Phil Silvers Show You'll Never Get Rich

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By 1955, the American television business was already moving westward to Los Angeles, but Nat Hiken insisted on filming the series in New York City. He believed this location was more conducive to comedic creativity and the show's humor.

Early episodes were filmed at Dumont's television center in New York City – now home to WNYW-TV – with later episodes shot at the CBS "Hi Brown" Studios[2] in Chelsea, Manhattan.

Most of the series was filmed to simulate a live performance. The actors memorized their lines and performed the scenes in sequence before a studio audience. Thus, there are occasional flubs and awkward pauses.

Actor Paul Ford, playing Bilko's commanding officer, was notorious for forgetting his lines; when he would get a blank expression on his face, Silvers and the rest of the cast would improvise something to save the scene, like "Oh, you remember, Colonel, the top brass is coming..." At that point, Ford would pick up where he left off.

Creator Nat Hiken wrote or co-wrote 70 of the first 71 episodes, missing only episode 70 (the second-season finale.) He left the show after that season. In the fourth and fifth seasons there were numerous staff writers, and gaining prominence as the show went on was Neil Simon.

Simon wrote or co-wrote 20 episodes, including the series finale. Future Columbia Pictures VP and theatrical agent Harvey Orkin, later known as a regular on Not So Much a Programme, More a Way of Life, was among the writers who were recognized with the Emmy Award for Best Comedy Writing in 1956.

Later episodes were filmed in California. Producer Mike Todd, making a guest appearance, insisted that his show should be filmed like a movie, out of sequence. The cast and crew tried it and soon found that Todd's way was easier. Production continued in this manner until the series ended in 1959.

The fact that Silvers and Hiken were both sports fans inspired some of the character names. Bilko was named after Steve Bilko, a minor league baseball player (it also had the connotation, to bilk someone). Cpl Barbella was named after middleweight boxing champion Rocky Graziano (whose birth name was Rocco Barbella). Pvt Paparelli was named after the baseball umpire Joe Paparella. According to Silvers, Pvt Doberman was so named because actor Maurice Gosfield resembled a doberman pinscher.

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