While MASH units in the early part of the Korean War bugged out, or mobilized quite often, the MASH 4077 showrunners couldn’t really have the camp move to an entirely new location. They only had one outdoor filming location, the Fox Ranch in the Malibu Mountains, and it would have been impossible to make this … Read more
MASH fans often wonder why Radar O’Reilly didn’t make all the PA announcements on the show. He was the only company clerk, and he also manned the radios and phone. He often used the PA system to make announcements, and his workstation was near the PA system. Yet, the show used another voice for the … Read more
The creators of the MASH TV Series, Larry Gelbart and Gene Reynolds, always objected to having a laugh track on the show. It was a show set in a warzone, about a medical unit dealing with the horrific aftermath of bloody battles, so they felt that a laugh track was inappropriate. CBS insisted on treating … Read more
Have you ever noticed something odd about the MASH 4077 camp? In the outdoor shots, during the daylight, with the mountains and chopper pads in the distance, the camp seems large and more spread out than in the other close-in shots, such as most night-time shots and shots inside tents. The camp is suddenly more … Read more
For dedicated fans, the MASH pilot is like an archeology dig, full of artifacts! The pilot featured several details that were never again used in the show. Some of these were creative decisions, and others created inconsistencies in the storyline. One of the major inconsistencies in the first season concerned Ho-John, the Korean “house-boy” for … Read more
Many of you reading this may not be familiar with this legendary comedian and actor. When I was growing up, in the 1970s, he was a huge star in stand-up comedy. I saw him so many times on the Tonight Show and elsewhere. He sold tons of comedy albums. And, believe it or not, his … Read more
Say what you want about the accuracy of MASH’s portrayal of the military and the Korean War, but several principal actors had real military experience, including in Korea. One of them actually wore his true U.S. Army dog tags in the show. Which MASH actors were really in the military? Alan Alda, Jamie Farr, Wayne … Read more
Online theories abound about the true fate of the character Spearchucker Jones on MASH. There are two main theories as to why his character was dropped from the show after only six episodes. 1) The producers dropped the character to make room in an already crowded cast for the portrayal of Hawkeye and Trapper, and … Read more
MASH units were first designed in 1948 and were deployed to Korea by the United States army in June 1950. These Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals were designed to be highly mobile, flexible, and forward-deployed. This means they were able to be moved to a new location in a very short time. They were also designed … Read more
The iconic TV show MASH was definitely a comedy. However, it also had deeply dramatic elements and dealt seriously with the realities of war. There were plenty of jokes and “situations” that were contrived to cause comedic scenes. And, the character of Frank Burns was himself such a contrivance. The character existed to create situations … Read more