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M*A*S*H - General Discussion

Rhondinella

By Rhondinella
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BetterButter
BetterButter
rubaco
rubaco

Oral History of M*A*S*H from the Hollywood Reporter. I've read or heard most of those anecdotes before, but this story from Loretta Swit (about a scene in "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen") was news to me,

stonehaven
stonehaven

"I'm a supervisor, I don't have to be useful"-Frank I quote that way too often at my job.....

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Ailianna

Ailianna

1 hour ago, EighteenTwelve said:

Not defending it, but how big a deal would it have been in the early 1950s for a woman with a kid to take a job?

A woman with an infant whose husband, a doctor who was supposed to be able to provide for them without her working forever, but who is off in Korea instead so she has no other support?  I agree that he handled it badly, but BK even makes the point that he was supposed to be there for her, with the mortgage paid off and without the house falling apart and bills to pay.  He felt he was letting them down, and I think it was more about that than about her working.  She apparently worked while he was in school and he was ok with that.  It was a different situation.

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fishcakes

fishcakes

With BJ, it feels like it's more than just 1950s attitudes about married moms working, which weren't positive and a lot of that still exists today. However, last night they showed the episode where he loses his shit (again) because Peg writes him that the gutters need cleaning. He spins all these elaborate fantasies about how she'll either try to clean them herself and not notice that the ladder is broken so she'll fall off and break something, or she'll call the handsome and ripped handyman and end up sleeping with him. In his mind, she seems to be either an incompetent dolt or an unfaithful wife who needs him there at home with her to keep her in line and to stop her from sticking forks in the electrical outlets and whatnot.

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mmecorday

mmecorday

Quote

You ask me, BJ's worst moment was when he went on a bitter drunken gambling bender because his wife *gasp*... took a part-time job! The horror!

I take issue with how BJ reacts when his hand is badly injured and he keeps acting like it's no big deal, when he knows it's quickly becoming a serious issue. A surgeon would be deeply concerned about losing the use of a hand and would take steps early on to keep things from spiraling out of control.

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WendyCR72

WendyCR72

26 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

Drunk Margaret is the best.

And I noticed, in both the episodes where Trapper thought he was going home because of his ulcer, and the episode where Margaret wanted a transfer and got drunk then, she always seemed to sparkle for Trapper, not Hawkeye. The latter only happened once Trapper was gone.

I did love her line when Frank was warning her about alcohol being fattening [since Margaret was told by Hawkeye to lose a bit of weight following her physical]:

"It's okay, Frank. I'm planning to throw up later." Hee.

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WendyCR72

WendyCR72

While WGN's will continue, I was very surprised to see that, as of this Saturday, the long MASH marathons on Sundance are no more! (I checked next week, as well, to see if it was a fluke because of being the weekend after the new year, and nope!) The Rifleman is taking over.

Still, as I said, WGN is still showing it as are Me-TV and TVLand daily.

PennyPlain

PennyPlain

On 10/27/2019 at 3:33 PM, Ailianna said:

He felt he was letting them down, and I think it was more about that than about her working. 

I was no fan of BJ and his idiotic practical "jokes" but this was one aspect of his character that I thought made sense.  He felt he was letting his family down and also it hurt that they could cope without him!  My husband never went off to war but for his job he was often away for months at a time and it was always tricky walking that fine line between reassuring him that all was well at home without making him think we didn't actually need him at home!  

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WendyCR72

WendyCR72

The TV series and movie seem like different animals, but this scene from the movie seems like it could have happened in the show. Of course, TV Henry probably would not be in bed with a woman while Margaret ranted about Hawkeye and Trapper (and, to put this clip in context, I guess the shower tent had been ripped away, showing Hot Lips in the shower).

And in this movie version, it seems like Blake really had no effs to give - even less than TV Henry - given his reaction! (Side note: Movie Henry Blake, Roger Bowen, died on February 16, 1996. TV Henry Blake, McLean Stevenson, died on February 15, 1996! And both of heart issues. Apparently, Bowen's family held off on announcing his passing for one week so as not to get the two confused. Still, to die a day apart of similar ailments and having played the same role...kind of funky!)

Also probably already known, but Gary Burghoff was the only cast member to play the same role in both the movie and TV show (Radar, naturally).

 

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mmecorday

mmecorday

Quote

The TV series and movie seem like different animals, but this scene from the movie seems like it could have happened in the show. Of course, TV Henry probably would not be in bed with a woman while Margaret ranted about Hawkeye and Trapper (and, to put this clip in context, I guess the shower tent had been ripped away, showing Hot Lips in the shower).

I agree. And as I watched that clip, I tried to imagine how Loretta Swit would have acted in that scene. We sure did see TV Margaret in the shower a lot during the 11 seasons of the show. And running around the camp in a towel, too.

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fishcakes

fishcakes

1 minute ago, mmecorday said:

I love to watch the reruns, but it does make me a little sad that so many of the cast members have died 😞

I don't think about it so much with scripted shows, but when AntennaTV started showing full episodes of the Johnny Carson Tonight Show, I was pretty excited to watch. But after seeing a couple from the 1970s, I realized that every single person on the show was dead now, and it just became too depressing.

WendyCR72

WendyCR72

I remember when Charles was being his usual charming self and was being selfish about - I think - sharing his newspapers from home. He somehow ended up in some Japanese robe or something and he stumbled upon Lt. Kellye.

She asked Charles if he spoke Japanese and when he replied in the negative, I remember she then insulted him - in Japanese, naturally.

She was only focused upon in the later years, but she was a minor character also on the show from word go.

sATL

sATL

(edited)

Why are the MASH reruns dwindling from TV ? surly it's not because  of the  "68 whiskey" show ?

MASH used to come on 6 days a week. M-Sat. EST

  • Saturday WGN would air it nearly 1/2 day around 11 am ish to 5-6 pm
  • Monday Sundance would marathon from about 6 am to 2-3 pm
  • M-F TVland would air from 4 pm - 6 pm
  • A local station air 2 episodes from 7-8 pm M-F  ---> this is the only one left

Most of these time slots are taken by Andy Griffith. No disrespect to Andy, Barney and Opie, but there is room on TV for both. Andy didn't have that many episodes - so one is really watching re-run of the re-run.  I really don't like Andy without Barney - as he left before the series ended.

Edited by sATL
sATL

sATL

On 3/29/2019 at 5:52 AM, Danny Franks said:

To be honest, any cameo or return for Henry would have been unrealistic anyway. Henry hated being in Korea, he'd never go back unless he was at gunpoint.

When I first watched MASH as a kid, it was episodes from the two seasons with Potter, BJ and Frank, so I always consider them the seminal cast, along with Hawkeye, Radar and Hot Lips. I never warmed to Trapper or Henry in the same way. And I always found Henry to be a very sad man. There was something so defeated about him, all the time, and I can't envisage that he'd have had a happy life, back in Bloomington.

To be honest, I struggle to think of how any of the would have adapted back to their normal lives. I guess BJ was the most well adjusted and stable character, and he probably would have slotted right back into his happy family. I couldn't see Hawkeye treating regular patients again, for coughs and colds.

I wonder how Hawkeye would have fared running though women back home in Crab Apple Cove Maine. Most would have probably been married, or aware of his love-them-leave-them ways.

Charles would have been alright. As long he would have been in the running for some top job at the hospital. His family money and lifestyle would still have been there.

Potter was plotting for his return-retirement since he arrived. I think he would have adjusted the most - once Mrs Potter got used to having him home 24/7.

 

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rubaco

rubaco

1 hour ago, sATL said:

Why are the MASH reruns dwindling from TV ? surly it's not because  of the  "68 whiskey" show ?

MASH used to come on 6 days a week. M-Sat. EST

  • Saturday WGN would air it nearly 1/2 day around 11 am ish to 5-6 pm
  • Monday Sundance would marathon from about 6 am to 2-3 pm
  • M-F TVland would air from 4 pm - 6 pm
  • A local station air 2 episodes from 7-8 pm M-F  ---> this is the only one left

It looks like WGN America has dropped it entirely. Not sure what's going on with TV Land. Their website still lists it as one of their shows, but yeah, it's been missing from the afternoon slot lately. 

Hulu has the entire series.

sATL

sATL

On 10/28/2018 at 12:35 AM, ShutUpLutz said:

I think Margaret 'turned' as it were when she came back from her honeymoon early because Donald had turned into a bag of dicks and she talked about it with Hawkeye and BJ, and they were compassionate and sorry for her. I think Hawkeye ALWAYS liked and respected Margaret as a nurse, he always chose her if it was a tough difficult operation. What she didn't like was his utter and complete disdain and in her mind and eyes, complete DISRESPECT for the military and particularly the army, which hurt her even more because her entire life had been and was the army. She'd never been a civilian. And I think the episode where they had sex got them closer, as it would have had to. 

 

Margret and Hawkeye had sex ?? when?

I didn't think they actually did the "deed" in the episode where they were traveling to another MASH to show-and-tell an operation and got stranded when the jeep broke down, in an abandoned shack. They were drunk and kissed but I thought later , they both said nothing happened.

Raja

Raja

1 hour ago, sATL said:

Margret and Hawkeye had sex ?? when?

I didn't think they actually did the "deed" in the episode where they were traveling to another MASH to show-and-tell an operation and got stranded when the jeep broke down, in an abandoned shack. They were drunk and kissed but I thought later , they both said nothing happened.

. It could have been they just cuddled and kissed or they did the deed. That was left for us to fill in the blank.

Ailianna

Ailianna

2 hours ago, sATL said:

Margret and Hawkeye had sex ?? when?

I didn't think they actually did the "deed" in the episode where they were traveling to another MASH to show-and-tell an operation and got stranded when the jeep broke down, in an abandoned shack. They were drunk and kissed but I thought later , they both said nothing happened.

Worst episode of the entire series, and it's a two-parter.  Comrades in Arms.  I hate that episode, because Margaret gets HORRIBLE.  She's shrieky and whiny and demanding and assuming.  Hawkeye is only marginally better, trying to avoid confrontation and all.  I think they must have had sex, because he asks her how does she "usually" tell Donald, and if they didn't have sex, no reason to tell Donald.  Also, she was all about how they were now in a relationship, and she is going to change him,--I think the television standards of the time being what they were, that's as much as they could show.  But I think, again, with those standards in mind, and the conversation that follows, the writers were clearly showing they had sex, without saying they had sex.

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The Crazed Spruce

The Crazed Spruce

18 hours ago, Ailianna said:

I hate that episode, because Margaret gets HORRIBLE.  She's shrieky and whiny and demanding and assuming.  

I agree, she was horrible, but that wasn't much different from the way she acted around Frank when they, shall we say, "dated".  And considering that this is only the third quote-unquote "relationship" we've seen her in, we can't be sure that's entirely out of character for her to act like that with her significant other. Hawkeye's just the first one to call her out on it. (She and Donald didn't get together often enough for it to be an issue for him, and, let's face it, Frank probably got off on it.)

I get why you hate the episode, but you ask me, it's an important step in Margaret's transition from the two-note character she was in the early seasons to the more well-rounded character she became later on.

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Twilight Man

Twilight Man

Timothy Brown, who played "Spearchucker" on the TV series

(and he played Cpl. Judson in the movie )

passed away at the age of 82.

I do realize that the show had a limited budget and could not

afford a multitude of characters, but I still wish that the show

would have kept some more of the characters from the first season. 

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WendyCR72

WendyCR72

Had no idea the actor that played Spearchucker (and no way would THAT nickname fly today!) was an NFL player. May Mr. Brown RIP. I remember him from the series (less so the movie) and thought it odd how, one minute his character and - I think - the Australian doctor, Ugly John (likely helpful in differentiating from Trapper John) - also lived in The Swamp and then...poof!

Just gone. I wish they had stayed, too.

Wonder if the reason for their disappearance (albeit Ugly John would pop up early on for a bit before doing a complete fade) was due to budget or something else?

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rubaco

rubaco

I've read two reasons over the years for why Spearchucker was written off. Twilight Man's right that one reason was budget (they needed to cut back on so many 'main characters,' remember that the show was far from successful in its first year). The other reason was the producers discovered that there had been no black surgeons in Korea. 

Chaos Theory

Chaos Theory

One of the big reasons I don’t really like the early seasons of MASH is that what is supposed to be funny doesn’t come off that way a lot of times.    In  Yankee Doodle Doctor Hawkeye and Trapper intentionally mess up a film about the 4077 that would make them and Henry look good because they are offended by its message.   Even if you hate war and disliked the movie the film itself more then likely would have given Henry And the unite some much needed collateral to ask for supplies they actually needed but instead it comes off like a joke that everyone laughs at.   The same with the very next episode where Hawkeye pretends to lose his mind because Henry denies him leave.    I know It’s a comedy especially during the early years but Hawkeye really was an ass even to the people he liked like Henry.  

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WendyCR72

WendyCR72

7 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

One of the big reasons I don’t really like the early seasons of MASH is that what is supposed to be funny doesn’t come off that way a lot of times.    In  Yankee Doodle Doctor Hawkeye and Trapper intentionally mess up a film about the 4077 that would make them and Henry look good because they are offended by its message.   Even if you hate war and disliked the movie the film itself more then likely would have given Henry And the unite some much needed collateral to ask for supplies they actually needed but instead it comes off like a joke that everyone laughs at.   The same with the very next episode where Hawkeye pretends to lose his mind because Henry denies him leave.    I know It’s a comedy especially during the early years but Hawkeye really was an ass even to the people he liked like Henry.  

I LOVE the early seasons. For me? I just look at it as it was intended: Trying to stay sane during the craziness of war. And using humor to do it. I really got turned off the show later on when it started going all sad and into drama and with constant preaching about the evils of war. People know war is horrible. I think the show got too caught up in its own messaging.

As for "Yankee Doodle Doctor", it made me laugh. So it worked for me.  (Trapper as Harpo seemed fitting, somehow! Maybe it was the curly hair!)

On a side note, it was always nice to see a young Marcia Strassman as Nurse Margie Cutler in that episode - and a few more. I know she gained later fame as Julie Kotter on Welcome Back, Kotter and the Honey, I Shrunk The Kids franchise. A shame she died so relatively young of cancer. Always wondered if the show was toying with making her a semi-permanent love interest for Hawkeye as she kept popping up, but then she left, so...guess not!

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Ailianna

Ailianna

I guess the reason some of the early episodes fall flat for me is that the humor is really dated.  There are a LOT of rape jokes, for example, and my dislike of those goes back decades, and is not a #MeToo reaction to them.  The humor is also very broad and sometimes a bit too much "hit you over the head" with it.  I guess I like it a little more subtle.  My favorite years are the season 4 to 6 or 7, I guess.  Although I love Charles, his absence doesn't ruin things for me.  And his first year has a bunch I really love, like Change Day, The Smell of Music, and some others.

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WendyCR72

WendyCR72

22 minutes ago, Ailianna said:

I guess the reason some of the early episodes fall flat for me is that the humor is really dated.  There are a LOT of rape jokes, for example, and my dislike of those goes back decades, and is not a #MeToo reaction to them.  The humor is also very broad and sometimes a bit too much "hit you over the head" with it.  I guess I like it a little more subtle.  My favorite years are the season 4 to 6 or 7, I guess.  Although I love Charles, his absence doesn't ruin things for me.  And his first year has a bunch I really love, like Change Day, The Smell of Music, and some others.

No harm, no foul! 🙂

I get we're not always going to agree. At least the show seems to have an "era" for everybody.

sATL

sATL

(edited)
On 4/11/2020 at 9:53 AM, rubaco said:

I've read two reasons over the years for why Spearchucker was written off. Twilight Man's right that one reason was budget (they needed to cut back on so many 'main characters,' remember that the show was far from successful in its first year). The other reason was the producers discovered that there had been no black surgeons in Korea. 

Capt. Alvin Vincent Blount Jr - 8225th MASH from Fort Bragg 

.https://www.army.mil/article/217374/black_history_month_recalling_the_first_african_american_mash_surgeon

Edited by sATL
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sATL

sATL

(edited)

Just popped in to see if anyone had guesses as to why there are so few airings of MASH during this time when very little is on TV...

looks like TVLAND showed about 2 hrs worth last tue-thur in the morning - in the name of trying to bring comedy as a relief to COVID news...hopefully that continues.. I really miss the Sundance channel showing a marathon for hours. - I think on Saturday.

And I just noticed that the airings on the MeTV channel (7, 7:30 pm EST M-F) shows scenes within an episode I have never seen before...that is interesting.

Now why is on Sat. (today) they have to show "3 Stooges" in the same time slot???? That's worse that the "Andy Griffith" takeover.

Edited by sATL

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