Plot: Clete Roberts interviews the personnel of the 4077th in an episode filmed in black and white.
Several things about this one.
Later in the series we would learn that Klinger was hiding his presence in Korea from his Mom. Being interviewed for national broadcast would be a very bad way to hide. It's also kinda interesting to me that Klinger refers to his wife by her maiden name.
Notice that every time Colonel Potter uses a "four-letter" word he looks to the camera. Nice touch on Harry Morgan's part.
This is one of the episodes in which Hawkeye uses the phrase "Finest kind."
I love Frank Burns' statement, "Marriage is the headstone of society."
At the beginning of this ep, Clete Roberts says the 4077th is 18 miles from the Front. I thought it was supposed to stay three miles from the Front?
B.J. claims to have done three amputations before his first breakfast? I assume he means when he first arrived. I feel sorry for him. As I recall, in "Welcome to Korea", B.J. arrived at the 4077th very drunk. I imagine he was operating with a hangover.
Also note that, in the episode where Col. Potter arrived, when they went into OR, B.J. certainly acted as though it was his first time.
I watched this uncut last night. It suddenly occurred to me that, all the admiring comments about the nurses notwithstanding, neither Margaret nor any other nurse was interviewed.
It's hard to point out the syndication cuts in this one, because they all consist of one or two lines added on to the clips here and there. One that really stood out for me was when Frank was asked how he felt about President Eisenhower. Frank's reply, "Well, he's a General."
Another was when Col. Potter described his "hero": Abraham Lincoln. He thought that Lincoln would have made a good doctor. He also said that Lincoln (and Truman, as well) didn't dilly dally around or pass the buck when a problem was at hand. They faced the problem and dealt with it.
B.J. claims to have done three amputations before his first breakfast? I assume he means when he first arrived. I feel sorry for him. As I recall, in "Welcome to Korea", B.J. arrived at the 4077th very drunk. I imagine he was operating with a hangover.
My guess is that B.J. was probably exagerating when he said that. I think he said that just to get the point across that he is constantly working on casualites.
Perhaps it took him a few days to get up the courage to eat the breakfast?
When talking about the success rate of the five MASH units in Korea, Clete Roberts says that the survival rate is 97%. I thought that was just the 4077th's survival rate? Is this just a number that TPTB liked to bandy about, or is it meant to be an average of the five units? If so, they all do very well at saving lives.
Hey! That picture of Frank's Mom did survive the tank crashing through the Swamp in "Hey Doc!" It sits right behind Clete Roberts when he interviews Major Burns.
According to this ep, Father Mulcahy is a 1st Lt. Interestingly, the Father is listed as "1st Lt. F. Mulcahy". I thought Francis was his middle name. Shouldn't it be "1st Lt. J. Mulcahy" instead?
I believe the entire bit where Radar talks about growing earthworms has been cut for syndication.
Clete mentions to Potter that the Colonel is Regular Army, unlike "most of his doctors". "Most"? Hawkeye's not Regular Army. B.J.'s not Regular Army. Frank's not Regular Army. (He may want to be a patriotic and a by the book military man, but he is not a career, Regular Army man.) So which doctors are Regular Army? The ones we never see?
When talking about the 4077th getting shelled, Hawkeye says they "get the cr4p bombed out them." The word "cr4p" wouldn't make it past TV censors in the Nineteen Fifties anymore than it will the censorware here at Nitcentral.
"The Interview" takes place in 1952. We know this because of the mention of President Eisenhower.
Radar says that when he went to Tokyo, he got a little drunk. This is, I believe, a reference to the episode, "Soldier of the Month". It will also contradict any episode that indicates that Radar does not drink and has never gotten drunk.
It is so ironic for Radar to talk about the Koreans as being kids when he's only about 18 years old himself.
Colonel Potter tells Clete that he misses his son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter. What about his daughter and son-in-law (whom we see in the ep, "Strange Bedfellows")?
As B.J. talks about Peg and Erin in Mill Valley, a chopper can be heard. Did this mean that wounded were being flown in? Was the interview interrupted so that Hunnicutt could operate?
Radar mentions that he's got a '41 Chevy that he's fixing up back home in Iowa. Uh huh. If Walter can repair cars, why couldn't he repair the bus in "The Bus"?
Please note that Clete Roberts, who plays himself in this ep, is credited as "The Interviewer" in the closing credits. Incidentally, I thought Clete did an excellent job in how he acted with the characters in this ep. His attitude is different with each of the lead characters. He did a very good job.
Horse hockey!
They never could get it clear on the proper line-up of Father Mulcahy's name. John Patrick Francis, Patrick John Francis, Francis John Patrick? Or perhaps his name was meant to be captioned 1st Lt. F(ather) Mulcahy?
Col. Potter makes up for forgetting his daughter and son-in-law (and grandson). In a much later episode, talking about his family to a young soldier (who is still a virgin) he mentions his daughter, and forgets that he has a son.
>Clete mentions to Potter that the Colonel is Regular Army, unlike "most of his doctors". "Most"? Hawkeye's not Regular Army. B.J.'s not Regular Army. Frank's not Regular Army. (He may want to be a patriotic and a by the book military man, but he is not a career, Regular Army man.) So which doctors are Regular Army? The ones we never see? >
I think he means that Potter is regular Army, and the other doctors are not regular Army.
Except, Charles (hope you don't mind that I use your first name, even though you don't seem to anymore) Clete's exact words are "most of your other doctors aren't (regular army)." If he meant that Potter is regular army and B.J., Frank and Hawkeye aren't - and that they are the only surgeons assigned to the camp - why not phrase it, "You are regular army and your doctors aren't..."? It's how it's phrased that bugs me. It implies the presence of other doctors.
Horse hockey!
About the chopper beign heard behind BJ - it could be picking up a patient, or dropping off a dignitary, or something like that.
I doubt it was picking up a dignitary, but picking up a patient is very possible. I hadn't thought of that. Thanks margie!
Horse hockey!
"The Interview" takes place in 1952. We know this because of the mention of President Eisenhower.
I don't remember specifics of the episode, not having seen it in a while. However, wasn't Truman president until early 1953 (Either January or March. I don't remember when the amendment that changed the presidential inaguration date took effect.)
Second best episode of Mash ever next to POV Private Rich.
Riveting and truly great.
Radar mentioned having cockroach races. I just watched this episode with my wife who mentioned this interesting fact: there were no cockroaches here in Korea then. They came later when Korea started importing wood.
I'm sure that's a recurring nit.
Maybe the Army imported the roaches by mistake when they sent their units to Korea? And maybe those imported cockroaches were only to be found at the various camps? Or are there insects that resemble roaches that maybe Radar and others might think are cockroaches?
Come on! Cockroaches are a vast insect family, with thousands of species. There may not have been GERMAN roaches in Korea at the time, but I'm sure there are plenty of indigenous species he could have chosen from.
What Adam said. It must take place in '53.
Maybe this was said at one time. The screenshots at the end are in color, leading me to think that the episode was shot that way, then converted to black and white for airing.