9 faces that appeared on both 'M*A*S*H' and 'Kolchak: The Night Stalker'

Chicago is a long way from the 4077th.

Kolchak: The Night Stalker only ran for a single season with 20 episodes. However, that didn't stop the show from gaining a cult following that still exists today. For a show that only ran 20 episodes, they sure were able to pull some big names as guest stars, including Phil Silvers, Erik Estrada, sportscaster legend Dick Enberg... even Creed Bratton, who would later gain widespread fame from The Office had a tiny uncredited role.

M*A*S*H, however, had 11 seasons. Perhaps it's inevitable that there would be some overlap. Some of these actors had already been on the show by the time they appeared on Kolchak. Others wouldn't turn up until years later.

Here's nine faces on Kolchak you might recognize from the 4077th.

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1. Jamie Farr - "Primal Scream"

 

On M*A*S*H as: Maxwell Klinger

Jamie Farr won hearts as the eccentric Maxwell Klinger, most famously known for wearing women's clothing in an effort to get sent home on a Section 8. In Kolchak, he plays an entirely different character: Jack Burton, a public school teacher who bemoans that his students call him "Bones Burton" behind his back, due to his hobby of collecting bones from around the world. However, when a prehistoric ape-man is rampaging around Chicago, Burton gets to use those bones to explain to Kolchak why an ordinary ape couldn't be committing these murders.

2. Larry Linville - "Chopper"

 

On M*A*S*H as: Frank Burns

On M*A*S*H, Burns antagonized the camp with his incompetence as a surgeon and his underhanded efforts to gain control of the camp. On Kolchak, Linville plays newly-promoted Captain Jonas, who says that unlike his predecessors, he doesn't plan to allow Kolchak any access to information. This culminates in Jonas snarling about Kolchak's "morbid, macabre babblings", to which Kolchak tells him he isn't fit to captain The Rockettes.

3. Charles Aidman - "The Zombie"

 

On M*A*S*H as: Col. Victor Bloodworth

On M*A*S*H, Aidman frustrated Hawkeye with his cold-blooded casualty predictions and threatened to court-marshal Hawkeye after their confrontation escalated to shoving. On Kolchak, he plays Captain Linwood, who naturally scoffs at Kolchak suggesting that a zombie is reponsible for the rash of murders... but he may be targeted by the zombie himself.

4. Val Bisoglio - "The Zombie"

 

On M*A*S*H as: Sgt. Pernelli

On M*A*S*H, Bisoglio turned up in multiple episodes in the mess hall. In "The Life You Save", Hawkeye tried to teach him how to make french toast. In "A Holy Mess", we watched Pernelli get upset as everyone wanted their eggs made to order in a special way. On Kolchak, however, Bisoglio plays a very different character as an Italian mobster, who Kolchak very narrowly escapes thanks to the titular zombie.

5. Sorrell Booke - "Legacy of Terror"

 

On M*A*S*H as: Gen. Wilson Spaulding Barker

You probably know Booke best as Boss Hogg from The Dukes of Hazzard. On M*A*S*H, he turned up in two episodes, one of which was the first appearance of Klinger. During "Chief Surgeon Who?" Barker is brought into the camp on the request of Burns, only to observe the camp in its typical antics... until an emergency happens and they snap into action. On Kolchak, Booke is a proud taxidermist who helps Kolchak identify some mysterious feathers, and gives him some insight on the mummification process.

6. James Gregory - "They Have Been, They Are, They Will Be..."

 

On M*A*S*H as: "Iron Guts" Kelly

As "Iron Guts" Kelly on M*A*S*H, Gregory shared a night of passion with Margaret that ended unfortunately. On Kolchak, as Captain Quill, he found himself involved with a government cover-up of an extraterrestrial nature.

7. Mary Wickes - "They Have Been, They Are, They Will Be..."

 

On M*A*S*H as: Colonel Reese

Probably best known from Sister Act and White Christmas, Wickes stopped by the 4077th to observe the nurses, but ended up creating friction in the camp by setting her sight on Frank Burns. In Kolchak, she plays a zoo veterinarian who is initally reluctant to help Kolchak, but is won over by the promise of a Cubs world series ticket. In 1974, that would have been a pretty incredible thing.

8. Kellye Nakahara - "The Trevi Collection"

 

On M*A*S*H as: Lt. Kellye Yamato

Nurse Kellye is a beloved M*A*S*H fan favorite. Who doesn't love her "I happen to be cute as hell" speech to Hawkeye in "Hey, Look Me Over"? In Kolchak you can spy her in an uncredited background role as a lecture attendant — she's the one giving Kolchak some serious side-eye for asking ridiculous questions.

9. Tom Skerritt - "The Devil's Platform"

 

On M*A*S*H (the 1970 movie) as: Duke Forrest

Okay, we're cheating a little with this one. Skerritt wasn't on M*A*S*H the TV show, but he was in the 1970 movie the show was based off, so we're counting it. On Kolchak, he gets to play a role with real teeth, as an aspiring politician whose opponents have a funny way of getting into unfortunate "accidents".

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28 Comments

DenisRives 13 months ago
Tom Skerritt had his own series, PICKET FENCES, with Kathy Baker that ran for maybe 3 seasons.
Lillyrose 13 months ago
Mary Wickes was also on an episode of "I Love Lucy", (she played a ballet teacher), and on several episodes of "The Lucy Show." Great episodes!
Tom Skerritt also played Viper on "Top Gun." Great Tom Cruise movie!
WordsmithWorks 13 months ago
Besides his appearances on M*A*8*H* and Night Stalker, let's not forget Sorrell Booke's iconic Boss Hogg character.
Runeshaper 13 months ago
Some great actors and actresses here!
Andybandit 13 months ago
Wow, a lot of people from MASH were on K:TNS. James Gregory was also the inspector on Barney Miller.
MrsPhilHarris 13 months ago
Love the Iron Guts Kelly episode.
BenSobeleone MrsPhilHarris 13 months ago
Classic episode! One on my favorites. "General Robert "Iron Guts" Kelly is gonna parish in a full-scale, blazing, all-out glorious, star-spangled banner death." "And rockets! I want plenty of rockets!" "That's for the red glare."
MrsPhilHarris BenSobeleone 13 months ago
😂 I love when she got Hawkeye and Trapper to help her. Frank comes to the door and hears all sorts of racket. Margaret opens the door and he sees Hawkeye and Trapper playing cards while Margaret tries to explain why they are there.
BenSobeleone MrsPhilHarris 13 months ago
That was hilarious! The whole camp is jumping as Col. Blake says! Later on, Frank says something to Margaret about her and General Kelly that she takes as inappropriate and kicks him out of her tent and calls him "ferret face!"
Moverfan 25 months ago
It should be noted that "Iron Guts" Kelly's night of passion ended unfortunately for him, not for Margaret...well, considering what he was doing in his last moments, maybe not so much for him, either...
RS1515 25 months ago
I knew Larry Linville had a lot of acting credits before MASH, but his role as the annoying Major Burns makes it hard to accept him playing different characters. I don't mean that in a disrespectful way to Mr. Linville, I guess it's just that he played such a top notch jerk in MASH I can only appreciate him that way.
GeorgeSommers 25 months ago
Larry Linville was also in the original "Nightstalker" movie which the series was based on playing (again) a doctor and the one non-skeptic of Kolchak's vampire theory,
WatchingMe 25 months ago
The Terrific Guest Stars In The "Kolchak" Series & The Two Pilot Films: Claude Akins, Carol Lynley, Ralph Meeker, John Fiedler, Charles McGraw, Kent Smith, Barry Atwater, Stanley Adams, Jo Ann Pflug, Margaret Hamilton, Wally Cox, Scott Brady, Richard Anderson, John Carradine, Al Lewis, Nina Wayne, Virginia Peters, Ivor Francis, Diane Shalet, Anne Randall, Regina Parton, Elisha Cook Jr., Antonio Fargas, William Daniels, Beatrice Colen, Ken Lynch, Roberta Collins, Larry Storch, Kathleen Nolan, Jan Murray, Eric Braeden, Mary Wickes, Corinne Camacho, Dick Gautier, Nita Talbot, Bob Hastings, Tom Skerritt, Ramon Bieri, Victor Jory, Alice Ghostley, Severn Darden, William Smith, Tom Drake, Julie Adams, Sorrell Booke, Jamie Farr, Pat Harrington Jr., James Gregory, Barbara Rhoades, Lara Parker, Bernie Kopell, Nina Foch, Larry Linville, Art Metrano, Jim Backus, Frank Aletter, Sharon Farrell, Jay Robinson, Steve Franken, Andrew Prine, Jackie Vernon, Erik Estrada, Shug Fisher, John Dehner, Robert Emhardt, Cathy Lee Crosby, Dwayne Hickman, Keenan Wynn, Richard Kiel, Scatman Crothers, Hans Conried, and many more. In Episode 3, "They Have Been, They Are, They Will Be..." Sportscaster Dick Enberg can be heard on Kolchak's car radio calling game 1 of a fictional 1974 World Series game between the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox ! Hats Off To Darren McGavin, A remarkably seasoned actor of stage, screen and television, His portrayal of intrepid reporter Carl Kolchak is an Inspiring tour de force ! Happy Halloween Everyone !!!
WayneKeith 25 months ago
Charles Aidman was most memorable to me as the guy who substituted on "The Wild, Wild West" when Ross Martin was sick.
musicman37 25 months ago
Larry Linville was also a coroner in the original "Night Stalker" movie.
CaptainDunsel 25 months ago
Yes - quite a distance from Uijeongbu-si to Chicago


But not really that far from 20th to Universal
CoreyC 25 months ago
Poor Larry Linville he never was able to escape Frank "Ferret Face" Burns.
AgingDisgracefully CoreyC 25 months ago
I was just able to channel Larry's spirit.
He said, "Nerts!"
Tresix CoreyC 25 months ago
Linville came across as very competent and professional in the “Night Stalker” movie.
Pacificsun 25 months ago
Very nicely done story MeTV Staff!! Who would've guessed the tie-in!


Kolchak is such a unique series that the "only" 20 episodes still play out well over and over. Maybe it's because they're pretty intricate with obscure storylines, and so other-worldly. And maybe because its Darrin McGavin who dominates the viewer's attention because of his intensity and focus! Either way, it's a great add to SciFi Sat/Sun and thank you for putting it into the Summer Block Party too!
daDoctah 25 months ago
Saw another M*A*S*H regular show up this week on DC's Stargirl. Couldn't believe it when the name G.W. Bailey (the 4077th's motor pool guy Rizzo) appeared in the opening credits. As the episode progressed, he turned out to be the late father of Pat Dugan alias Stripesy alias Stargirl's stepfather alias Luke Wilson, or rather an evil force taking the *form* of Dugan. And this evil force first showed up working on a car's engine, with a wrench in his hand.
CoreyC daDoctah 25 months ago
G.W. Bailey was in Major Crimes.
CaptainDunsel daDoctah 25 months ago
Bailey has a LONG list of credits, with several ongoing TV series roles, plus the "Police Academy" movies, and more...
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0047265/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0
Pacificsun daDoctah 25 months ago


LOCATION:
https://www.metv.com/stories/which-decade-had-the-best-halloween-candy

LOCATION: Answers to the Quiz (STOP if you haven't yet played)
https://www.ultimatequizquestions.com/back-to-the-future-quiz/
BenSobeleone CaptainDunsel 13 months ago
G.W. Bailey was also in the sci-fi movie Runaway with Tom Selleck and Gene Simmons.
McGillahooala 25 months ago
Watching Kolchak now. It’sa great show that I had as never watched.
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