McHale's Navy (TV Series) A Nip in Time (1965) User Reviews

Enjoyable episode.

[kfo9494 · 8/10 · 19 November 2014]

This episode begins with Binghamton confiscating some war souvenirs as something like a spoil of war. But when Colonel Harrigan visits the Captain, he take the spoils of war for himself and even asks Binghamton where he got the items. It looks like Harrigan wants to send a few things back to the States.

Also the crew of the 73 hears about an area where German souvenirs are abundant. They get into the act when they sign Binghamton's name to borrow a truck to load-up items to resell to unsuspecting army men. But it just so happens the crew and Harrigan run into each other in the area. Harrigan is going to take all the souvenirs until a German patrol captures everyone involved. But with help from Ensign Parker and Fuji, they may have one chance to finally get some souvenirs.

This was actually an entertaining episode that was fun to watch from beginning to end. Perhaps not side splitting humor but there were a few funny lines that really made the show enjoyable. It was nice to see the writers let Yoshio Yoda get full involvement in a show instead of sitting at camp waiting for the crew to return. This was better episode than expected.

War souvenir hunt leads to Fuji playing a Japanese admiral

[FlushingCaps · 10/10 · 30 November 2020]

Probably the crew's best episode set in Italy, with the best part, to me, being that Ensign Parker not only came up with a great idea, but acted out his part without being anywhere near too foolish.

We open with Lieutenant Carpenter showing the captain some German war souvenirs he picked up in a nearby town. He plans to ship them home to his mother. Binghamton is in the process of taking them away from Carpy, when Col. Harrigan shows up and takes them all away from both of them-it's said to be against regulations to pick up war souvenirs.

We see a roadside stand with McHale's crew trying to sell their surplus war souvenirs, but none of the GIs passing by are interested-primarily because their relatives know they are fighting in Europe and the souvenirs are what the crew brought over from Taratupa-Japanese items. They hear about that same town Carpenter visited and how there are all sorts of souvenirs for the taking. They manage to get hold of a truck and go to collect.

Worried about his men being so close to the German lines, McHale takes his crew members who were left behind to make sure the boys are safe. They catch up to the men, followed by Colonel Harrigan, who now wants to take the truckful of souvenirs the men have loaded. Before much else happens there, a German patrol captures everyone at the truck and makes them prisoners.

Left behind at the boat are Parker and Fuji, who for reasons not stated, was allowed to go for a boat ride this time. With them are the Japanese souvenirs the crew couldn't sell. Parker slips away and manages to see that the skipper and the men are all being held prisoner. He goes back to tell Fuji, then Chuck comes up with what might be the cleverest action plan in his career. He dressed like a Japanese officer, with Fuji posing as a Japanese admiral, and they go to talk to the Germans holding their buddies as prisoners.

Remember that the Japanese and Germans are on the same side during this war. Fuji, talking through Parker as interpreter, pretends to desperately want Quinton McHale to be his prisoner because McHale killed many Japanese when he was in the Pacific. They manage to overpower the Germans and they shock Binghamton when they all ride back to Volta Fiore with their prisoners.

Harrigan even gives them permission to take "some" souvenirs which leads to the final laugh of the episode (which I won't give away).

We had Binghamton getting outwitted in the use of vehicles, Parker being clever and truly THE key person in capturing the enemy patrol, and Fuji getting more to do than say, "Condition Red! Binghamton coming!" That adds up to one of the funniest episodes in the whole series-a 10 from this reviewer.