Yoshio Yoda Dies: ‘McHale’s Navy’ Actor Was 88

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

https://deadline.com/2023/01/yoshio-yoda-dead-mchales-navy-actor-was-88-1235237435/

Yoshio Yoda, who portrayed Fuji, the sweet-natured Japanese prisoner of war befriended by the irreverent gang of American sailors at the center of the 1962-66 ABC World War II-set sitcom McHale’s Navy, died Jan. 13 in Fullerton, CA. He was 88.

Yoda, who also went be the name James Yoshio Yoda during his post-acting career as an executive of Toyota Hawaii, was born in Tokyo and studied law at Keio University in Japan before deciding on an acting career. After moving to the United States, Yoda enrolled at the University of Southern California’s film school.

 

[landtuna]

This is indeed sad. He was one of my favorite actors on that show.

 

[KeithE4]

Was he the last surviving regular on McHale's Navy? I can't think of any that are still with us. All the top-billed actors are gone now.

 

[CTListener]

Was he the last surviving regular on McHale's Navy? I can't think of any that are still with us. All the top-billed actors are gone now.

According to Wikipedia (insert usual caveat here), only Bobby Wright remains alive.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Wright

 

[landtuna]

Was he the last surviving regular on McHale's Navy? I can't think of any that are still with us. All the top-billed actors are gone now.

And it's a shame too because that show had a number of exceptional characters.

I always envied McHale's crew. My naval career (during the early Vietnam War) was not anything like theirs.

 

[CTListener]

And it's a shame too because that show had a number of exceptional characters.

I always envied McHale's crew. My naval career (during the early Vietnam War) was not anything like theirs.

Ernest Borgnine's McHale was just Phil Silvers' Bilko in a different branch of the military. Besides, wasn't most of McHale's Navy set in Italy after that nation had thrown in the towel? That made the show easier to take as pure comedy, a far different vibe from M*A*S*H, where you were always aware that there was a deadly serious war going on.

 

[KeithE4]

Ernest Borgnine's McHale was just Phil Silvers' Bilko in a different branch of the military. Besides, wasn't most of McHale's Navy set in Italy after that nation had thrown in the towel? That made the show easier to take as pure comedy, a far different vibe from M*A*S*H, where you were always aware that there was a deadly serious war going on.

McHale's Navy lasted 4 seasons. The first three were set in the South Pacific, and the last "jump the shark" season (1965-66) was set in Italy.

 

[CTListener]

McHale's Navy lasted 4 seasons. The first three were set in the South Pacific, and the last "jump the shark" season (1965-66) was set in Italy.

Thanks, should have looked it up. I was relying on childhood memories, and I was 10 years old in '65 and just getting into sitcoms with more subtlety than, say, Mr. Ed or My Favorite Martian. I'm sure I watched some of the earlier McHales, because my dad liked the show, but I was too young, apparently, to remember where it was set in those earlier years.

 

[landtuna]

Ernest Borgnine's McHale was just Phil Silvers' Bilko in a different branch of the military. Besides, wasn't most of McHale's Navy set in Italy after that nation had thrown in the towel? That made the show easier to take as pure comedy, a far different vibe from M*A*S*H, where you were always aware that there was a deadly serious war going on.

I was just old enough to catch the last of Bilko. My dad (Leyte invasion force with our army) would criticize that show to the extent I knew I didn't want to be in the army when I got old enough. Plus I thought, in the South Pacific McHale's enemy were the Japanese and Captain Binghamton. Once the move to Italy happened his enemy was the U.S. Army. Not nearly as funny and made no sense.

And if you follow a strict timeline after the Italians quit the war Italy was occupied by the German army. So, McHale was actually fighting the Germans in Italy.