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You can thank Larry Linville for one of the most memorable M*A*S*H episodes
We never thought we'd be grateful for Frank Burns.
Best remembered as glorious little stinker Frank Burns in M*A*S*H, Larry Linville is the man we love to hate. In a strange sort of irony, Linville did such a superb job playing the role of Major Burns that the animosity viewers may have felt toward the character may have translated into real life.
In an interview with The Chicago Tribune, Linville's former M*A*S*H costar, Harry Morgan, praised Linville's loveably annoying performance in the hit series.
"You know Linville, who was absolutely great, never even got nominated for an Emmy?" Morgan said. "I think he left the show (after five seasons) because he got tired of playing such a perfect jerk."
While Linville was never recognized for his acting abilities, he should also be noted for his work off-screen as well. So faithful to the cast was the crew of M*A*S*H that actors were often encouraged to share their own ideas about characters and plot developments. In fact, according to an interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer, Linville had a hand in one of the most popular M*A*S*H episodes of the entire series.
In its first season, M*A*S*H premiered the episode "Sometimes You Hear the Bullet" In it, Hawkeye is forced to watch as his childhood friend passes away before his very eyes on the operating table. "He ends up shot to bits and dies on Hawkeye's operating table," Linville said.
According to the actor, the original script called for Hawkeye to immediately leave the room in tears, overcome with emotion. However, Linville changed the script to keep Hawkeye in the scene, instead moving to another patient and only breaking down after the job is done.
It seems almost odd to think that a man so thoughtful behind the scenes could have played such a foul character, but it seemed to be by Linville's design. "I pulled out every box in my head marked nerd, moron, and slime," he said when describing his creation of Frank Burns. However, perhaps it was because Linville himself was a member of the cast that he was able to make such a strong directional choice — demonstrating that even when shattered and overwhelmed with emotion, the 4077th knows that people are depending on them and will continue to put their needs above their own.
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29 Comments
Ok that’s fine (since I have all of the DVDs uncut) but now it’s on 10:30p to 11:40p. So adding the 10 minutes, you would think they would stop editing some of the show, but they don’t. I looked back on one of the episodes that I had DVR and just quickly ran through it to see how many commercials they actually showed and this was from 10p to 11p…they showed 39 commercials. When I watched an episode now they had added 4 more commercials, 43.
Is that why they have the times screwed up just so they can show more of their stupid retarded idiotic commercials? They should be showing more of the show and quit slicing it to death And I’m almost ready to stop watching that channel altogether.
Linville didn't "change the script," as he didn't have that authority. He could only SUGGEST to Alan Alda and the producers that the scene might play better the way he perceived it.
As Martyrs do.
But by the end, "Frank" was so childish and inane - don't forget this was a surgeon, wether
a top notch one is beside the point, he had to have a certain level of intellect and skill - that he bore no relation to reality and became a glaring distraction that undermined any given story.
"Frank" was well past his 'use by' date, it was time for him to go.
The last regular 30 minute episode was sabotaged as well by how absolutely stupid the Sgt. Rizzo
character had become. He tosses disarmed hand grenades at officers - the writers must have been drunk - and not only wasn't he immediately arrested and jailed, it was somehow supposed to be
funny, the officers without recourse in dealing with a ill educated swamp rat, a gold bricking loser
lifer enlisted man.
Regular Army Potter would never have countenanced such a sham of an NCO in his command.
MASH had definitely worn out its welcome in its last two years, the good episodes few and
far between. MASH and The Drew Carey Show would be better served without rerunning the
last few seasons. By its end Drew had been married 4 times, once to a man, the last to
a blonde woman so hot she could have been a super model. Star Drew Carey probably
cast her just for the love scenes as his series character had no shot at her in any given
reality.
Four marriages, that's one more than Ben Cartwright who only stuck to women though rumor
has it he did cast an eye on Hop Sing once or twice.
However Antenna is apparently run by crazed shears wielding editors.
To verify my impression of them, I sat down in my den - which still has a VCR hooked up -
and taped, while watching, a Adam-12. Adam-12 without ads was 18 minutes, thats including
the opening and closing. I assume they lopped out an additional 3 or 4 minutes for the extra
ads, during the 4 commercial breaks. Breaks not inserted where originally intended, but smack
in the middle of the high points, I assume to keep the viewer riveted to their seat.
Since they had no respect for the material, I have little for them.
Thus I only watch Carson on that network.
I have mentioned it here before, but when they ran The Joey Bishop Show, they STOPPED
exactly at the 24 minute mark. 5 1/2 minutes of commercials, then the end credits.
You never got to see the end, or point, of each episode, they'd stop it with Joey
in mid-sentence!
Especially when Barney Fife was on, they inflated a life raft in Joeys cabin, with waters
rising, and NOTHING! Ad break to the end. I was so angry, as I was denied the chance
to see what Barney was going to do, being a TAGS fan.
The twist was, the end credits listed the 'actor'
"Barney Fife as Deputy Sheriff Don Knotts"
evidently Barney went to Hollywood and tried acting for a day.
It was on You Tube, may still be, well worth watching if you are a TAGS fan.
Thank you so much for the info on the Carey Show. You just cleared something up, as
I was wondering why the last season - STILL - was run out of order when I recently
watched them! I assume rerun packages follow the order the networks originally
ran them?
Because "Surfside 6" wrongly ran the pilot episode in the 2nd slot 60 years ago.
And ever since episode 2 runs in the 1 spot. Causing much confusion because
I had no idea who the characters were, their relationship to each other, when I
recently started watching it before Warner Brothers swooped in and deleted the
series on You Tube.
On 4 times a day.
Kind of repulsive actually. Shame it turned into the Hekyll and Jekyll show with Farrell and Alda.
Is it possible to wear the same red bathrobe for 11 years?
