It was quite common for one actor to play multiple roles on MASH. This happened most often with various Asian-American actors, like Richard Lee-Sung and Mako. Actor Stuart Margolin appeared twice, once as a visiting psychiatrist who examined Hawkeye, and again as a plastic surgeon who was a friend of Hawkeye and Trapper. Most famously, Harry Morgan appeared as a mentally deranged Major General, Bartford Hamilton Steele, before returning in the permanent role of Colonel Sherman Potter, commanding officer. But one holds the record for playing the most characters on MASH. Bobbie Mitchell appeared as various nurses in the series 18 different times. While the characters sometimes had the same name, this doesn’t mean they were the same character!
Bobbie Mitchell’s MASH Appearances
During the first season of MASH, Bobbie Mitchell appeared only once, as a nurse named Lt. Mason. In Season 2, she appeared six times, as Lt. Marshall, Lt. Gilbert, Lt. Lyons (twice), Lt. Murphy, and Lt. Mitchell.
In Season 3, Mitchell appeared eight times, including as Lt. Mitchell (uncredited), Lt. Able (3 times), and Lt. Baker (4 times). By this time in the series, the pattern of naming nurses with generic names based on the military phonetic alphabet had been established. The recurring names Able, Baker, and Charlie are all based on this naming convention. The generic and interchangeable nature of these characters, who were played by various actors, is why I suggested that when Bobbie Mitchell played a character with the same name more than once, it was not necessarily meant to be the same character.
Mitchell’s hair changed color in different appearances, but she most often appeared with short dark hair. In Season 4, she appeared once as Lt. Gage, and then again as Lt. Gage in Season 5. Mitchell did not have any roles on the show after season 5.
Mitchell Demonstrates the Generic Nature of MASH Nurses as “Props”
Her appearances serve as an illustration of one of my chief criticisms of MASH, which is how the showrunners treated the nurses, and the actors who portrayed them, as disposable props for the doctors to hit on or date. Mitchell’s chief role as a character could be summed up as “cute nurse for Hawkeye to date” and more generally, “cute nurse for the doctors to date.” She usually appeared during the first third of the episode and rarely appeared in an episode more than once. Below is a complete list of her appearances, including a brief description of each, including her dialogue, if available.
It is important to understand that for the majority of the time, nurses were considered extras. Even though the same actress would appear in many episodes, they were not necessarily ever officially assigned a character. When an “extra” actor who played a nurse is attached to a nurse’s name in the closing credits, this is usually done simply to give them credit, not as any official assignment of that character to them in a permanent way.
Detailed Descriptions of Bobbie Mitchell’s Roles On MASH
1) Season 1, Episode 20, “Army Navy Game” – Lt. Mason
Bobbie Mitchell as Lt. Mason appears in Col. Blake’s office with Hawkeye, Trapper, and another nurse to celebrate the beginning of the Army-Navy Games. She is shaking yellow, black, and white pom poms and dancing with the doctors. In this episode, she has short dark hair and no dialogue.
2) Season 2, Episode 1, “Divided We Stand: Lt. Marshall
Nurse Marshall appears in the Swamp, during a bitterly cold winter, playing strip poker with Hawkeye and Trapper. She is bundled up and warm, while they have literally lost their shirts. Hawkeye has also lost his pants. “Everybody ready?” she asks. Hawkeye lays down two kings. Trapper has three 3s. Marshall lays her cards down: “Full house!” Hawkeye, freezing, tries to warm his hands and face, knowing what’s coming. “Pay up!” Marshall demands. He tells Trapper, “Turn your back.” Then he removes his dog tags.
3) Season 2, Episode 8, “The Trial of Henry Blake” – Lt. Marshall
In this episode, Lt. Marshall is on a date with Hawkeye. The two appear to be having an outdoor picnic, but in the scene, they are kissing while Klinger attempts his famous escape using a homemade hang glider, “looking like a big red bird with fuzzy pink feet.” When Hawkeye asks, “Did you see that?” Lt. Marshall replies, “What?” Mitchell has no other dialogue.
4) Season 2, Episode 9, “Dear Dad… Three” – Lt. Gilbert
The staff is enjoying “Happy Hour,” where they drink and dance in the mess tent. Mitchell, as Lt. Gilbert, appears in this scene talking with Radar. Drink in hand, she asks Radar, “Can I ask you a question?” When he says, “Sure,” she says, “Everybody says you’re a virgin. Is that true?” Radar replies, abashed and confused, “I really don’t know.” She appears again later in the episode, but on the same night, dancing with Radar
5) Season 2, Episode 18, “Operation Noselift” – Lt. Lyons
Trapper is looking for the visiting plastic surgeon, Major Stanley “Stosh” Robbins, who is more interested in making time with the nurses than in giving a young soldier a nose job (on the sly). Trapper comes into the nurse’s shower where Nurse Lyons, played by Mitchell, is taking a shower. He asks her, “Is Dr. Robbins in here?” “I wouldn’t be a bit surprised,” she replies.
6) Season 2, Episode 19, “The Chosen People” – Lt. Lyons
Bobbie Mitchell, for the first tim,e appears in the operating room (at least in a noticeable way), assisting Hawkeye on a surgery. Hawkeye is trying out Korean phrases with Captain Sam Pak, played by Pat Morita (who never even spoke Japanese, let alone Korean). Hawkeye keeps getting the phrases wrong, saying things like “my uncle has gas from eating cabbage” and “the uncle with gas is now pregnant,” according to Pak. Hawkeye asks for saline, and Nurse Lyons (Mitchell) repeats the order and then “clamp” a few minutes later. Later in the episode, she asks Radar who he is going to the movies with tonight. Radar’s reputation as a ladies’ man has received a boost since he was falsely fingered by a young Korean woman as the father of her child.
7) Season 2, Episode 20, “As You Were” – Lt. Murphy
In this episode, Frank’s hernia has been acting up, and it finally strangulates during an O.R. session. Hawkeye has to do an emergency surgery, and Mitchell, as Nurse Murphy, appears while Hawkeye is scrubbing up. While washing his hands, Hawkeye says, “If my hands could talk, they’d scream….They’re raw from all the scrubbing.” Nurse Murphy, drying her own hands, jokingly replies, “Why don’t you see a doctor?” “How would you like a swift kiss in the mouth?” says Hawkeye. Although I am not sure, Mitchell may also appear in various surgery scenes in this episode, as well.
8) Season 2, Episode 22, “George” – Lt Mitchell
In this episode, Bobbie Mitchell’s character is given her own last name. She appears with Hawkeye in a scene where Hawkeye is painting Nurse Mitchell’s toenails. “You’re very good at this,” she says. “I majored in tickling at medical school.” Mitchell then says, “Oh, that’s heaven,” as Hawkeye blows on her toenails to dry them.
“I’m glad you’re not married,” he says. “Who says I’m not?” she replies. “Well, I don’t see a ring on any of your toes,” says Hawkeye, blowing on them some more. Mitchell smiles with pleasure and says, “Oh, I should return the favor.” Hawkeye answers, “I like mine through the boot.” Finishing, he says, “All done, my dear. If they’re free, I’d like to take your toes out to dinner.” Mitchell tells him, “I’ve got a date with Trapper.”
Hawkeye, disappointed, says, “Oh, really. Oh well, I guess he must be all better, then.” “Better?” asks Mitchell. “Oh, never mind,” answers Hawkeye, walking away. This is Mitchell’s most significant dialogue thus far in the series.
9) Season 3, Episode 2, “Rainbow Bridge” – Lt Mitchell (uncredited)
Mitchell appears in a scene with Trapper. She is shaving Trapper and says, “You’re a rat for not taking me to Tokyo with you.” Trapper answers, “I’m a married man, honey. I only go out with girls who don’t know that.”
Although I am not certain, she may also appear in a later O.R. scene assisting Henry Blake in an operation. He complains to her and says, “Give me the heavier silk.” “Sorry, doctor; here,” she replies. Later, he says, “I didn’t ask for this,” and she answers, “I thought you would need it.” “Then I probably do,” Blake answers. While her features are hidden behind her surgical mask and her hair is covered by a surgical cap, the voice of the actress certainly sounds like Bobbie Mitchell. It is unknown why her appearance is uncredited in this episode.
10) Season 3, Episode 4, “Iron Guts Kelly” – Lt. Able
Mitchell appears early in the episode during an O.R. session, assisting Trapper with his mask. Her name is one of the often reused nurse names, Lt. Able, but, like all her other appearances, her character name is not used.
“Nurse, I’m putting myself in your hands,” says Trapper while Nurse Able is tying his surgical mask. Hawkeye quips, “That’ll be a switch.” “Don’t get fresh, Doctor,” Able replies. “I can’t help it, I have myself flown in fresh every day,” answers Hawkeye.
Afterwards, in the O.R., during a visit by General “Iron Guts” Kelly, a nurse in full surgical garb appears with Hawkeye and Trapper. This also appears to be Bobbie Mitchell, which would make sense as she had just prior been assisting them in the dressing room.
11) Season 3, Episode 5, “O.R.” – Lt. Able
Mitchell appears in the first scene, walking into the empty O.R. with Hawkeye, just as incoming casualties are being announced. Hawkeye is whispering into her ear, and she says, “How do I know you mean it?” Hawkeye answers, “Look, honest, I haven’t been in love in two or three days.” He invites her on a date after the operating session, and she says, “I’ve got nothing to wear.” “Now I know I’m in love,” Hawkeye replies.
Getting ready for the operating session, she says to a hungover Trapper, “You certainly were feeling no pain at the club.”
Mitchell then appears in the operating room, assisting Hawkeye Pierce, where she has some standard O.R. nurse dialogue. She has no other significant appearance in this episode, although she may appear in the background along with many other nurses in surgical garb when a fire breaks out.
12) Season 3, Episode 9, “Alcoholics Unanimous” – Lt. Baker
In this episode, the camp is watching a movie in the mess hall. It’s pouring rain, and the tent is leaking, which is interfering with the projector, especially the sound. Bobbie Mitchell appears within the first few minutes of the scene. She comes in out of the rain and sits down next to Hawkeye and asks him what the movie is about. Hawkeye asks her if she would “care for a Martini?” and she replies, “I had an apple in my tent.” Hawkeye replies, “You really know how to live.”
The leaks get worse, and Trapper gets a deluge of water on his hat. “You ask for sound and you get water,” he says. Hawkeye asks Nurse Baker (Mitchell), “Sure you don’t want a martini?” “Does it mix with apples?” she asks. “Was Lincoln a car?” “Maybe a sip,” she replies, taking a sip. She clearly doesn’t like it and says, “Ohhh..”
After the tent gives way above the projector, it gets soaked, causing a big bang from the projector, which goes belly up. Hawkeye propositions Nurse Baker. “I’m going straight to bed,” she tells him. “The best offer I’ve had all night.” This exchange is typical of the way the nurses were treated in the show outside of the O.R. They exist for no other purpose but for the doctors to hit on, with few exceptions.
13) Season 3, Episode 10, “There Is Nothing like a Nurse” – Lt. Able
Mitchell’s character is Nurse Able in this episode, while in the last episode, it was Baker. Another nurse is addressed as Baker by Major Houllihan in the O.R. at the start of the program.
Mitchell appears in the first third of the episode kissing Hawkeye in the supply room. The nurses are being evacuated due to an expected attack, and Mitchell’s character says, “I’m going to miss you something awful.” Then, “Why are all the great guys married?” “Who said I was?” answers Hawkeye. “You did!” she replies, then bites his nose. Trapper then appears with another nurse and complains that they are there, saying, “Do you mind? I paid good money for this supply room.”
When the nurses return on the truck they left in, Hawkeye embraces another nurse. It is unclear why Mitchell does not reappear, but it is further evidence of the disposable nature of the nurse actors on MASH.
By the way, would nurses be evacuated in case of an attack? Probably not. While individual MASH units may have had their own policies, there was no standard procedure whereby MASH units evacuated nurses in case of attack. And, a MASH unit would not likely just sit around waiting for an attack, anyway. They were mobile and would have moved out as quickly as possible.
14) Season 3, Episode 13, “Mad Dogs and Servicemen” – Lt. Baker
Bobbie Mitchell’s scene in this episode is almost the same as her last appearance in “There is Nothing Like a Nurse,” except it takes place in a different room. This time credited as Lt. Baker, she is making out with Hawkeye in the X-ray room, or a room in which an X-ray film is displayed on the wall.
While kissing her, Hawkeye says, “You’d make a great lower lip sandwich.” Mitchell then says, “Really?” and then I’m engaged to a pilot,” as if only then realizing it. Hawkeye replies, “So am I, I just hope it’s not the same one.” Radar then interrupts from the background, asking, “Anybody in here?” They then break off their embrace and leave the room with some further typical dialogue.
15) Season 3, Episode 18, “House Arrest” – Lt Baker
In this episode, Hawkeye Pierce is placed on house arrest for punching Frank Burns. He is allowed to go to the movie, though (to Frank Burns’ annoyance), where we find Mitchell, billed once again as Baker, sitting between him and Henry Blake. She jumps and exclaims, “Captain Pierce!” thinking he had touched her somewhere inappropriate. “I’m clean,” he says. Henry then says, “Sorry, I was uh, reaching for my hanky.”
A little later, Hawkeye offers her a drink from his Martini. She refuses, saying, “If I drink too much, I’ll get hot flashes.” A few more minor exchanges occur and Nurse Baker looks at Henry, amazed at how deep into the film he seems, with tears in his eyes. She nudges Hawkeye to show him, and he says, “He’s very deep.”
16) Season 3, Episode 22, “Payday” – Lt Baker
Once again, Mitchell appears as Hawkeye’s date, this time in the Officers’ Club. The dialogue is similar, with Nurse Baker complimenting Hawkeye on how well he dances, saying, “You dance divinely.” He responds that his parents made him take divine lessons and that he was sorry to leave them back on Krypton.
They are once again interrupted by Radar, who has important news for Hawkeye. HQ has sent him the 3000 dollars he demanded on account of the money he was losing as a doctor in the war. Lt. Baker remains in the scene but speaks only once, joking, “I think I love you,” after Radar shows him the 3000 dollars the Army had sent him.
17) Season 4, Episode 11, “Dear Peggy” – Lt. Gage
Mitchell appears with curly, lighter-colored hair, wearing a hat outdoors in a scene where Hawkeye is trying to break a record for stuffing the most people into a jeep. In this episode, something unusual happens: Hawkeye addresses her by name, saying, “Okay, Gage, you’re next. Climb in.” She expresses reluctance, saying, “Oh, I don’t want to. I’m shy.” “Shy, shmy! Come on! For the glory of the 4077. The cover of Life Magazine!”
“All those bodies,” she says, squeamish. Hawkeye insists, with “Come on, come on,” helping her into the jeep, saying, “Here comes Lt. Gage,” to a chorus of cheers from within the jeep.
After Pierce convinces Margaret to get into the jeep, Mitchell can be seen through the front windshield alongside the major.
Margaret climbs out, greeted by a disapproving visitor, Colonel Hollister, Far East Divisional Chaplain, who is there to visit Father Mulcahy. Gage climbs out just after Margaret, with the assistance of Hawkeye, saying, “Can I get a hernia?” “Of course,” says Hawkeye, “but rent one first, see if you really like it.”
18) Season 5 Episode 4, “Out of Sight, Out of Mind” – Lt Gage
Mitchell appears with three other nurses in the nurses’ tent, looking similar to how she looked in her last appearance. Her hair is much longer than in most previous appearances. The nurses’ heater is out, and two of the nurses go to the swamp to get Hawkeye, asking him to fix their heater because “He is the only one who can fix it.” Lt. Gage is in a top bunk, trying to keep warm, when Hawkeye arrives with the other nurses. She greets him, “Hey, Mister Fix-It.”
As Hawkeye begins to light the heater, Lt. Gage says, “Be careful, Hawkeye.”
While Hawkeye is trying to light the heater, there is an explosion, causing Hawkeye to sustain flash burns to his retinas, making him temporarily blind. The rest of the episode concerns Hawkeye’s adjustment to his new sightless status, not knowing whether his sight will come back after the bandages come off.
Later, Hawkeye visits the nurses in their quarters, and Lt. Gage appears again, greeting him enthusiastically with the others. The nurses give Hawkeye a cup of coffee but Gage asks him whether he can come back in a little while, as she is just about to undress and take a shower. Hawkeye says, “Well, don’t let me stop you. I won’t see anything. And you can throw me out if I so much as drool.”
Gage nervously begins to unbutton her shirt, and Hawkeye says, “That’s one.” She turns around and says, “Well, I can’t do it with him in here.” Nurse Bigelow replies, “Oh, come on, Lieutenant, he can’t see anything.” “Okay, Hawkeye,” says Gage, “but no more comments.”
As she begins to undress, though, Hawkeye starts humming striptease music. She stops, frustrated, and says, “It’s no good,” to which Hawkeye replies, “You want more sax?” Gage replies, “Oh, forget it, Hawkeye, c’mon, you gotta get outta here,” while beginning to assist him up out of his chair. At that moment, Hawkeye hears choppers coming.
After Hawkeye’s bandages are removed and he finds out that his sight has returned, he visits the nurses again with bandages on his eyes, telling them he has lost his sight again but according to the doctor, it is only temporary. Mitchell, as Gage, is there in the tent in this scene, as well. She asks Hawkeye, “Is there something we can do?” He answers, “No, you just go ahead and do whatever you were doing. You know, set your hair, iron your undies, get undressed.”
The nurses catch on to his ruse and gage says, “Oh, isn’t it awful? A relapse.” Nurse Able (Judy Farrell, wife of Mike Farrell) says, “Maybe we can cure it.” “How?” asks Gage. Then, the nurse throws Hawkeye a coffee cup, which he catches, clearly looking down at the cup as he does so. “I don’t think I should have done that,” he says. The nurses kick him out of the tent.
The character of Gage played by Bobbie Mitchell in this episode is shy and self-conscious, just as her character Gage was in the previous episode, unlike any of her previous characters. This is the only character she plays that seems to be the same character repeated. With other characters, it is difficult to be sure if she is intended to portray a repeat character. The episodes occur so far apart, however, that the similarity may simply be a coincidence.
The nurses needing Hawkeye to fix their heater is a curious plot device, as Pierce has never seemed to be particularly handy in any other way. It would appear that this is merely a setup to render him sightless for an episode, although maybe Hawkeye has a particular affinity for heaters.
A Note On Bobbie Mitchell’s Character Names
The names given to the various characters Bobbie Mitchell plays are never actually used by the other cast members. We only know the names of her characters because they appear on the closing credits of the individual episodes. In fact, Bobbie Mitchel’s character is only addressed by name in one episode, Lt. Gage in Season 4, Episode 11, titled Dear Peggy.
It is not likely that the names matter at all and seem to be assigned randomly. Just because the same name is used more than once does not mean the character is supposed to be the same character appearing more than once. It is just as likely that the names are just chosen so that there is something to write on the closing credits. This is especially true of the characters given generic names like Baker or Able. Various other actresses played Nurse Able, Baker, or Charlie.
Notice in the list above that when Mitchell appears in consecutive Season 3 episodes, 9 and 10, she is Nurse Baker in one and then Nurse Able in the next, while another nurse becomes Nurse Baker. There is no reason for this to occur, and I believe it may be a continuity error. In other words, her character is never actually given a name, and whoever decided to credit her as Nurse Baker in one episode mistakenly credits her as Nurse Able in the next. Or a different person made the decision.
The reason I am explaining this is that various sources report that Bobbie Mitchell played nine different roles. This number corresponds to the number of names given her characters. However, it is unclear whether any of the characters is meant to be a repeating character, since her name is never actually used in the dialogue. It would make no sense to have Mitchell appear as the generic Lt. Able, then Baker, then Able again, for example, since the name change serves no purpose. Therefore, it is perhaps more accurate to say that Mitchell portrayed 16 or 17 characters more or less, if not a full 18, which is certainly a record.
Mitchell’s last two appearances on MASH, Season 4, Episode 11 (Dear Peggy) and Season 5, Episode 4 (Out of Sight, Out of Mind), may be the only time she plays the same character twice. Other sources tend to agree with this assessment.
Other Appearances
Bobbie Mitchell appeared in many other classic television shows, including Police Woman (1), Starsky and Hutch (3), Three’s Company (1), McCloud (1), and Charlie’s Angels (2). She also appeared in the TV movie The Six Million Dollar Man:Wine, Women and War (1973) and The Sunshine Boys (1977). Not much other information is available about her online. It is unknown why she stopped appearing on MASH in 1976, after the fifth season.
