Phil Silvers

While Phil Silvers had been performing on stages, over radio airwaves, and in movies since childhood, it was not until he was well into his 40s that he became a comedy icon. As hapless schemer Sgt. Ernest G. Bilko of THE PHIL SILVERS SHOW, Silvers became one of 1950s television's most familiar and beloved stars, his impeccable timing and befuddled stammer endearing him to millions. Silvers's unique persona can perhaps be summed up by one classic scene in 1963's IT'S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD: as Silvers, duped by a kid, sinks with his car into a raging river, he shakes his fist, sputters comic nonsense, contorts his face into impossible incredulity, then crosses his arms and resigns himself to this classic "fine mess."