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Two M*A*S*H nurses were married to series co-creator Gene Reynolds
Lt. Barbara Bannerman and Nurse Carrie Donovan had at least one thing in common.
New York native Bonnie Jones began her acting career in the Big Apple. She studied under the legendary Lee Strasberg and got her big break on Broadway. Jones made her television debut on Naked City, the noir crime series that filmed in New York City. Naturally, she moved to Hollywood, where she continued to land roles on shows like My Living Doll and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Most memorably, in 1965, Jones portrayed Amy Jo Jennings, a small-town singer who follows her dream to Los Angeles on Perry Mason. After she is accused of murder, Jennings becomes the titular client of Mason in "The Case of the Frustrated Folksinger." Perry again came to her defense later that same year in "The Case of the Impetuous Imp," in which she played the accused Diana Carter.
A year later, Jones popped up on Hogan's Heroes in "Will the Real Adolf Please Stand Up?" That episode was directed by Gene Reynolds. Jones and Reynolds married a year later.
In 1972, Reynolds would co-create M*A*S*H. As his wife had acting experience, she naturally appeared in the series. Jones can be seen as Lt. Barbara Bannerman in a handful of episodes in the early seasons, including "Ceasefire," which sees her in a colorful dress alongside Klinger (as seen above).
Jones and Reynolds would divorce in 1976. She never acted on television again.
In 1977, Ann Sweeny was getting her big break in Hollywood. The actress appeared in the sci-fi horror flick The Incredible Melting Man, but her television work that year perhaps better demonstrated her talent. She appeared on both M*A*S*H and Lou Grant, two series co-created by Reynolds.
On M*A*S*H, she was Carrie Donovan in "Hanky Panky," the nurse who receives a Dear John letter from "her old man" back home. That leads to a romantic fling with B.J. in an episode both written and directed by Reynolds.
Reynolds and Sweeny would marry in 1979 and remain together until his death in 2020.
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And actually, each of the three main producers' wives were nurses on M*A*S*H. Larry Gelbart's wife, Pat Marshall, appeared in the episode "Pay Day," as the sharp-tongued nurse who was playing poker with some of the boys in the supply room; and Burt Metcalfe's wife, Jan Jorden, became the permanent Nurse Baker starting in Season 7 up until the finale. Mike Farrell's ex-wife, Judy, also became the permanent Nurse Able in Season 5 also up until the finale.
