“Attention, all personnel!” The sardonic PA announcer of the MASH 4077 was as much a character as anyone else, even though we never see his face. It was a confusing creative choice to have a separate PA announcer instead of having Radar, the company clerk, make the announcements. But these announcements, in some ways, seem like the voice of the camp itself. While this mysterious character often announced incoming wounded and other official camp business, he also delivered many funny lines. Who was the actor? Well, there were three of them. Three different actors traded off PA announcement duties on MASH, but two of them did the bulk of the work.
As Jeff Maxwell (Igor Straminsky) put it on his MASH Matters podcast, these actors were the unsung heroes of the show. Maxwell was speaking of one actor in particular, Sal Viscuso, but he undoubtedly meant all the actors who served as the PA announcer on MASH.
The three actors who played the PA Announcer on MASH were:
Jimmy Lydon, a MASH producer, lent his voice to the PA announcer for some episodes during Season 1 and Season 2. The bulk of the announcer duties were performed by Sal Vicsuso and Todd Sussman. Todd Sussman is usually thought of as the primary announcer. He began his voice-over work on MASH before Sal Viscuso and appeared in many more episodes. The two actors generally traded off evenly, however, when they were both working on the show.
Note also that other characters often spoke over the PA system or made announcements. Radar and Klinger both made announcements as part of their duty as Company Clerk, although this did not happen as often as you may think. Colonel Potter sometimes made announcements. Other Characters, like Hawkeye and even Charles, spoke over the PA system at times.
The following lists concern only the principal PA announcement voice-over actors. Sometimes, a regular announcement occurred in an episode along with another announcement by Radar, Colonel Potter, etc. I have not listed any of these additional announcements in this article, only the episodes voiced by Jimmy Lydon, Sal Viscuso, and Todd Sussman.
Jimmy Lydon (~9 Episodes)
Jimmy Lydon provided the voice of the MASH PA announcer in approximately 9 episodes. Lydon’s acting career began when he was 16 years old, when he was forced to start working to help support his family during the Great Depression. One of his first starring roles was in Tom Brown’s School Days. He also appeared in films such as Back Door to Heaven (1939) and Little Men (1940).
Under contract with Paramount, from 1941 to 1944, he was well known as the character Henry Aldrich in the Henry Aldrich series of films. These were eleven films made by Paramount based on the popular Aldrich Family radio comedy series. The adolescent Henry Aldrich was the principal character. Lydon also appeared in the 1947 movie Life With Father and alongside James Cagney in Time of Your Life (1948). From 1949 to 1950, he voiced one of the main characters in the radio comedy, Young Love, along with Janet Waldo.
From there, Lydon began acting on television, appearing as Chris Taylor on CBS’s first daytime soap opera, The First Hundred Years, which ran from 1950 to 1952. Lydon appeared in many other roles after this, including film and television, including work with John Wayne in Island in the Sky.
During the latter part of the 1950s, Jimmy Lydon worked increasingly in television and then began working behind the scenes as an associate producer. He helped to create the detective series 77 Sunset Strip, as well as M*A*S*H itself.
Lydon’s Work on the MASH
Jimmy Lydon’s involvement with the series MASH was primarily as a producer. However, he also served as the voice of the PA announcer during the first two seasons of the show. He was never credited for this role. If you’d like to hear Jimmy as the PA announcer, listen for him in such episodes as:
- The Pilot Episode (Season 1, Episode 1)
- To Market, To Market (Season 1, Episode 2)
- Requiem for a Lightweight (Season 1, Episode 3)
- Chief Surgeon Who? (Season 1, Episode 4)
- I Hate a Mystery (Season 1, Episode 10)
- Germ Warfare (Season 1, Episode 11)
- Divided We Stand (Season 2, Episode 1)
- Radar’s Report (Season 2, Episode 3)
- L.I.P. (Local Indigenous Personnel) (Season 2, Episode 7)
Jimmy Lydon also worked with MASH producers Larry Gelbart and Gene Reynolds on the CBS sitcom Roll Out. This series, created by Gelbart and Reynolds, was an effort by CBS to follow up on the success of MASH with another military sitcom, this time set in France during World War II. The show was loosely based on the 1952 film Red Ball Express and starred stand-up comedian Stu Gilliam. Ed Begley Jr. also stars, along with appearances by Garret Morris of Saturday Night Live fame. This show was also filmed in Malibu at the Fox Ranch, along with interior shots at the Fox Studios. The show was short-lived and only 13 episodes were broadcast, mostly in 1973. Many actors who appeared on Roll Out later guest-starred on MASH.
Sal Viscuso (~43 Episodes)
You may never have seen Sal Viscuso’s face on MASH, but you would likely recognize him in one of his many acting roles. Viscuso is a highly successful actor with a long career in television and film. He has over 100 acting credits to his name. He was a regular or semi-regular on several television shows, including:
- The Montefuscos (NBC, 1975) as Nunzio Montefusco.
- Soap (ABC, 1977–1979) Father Timothy “Tim” Flotsky.
- Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (ABC, 1994–1995) as Bobby Bigmouth.
Viscuso also appeared on four episodes and The Love Boat, as well as appearances on Cagney and Lacy, Matlock, Spenser: For Hire, Hunter, Law & Order: SVU, The Mentalist, and many others. More recent television roles include Law & Order True Crime. His film roles include The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974), The World’s Greatest Lover (1977), Fatso (1980), Max Dugan Returns (1983), and Spaceballs (1987), where he played a radio operator.
Viscuso’s Work on M*A*S*H
Viscuso met MASH producer Burt Metcalfe in the early 1970s, prompting a move to Los Angeles, where he secured a role on the NBC sitcom The Montefuscos (1975). This show was, unfortunately, pulled off the air after only three episodes were broadcast. But then, Viscuso got a call from Bert Metcalfe, who had promised the talented actor he would put him to work when something right came along. So, Viscuso landed perhaps his most recognizable role, the off-screen PA announcer of the 4077. However, before he became the voice of the PA announcer, Sal appeared as Patient John in the episode Dear Sigmund. While Sal Viscuso’s work on MASH was primarily voice-only in approximately 56 episodes, he also made at least three on-screen appearances:
- Patient John in the episode “Dear Sigmund” (Season 5, Episode 8)
- Sergeant Raymond McGill in “Post-Op” (Season 5, Episode 24)
- Corporal Benny Bryant in “Tea and Empathy” (Season 6, Episode 18)
Viscuso gives much of the credit for obtaining this regular gig to the fact that Todd Sussman had gotten a regular TV role and so was less available. It is sometimes incorrectly stated that Viscuso took over the role from Sussman during the fifth season, but, in fact, the two actors both took turns voicing the PA announcements until around Season 10, when Todd Sussman once again became the sole announcer.
Here are the episodes in which Viscuso provided the voice of the PA announcer (the list may be incomplete)
- Out of Sight, Out of Mind (Season 5, Episode 4)
- Lieutenant Radar O’Reilly (Season 5, Episode 5)
- The Colonel’s Horse (Season 5, Episode 12)
- Exorcism (Season 5, Episode 13)
- Ping Pong (Season 5, Episode 16)
- Hepatitis (Season 5, Episode 20)
- Post-Op (Season 5, Episode 24, also appears as Sergeant Raymond McGill)
- Fade Out/Fade In (Season 6, Episode 1)
- Fallen Idol (Season 6, Episode 3)
- War Of Nerves (Season 6, Episode 5)
- The Winchester Tapes (Season 6, Episode 6)
- The Light That Failed (Season 6, Episode 7)
- Change Day (Season 6, Episode 8)
- The Merchant of Korea (Season 6, Episode 14)
- The Smell of Music (Season 6, Episode 16)
- Patient 4077 (Season 6, Episode 17)
- Your Hit Parade (Season 6, Episode 19)
- Temporary Duty (Season 6, Episode 22)
- Potter’s Retirement (Season 6, Episode 23)
- Dr. Winchester and Mr. Hyde (Season 6, Episode 24)
- Commander Pierce (Season 7, Episode 1)
- Peace On Us (Season 7, Episode 2)
- Lil (Season 7, Episode 3)
- The Billfold Syndrome (Season 7, Episode 6)
- None Like It Hot (Season 7, Episode 7)
- Major Ego (Season 7, Episode 9)
- Baby, It’s Cold Outside (Season 7, Episode 10)
- Dear Comrade (Season 7, Episode 12)
- An Eye for a Tooth (Season 7, Episode 14)
- Dear Sis (Season 7, Episode 15)
- B.J. Papa San (Season 7, Episode 16)
- Inga (Season 7, Episode 17)
- The Price (Season 7, Episode 18)
- The Young and the Restless (Season 7, Episode 19)
- Hot Lips is Back in Town (Season 7, Episode 20)
- Rally ‘Round the Flagg, Boys (Season 7, Episode 22)
- Preventative Medicine (Season 7, Episode 23)
- Guerilla My Dreams (Season 8, Episode 3)
- Nurse Doctor (Season 8, Episode 7)
- Mr. and Mrs. Who? (Season 8, Episode 9)
- A War for All Seasons (Season 9, Episode 6)
- Bottoms Up (Season 9, Episode 15)
- Bless You, Hawkeye (Season 9, Episode 17)
Todd Susman (~71 Episodes)
Todd Susman is a highly successful actor with a long and prolific career in television, film, and theater. He has made many guest appearance on television, as well as recurring roles. Since the 1970s, Sussman has appeared in well over one hundred different television series.
While he never had a role as long as his role as the PA announcer on MASH, he did appear in 20 episodes of Newhart, between 1984 and 1989, where he played Officer Shifflett. He was a main cast member (Marvin Susman) on the Bob Crane show, which only ran between March 1975 and June 1975. He also had a starring role in Spencer’s Pilots (Stan Lewis, 11 Episodes, 1976) and Star of the Family (Leo Feldman, 10 Episodes, 1982).
Sussman’s recurring roles include:
- Webster (Mr. Lyle, 4 Episodes 1984-1988)
- St. Elsewhere (Victor Bevine, 4 Episodes, 1985-1988)
- City (Roger Barnett, 13 Episodes, 1990)
- Storch (Jack Fletcher, 6 Episodes, 1992)
- Empty Nest (as Ben Braxton, 6 Episodes, 1994-1995)
- Coach (Bill, 4 Episodes, 1995-1997),
- Grace Under Fire (Glen, 4 Episodes, 1995-1996)
- Orange is the New Black (Howard Bloom, 5 Episodes, 2013-2014)
As well as other recurring roles, Todd Sussan has made guest appearances on numerous popular shows, including Kojak, Little House on the Prairie, Lou Grant, Hill Street Blues, Night Court, The Golden Girls, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, ER, and Law & Order.
Sussman’s film roles include Star Spangled Girl (1971), Blast from the Past (1999), and The Taking of Pelham 123. He also performed on Broadway in the musical Hairspray (as Wilbur Turnblad).
MASH was not his only voice-only work. Sussman voiced the “Man From Mitsubishi” radio commercials for eight years.
Sussman’s Work on the MASH
Todd Susman traded off with Val Viscuso as one of the two main voices of the MASH PA announcer. PA Announcer: He was one of the two main actors (sharing the role with Sal Viscuso) who provided the voice for the unseen P.A. System Announcer at the 4077th, appearing in approximately 71 episodes throughout the series run (1973–1979).
Susman also had an on-screen guest role as Private Danny Baker in the Season 2 episode “Operation Noselift” (1974).
Here are the episodes in which Tod Sussman provided the voice of the PA announcer (once again, the list may not be complete)
- Dear Dad (Season 1, Episode 12)
- 5 o’clock Charlie (Season 2, Episode 2)
- For the Good of the Outfit (Season 2, Episode 4)
- The Trial of Henry Blake (Season 2, Episode 8)
- Carry On, Hawkeye (Season 2, Episode 11)
- Deal Me Out (Season 2, Episode 13)
- As You Were (Season 2, Episode 20)
- Crisis (Season 2, Episode 21)
- Officers Only (Season 2, Episode 15)
- Henry In Love (Season 2, Episode 16)
- For Want of a Boot (Season 2, Episode 17)
- Operation Noselift (Season 2, Episode 18, also as Private Daniel Baker)
- The General Flipped at Dawn (Season 3, Episode 1)
- Rainbow Bridge (Season 3, Episode 2)
- O.R. (Season 3, Episode 5)
- Alcoholics Unanimous (Season 3, Episode 9)
- There is Nothing Like a Nurse (Season 3, Episode 10)
- Adam’s Ribs (Season 3, Episode 11)
- A full, Rich Day (Season 3, Episode 12)
- Private Charles Lamb (Season 3, Episode 14)
- Bombed (Season 3, Episode 15)
- Bulletin Board (Season 3, Episode 16)
- The Consultant (Season 3, Episode 17)
- House Arrest (Season 3, Episode 18)
- Aid Station (Season 3, Episode 19)
- Love and Marriage (Season 3, Episode 20)
- Big Mac (Season 3, Episode 21)
- Payday (Season 3, Episode 22)
- Abyssinia, Henry (Season 3, Episode 24)
- Welcome to Korea (Season 4, Episode 1; also a PA announcement at Kimpo Air Base, unknown actor)
- It Happened One Night (Season 4, Episode 4)
- The Late Captain Pierce (Season 4, Episode 5)
- Hey, Doc (Season 4, Episode 6)
- Dear Mildred (Season 4, Episode 8)
- The Kids (Season 4, Episode 9)
- Quo Vadis, Captain Chandler? (Season 4, Episode 10)
- Dear Peggy (Season 4, Episode 11)
- Of Moose and Men (Season 4, Episode 12)
- The Gun (Season 4, Episode 14)
- Dear Ma (Season 4, Episode 17)
- Der Tag (Season 4, Episode 18)
- Smilin’ Jack (Season 4, Episode 22)
- Deluge (Season 4, Episode 24)
- The MAS*H Olympics (Season 6, Episode 11)
- The Grim Reaper (Season 6, Episode 12)
- Our Finest Hour (Season 7, Episode 5, actually the announcement from Season 2, Episode 21, Crisis)
- Private Finance (Season 8, Episode 8)
- Life Time (Season 8, Episode 8)
- Bottle Fatigue (Season 8, Episode 16)
- Heal Thyself (Season 8, Episode 17)
- Morale Victory (Season 8, Episode 19)
- Dreams (Season 8, Episode 22)
- War Co-Respondent (Season 8, Episode 23)
- Taking the Fifth (Season 9, Episode 9)
- Operation Friendship (Season 9, Episode 10)
- The Foresight Saga (Season 9, Episode 19)
- That’s Show Biz (Season 10, Episode 1)
- Rumor at the Top (Season 10, Episode 4)
- Give ‘Em Hell, Hawkeye (Season 10, Episode 5)
- Communication Breakdown (Season 10, Episode 7)
- Snappier Judgement (Season 10, Episode 9)
- Pressure Points (Season 10, Episode 16)
- Where There’s A Will, There’s A War (Season 10, Episode 17)
- Heroes (Season 10, Episode 19)
- Sons and Bowlers (Season 10, Episode 20)
- That Darn Kid (Season 10, Episode 22)
- Trick or Treatment (Season 10, Episode 24)
- Bombshells (Season 11, Episode 6)
- The Moon is not Blue (Season 11, Episode 8)
- Say No More (Season 11, Episode 12)
- Friends and Enemies (Season 11, Episode 13)
- As Time Goes By (Season 11, Episode 15)
Did Hy Averback Provide Voice-Overs For the PA Announcements?
It is sometimes claimed that one of the voices of the PA announcers was MASH director Hy Averback. While Averback directed 20 episodes of the show, he was never a voice actor for the PA announcements. Instead, the voice of Averback appears on MASH because it is played over the PA system. However, what is being played is a radio broadcast, and the announcer on the radio identifies himself as Hy Averback. Haverback had been the announcer for the Bob Hope radio show in real life, so this was simply an inside joke of the MASH producers. The episode, which Averback also directed, was Season 3, Episode 15, titled Bombed. Todd Sussman made the PA announcements during the episode.
Did Jeff Maxwell, Who Played Igor, Make PA Announcements
It is commonly thought that the character Igor was making the PA announcements on the show. Jeff Maxwell, who played Igor Stravinsky, does have a similar voice as that heard over the PA, and Igor did appear as a character throughout the series. So, it’s understandable to guess that the PA announcer was Igor. But Jeff Maxwell never made any PA announcements on MASH.
The Big MASH PA Mistake About Vietnam (Not a Mistake)
Dedicated fans sometimes mention the big mistake that once happened on MASH: The Vietnam War was mentioned! Since the war in Vietnam didn’t begin until 1955 and the Korean War ended in 1953, this seems to be quite an anachronism. Most people think of the Vietnam War as something that began in the mid-1960s, but that’s when the U.S. involvement in the war greatly escalated, bringing it to the forefront of most Americans’ attention. In reality, it didn’t start that long after the Korean War. However, the Vietnam War we are all familiar with was not the only war that occurred in the region.
The Vietnam War was mentioned in Carry On, Hawkeye (Season 2, Episode 11). A PA announcement, voiced by Todd Sussman, contained the quite jarring anachronism:
Attention all personnel. Here is the latest news from Armed Forces Radio: Stockholm, Dr. Ralphonz has just won the Noble Peace Prize. Moscow: Josef Stalin announced he has been unanimously reelected ruler of Russia. Paris: the French Army today predicted it would bring a swift end to the Vietnamese War. Detroit: the automobile industry reached its production target of 6.5 million cars. Korea: ammunition and material shortages continue to hinder the Allied war effort.
Amazingly, few people have ever noticed. Those who did believed it was a huge error, but in reality, it was not. The “Vietnamese War” referred to in the announcement was not the Vietnam War of 1955–1975. Instead, it was the Indochina War, which began after World War II as a conflict between Vietnamese independence forces, led by the communist Viet Minh, and France, which wanted to reestablish colonial rule. This is why the announcement says that “The French Army predicted it would bring a swift end to the Vietnamese War.” The first “Indochina” War occurred between 1946 and 1954.
