Question: Throughout the whole show Gomer Pyle's rank stays as Private First Class. With how long he had been in the Marines, why was he never given a promotion to a higher rank?
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (1964)
1 question in show generally
Starring: Jim Nabors, Frank Sutton, Ronnie Schell
Factual error: Sgt. Carter is wearing a plain belt buckle with his dress blues uniform. Since Sgt. Carter is Gunnery Sgt, he is a staff NCO so his buckle should have the USMC emblem on the buckle. (00:24:00)
Alice Whipple: Harry, how long are we going to be here?
Harry Whipple: As long as it takes.
Alice Whipple: Well, I've got to get to the beauty parlor.
Harry Whipple: You're telling me.
Trivia: The name of Gomer Pyle comes from writer Gomer Cool and actor Denver Pyle.
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Answer: If you saw the whole series run, you know that Gomer was a country bumpkin. He fumbled, stumbled and tumbled his way into one disaster after another. There was an episode that questioned why he was never promoted. However, a few years before Jim Nabors died, the real Marine Corps, gave him a ceremonial promotion to the rank of Lance Corporal, which Jim gladly accepted.
Unfortunately, I never saw all the episodes. Only a few episodes and a clip of the episode where he sings "The Impossible Dream" which made me wonder why he was still a PFC. Thanks so much for the info.