M*A*S*H

Last updated

M*A*S*H
Mash sign.jpg
The fingerpost from the M*A*S*H set, as seen in the Smithsonian Institution [1]
Created by Richard Hooker
Original work MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors (1968)
Owner 20th Century Studios
Print publications
Novel(s) List of novels (1968–1977)
Films and television
Film(s) M*A*S*H (1970)
Television series
Television film(s) W*A*L*T*E*R (1984)
Theatrical presentations
Play(s)M*A*S*H (1973)
Games
Video game(s) M*A*S*H (1983)

M*A*S*H (an acronym for Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an American media franchise consisting of a series of novels, a film, several television series, plays, and other properties, and based on the semi-autobiographical fiction of Richard Hooker.

Contents

The franchise depicts a group of fictional characters who served at the fictional "4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (M*A*S*H)" during the Korean War, loosely based on the historic 8055th MASH unit. Hawkeye Pierce is featured as the main character, played by Donald Sutherland in the 1970 film M*A*S*H and by Alan Alda on the television series also titled M*A*S*H . Later spin-offs involve characters who appeared in the series, but were set after the end of the war. Almost all versions of the series fit into the genre of black comedy or dramedy; the lead characters were doctors or nurses, and the practice of medicine was at the center of events. However, to relieve the pressures of duty in a field hospital close to the front and the attendant horrors of war, the staff engage in humorous hijinks, frivolity, and petty rivalries off-duty.

The franchise effectively ended with the conclusion of Trapper John, M.D. in September 1986. A large fanbase for the series continues to exist; the show has never been out of syndication worldwide, and 20th Century Fox has had notable success selling the film and seasons of the TV series on DVD.

Novels

Richard Hooker wrote MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors (1968) based on his experiences as a surgeon at the 8055th MASH in South Korea. He published several other novels based on that group. A total of 15 M*A*S*H novels were published between 1968 and 1977, some co-authored by William E. Butterworth.

Film

M*A*S*H is a 1970 feature film adaptation of the original novel. The film was directed by Robert Altman and starred Donald Sutherland as Hawkeye Pierce and Elliott Gould as Trapper John McIntyre. Although the title had no punctuation onscreen, i.e. "MASH", in posters for the movie and in the trailer, it was rendered as M*A*S*H.

Television

M*A*S*H , a TV adaptation of the film, ran from 1972 to 1983, more than three times as long as the war it chronicled. It starred Alan Alda as Hawkeye Pierce and Wayne Rogers as Trapper John McIntyre. After the third season, Rogers left the show and was replaced by Mike Farrell as B. J. Hunnicutt. That same year, Harry Morgan replaced McLean Stevenson. Morgan, a veteran character actor and former Universal contract player, portrayed Colonel Sherman T. Potter. This series is the most popular and best-known version of the franchise and was ranked #25 in TV Guide's "50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time". Its final episode in 1983 was the most-watched in television history. [2]

Trapper John, M.D. featured the character of Trapper John McIntyre, played by Pernell Roberts, twenty-eight years after the events of the M*A*S*H film and television series. It was the first spin-off to feature a character from the series in civilian life after the war. Legally, Trapper John, M.D. is a direct spin-off of the MASH film rather than the television series due to licensing issues. The pilot episode briefly shows a photograph of Rogers and Alda.

AfterMASH was a successor to the original M*A*S*H television series, featuring Harry Morgan, Jamie Farr, and William Christopher after the war, as the same characters they played in the original television series. Gary Burghoff and Edward Winter also appeared as guests. The series was canceled after two seasons.

W*A*L*T*E*R was the pilot for a television series that was not picked up. It would have featured Gary Burghoff reprising the role of Walter O'Reilly. The pilot was shown as a "CBS Special Presentation" on July 17, 1984.

Plays

In 1973, a play by Tim Kelly, based on the book, television show, and film, was published in both one-act and full versions. [3] [4] The play incorporates many of the characters but omits more of the dark comedy aspects. It is occasionally produced by community theater and high school theater companies.

Elsewhere

The cast from the M*A*S*H series appeared in advertising for IBM products, such as the PS/2 line that introduced the PS/2 connector for keyboards and mice.

Fox developed a M*A*S*H video game that was released for the Atari 2600, Atari 8-bit computers, and TI-99/4A. [5] Players alternate between controlling a helicopter picking up wounded soldiers from the front and a surgeon removing shrapnel from a soldier, similar to Microsurgeon . InfoWorld called M*A*S*H "the exception" among the TI 99/4A's generally poor game library. [6]

List of film and TV characters

CharacterM*A*S*H
Film TV series Trapper John, M.D. AfterMASH W*A*L*T*E*R
Walter (Radar) O'Reilly Gary Burghoff Mentioned only Gary Burghoff
Trapper John McIntyre Elliott Gould Wayne Rogers Pernell Roberts
Father John Mulcahy René Auberjonois William Christopher
(George Morgan in the pilot)
William Christopher
General Hammond G. Wood
Hawkeye Pierce Donald Sutherland Alan Alda Mentioned only
Margaret Houlihan Sally Kellerman Loretta Swit
Frank Burns Robert Duvall Larry Linville Mentioned only
Henry Blake Roger Bowen McLean Stevenson
Spearchucker Jones Fred Williamson Timothy Brown
Ho-Jon Kim Atwood Patrick Adiarte
Capt. Ugly John Black Carl Gottlieb John Orchard
Lieutenant Dish Jo Ann Pflug Karen Philipp
1st Lt. Kealani (Nurse Kellye) Nakahara Kellye Nakahara (Voice only) Kellye Nakahara
Ginger Bayliss Odessa Cleveland
Maxwell Klinger Jamie Farr Jamie Farr
Sherman T. Potter Harry Morgan Harry Morgan
Soon-Lee Klinger Rosalind Chao Rosalind Chao
Colonel Sam Flagg Edward Winter Edward Winter
Clete Roberts HimselfHimself
Corporal Judson Timothy Brown
Duke Forrest Tom Skerritt
Walter 'Painless' Koskiusko Waldowski John Schuck
Wade Douglas Vollmer David Arkin
Lt. Margie Cutler Marcia Strassman
B. J. Hunnicutt Mike Farrell
Charles Emerson Winchester III, M.D. David Ogden Stiers Mentioned only
Staff Sergeant Luther Rizzo G. W. Bailey
Major Sidney Freedman Allan Arbus Mentioned only
Lt. Col. Donald Penobscott Beeson Carroll / Mike Henry
Igor Straminsky Jeff Maxwell / Peter Riegert
Staff Sergeant Zelmo Zale Johnny Haymer
Stanley Riverside III Charles Siebert
Justin 'Jackpot' Jackson Brian Stokes Mitchell
Arnold Slocum Simon Scott
Melanie McIntyre Jessica Walter
Ernestine Shoop Madge Sinclair
George 'Gonzo' Gates Gregory Harrison
Gloria "Ripples" Brancusi Christopher Norris
John J.T. McIntyre Timothy Busfield
Clara 'Starch' Willoughby Mary McCarty
Libby Kegler Lorna Luft
Mildred Potter Mentioned only Barbara Townsend / Anne Pitoniak
Alma Cox Brandis Kemp
Michael D'Angelo John Chappell
Bob Scannell Patrick Cranshaw
Bonnie Hornback Wendy Schaal
Dr. Boyer David Ackroyd
Gene Pfeiffer Jay O. Sanders
Wally Wainright Peter Michael Goetz
Wendell Micklejohn Ray Buktenica
Victoria Victoria Jackson
Sergeant Sowell Noble Willingham

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wayne Rogers</span> American actor (1933–2015)

William Wayne McMillan Rogers III was an American actor, known for playing the role of Captain "Trapper" John McIntyre in the CBS television series M*A*S*H and as Dr. Charley Michaels on House Calls (1979–1982).

<i>M*A*S*H</i> (TV series) American war comedy-drama TV series (1972–1983)

M*A*S*H is an American war comedy drama television series that aired on CBS from September 17, 1972, to February 28, 1983. It was developed by Larry Gelbart as the first original spin-off series adapted from the 1970 feature film M*A*S*H, which, in turn, was based on Richard Hooker's 1968 novel MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors. The series, which was produced with 20th Century Fox Television for CBS, follows a team of doctors and support staff stationed at the "4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital" in Uijeongbu, South Korea, during the Korean War (1950–53).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Hooker (author)</span> American writer and surgeon (1924–1997)

Hiester Richard Hornberger Jr. was an American writer and surgeon who wrote under the pseudonym Richard Hooker. Hornberger's best-known work is his novel MASH (1968), based on his experiences as a wartime United States Army surgeon during the Korean War (1950–1953) and written in collaboration with W.C. Heinz. It was used as the basis for an award-winning, critically and commercially successful movie – M*A*S*H (1970) — and two years later in an acclaimed long running television series (1972–1983) of the same title.

Hawkeye may refer to:

<i>Trapper John, M.D.</i> US medical drama TV series

Trapper John, M.D. is an American medical drama television series and spin-off of the film M*A*S*H (1970). Pernell Roberts portrayed the title character, a lovable surgeon who became a mentor and father figure in San Francisco, California. The show ran on CBS for seven seasons, from September 23, 1979, to September 4, 1986. Roberts played the character more than twice as long as had Wayne Rogers (1972–75) on the TV series M*A*S*H. The role of Trapper John was played by Elliott Gould in the film.

<i>W*A*L*T*E*R</i> American television pilot

W*A*L*T*E*R is a 1984 American television pilot for the third spin-off of M*A*S*H that was never picked up. It starred Gary Burghoff, who reprised his M*A*S*H character.

"Yankee Doodle Doctor" is an episode of the television series M*A*S*H. It was the sixth episode broadcast and aired on October 22, 1972, and it was rerun April 8, 1973. It was written by Laurence Marks and directed by Lee Philips.

"Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" is a television film that served as the series finale of the American television series M*A*S*H. The 2½-hour episode first aired on CBS on February 28, 1983, ending the series' original run. The episode was written by eight collaborators, including series star Alan Alda, who also directed. As of 2024, it remains the most-watched single episode of any television series in U.S. history, and for twenty-seven years was the most-watched single broadcast in television history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Late Captain Pierce</span> 4th episode of the 4th season of M*A*S*H

"The Late Captain Pierce" is an episode from M*A*S*H. It was the fourth episode of the fourth season and aired on October 3, 1975 (first-run) and April 6, 1976 (repeat). It was written by Glen and Les Charles and directed by Alan Alda.

<i>MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors</i> 1968 book about fictional MASH unit 4077

MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors is a 1968 novel written by Richard Hooker with the assistance of writer W.C. Heinz. It is notable as the foundation of the M*A*S*H franchise, which includes a 1970 feature film and a long-running TV series (1972–1983). The novel is about a fictional U.S. Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in South Korea during the Korean War.

<i>M*A*S*H Goes to Maine</i> 1971 novel written by Richard Hooker

M*A*S*H Goes to Maine is a novel written by Richard Hooker and originally published in 1971. A sequel to 1968's book MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors, it features several of that novel's characters back in rural Maine after the Korean War armistice. An attempt to adapt M*A*S*H Goes to Maine as a feature film sequel to the 1970 movie was unsuccessful.

"Abyssinia, Henry" is the 72nd episode of the M*A*S*H television series and the final episode of the series' third season. It was written by Everett Greenbaum and Jim Fritzell, and it first aired on March 18, 1975. The episode is notable for its shocking ending, in which the unit's amiable commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake receives an honorable discharge and leaves for home but, in the final scene, is reported killed by enemy fire. This ending prompted more than 1,000 letters to series producers Gene Reynolds and Larry Gelbart, and drew fire from both CBS and 20th Century Fox.

Gaylord Ravenal is the leading male character in Edna Ferber's 1926 novel Show Boat, in the famous Jerome Kern-Oscar Hammerstein II 1927 musical play of the same name based on the novel, and in the films made from it. He is a handsome, compulsive riverboat gambler, and he becomes leading man of the show boat Cotton Blossom at the same time that Magnolia Hawks, the captain's daughter, becomes the leading lady. In the novel, this happens after several of the company's leading men and ladies have left, including the illegally married mulatto Julie Dozier and her white husband Steve Baker. In the musical, Magnolia and Ravenal become the leading players on the boat immediately after Julie and Steve are forced to leave the show, not years later.

"The Consultant" is the 17th episode in the third season of the television series M*A*S*H. It originally aired on January 17, 1975. It was written by Robert Klane, from a story by Larry Gelbart, and was directed by Gene Reynolds.

"House Arrest" is the 18th episode in the third season of M*A*S*H. It originally broadcast on February 4, 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Requiem for a Lightweight</span> 3rd episode of the 1st season of M*A*S*H

"Requiem for a Lightweight" is the third episode of the television series M*A*S*H. It was first aired on October 1, 1972 and was repeated on December 31, 1972, the first episode of M*A*S*H to do so. In Watching M*A*S*H, Watching America, a sociological examination of M*A*S*H as an illustration of shifting American values in the 1970s and early 1980s, James H. Wittebols cites this episode as an example of the sexual humor which was common in early M*A*S*H episodes, but downplayed later in the program's history.

<i>M*A*S*H</i> (film) 1970 film by Robert Altman

M*A*S*H is a 1970 American black comedy war film directed by Robert Altman and written by Ring Lardner Jr., based on Richard Hooker's 1968 novel MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors. The film is the only theatrically released feature film in the M*A*S*H franchise.

"Dear Sigmund" is the 8th episode of the fifth season of the television series M*A*S*H. It first aired on CBS on September 18, 1976. The episode was conceived, written and directed by cast member Alan Alda, who played Hawkeye Pierce on the show.

References

  1. "M*A*S*H Signpost". National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved June 5, 2008.
  2. "Korean war". History Channel. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
  3. Kelly, Tim; Hooker, Richard (1973). M*A*S*H – 1-Act: A Novel about Three Army Doctors. Dramatic Publishing. ISBN   978-0-87129-382-4.
  4. Hooker, Richard; Kelly, Tim (1973). M A S H. Dramatic Publishing. ISBN   978-0-87129-428-9.
  5. "M*A*S*H on MobyGames". MobyGames . Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  6. Mace, Scott (May 7, 1984). "In Praise of Classics". InfoWorld. p. 56. Retrieved February 6, 2015.