Laurence Fishburne
MASH Guest Stars
September 21, 2009
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
The list of guest stars on M*A*S*H is an entertainment hall of fame list.
From 1972 to 1983, this powerhouse show on CBS boasted actors and actresses who later became fixtures on America’s favorite television shows on the Eye Network.
Joan Van Ark and Knots Landing.
Gregory Harrison and Trapper John, M.D.
Vic Tayback and Alice.
Sorrell Booke and The Dukes of Hazzard.
Linda Kelsey and Lou Grant.
Susan Saint James and Kate and Allie.
Some actors and actresses became fixtures on America’s favorite television shows on other networks.
Ed Flanders and St. Elsewhere.
Ed Begley, Jr. and St. Elsewhere.
Shelley Long and Cheers.
George Wendt and Cheers.
John Ritter and Three’s Company.
Robert Ito and Quincy.
Jack Soo and Barney Miller.
Larry Wilcox and CHiPs.
And some actors and actresses became movie stars.
Laurence Fishburne.
Patrick Swayze.
Teri Garr.
Some guest stars on M*A*S*H played roles that helped peel back the layers of the regular staff of the 4077th.
In the episode The More I See You, Blythe Danner plays Carlye, a nurse and long-lost flame of Hawkeye.
We learned that Hawkeye and Carlye actually lived together.
But timing is everything.
The relationship couldn’t go further because Hawkeye was in residency and work was his priority.
Now assigned to the 4077th, Carlye is married. Hawkeye tries to reignite the flame.
And he succeeds.
Until he gives a rambling monologue about commitment while walking around his tent, a.k.a. the Swamp. Carlye shows him that he cannot have a relationship because he’s literally talked himself into a corner while talking about long-term commitment.
Dennis Dugan appears in two M*A*S*H episodes -- Love and Marriage and Strange Bedfellows.
In Strange Bedfellows, he plays Potter’s son-in-law.
And Potter learns about the son-in-law’s betrayal to his wife, Potter’s daughter. Though angry, Potter reveals that he himself got a little friendlier than he should have with a nurse early in his career.
Ron Howard guest stars in the first episode that showed M*A*S*H could go beyond the antics of draftee doctors to places of deep emotion, pathos, and sobriety.
In the landmark episode Sometimes You Hear the Bullet, Hawkeye’s friend, Tommy Gillis, is researching a book about war.
James Callahan plays Gillis.
He theorizes that a soldier never hears the bullet that kills him. Gillis’ theory directly contrasts the depiction of combat in the movies. He wants to call his book You Never Hear the Bullet.
During his research on the front lines, Gillis gets shot and winds up on Hawkeye’s operating table. Gillis tells Hawkeye that he heard the bullet and dies before Hawkeye can operate.
Meanwhile, an underage soldier named Wendell Peterson is in post-op.
Played by Howard, the 15-year-old Wendell stole his brother Walter’s identity to become a soldier only to impress a girl.
Hawkeye initially tells him that the secret will not be revealed.
But after seeing his friend die, Hawkeye gets a speech from Colonel Henry Blake.
There are certain rules about a war. Rule Number One is ‘Young men die.’ Rule number two is ‘Doctors can’t change Rule Number One.’
Hawkeye’s response is to keep one young man from dying in one war.
He reports Peterson to Major Houlihan, thus saving Peterson from future harm, at least on the battle field.
david@davidkrell.com
The list of guest stars on M*A*S*H is an entertainment hall of fame list.
From 1972 to 1983, this powerhouse show on CBS boasted actors and actresses who later became fixtures on America’s favorite television shows on the Eye Network.
Joan Van Ark and Knots Landing.
Gregory Harrison and Trapper John, M.D.
Vic Tayback and Alice.
Sorrell Booke and The Dukes of Hazzard.
Linda Kelsey and Lou Grant.
Susan Saint James and Kate and Allie.
Some actors and actresses became fixtures on America’s favorite television shows on other networks.
Ed Flanders and St. Elsewhere.
Ed Begley, Jr. and St. Elsewhere.
Shelley Long and Cheers.
George Wendt and Cheers.
John Ritter and Three’s Company.
Robert Ito and Quincy.
Jack Soo and Barney Miller.
Larry Wilcox and CHiPs.
And some actors and actresses became movie stars.
Laurence Fishburne.
Patrick Swayze.
Teri Garr.
Some guest stars on M*A*S*H played roles that helped peel back the layers of the regular staff of the 4077th.
In the episode The More I See You, Blythe Danner plays Carlye, a nurse and long-lost flame of Hawkeye.
We learned that Hawkeye and Carlye actually lived together.
But timing is everything.
The relationship couldn’t go further because Hawkeye was in residency and work was his priority.
Now assigned to the 4077th, Carlye is married. Hawkeye tries to reignite the flame.
And he succeeds.
Until he gives a rambling monologue about commitment while walking around his tent, a.k.a. the Swamp. Carlye shows him that he cannot have a relationship because he’s literally talked himself into a corner while talking about long-term commitment.
Dennis Dugan appears in two M*A*S*H episodes -- Love and Marriage and Strange Bedfellows.
In Strange Bedfellows, he plays Potter’s son-in-law.
And Potter learns about the son-in-law’s betrayal to his wife, Potter’s daughter. Though angry, Potter reveals that he himself got a little friendlier than he should have with a nurse early in his career.
Ron Howard guest stars in the first episode that showed M*A*S*H could go beyond the antics of draftee doctors to places of deep emotion, pathos, and sobriety.
In the landmark episode Sometimes You Hear the Bullet, Hawkeye’s friend, Tommy Gillis, is researching a book about war.
James Callahan plays Gillis.
He theorizes that a soldier never hears the bullet that kills him. Gillis’ theory directly contrasts the depiction of combat in the movies. He wants to call his book You Never Hear the Bullet.
During his research on the front lines, Gillis gets shot and winds up on Hawkeye’s operating table. Gillis tells Hawkeye that he heard the bullet and dies before Hawkeye can operate.
Meanwhile, an underage soldier named Wendell Peterson is in post-op.
Played by Howard, the 15-year-old Wendell stole his brother Walter’s identity to become a soldier only to impress a girl.
Hawkeye initially tells him that the secret will not be revealed.
But after seeing his friend die, Hawkeye gets a speech from Colonel Henry Blake.
There are certain rules about a war. Rule Number One is ‘Young men die.’ Rule number two is ‘Doctors can’t change Rule Number One.’
Hawkeye’s response is to keep one young man from dying in one war.
He reports Peterson to Major Houlihan, thus saving Peterson from future harm, at least on the battle field.
Gil Grissom
July 28, 2009
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
Two days after Barack Obama took the Oath of Office and became the 44th President of the United States on January 20, 2009, another transfer of power took place.
Laurence Fishburne took over the lead role on CSI after a story arc introducing his character -- Dr. Raymond Langston, a former pathologist turned professor.
Las Vegas CSI team leader Gil Grissom met Dr. Langston when he audited one of the professor's classes where a serial killer is interviewed via satellite by students. William Petersen plays Grissom who also has a Ph.D.
Grissom's quest, as always, is to find information that will help him in a current case.
His cover is blown after he shouts a question that Langston immediately recognizes as one that would only be asked by a cop.
During his tenure on CSI, Petersen's depiction of Grissom showed a multi-layered character. Fascinated by people and their motives, psychology, and behavior, Grissom took a pure observer's role in his investigations.
One CSI episode dealt with furry fandom, a lifestyle where people dress up in full-body animal costumes and sometimes engage in sexual behavior.
While team member Catherine Willows thought the lifestyle was disgusting, Grissom looked at it as a scientist observing a subculture.
Grissom also became entranced with Lady Heather, a dominatrix played expertly by Melinda Clarke.
Clarke made several appearances on CSI that led to an ambiguous relationship between the Ph.D. entymologist turned crime solver and the dominatrix.
When Grissom walked through the CSI offices for the last time, he looked at the members of his team doing their jobs. And a smile crossed his face, telling the audience that he'll miss his co-workers but he knows they can move forward without him.
Perhaps the greatest expression of the love the team had for its leader took place as Grissom looked at Catherine Willows and Jim Brass through a window as they discussed a case in a conference room. Paul Guilfoyle plays Brass and Marg Helgenberger plays Catherine.
Played by the ageless, beautiful, and deeply talented Helgenberger, Catherine looks up and sees Grissom. She slowly winks at him and they share a smile that reveals the tremendous love, respect, and friendship linking the two veteran CSI investigators.
In the last scene, we see Grissom's destiny. He's walking through a jungle in Costa Rica with a GPS guiding him.
Grissom finds his way to a camp where he sees his former love and CSI subordinate Sara Sidle, played by Jorja Fox. Their romance initially took place in seasons past.
Fox left the show and returned for a short stint only to leave again.
Grissom and Sara embrace, thereby satisfying fans who wanted this particular case of television romance closed.
david@davidkrell.com
Two days after Barack Obama took the Oath of Office and became the 44th President of the United States on January 20, 2009, another transfer of power took place.
Laurence Fishburne took over the lead role on CSI after a story arc introducing his character -- Dr. Raymond Langston, a former pathologist turned professor.
Las Vegas CSI team leader Gil Grissom met Dr. Langston when he audited one of the professor's classes where a serial killer is interviewed via satellite by students. William Petersen plays Grissom who also has a Ph.D.
Grissom's quest, as always, is to find information that will help him in a current case.
His cover is blown after he shouts a question that Langston immediately recognizes as one that would only be asked by a cop.
During his tenure on CSI, Petersen's depiction of Grissom showed a multi-layered character. Fascinated by people and their motives, psychology, and behavior, Grissom took a pure observer's role in his investigations.
One CSI episode dealt with furry fandom, a lifestyle where people dress up in full-body animal costumes and sometimes engage in sexual behavior.
While team member Catherine Willows thought the lifestyle was disgusting, Grissom looked at it as a scientist observing a subculture.
Grissom also became entranced with Lady Heather, a dominatrix played expertly by Melinda Clarke.
Clarke made several appearances on CSI that led to an ambiguous relationship between the Ph.D. entymologist turned crime solver and the dominatrix.
When Grissom walked through the CSI offices for the last time, he looked at the members of his team doing their jobs. And a smile crossed his face, telling the audience that he'll miss his co-workers but he knows they can move forward without him.
Perhaps the greatest expression of the love the team had for its leader took place as Grissom looked at Catherine Willows and Jim Brass through a window as they discussed a case in a conference room. Paul Guilfoyle plays Brass and Marg Helgenberger plays Catherine.
Played by the ageless, beautiful, and deeply talented Helgenberger, Catherine looks up and sees Grissom. She slowly winks at him and they share a smile that reveals the tremendous love, respect, and friendship linking the two veteran CSI investigators.
In the last scene, we see Grissom's destiny. He's walking through a jungle in Costa Rica with a GPS guiding him.
Grissom finds his way to a camp where he sees his former love and CSI subordinate Sara Sidle, played by Jorja Fox. Their romance initially took place in seasons past.
Fox left the show and returned for a short stint only to leave again.
Grissom and Sara embrace, thereby satisfying fans who wanted this particular case of television romance closed.
The General Flipped At Dawn
July 14, 2009
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
M*A*S*H had a terrific roster of guest stars during its eleven-year run on CBS.
Ron Howard.
Laurence Fishburne.
And Harry Morgan, to name just three.
Harry Morgan?
Didn't he play Colonel Potter?
Yes, but he also appeared as a guest star in the third-season episode The General Flipped At Dawn in 1974.
In this episode, Morgan plays General Hamilton Steele, a no-nonsense, Regular Army, military disciplinarian who inspects the 4077th.
Steele quotes great generals to inspire Colonel Blake.
Of course, the quotes are fictional and sometimes ridiculous.
Indeed, General Steele is in his own world.
While reviewing the troops, he tells Father Mulcahy that he'd like to see a shine on the cross that the 4077th's chaplain wears.
And when Klinger comes to the lineup dressed like a woman to convince the general that he's a candidate for a Section 8 discharge, General Steele dismissed him by saying, Not now Marjorie, I'm inspecting the troops.
It leaves Klinger with a terribly confused look on his face. Where Klinger usually gets wisecracks upon being dismissed, the general actually thinks Klinger is someone named Marjorie, perhaps his wife.
The conflict in the episode stems from Steele's order to move the M*A*S*H 4077th unit to a location closer to the front.
You do your best business on Main Street, says Steele.
He also says, MASH means Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, and mobile you shall be.
Unfortunately, General Steele needs a helicopter to view the move at the same time that Dr. Hawkeye Pierce needs a helicopter to transport a patient to Tokyo for further medical treatment.
A shouting match leads to Hawkeye telling the general that he's nuts.
And a court martial of Hawkeye ensues with disastrous results for the general after he makes inappropriate comments to the black helicopter pilot during the hearing.
But that doesn't stop General Steele. He gets a promotion.
Teddy Wilson played the helicopter pilot. He reunited with Harry Morgan in 1987 for the short-lived television series You Can't Take It With You.
The General Flipped At Dawn is an interesting episode.
It shows the great range of Harry Morgan.
Where he plays Potter as wise, compassionate, and avuncular, he plays Steele as single-minded -- his way or the highway.
But instead of making him a caricature, Morgan makes him a realistic character unafraid to use his authority, befuddled and clueless though he may be.
For M*A*S*H fans, The General Flipped At Dawn has historical importance because of Morgan's pre-Potter appearance. And it has entertainment value that puts the episode among the most noteworthy M*A*S*H episodes.
david@davidkrell.com
M*A*S*H had a terrific roster of guest stars during its eleven-year run on CBS.
Ron Howard.
Laurence Fishburne.
And Harry Morgan, to name just three.
Harry Morgan?
Didn't he play Colonel Potter?
Yes, but he also appeared as a guest star in the third-season episode The General Flipped At Dawn in 1974.
In this episode, Morgan plays General Hamilton Steele, a no-nonsense, Regular Army, military disciplinarian who inspects the 4077th.
Steele quotes great generals to inspire Colonel Blake.
Of course, the quotes are fictional and sometimes ridiculous.
Indeed, General Steele is in his own world.
While reviewing the troops, he tells Father Mulcahy that he'd like to see a shine on the cross that the 4077th's chaplain wears.
And when Klinger comes to the lineup dressed like a woman to convince the general that he's a candidate for a Section 8 discharge, General Steele dismissed him by saying, Not now Marjorie, I'm inspecting the troops.
It leaves Klinger with a terribly confused look on his face. Where Klinger usually gets wisecracks upon being dismissed, the general actually thinks Klinger is someone named Marjorie, perhaps his wife.
The conflict in the episode stems from Steele's order to move the M*A*S*H 4077th unit to a location closer to the front.
You do your best business on Main Street, says Steele.
He also says, MASH means Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, and mobile you shall be.
Unfortunately, General Steele needs a helicopter to view the move at the same time that Dr. Hawkeye Pierce needs a helicopter to transport a patient to Tokyo for further medical treatment.
A shouting match leads to Hawkeye telling the general that he's nuts.
And a court martial of Hawkeye ensues with disastrous results for the general after he makes inappropriate comments to the black helicopter pilot during the hearing.
But that doesn't stop General Steele. He gets a promotion.
Teddy Wilson played the helicopter pilot. He reunited with Harry Morgan in 1987 for the short-lived television series You Can't Take It With You.
The General Flipped At Dawn is an interesting episode.
It shows the great range of Harry Morgan.
Where he plays Potter as wise, compassionate, and avuncular, he plays Steele as single-minded -- his way or the highway.
But instead of making him a caricature, Morgan makes him a realistic character unafraid to use his authority, befuddled and clueless though he may be.
For M*A*S*H fans, The General Flipped At Dawn has historical importance because of Morgan's pre-Potter appearance. And it has entertainment value that puts the episode among the most noteworthy M*A*S*H episodes.