Phil Silvers (May 11, 1912 - November 1, 1985) was an American entertainer.

His best-known work is The Phil Silvers Show, a 1950s sitcom set on a US Army base in which he played Sergeant Bilko. He won a Tony Award for Best Banana in 1952.

"Born Philip Silversmith in May 1912 in Brooklyn, New York, Silvers was the youngest of eight children. His father, a Russian Jew immigrant was one of the workers on the early New York skyscrapers. Silvers started entertaining at age 11, when he would sing in cinemas when the projector broke down (a common occurrence in those days). Two years later, he left school to sing in professionally, before appearing in vaudeville as a stooge." [1]

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