer [[Jimmy Van Heusen]]. The two composed the song for Van Heusen's writing partner Johnny Burke, for his wife Bessie's birthday. Substituting Sinatra's little daughter's name Nancy at her birthday party, the trio pressed the singer to record it himself. The song became a popular hit in 1945 and was a staple in Sinatra's live performances.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Yw40lISdzJkC&pg=PA443&dq=Van+Heusen+%22Phil+Silvers%22+%22Nancy%22&hl=en#v=onepage&q=Van%20Heusen%20%22Phil%20Silvers%22%20%22Nancy%22&f=false|title= Frank Sintra : The Complete Guide|publisher=Google eBook|accessdate=November 25, 2011}}</ref> Towards the end of the [[Second World War]], Silvers entertained the troops during several successful overseas [[United Service Organizations|USO tour]]s with Sinatra.<ref>{{cite book|last=Andrews|first= Maxene; Gilbert, Bill|year=1993|title= Over Here, Over There: The Andrews Sisters and the USO Stars in World War II|publisher= Thorndike Press| ISBN= 978-0-7862-0094-8|page=200}}</ref>

Silvers scored a major triumph in ''[[Top Banana (musical)|Top Banana]]'', a Broadway show of 1952. Silvers played Jerry Biffle, the egocentric, always-busy star of a major television show. (The character is said to have been based on [[Milton Berle]].) Silvers dominated the show and won a [[Tony Award]] for his performance. He repeated the role in [[Top Banana (film)|the 1954 film version]] that was originally released in [[3-D film|3-D]].<ref name=master/>

According to the documentary on the DVD of ''It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World'', Silvers was not a traditional comedian: he was a comic actor. Silvers never did stand-up, and, out of character, he was not known for cracking jokes.
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==1950s fame and later career==
[[File:Phil silvers as bilko.JPG|thumb|left|170px|Silvers as Sgt. Bilko]]
Silvers became a household name in 1955 when he starred as Sergeant Ernest G. Bilko in ''You'll Never Get Rich'', later retitled ''[[The Phil Silvers Show]]''. The military comedy became a television hit, with the opportunistic Bilko fast-talking his way through one obstacle after another. In 1958, CBS switched the show to be telecast on Friday nights and moved the setting to Camp Fremont in California. A year later, the show was off the schedule.<ref name=museum>Gomery, Douglas.[http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=silversphil "Phil Silvers"]''The Museum of Broadcast Communications'' (museum.tv), accessed November 25, 2011</ref>

Silvers returned to Broadway in the musical ''[[Do Re Mi (musical)|Do Re Mi]]'' in December 1960, receiving a nomination for the [[Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical]]. Stanley Green wrote, "It was particularly blessed by offering two outstanding clowns in Phil Silvers as the pushiest of patsies and [[Nancy Walker]]."<ref>Green, Stanley and Green, Kay.[https://books.google.com/books?id=KDKFHniTy1YC&pg=PA194&dq=%22Jule+Styne%22+%22Do+Re+Mi%22&hl=en#v=onepage&q=%22Jule%20Styne%22%20%22Do%20Re%20Mi%22&f=false "'Do Re Mi'"]''Broadway Musicals, Show By Show'' (1996, 5ed.), Hal Leonard Corporation, ISBN 0-7935-7750-0, p.194</ref> Throughout the 1960s, he appeared in films such as ''[[It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World]]'' (1963)<ref>[http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/79559/It-s-a-Mad-Mad-Mad-Mad-World/ "'It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World' Listing"] tcm.com, accessed November 25, 2011</ref> and ''[[40 Pounds of Trouble]]'' (1963).<ref>Crowther, Bosley.[https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9B03E1DA173CEF3BBC4C51DFB7668388679EDE "Movie Review:'40 Pounds of Trouble'"] ''The New York Times'', January 24, 1963</ref> He was featured in [[Marilyn Monroe]]'s last film, the unfinished ''[[Something's Got to Give]]'' (1962).<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0217055/ "'Something's Got to Give' Listing"] imdb.com, accessed November 25, 2011</ref> In the 1963–1964 television season, he appeared as Harry Grafton, a factory foreman interested in get-rich-quick schemes, much like the previous Bilko character, in CBS's 30-episode ''[[The New Phil Silvers Show]]'',<ref>Newcomb, Horace.[https://books.google.com/books?id=CFXgj7a55agC&pg=PA1758&dq=Grafton+%22The+New+Phil+Silvers+Show%22&hl=en#v=onepage&q=Grafton%20%22The%20New%20Phil%20Silvers%20Show%22&f=false "'Phil Silvers Shw'"]''Encyclopedia of Television, Volume 1'' (2004, 2ed.), CRC Press, ISBN 1-57958-411-X, p. 1758</ref> with co-stars [[Stafford Repp]], [[Herbie Faye]], [[Buddy Lester]], [[Elena Verdugo]] as his sister, Audrey, and her children, played by [[Ronnie Dapo]] and [[Sandy Descher]]. In 1967, he starred as a guest in one of the [[United Kingdom|British]] [[Carry On films]], ''[[Follow That Camel]]'', a [[French Foreign Legion|Foreign Legion]] parody in which he played a variation of the Sergeant Bilko character, Sergeant Nocker.<ref>Munden, Kenneth White.[https://books.google.com/books?id=s1k1RsGvFwwC&pg=PA360&dq=%22Follow+That+Camel%22+%22+Phil+Silvers%22&hl=en#v=onepage&q=%22Follow%20That%20Camel%22%20%22%20Phil%20Silvers%22&f=false "'Follow That Camel'"]''The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures'' (1971), University of California Press, ISBN 0-520-20970-2, p.360</ref>
Producer [[Peter Rogers]] employed him to ensure the Carry On films' success in America, though Silvers' presence did not ensure the film's success on either side of the Atlantic.<ref>{{cite book|last=Childs|first= Peter and Mike Storry|title=Encyclopedia of Contemporary British Culture]|year=1999|publisher= Taylor & Francis| ISBN= 0-415-14726-3|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=iS4hsxKiMNgC&pg=PA83&dq=%22Follow+That+Camel%22+%22+Phil+Silvers%22&hl=en#v=onepage&q=%22Follow%20That%20Camel%22%20%22%20Phil%20Silvers%22&f=false 83]}}</ref> His salary was £30,000, the largest Carry On salary ever, only later met by the appearance of [[Elke Sommer]] in ''[[Carry On Behind]]''.
[[File:Silvers hillbillies 1970.JPG|thumb|170px|Silvers had recurring roles in ''The Beverly Hillbillies'' as Shifty Shafer or "Honest John" in 1969 and 1970.]]
Silvers was offered the leading role of conniving Roman slave Pseudolus in the Broadway musical comedy ''[[A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum]]''. Silvers declined,<ref name=master/> and the role went instead to [[Zero Mostel]], who was so successful in the role that he repeated the role in the 1966 film version. By this time Silvers realized his error, and agreed to appear in the film as a secondary character, flesh merchant Marcus Lycus. When actor-producer [[Larry Blyden]] mounted a Broadway revival of ''Forum'' in 1972, he wanted Phil Silvers to play the lead, and this time Silvers agreed.<ref>Green, Stanley and Green, Kay.[https://books.google.com/books?id=KDKFHniTy1YC&pg=PA198&dq=%22A+Funny+Thing+Happened%22+%22Phil+Silvers%22&hl=en#v=onepage&q=%22A%20Funny%20Thing%20Happened%22%20%22Phil%20Silvers%22&f=false "'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'"]''Broadway Musicals, Show by Show'' (1996), Hal Leonard Corporation, ISBN 0-7935-7750-0, p.198</ref> The revival was a hit and Silvers became the first leading actor ever to win a [[Tony Award]] in a revival of a musical.

Silvers also guested on ''[[The Beverly Hillbillies]]'', and various TV variety shows such as ''[[The Carol Burnett Show]]'', ''[[Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In]]'', and ''[[The Dean Martin Show]]''. Perhaps Silvers' most memorable guest appearance was as curmudgeonly Hollywood producer Harold Hecuba in the classic 1966 episode "[[The Producer]]" on ''[[Gilligan's Island]]'',<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0588103/ "'Gilligan's Island' Episode"] imdb.com, accessed November 25, 2011</ref> where he and the castaways performed a musical version of ''[[Hamlet]]''.<ref>Cantor, Paul A.[https://books.google.com/books?id=A6Qr6BFJUjoC&pg=PA19&dq=%22Gilligan's+Island%22+%22Phil+Silvers%22&hl=en#v=onepage&q=%22Gilligan's%20Island%22%20%22Phil%20Silvers%22&f=false "The Courage of the Fearless Crew"]''Gilligan Unbound: Pop Culture in the Age of Globalization'' (2003), Rowman & Littlefield, ISBN 0-7425-0779-3, p. 19</ref> (Silvers' production company Gladasya – named after his catchphrase "Gladdaseeya!" – financed the show.)
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==Personal life==
Phil Silvers was married twice, to [[Jo-Carroll Dennison]], and to Evelyn Patrick.<ref name=tvgbio>[http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/phil-silvers/bio/170182 "Phil Silvers: Biography"], [[TV Guide|TVGuide.com]]</ref> Both of his marriages ended in divorce.<ref name=museum/> He had five daughters — Candace, Cathy, Laurie, Nancey, and Tracey Edythe<ref name=tvgbio /> — all by his second wife, Evelyn Patrick.<ref name=master/>

Like his alter-ego Ernie Bilko, Silvers was a compulsive gambler and suffered from [[Depression (mood)|chronic depression]].<ref>Maslon, Lawrence and Kantor, Michael.[https://books.google.com/books?id=uV2gZKvQwR0C&pg=PT229&dq=compulsive+gambler+%22+Phil+Silvers%22&hl=en#v=onepage&q=compulsive%20gambler%20%22%20Phil%20Silvers%22&f=false "Phil Silvers"]''Make 'em Laugh: The Funny Business of America'' (2008), Hachette Digital, Inc., ISBN 0-446-50531-5</ref> He suffered a [[Mental breakdown|nervous breakdown]] in 1962 while performing in Spain. While staying in [[Reno, Nevada]], in the 1950s, he would often gamble all night. On one occasion, at the tiny Cal-Neva Lodge in nearby [[Lake Tahoe, Nevada]], Silvers spent an entire night playing [[craps]] until he lost all his money and then went through $1,000 in credit. A taxi was called to return him to Reno. It was "[o]ne of the worst nights of my life', Silvers told the driver, adding, "Don't wait for any lights and don't wait for any tip . . . I left it at the Cal-Neva!"<ref>Moe, Albert Woods. ''Nevada's Golden Age of Gambling'', Puget Sound Books, (2001), ISBN 0-9715019-0-4.</ref>

His memoirs are titled ''This Laugh Is On Me''.

==Illness and death==
Silvers suffered a [[stroke]] during the run of ''[[A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum]]'' in August 1972.<ref>"Phil Silver's Illness Threatens 'Forum' Run", ("Mr. Silvers has been out of the cast since he was stricken a week ago and hospitalized".) ''The New York Times'', August 8, 1972, p. 21</ref> He was left with slurred speech. Despite his poor health, he continued working, playing Harry Starman in the 1974 "Horror in the Heights" episode of ''[[Kolchak: The Night Stalker]]'' starring [[Darren McGavin]]. His guest appearances continued into the early 1980s, including co-starring in 1977's ''[[The Chicken Chronicles]]'',<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=886&dat=19770825&id=-gVZAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IVADAAAAIBAJ&pg=5022,1883586 "Phil Silvers Rough Road Back"] ''The Prescott Courier'', August 25, 1977</ref> an appearance on ''[[Fantasy Island]]'' as an old comic trying to reunite with his old partner, and on ''[[Happy Days]]'' as the father of Jenny Piccolo (played by his daughter [[Cathy Silvers]]).<ref>Brant, Marley.[https://books.google.com/books?id=_3XnpqmYAxcC&pg=PA59&dq=%22Happy+Days%22+%22+Phil+Silvers%22+Piccolo&hl=en#v=onepage&q=%22Happy%20Days%22%20%22%20Phil%20Silvers%22%20Piccolo&f=false "Jennie Piccolo"]''Happier Days: Paramount Television's Classic Sitcoms 1974-1984'' (2006), Random House Digital, Inc., ISBN 0-8230-8933-9, p. 59</ref> In 1978, Silvers played the cab driver "Hoppy" in [[Neil Simon]]'s send-up of hard-boiled detective films, ''[[The Cheap Detective]],'' which starred [[Peter Falk]]. In his cab, Silvers can be heard (three words) and seen turning his head towards the camera and breaking into a smile (1/4 fps) at the end of the movie, immediately prior to Falk entering "Hoppy's" cab. His final appearance was in an episode of ''[[CHiPs]]'' in 1983.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}}

On November 1, 1985, Silvers died in his sleep in [[Century City, California]]. According to his family, Silvers died of natural causes.<ref>Kerr, Peter. "Phil Silvers, TV'S Sergeant Bilko, Dead At 73", ''The New York Times'', November 2, 1985, p. 32</ref> He was interred at [[Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery]] in [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]].<ref>Farah, Judy. "Kings of Comedy Mourn Funnyman Phil Silvers", ''The Associated Press'', November 4, 1985.</ref>

==Legacy==
In 1996, [[TV Guide]] ranked him number 31 on its 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time list<ref>{{cite book |title=TV Guide Guide to TV |year=2004 |publisher=Barnes and Noble |isbn=0-7607-5634-1 |pages=596}}</ref>

In 2003, ''The Phil Silvers Show'' was voted Best Sitcom<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/3148934.stm Best Sitcom] news.bbc.co.uk</ref> in the ''[[Radio Times]]'' Guide to TV Comedy. In a 2005 poll to find ''The Comedian's Comedian'', Silvers was voted #42 on the list of the top 50 comedy acts ever by fellow comedians and comedy insiders. [[Dick Van Dyke]], who made his TV debut on ''Bilko'', says he "was always fascinated with Phil's sense of timing. Incredible."

Voice actor [[Daws Butler]] employed an [[impressionist (entertainment)|impression]] of Silvers as the voice of the [[Hanna-Barbera]] cartoon character [[Hokey Wolf]]<ref>[http://www.cartoonscrapbook.com/H/hokeywolf1960.htm "Hokey Wolf"] cartoonscrapbook.com, accessed November 25, 2011</ref> and also used the same voice in numerous cartoons for [[Jay Ward]].{{citation needed |date=January 2011}} The premise of ''The Phil Silvers Show'' was the basis for the Hanna-Barbera cartoon ''[[Top Cat]]'', for which [[Arnold Stang]] moderately imitated Silvers' voice for the title character.<ref>Weber, Bruce.[https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/22/arts/television/22stang.html "Arnold Stang, Milquetoast Actor, Dies at 91"]''The New York Times'', December 22, 2009</ref> The 1993 cartoon series ''[[The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' featured a character called Wes Weasley, who had a very similar appearance and voice to Silvers.<ref>[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog?from=Main.AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog "Western Animation: Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog"] tvtropes.org, accessed November 25, 2011</ref>

The ''[[Playboy]] cartoon'' "[[Little Annie Fanny]]" featured the character of manager Solly Brass, who was based on Phil Silvers.{{citation needed |date=January 2011}}

In ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode "[[Homer the Vigilante]]" (Episode #1F09, 6 January 1994), Bart tricks Phil Silvers' character Otto Meyer from the 1963 film ''[[It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World]]'' into driving into a river."<ref>{{cite book |last=Groening |first=Matt |authorlink=Matt Groening |editor1-first=Ray |editor1-last=Richmond |editor1-link=Ray Richmond |editor2-first=Antonia |editor2-last=Coffman |title=[[The Simpsons episode guides#The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family|The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family]] |edition=1st |year=1997 |location=New York |publisher=[[HarperPerennial]] |lccn=98141857 |ol=433519M |oclc=37796735 |isbn=978-0-06-095252-5 |ref={{harvid|Richmond & Coffman|1997}}}}</ref>

In 1987, in Gyangste, [[Tibet]], a Chinese soldier tried to tear off British tourist Kris Tait's Phil Silver shirt because Silver resembled the [[Dalai Lama]]; she fled and changed her clothes.<ref>Associated Press, "Tourist Had to Get It off Her Chest: 'Dalai Lama' Was Sgt. Bilko", ''Los Angeles Times'', November 13, 1987.</ref>

==Stage credits==
Source:Internet Broadway Database<ref>[http://www.ibdb.com/person.php?id=11169 "Phil Silvers Listing"] InternetBroadwayDatabase, accessed November 25, 2011</ref>

*1939 ''[[Yokel Boy]]''
*1947 ''[[High Button Shoes]]''
*1951 ''[[Top Banana (musical)|Top Banana]]'' – Tony Award (winner)
*1960 ''[[Do Re Mi (musical)|Do Re Mi]]'' – Tony Award (nominated)
*1971 ''[[How the Other Half Loves]]''
*1972 ''[[A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum]]'' – Tony Award (winner)

==Filmography==
Source: Turner Classic Movies<ref>[http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/177675%7C124703/Phil-Silvers/ "Phil Silvers Biography"] tcm.com, accessed November 25, 2011</ref>
{{Div col|2}}
*''[[Strike Up the Band (film)|Strike Up the Band]]'' (1940) as Pitch Man (scenes deleted)
*''Hit Parade of 1941'' (1940) as Charlie Moore
*''[[The Wild Man of Borneo (film)|The Wild Man of Borneo]]'' (1941) as Murdock
*''[[The Penalty (1941 film)|The Penalty]]'' (1941) as Hobo
*''[[Tom, Dick and Harry (1941 film)|Tom, Dick and Harry]]'' (1941) as Ice Cream Vendor
*''[[Ice-Capades]]'' (1941) as Larry Herman
*''[[Lady Be Good (1941 film)|Lady Be Good]]'' (1941) as Master of Ceremonies
*''[[All Through the Night (film)|All Through the Night]]'' (1941) as Waiter
*''[[You're in the Army Now]]'' (1941) as Breezy Jones
*''[[Roxie Hart (film)|Roxie Hart]]'' (1942) as Babe
*''[[My Gal Sal]]'' (1942) as Wiley
*''[[Footlight Serenade]]'' (1942) as Slap
*''[[Tales of Manhattan]]'' (1942) as 1st Salesman at Santelli's (Fields sequence) (uncredited) (scenes deleted)
*''[[Just Off Broadway]]'' (1942) as Roy Higgins
*''[[Coney Island (1943 film)|Coney Island]]'' (1943) as Frankie
*''[[A Lady Takes a Chance]]'' (1943) as Smiley Lambert
*''[[Four Jills in a Jeep]]'' (1944) as Eddie
*''[[Cover Girl (1944 film)|Cover Girl]]'' (1944) as Genius
*''[[Take It or Leave It (1944 film)|Take It or Leave It]]'' (1944) as Phil Silvers
*''[[Something for the Boys (film)|Something for the Boys]]'' (1944) as Harry Hart
*''[[Diamond Horseshoe]]'' (1945) as Blinkie Miller
*''[[Don Juan Quilligan]]'' (1945) as 'Mac' MacDenny
*''[[A Thousand and One Nights (1945 film)|A Thousand and One Nights]]'' (1945) as Abdullah
*''[[If I'm Lucky]]'' (1946) as Wallingham M. 'Wally' Jones
*''[[Summer Stock]]'' (1950) as Herb Blake
*''[[Top Banana (film)|Top Banana]]'' (1954) as Jerry Biffle
*''[[Lucky Me (film)|Lucky Me]]'' (1954) as Hap Schneider
*''[[Something's Got to Give]]'' (1962) as Insurance Salesman (incomplete)
*''[[40 Pounds of Trouble]]'' (1962) as Bernie Friedman
*''[[It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World]]'' (1963) as Otto Meyer
*''[[A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (film)|A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum]]'' (1966) as Marcus Lycus
*''[[A Guide for the Married Man]]'' (1967) as Technical Advisor (Realtor)
*''[[Follow That Camel]]'' (1967) as Sergeant Nocker
*''[[Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell]]'' (1968) as Phil Newman
*''[[The Boatniks]]'' (1970) as Harry Simmons
*''[[The Strongest Man in the World]]'' (1975) as Kirwood Krinkle
*''[[Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood]]'' (1976) as Murray Fromberg
*''[[The Chicken Chronicles]]'' (1977) as Max Ober
*''[[The Night They Took Miss Beautiful]]'' (1977) as Marv Barker
*''[[The Cheap Detective]]'' (1978) as Hoppy
*''[[Racquet (film)|Racquet]]'' (1979) as Arthur Sargent
*''[[The Happy Hooker Goes Hollywood]]'' (1980) as William B. Warkoff
*''[[There Goes the Bride (1980 film)|There Goes the Bride]]'' (1980) as Psychiatrist
{{div col end}}

==Television==
*''The Phil Silvers Arrow Show'' (1948 - ?)<ref>{{cite news|title=The Phil Silvers Arrow Show|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9xYEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1895&dq=%22Harry+Salter%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjA7om3q8fOAhXH0h4KHcsNDK84MhDoAQgjMAE#v=onepage&q=%22Harry%20Salter%22&f=false|accessdate=17 August 2016|work=Billboard|date=December 4, 1948|page=10}}</ref>
*''The Phil Silvers Show'' (1955-1959) as MSgt. Ernest G. 'Ernie' Bilko
*''[[The Phil Silvers Show|Keep in Step]]'' (1959) as Himself / Sgt. Ernest G. Bilko
*''The Ballad of Louie the Louse'' (1959) as Louie
*''The Slowest Gun in the West'' (1960) as Fletcher Bissell III, The Silver Dollar Kid
*''The Jack Benny Program'' (1962) as Himself (guest appearance)
*''Judy and Her Guests, Phil Silvers and Robert Goulet'' (1963) as Himself
*''[[The New Phil Silvers Show]]'' (1963-1964) as Harry Grafton
*''Gilligans Island'' (1966) air date October 3, 1966 Season 3 (no. in series 72) (no. in season 4) The Producer
*''At Your Service'' (1966) (unsold pilot)
*''[[Damn Yankees]]'' (1967) as Mr.Applegate
*''[[The Beverly Hillbillies]]'' (cast member from 1969-1970) as Shifty Shafer aka Honest John
*''Eddie'' (1971) as Eddie Skinner (unsold pilot)
*''Bob Hope in Joys'' (1976)
*''The Night They Took Miss Beautiful'' (1977) as Marv Barker
*''Charlie's Angels, Angels on Ice'' (1977)
*''Goldie and the Boxer'' (1979) as Wally
*''Take Me Up to the Ball Game'' (1980) as Irwin (voice)

==Stage==
*''Yokel Boy'' (1939) (Broadway)
*''[[High Button Shoes]]'' (1947) (Broadway)
*''[[Top Banana (musical)|Top Banana]]'' (1951) (Broadway)
*''[[Do Re Mi (musical)|Do Re Mi]]'' (1960) (Broadway and US national tour)
*''[[Les Poupées de Paris]]'' (1962) (Off-Broadway) (voice only)
*''How the Other Half Loves'' (1970) (Broadway)
*''[[A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum]]'' (1971) (Los Angeles and Broadway)

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Biography}}
* {{IMDb name|0799014}}
* {{tcmdb name|id=177675|name=Phil Silvers}}
* {{IBDB name}}
* [http://www.bpsas.co.uk/ The British Phil Silvers Appreciation Society]
* {{Findagrave|1238}}

{{Commons category}}

{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Phil Silvers
|list =
{{EmmyAward ComedyLeadActor 1950-1975}}
{{TonyAward MusicalLeadActor 1947-1975}}
}}
{{Primetime Emmy hosts}}
{{Tony Awards hosts}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Silvers, Phil}}
[[Category:1911 births]]
[[Category:1985 deaths]]
[[Category:American male comedians]]
[[Category:Burlesque performers]]
[[Category:American male television actors]]
[[Category:American male stage actors]]
[[Category:American male radio actors]]
[[Category:Donaldson Award winners]]
[[Category:Jewish American male actors]]
[[Category:Jewish comedians]]
[[Category:Jewish comedy and humor]]
[[Category:People from Brooklyn]]
[[Category:American people of Russian-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:Tony Award winners]]
[[Category:Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award winners]]
[[Category:Vaudeville performers]]
[[Category:Burials at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:20th Century Fox contract players]]
[[Category:Comedians from New York]]
[[Category:American Jewish comedians]]

Phil Silvers - Revision history

Adminpeter at 15:01, 17 August 2017

Adminpeter at 14:43, 17 August 2017

Adminpeter at 14:42, 17 August 2017

Adminpeter: 1 revision imported

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