McHale's Navy Season 1 Episode 34 The Hillbillies of PT 73

McHale's Navy season 1 episode 34 titled "The Hillbillies of PT 73" follows the comical adventures of Lt. Cmdr. Quinton McHale and his eccentric crew as they try to outsmart the bumbling Captain Binghamton and navigate through their daily military duties in the South Pacific during World War II.

The episode begins with McHale and his crew receiving a new sailor, Rich Towsend, from the hills of Kentucky. The crew's initial reactions to Towsend's hillbilly mannerisms and love for moonshine are mixed, with some characters finding his antics amusing while others, like Captain Binghamton, are horrified by his lack of discipline.

Towsend's arrival coincides with a visit from a high-ranking Navy admiral, who plans to inspect the PT-73 and assess its effectiveness as a fighting machine. McHale and his crew know that they must impress the admiral if they want to continue with their beach-combing and hijinks.

In order to showcase the PT-73's combat readiness, McHale and his crew stage a fake attack from a Japanese submarine, complete with a barrage of pretend gunfire and smoke bombs. The admiral is impressed by the crew's bravery and quick thinking, and McHale and his men breathe a sigh of relief.

However, things go awry when Towsend's moonshine-making skills come in handy for the crew's upcoming celebrations. The resulting merrymaking and drunken antics are bound to raise suspicion from the visiting admiral and Captain Binghamton.

The crew decides to stage a fake graduation ceremony, complete with a fake diploma and school uniforms, to trick the admiral into thinking that the sailors are actually a group of educated officers rather than the ragtag group of misfits that they really are. Towsend, the moonshine expert, is put in charge of the "graduation" ceremony refreshments, and he concocts a potent brew that quickly has the crew sloshed and disorderly.

As the admiral arrives for the fake graduation, chaos ensues as the crew tries to keep their drunkenness under wraps. Towsend, who is slipping in and out of consciousness, accidentally reveals the charade to the admiral, who is less than pleased with McHale and his crew's deceptive ways.

The episode ends with the crew cleaning up the mess and McHale accepting responsibility for the debacle. As usual, Captain Binghamton seizes the opportunity to scold McHale and his crew, but the men are just happy that their little scheme didn't cost them their jobs.

Overall, "The Hillbillies of PT 73" is a classic episode of McHale's Navy that showcases the lovable antics of the crew on board the PT-73. The episode also highlights the often frustrating relationship between McHale and Binghamton, as the two men clash over different approaches to leadership and discipline. The humor is light-hearted and silly, making this episode a fun and enjoyable watch for fans of classic television comedies.