'The night of the Emmy Awards Dinner when we received 5 Emmys. 'It gives you a great feeling of achievement when, all these years later, people still know me as Fielding Zimmerman.'ĭo you have on particular memory of working on the show? I spoke to him in California after he became ill but I never got to see him in person again.'Īfter all these years how does it feel to be a part of such a classic television milestone?

Then I visited him backstage at DO RE MI. 'I would meet Phil every so often at Sands, the famous restaurant in Shubert Alley. In the years following the shows cancellation did you have any contact with Phil? He was a big hit artistically and an even bigger hit with the casinos where he spent a lot of money.' He was joined by Doberman, Fender, Paparelli and Henshaw. In 1956 Phil played some live shows in Las Vegas with some of the Bilko cast. 'Ned didn't come back because he was anxious to return to his lovely home in California!'

Why didn't Ned Glass (Pendleton) return for a second season? 'Harry Clark's death was a great shock since he died during a lunch break playing 4-wall handball.' I would tell Nat Hiken and he might say 'We'll use it!' but there was no just doing a line off the top of your head without clearing it first!'Īt the end of the first season Harry Clark (Sowici) passed away. 'There is no ad-libbing in television - a thirty minute show had three one-minute commercial breaks - that left about twenty seven minutes. Were you ever allowed to throw in ad-libs on set? Paul Ford (Col.Hall), Harvey Lembeck (Barbella) and Allan Melvin (Henshaw) and I saw a lot of each other socially.' Phil hardly mixed socially - he was always busy with lines and things for the show. 'On the set yes, we were one big happy family. Phil often stated that working on the show was like being part of one big happy family. As an actor you hardly get inspired - you do your thing and try to do it the best you can.' I thought of him as the best book comic in show business. 'Billy Sands (Paparelli) was a friend of mine and I knew Herbie Faye (Fender) from the Catskills - but nobody else.'ĭid the thought of working alongside Phil Silvers inspire you and what were your thoughts on him as a comedian? Maurice Brenner (Flesichman) was actually called Doberman for a couple of shows.'ĭid you know or work with any of the cast before 'Sgt.Bilko'? 'Nat didn't create Fielding Zimmerman for me, but after the third show our names were sort of assigned to us. Did he create Fielding Zimmerman for you?

We've often heard that Nat Hiken was inspired by people, such as Maurice Gosfield, to specifically create parts to fit the faces. Seeing those brilliant scripts come to life was a new thrill every week!.' When it showed on a Tuesday night you knew that the next day people would keep talking about 'last night's show'. 'The pride of being on a show that was not the usual sit-com. What are your memories of working on the show? Fielding Zimmerman you became one of the shows most popular characters. Enjoy this fascinating interview with the man who played one of the shows most popular characters. First up in the Roll Call is Mickey Freeman who played Private Fielding Zimmerman.

Inmr marvin zimmerman