Loretta Swit played Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan, the only woman in the main cast of M*A*S*H. Swit guest-starred on several popular TV shows in the early 1970s, including Hawaii Five-O, Gunsmoke, and Mission: Impossible, but it wasn't until she landed the role of Houlihan that she became a household name. And while the show has been off the air for a long time, its influence and legacy will never die. Wayne Rogers as Trapper on the M*A*S*H TV series. Hunnicutt Clean cut, family, even temperament In spite of that I really like the guy. 's pain of being away from home during his anniversary; Hawkeye secretly recorded a conversation with B.J. The franchise effectively ended with the conclusion of Trapper John, M.D. In Radars Report, when Trapper's patient later dies after a wounded POW smashed an IV blood bottle connected to the patient, Trapper was so enraged that he confronted the bedridden POW in a threatening manner, with serious thoughts of retaliation for the loss of his patient. He also took insults to his familial loyalty very personally. During production of M*A*S*H, Mike Farrell met Dr. Hunter "Patch" Adams, who served as a technical consultant on the show. Although the title had no punctuation onscreen, i.e. Running from 1972 to 1983, M*A*S*H lasted three times longer than the war itself, and the series finale, the two-and-a-half hour Goodbye, Farewell and Amen, remains the highest-rated episode in American television history with over 120 million viewers tuning in. With M*A*S*H airing before the internet was a thing, it's fun to revisit and discover details we never noticed before. In the series finale ofM*A*S*H, the staff has to bug out due to an incoming brush fire. After three seasons, Rogers left the show after a contract dispute with the producers. Hawkeye unexpectedly ups the ante by claiming Lacy has appendicitis and requires surgery (a trick he and Trapper John once used to put Colonel Flagg temporarily out of commission). was referred to in passing in the TV hospital drama. 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". leaves, Hawkeye returns, and while Hawkeye is upset over his departure, he is even more so because of the fact that B.J. To counter his leave, the creators attempted to sue Wayne for breaking his contract, but the actor had a loophole that they weren't aware of: He had never actually signed the contract they'd presented him. In 1981, he played the role of an art forger in Roger Vadim's The Hot Touch. Odessa Cleveland appeared on M*A*S*H from 1972-1975 as Ginger Bayliss, one of the most frequently featured nurses over the first few seasons. Burghoff returned for a pair of guest appearances in the spinoff AfterM*A*S*H, and attempted to revive the character in a pilot, W*A*L*T*E*R. NOW: Burghoff is retired in California where he collects stamps and invented a new type of fishing pole. : Eventually, B.J. On the other hand, B.J. Sandy reddish blonde (on M*A*S*H TV series), Black (in 1970 film and Trapper John M.D. It's unfortunate that the role was swapped for a heterosexual man who only cross-dressed to attempt to get out of the war, as the character was supposed to have been gay, which would have been some much-needed representation on television in the 1970s and '80s. Like many great long-lasting TV shows, many of the guest stars who appeared in M*A*S*Hwent on to become A-list actors. about Trapper, whom he is replacing, and then about Henry and Frank, the latter of whom Hawkeye reveals to B.J. In the TV show MASH, were the character replacements for Henry Blake, Trapper John, and Frank Burns better or worse? He attempts to apologize to Hawkeye for not leaving a note, citing that there just wasn't enough time, and Hawkeye sarcastically responds, "I didn't even know you were gone. That same year, Harry Morgan replaced McLean Stevenson. ", ~Hawkeye when he remembers Trapper John, telling Duke about how Trapper got his nickname (1970 film), "Trapper" John McIntyre Before Farr acted on M*A*S*H, he actually did serve in Korea with the United States Army, and according to an article Farr wrote for the U.S. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. gets orders to ship out in two days, and, "next thing I know, here I am" (in Korea). sits back watching the fun. Frank's unnatural storyline is because Larry Linville's five-year contract was up. After the camp is forced to bug out due to a major forest fire caused by incendiaries, B.J. It's the signpost that sat in the middle of the camp. B.J. RELATED: 12 Most Controversial TV Episodes Ever Aired. His areas of expertise range from Major League Baseball to Taylor Swift's complete discography, and he's written about both subjects extensively. (Harry Morgan). Radar had tried to reach Hawkeye in Tokyo to alert him of Trapper's departure, but without success. over a contract dispute. The next morning at breakfast, he teased her by telling her that "last night" meant a lot to him and he wanted to know she was not "playing games". Christopher continued the role of Father Mulcahy through all 11 seasons of M*A*S*H and into the spinoff AfterMASH. Trapper left no goodbye note but did "give" Radar a kiss on the cheek to pass on to Hawkeye, which he very reluctantly does. They did all they could do with those characters, even Larry Linville (Major Burns) said that they did everything they could with his character. From his memoirs to his involvement in kids' science events, hosting Scientific American Frontiers to winning multiple Emmys, Golden Globe Awards, and other forms of recognition, Alda has remained a popular actor throughout his lifetime. stood for; they unanimously reply that it stood only for "B.J." The show gave him a $4 million contract in 1979 (about $15 million in today's economy), but he rejected the deal because he still wouldn't have been its highest-earning cast member. Once the degree of MD is conferred on a member of the military, they are given the rank of Captain in both the Army and the Air Force. Nurse Bayliss was one of the few Black actors to appear as a recurring character on the show, and she was prominently featured in the season two episode "Dear Dad Three" in which she is forced to treat an angry and racist patient. The entire script was completed in just three days by writer Larry Gelbart. stop at Rosie's Bar and get plastered. Hunnicut, Hawkeye's new tent mate. BJ > Trapper Again, Trapper just felt like diet Hawkeye (which is funny because Trapper was the main in the movie). At the beginning of Season 4 he replaced Trapper John at the 4077th, shortly before Henry Blake's replacement, Colonel Potter, arrived as the new commander. Contents. Colonel Henry Blake, McLean Stevenson, colloquially referred to as "Mac," wanted to end his contract with M*A*S*H. But the thing that made his leave stand out amongst other characters who left the popular television sitcom was that Henry Blake's leave was permanent. 's forced separation from his family, particularly missing the important moments (his and Peg's anniversary and Erin's first two birthdays) and the imposed neglect of his own domestic responsibilities (basic repair jobs that he would normally handle if he were still at home) were particularly upsetting to him. He acquired the nickname "Trapper John" during an incident in which he was having sex with a woman in a Boston & Maine Railway washroom. that Pernell Roberts' portrayal of the character was modeled after Elliot Gould's film characterization rather than Wayne Rogers' TV depiction. He is Hawkeye's partner in chaos initially, but is replaced by Trapper John once he arrives. Major Charles Emerson Winchester III is a surgeon who was chosen by Colonel Potter to replace the departed Frank Burns as the fourth surgeon at the 4077th MASH unit in Season 6 of the M*A*S*H TV series. (FYI, the Bronze Star is awarded for combat action against the enemy; he would have probably been awarded a US Army Commendation Medal or the US Soldiers Medal). The ruse didnt work, as the character was so popular he stayed for the entire run of the series. It was a decent agreement to help relieve the tension of the show during its more dramatic moments. Despite a guarantee that his character would have a better development arc in this series, as Trapper would then be the show's main character, he decided to decline the offer. Last appeared in: During season 4 of M*A*S*H, Mike Farrell joined the cast as B.J. strongly objects to this needless surgery calling it mutilation and a violation of his oath, and after a heated argument with him refuses to be a part of Hawkeye's scheme. At the time, he claimed he didn't want to get typecast into physician roles and wanted to expand his acting reach. Disobeying Major Burns' order to stay in camp, Hawkeye hitches a ride with Radar (who is on his way to Kimpo) to see Trapper one last time, but missed him by just ten minutes. NOW: Roger passed away Dec. 31, 2015, due to complications from pneumonia. is discharged from the army and leaves while Hawkeye is under psychiatric treatment. does not appear-. Rogers enjoyed working with Alda and the rest of the cast as a whole (Alda and Rogers quickly became close friends), but eventually chafed that the writers were devoting the show's best humorous and dramatic moments to Alda. Consequently, unbeknownst to viewers at the time, Abyssinia, Henry would be Trapper John's final M*A*S*H episode as well as Henry's. 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. THEN: Wayne Rogers played surgeon Captain John "Trapper" McIntyre, Hawkeye's partner-in-crime in the show's first three seasons, before leaving . In the Season 7 episode Lil, when asked what his initials stood for, he answered, "anything you want", but Hawkeye became adamant to know what they actually meant. MASH is probably one of my favorite shows of all time, but it had a reputation for replacing characters. In the series finale, while Hawkeye is in psychiatric care for his nervous breakdown, B.J. M*A*S*H is a 1970 feature film adaptation of the original novel. Most years, it ranked in the top 10 most-watched series. "Abyssinia, Henry" (Season 3 finale) But he also stands up for others, particularly the enlisted, when they are thrown into indefensible situations. 'M*A*S*H' made all of its cast members into stars, but it's now been a long time since actors like Loretta Swit and Jamie Farr were household names. However, before the show's seventh seasons premiered, Farrell's best friend on the show and in real life, Alan Alda, asked him to grow a mustache. 1922 (?) G. Wood played General Hammond in both, but only appeared in a few early episodes of the TV show. . Trapper had a reputation for being a womanizer. Early on, Trapper and Hawkeye were partners, both partaking in hedonistic pursuits and playing practical jokes on Majors Frank Burns and Margaret Houlihan. They married in 1960, had two children, and divorced in 1983. They remained until the armistice was signed in July of 1953. Better. The 1972 hit television series M*A*S*H was a spinoff of the similarly popular, albeit darker, movie of the same name, launching the successful career of director Robert Altman. Throughout M*A*S*H 's run, fans watched Radar, played by Gary Burghoff, grow from a naive 18-year-old who was just drafted with his teddy bear by his side to a man who was the glue that held the 4077th together. It starred Alan Alda as Hawkeye Pierce and Wayne Rogers as Trapper John McIntyre. was given the honor of speaking the last word in the series. But just in case, I left you a note!". Hornberger, who was described as a good surgeon with a sense of humor, worked in a VA hospital following the war before opening his own practice. is from California. that everyone in camp calls "Ferret Face". The track was muted for these scenes, and given the serious nature of the show, producers pushed for no laugh track at all. In the time between his Korea experience and his tenure at San Francisco Memorial Hospital, Trapper John (now played by Pernell Roberts) had matured considerably, becoming a steadier part of the medical establishment. revolved around the interrelation between Trapper and his younger colleague, Dr. George "Gonzo" Gates (Gregory Harrison), who had served in a MASH unit in Vietnam and exhibited some of the same behaviors Trapper John himself once had. . M*A*S*H (novels) . 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. Who replaced trapper john on mash tv show? THEN: Serving as star, director, writer, and guiding creative force behind the long-running sitcom over his ten year tenure, Alan Alda became not only the face of M*A*S*H, but of a generation of thoughtful feminist men throughout the 1970s and into the 80s. (Hunnicutt's orders are rescinded, however, and he gets only as far as Guam before being sent back, by which time Hawkeye has been discharged from the psychiatric clinic.). Updated March 6, 2020 by Richard Keller:As we near the 50th anniversary of this iconic show, more behind the scenes information comes out. He has a devoted wife and baby girl back home and is known as the family man of the unit. She also guest-starred on one episode of the M*A*S*H spin-off series Trapper John, M.D. NOW: Linville passed from pneumonia in 2000. All Rights Reserved. itself; when Hawkeye rhetorically asks who would name their son "B.J. However, that changed radically when Alan Alda was cast as Hawkeye. His exit is abrupt and, in the show, only explained as Trapper having been "discharged," though viewers are offered no other explanation. And filling the famous classic TV shoes was absolutely "terrifying." When Farrell arrived, the show had already built a strong following. He played Slim Davis on the soap opera Search for Tomorrow in 1959. Season 5 continued to put comedy first, though Margaret began to change and Burns ran out of room to grow. [7], Rogers died on December 31, 2015, from complications of pneumonia in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 82. Hair Color: Whenever I see a big pair of feet or a cheesy mustache, I'll think of you." 's are considerably more brilliant- and devious. He wrote his novel in 1956. He has most recently appeared on Ray Donovan, The Longest Ride, The Blacklist, and Horace and Pete. Other actors from the TV show served in additional branches of the military. Oct 25, 2017 72. Leo Morgenstern is a writer and editor based in Toronto, Canada. In Post Op, Frank Burns wrongly accuses an enlisted corpsman named Boone of killing his patient; Boone is crushed, but Trapper examines the patient's chart and then punches Frank in the presence of Margaret who had just arrived at camp moments earlier. ", he answers that his parents- his mother Bea and father Jay- gave him his quirky moniker, but Hawkeye refuses to accept B.J. The entire cast received scripts and had to act out the majority of the episode before they each received a copy of the final page before their end of the season party, which had to be a shocker for the entire cast. The strain and stress of being apart from his family, plus his alcohol addiction, caused Trapper to suffer a severe case of stomach ulcers which almost got him transferred home (Check-Up), but when he finds out that the Army no longer discharges personnel for ulcers, Trapper is offered a transfer to another hospital for treatment, but decides to stay on at the 4077th. Captain B. J. Hunnicutt, played by Mike Farrell, is a fictional character in the TV show M*A*S*H, which ran from 1972-1983 on CBS. In addition to the disputes about contracts, he says he also left M*A*S*H (1972) because he felt the writers were not giving Trapper John any character development. tries to reassure him that they will still get to see one another back home, but with each of them living on an opposite coast, Hawkeye doesn't see how and becomes convinced that once they go home they'll never see one another again; B.J., however, refuses to accept that finality. Height: He won five Emmy Awards for his work on the show, and he has remained a well-known and successful actor to this day. B.J. Oct . M*A*S*H (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 1 "Welcome to Korea" 2 About B.J. Hunnicutt replaced Trapper John in the show's fourth season, he was a young, clean-shaven, mild-mannered doctor drafted into the Korean War. Who took Trapper John's Place on MASH? [3][4] The play incorporates many of the characters but omits more of the dark comedy aspects. Despite the fact that this spinoff series was not as popular as the original show, Trapper John, M.D. And in his place was Mike Farrell playing Capt. He left the show in 1979, but he returned later that year for a two-part special episode called "Goodbye Radar. Why did BJ replace Trapper on MASH? When Trapper first arrives at the 4077th, he is very ambiguous about himself; all Duke can get out of him is that he is from Boston and that he has been in the Army two months. gets into a discussion with Hawkeye about the things they're not going to miss once they head home, but when their discussion comes around to what they will miss- each other, B.J. I thought you were in the bathroom". The latest movie news, trailers, reviews, and more. 2 daughters, Kathy & Becky (mentioned on M*A*S*H TV series) Dr. John 'J.T.' . Hawkeye can't hear what B.J. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! Hunnicutt. Interestingly, the growth of the mustache also coincided with a change in B.J. "John McIntyre! As they get airborne, a smile grows on Hawkeye's face as he sees B.J. about what he would be doing if he were at home with his family. This changed after Alan Alda, whose acting career and rsum up to that point had outshone that of Rogers, was cast as Hawkeye and proved to be more popular with the audience. Mulcahy with Hawkeye Pierce, Trapper mentions that his parents wanted him to be a priest. Klinger was only meant to appear in one episode of the show, and the character wasn't even in the book. They were destroyed by the enormous heat of the wildfire. Jamie Farr and Alan Alda, who played Klinger and Hawkeye, respectively, were both military men. Fans who paid attention to the show noticed that even when jokes were cracked in the operating room, there was no laugh track while Hawkeye and company were at work. Plus, Rogers came into and left MASH when the show was still fresh. Was Radar O'Reilly in the original MASH movie? 's attitude toward the war and the military in general. Allegedly, he felt like he took Frank Burns as far as he could go, and there was not much more character to develop. Richard Hooker's book MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors is the story of the 8055th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in Korea, . 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. That same year, Harry Morgan replaced McLean Stevenson. "Trapper" John Francis Xavier McIntyre is a fictional character in Richard Hooker's M*A*S*H novels, as well as the film and the two TV series (M*A*S*H and Trapper John, M.D.) Sara Sanderson is a writer, author, and teacher who produces content for a variety of publications, both on and offline, beneath various names. is an excellent doctor, which is noticed even by Frank's replacement, Major Winchester, though he bristles at the fact that B.J. It was a major switch, considering Trapper John was partners in crime with Alan Alda's character Hawkeye. NOW: The 85-year old Swit has mostly stepped back from acting, although she appeared in the 2019 indie faith-based film Play the Flute. Monster M*A*S*H is a FANDOM TV Community. Sara has been writing professionally for 26 years. Trapper John, M.D. 's replacement supposedly arrives in camp, but to everyone's surprise, it is B.J. It also featured Robert Duvall and Tom Skerritt, while Sylvester Stallone also worked as an extra on the film. He briefly visits Hawkeye, but makes no mention of his discharge while there. Hunnicutt. He's not only cute, he's funny! Conductor opened the door, the girl looked out and yelled 'Oh, he trapped me! Instead, the Trapper John, M.D. 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. That means doctors and nurses at the numerousMobile Army Surgical Hospitals were there for three Christmases. responds with, "I'll miss you- a lot. It was the first spin-off to feature a character from the series in civilian life after the war. The comedy remained strong through season 6 and Winchester was definitely a breath of fresh air. Hazel Not really fair to compare the two, since Farrell had many more years to exploer his character than Wayne Rogers. The two were caught by a conductor, at which point the woman turned against him shouting, "He trapped me! THEN: Wayne Rogers played surgeon Captain John Trapper McIntyre, Hawkeyes partner-in-crime in the shows first three seasons, before leaving to pursue other work. Distractify is a registered trademark. In reality, the show's set on the Fox Ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains was devastated during filming of the final episode. Only man to find fulfillment in a Boston Maine Railway, in the- in the ladies can! Jeff Maxwell was never a series regular on M*A*S*H, but he appeared on the show in a recurring role for ten years. Much of the story line of Trapper John, M.D. "Pilot" (Season 1, Series pilot) Gary Burghoff was the first actor cast. It didn't take long for B.J. tended to be more passive, preferring to be a quieter voice of reason. He published several other novels based on that group. Morgan, a veteran character actor and former Universal contract player, portrayed Colonel Sherman T. Potter. IMCDb.org: 1941 Indian Scout in "M*A*S*H, 1972-1983" Trapper John, M.D. Despite the fact that this spinoff series was not as popular as the original show, Trapper John, M.D. TV series Hunnicutt, hearing of the pranks played by Trapper John, attempts to show that he in fact is "the world's heavyweight scamp". The rank of Major is attained for members of the AMEDD after serving as a Captain for 6 years. As a young actor, Rogers met actress Mitzi McWhorter in New York in the late 1950s. In 2001, Rogers made Destin, Florida, his home. Hunnicutt is a character in the M*A*S*H TV series. is a TV dramatic series that showed the character in a contemporary setting (approximately 25 years after the Korean War ended). As a compromise, CBS not only muted the laughs during the operating scenes, but also lowered the volume of the laughter throughout the series, making it less raucous than the normal canned laughs of a comedic series. Though not always the case, it was something fans of the series learned later. But audiences took to the bit character that he was written in as a regular on the show. He guest starred on an episode of the CBS western Johnny Ringo. The series is correct in having him be a Captain. A total of 15 M*A*S*H novels were published between 1968 and 1977, some co-authored by William E. Butterworth. M*A*S*H premiered in 1972, and 2022 officially marked the hit sitcom's fiftieth anniversary. In Bottoms Up, after he stages a prank with Hawkeye during which Charles loses his pants in the OR (for which Hawkeye was blamed), B.J. Shortly after B.J. Legally, Trapper John, M.D. Trapper also had a moral code, and though he was normally easygoing, he occasionally showed his dark side. B.J. B.J. He replaced Trapper John, both in his position . and Trapper John share is their penchant for tomfoolery in the form of pranks and practical jokes, except that B.J. "B.J. Boston born and raised, John McIntyre is a thoracic surgeon (chest cutter), and in the film is appointed chief surgeon at the 4077th. . is overcome with envy over Radar's discharge, and says he almost hates Radar because he is home while he is still stuck in Korea, then mentioning that he feels the same way about Trapper even though the two have never met. 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. in September 1986. By the end of the third season, Rogers was fed up with the fact that Trapper was being treated as a sidekick instead of an equal. is in a helicopter and forced to cut a rope leading down to a wounded soldier he and the pilot were attempting to rescue from an enemy patrol, effectively abandoning him to capture or death. ", "I'm a temporarily misassigned civilian.". Surgeon at the 4077th M*A*S*H Both served in the Army. Naval Institute, he wore his "real dog-tags on M*A*S*H.". In fact, the producers gave the TV version of Hawkeye some of the character details of the film version of Trapper (in the MASH film, Trapper John is the 4077th's top chest-cutter and Chief Surgeon; in the TV series, Hawkeye is Chief Surgeon and references are made to him being the camp's top chest-cutter). Centered around the exploits of Army surgeons in the fictional Mobile Army Surgical Hospital 4077 during the Korean War, the show began as a spinoff of the hit Robert Altman film released in 1970, which in turn was an adaptation of the bestseller M*A*S*H: A Novel About Three Doctors. The reason for this was three of his fingers were deformed to a birth defect. This was the start of the 4 th season following the departure of Col Henry Blake and Trapper John. Although the show depicted many truths to the war, it also avoided some that painted the troops in an unpatriotic light.