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MEMORIES:
mikeport remembers...This show was why I enlisted in the army as a medic.I have seen SO MANY of these shows that ... More »
Posted on 02/08/09
PHOTOS:
CATCH PHRASE:
Cast:
Cpt. "Trapper John" McIntyre (1972-75)...Wayne Rogers
Captain B.J. Hunnicut (1975-83)...Mike Farrell
Col. Sherman T. Potter (1975-83)...Harry Morgan
Lt. Colonel Henry Blake (1972-75)...McLean Stevenson
Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan...Loretta Swit
Major Charles Emerson Winchester III (1977-83)...David Ogden Stiers
Major Frank Burns (1972-77)...Larry Linville
Corporal/Sergeant Maxwell Q. Klinger...Jamie Farr
Cpl. Walter Eugene "Radar" O'Reilly (1972-79)...Gary Burghoff
Father Francis John Patrick Mulcahy...William Christopher
Rosie the Bar Owner (1979-80)...Eileen Saki
P.A. Announcer (voice)...Todd Susman
P.A. Announcer (voice)...Sal Viscuso
Father John P. Mulcahy (Pilot Only)...George Morgan
Ho-Jon (1972)...Patrick Adiarte
'Spearchucker' Jones (1972)...Timothy Brown
Lieutenant Ginger Ballis (1972-74)...Odessa Cleveland
Lieutenant Leslie Scorch (1972-73)...Linda Meiklejohn
Ugly John (1972-73)...John Orchard
Lieutenant Maggie Dish (1972)...Karen Philipp
Nurse Margie Cutler (1972-73)...Marcia Strassman
General Crandall Clayton (1972-73)...Herb Voland
Captain Hallorin (1973)...Edward Winter
Dr. Sidney Freedman (1973-83)...Allan Arbus
Lieutenant Nancy Griffin (1973)...Lynette Mettey
Nurse (1973-77)...Bobbie Mitchell
Nurse Louise Anderson (1973)...Kelly Jean Peters
General Mitchell (1973-74)...Robert F. Simon
Corporal Igor Straminsky (1974-83)...Jeff Maxwell
Nurse Kealani Kellye (1974-83)...Kellye Nakahara
Nurse (1974-78)...Patricia Stevens
Colonel Flagg (1974-79)...Edward Winter
Corpsman Frank (1975-83)...Frank Slaten
Nurse (1976-83)...Judy Farrell
Sergeant Zelmo Zale (1977-79)...Johnny Haymer
Nurse Bigelow (1977-83)...Enid Kent
Nurse (1978-83)...Jan Jorden
Sergeant Luther Rizzo (1979-83)...G.W. Bailey
Nurse (1979-83)...Jennifer Davis
Nurse (1979-83)...Gwen Farrell
Nurse (1979-81)...Connie Izay
Nurse (1979-83)...Joann Thompson
Nurse (1980-83)...Shari Saba
Roy (1981-83)...Roy Goldman
Nurse (1982-83)...Deborah Harmon
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Release History:
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External Links:
Trivia:
All of the replacement characters on M*A*S*H (Potter, Hunnicutt, and
For eleven seasons, television viewers found themselves in the midst of the Korean War, a conflict that, in reality, only lasted three years. And during those 11 years, M*A*S*H managed to capture the hearts of millions of viewers, bringing them guttural laughter and tears of sorrow, often within the same half-hour. It’s one of the highest-acclaimed television series to ever grace the television screen.
The TV series M*A*S*H was based upon the film of the same name, which was based upon the book of the same name. All three incarnations enjoyed their share of popularity and success but it was on television that M*A*S*H found its most loyal audience. It was presented at a time when the Vietnam War was still being waged and anti-war sentiments were running strong. It was presented at a time when TV was allowing more controversy, with shows like All in the Family testing the boundaries each week. And most importantly, it was presented at a time when Americans needed to laugh at the absurdity of war, if for no other reason than to keep their sanity. And laugh they did.
The series took place at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, located in Uijeongbu, Korea, and revolved around some of the most memorable characters ever conceived. Alan Alda led the wonderful ensemble cast as Capt. Hawkeye Pierce, a surgeon whose razor-sharp wit rivaled his scalpel. He used his humor to battle the disgust of watching soldiers die under his care each and every day. He found a sidekick in “Trapper John” McIntyre (Wayne Rogers,) a fellow surgeon with a shared penchant for mischief, females and homemade gin. Trapper stuck around for the first 3 years of battle before being replaced by B.J. Hunnicutt (Mike Farrell) who quickly assumed the sidekick/best buddy role and, despite his more responsible nature, still managed to get into his own share of trouble alongside Cpl. Pierce.
Assigned to the impossible job of keeping morale high, all while administering last rites too many times to count was the gentle, always helpful, Father Francis Mulcahy (William Christopher.) Communications, mail handling and the occasional bugle serenade were handled by the meek and loveable Radar (played by Gary Burghoff, the only actor in the film to reprise his role on television.) Radar was also an assistant to the Commanding Officer. For the first three years, he worked for Lt. Col. Blake (McLean Stevenson,) a happy-go-lucky sort that was far more interested in fishing than leading a mobile army hospital. Tragically, upon discharge, Blake was killed when his helicopter crashed while returning him home to his family. He was replaced by the no-nonsense, grandfatherly Col. Sherman Potter (Harry Morgan), an always-fair, if not curmudgeonly, leader who did everything in his power to spend as much time as possible painting and riding his beloved horses.
The antagonist of the show was the whiny and petulant Maj. Frank Burns (Larry Linville,) a man who took things far more seriously than his cohorts and became the brunt of many jokes as a result. The love of his life was the sexy, no-nonsense Maj. Margaret “Hot Lips” Hoolihan (Loretta Swit,) head of the nurses of the 4077th. Her and Frank shared a nemesis in Hawkeye Pierce (although that didn’t stop her from once sneaking in a little intimacy with Hawkeye while trapped in a foxhole during a fierce battle.) When Frank finally left the 4077th after five long years, his bunk was given to a stuffy Englishman with a love for classical music, Maj. Charles Emerson Winchester (David Ogden Stiers,) who quickly became the target of Pierce and Hunnicutt’s playfully evil ways.
And last, but certainly not least, there was the unforgettable Maxwell Klinger (Jaime Farr) the cross-dressing Corporal who does everything in his power to convince his commanders that he is crazy enough to be discharged. No matter what frilly dress he wears, complete with matching hat and handbag, the powers that be aren’t men easily fooled and, unfortunately, Klinger never got the break he so desperately sought. Surprisingly enough, the character of Klinger was only supposed to be in one episode. And in fact, he first played the character far more effeminately. When the powers that be saw the footage though, they and Farr determined that the character would be far funnier if he played the role straight. The scene was re-cut and Klinger became a favorite with the audience – so much so that he would remain on the show for all eleven seasons.
The cast of M*A*S*H, for all its combined talents, was elevated to another level, thanks to the outstanding writing team assembled around them. Larry Gelbart, the show’s main writer and producer, got his feet wet in the business alongside the comedic genius of Sid Caesar, Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner while working on Your Show of Shows, starting in 1953. With him and Gene Reynolds at the helm of M*A*S*H, the show initially leaned far more towards the comedic side. In the second half of the show’s history, however, Alan Alda took over much of the writing and directing and at this point, the show moved far more towards the dramatic side. The contrast between the two styles is hard to miss. And throughout the years, the show completely altered the use of the laugh track. In the early days of the show, canned laughter could be heard through an entire episode - as was typical for a sitcom. Later, as more dramatic scenes became common, the laugh track would be removed entirely from a scene, especially those taking place in the operating room, and sometimes even from an entire episode. It was unheard of - and incredibly effective.
There were a number of other differences in the way M*A*SH was filmed. Unlike most shows, which relied heavily on indoor soundstages, this series was filmed extensively on location in what is now Malibu Creek State Park in Malibu, CA. You can still see where the helicopters flew over the hills as the theme song “Suicide is Painless” plays in the background. Once know as the Fox Ranch, after movie studio, Twentieth Century Fox, this popular filming location has also appeared in The Planet of the Apes, How Green was my Valley, My Friend Flicka and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, along with many, many others. Today, an old jeep and ambulance are reported to still sit amidst the overgrown foliage, along with a sign that marks the significance of the location. During filming of the final episode, a wildfire raged nearby, threatening the set. The show effectively incorporated the fire into the plot to account for the easily-visible smoky conditions that were present.
The way M*A*S*H was filmed was innovative in itself. Camera work was approached much more cinematically than most television shows, offering new techniques to better enhance the emotional moments. Long shots, with action playing out in the background were common, as were a number of intricate editing techniques. The show experimented with a number of other creative filming ideas throughout the years, including one that managed to fit an entire year into a single episode and another filmed entirely in black and white and presented in documentary form. Innovations such as these clearly separated M*A*S*H from its competitors.
For all of its achievements, M*A*S*H was honored with a significant number of awards over the years. It garnered 14 Emmy Awards during its eleven-year run, including five given to Alan Alda for both acting and directing and two to Loretta Swit. Director Gene Reynolds earned 3 of these coveted awards for both directing and “best original comedy series.”
For all of the classic episodes that were shown throughout the years, and there were many, two stand out as the most memorable. The first is the episode where Henry Blake is reported to have been killed in a helicopter crash. The scene where Radar shares the news with his shocked comrades is nothing short of heart wrenching. The second such episode occurred at the end of the tenth and final season. In fact, there was never supposed to be a tenth season. The cast and writers, feeling they had run out of ideas, were ready to call it quits after nine years. CBS executives then offered Alda a proposal to bring to his fellow actors; do one more abridged season of 16 episodes and, in return, the show would be given a grandiose and ambitious feature-length send-off. The rest of the cast agreed and on February 28th, 1983, the final episode, “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen” was broadcast to a record-breaking television audience of somewhere between 100-125 million viewers, an astounding 77% of the viewing audience that evening. To this day, it remains the most-watched television episode ever to be broadcast.
The finale takes place at the end of the Korean War, as a long-awaited cease-fire is finally announced and not a moment to soon for Hawkeye who is seriously questioning his sanity. The final moments of this brilliant episode (and indeed, this profound television series) were some of the most tear-jerking scenes ever to be shown on TV. America wept alongside the troops of the 4077th as they said their final heartfelt goodbyes to those with whom they had shared this slice of hell. It is simply one of the most moving endings to a television series that has ever been conceived.
M*A*S*H lives on in perpetual syndication and the entire series is available on DVD, ensuring that fans will continue to follow the antics of Hawkeye Pierce and his cohorts for decades to come. The original series co-existed alongside an unpopular war, managing to show the absurdity of it all in a way that enabled America to laugh despite their unrest. Today, it continues to resonate for many of the same reasons and likely will continue to do so, for as long as wars are fought.
