Did the MASH Cast REALLY HATE Gary Burghoff?
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- Опубликовано: 27 май 2022
- Over the years, I have been repeatedly told that the cast of M*A*S*H was happy to see actor Gary Burghoff, the actor who played Radar O'Reilly, leave the show. This video attempts to answer the question as to whether or not Gary's colleagues enjoyed working with him.
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Beginning with 'Lil' (1978: Season 7; Episode 3) and through and including the final episode 'Goodbye, Farewell and Amen' (1983: Season 11; Episode 16), I worked on M*A*S*H. And I can tell you this:
.
If the rest of the cast was having any trouble with Gary, they did an excellent job of "acting" like they weren't. I never saw any kind of conflict or noticed any kind of tension. Furthermore, Gary Burghoff was definitely my favorite cast member. He was incredibly friendly and generous, and he went out of his way to introduce himself to me and get to know me as a person. I met a pretty large number of celebrities in Hollywood during the late '70s / early '80s, but I thought Gary was the nicest one of all.
Thanks so much for sharing your experiences!
The ONLY thing that I have ever caught that any of the cast said remotely disparaging, is in the 30th anniversary reunion they did in 2002. Loretta Switt at one point makes mention of him being late to set sometimes there at the end. And that it did frustrate her. But removed from the show after all that time, She recognized that it was more that he was tired, and trapped.
The reunion itself is on youtube. It's been a while since I watched it, or I'd go through it again to find the time stamp of exactly when it was said.
My parents' opinion about it (They're the one's who got me into the show.. and I was alive (but young) when the series finale first aired) was that, after playing the character in the movie, and continuing on the show for another 7 years.
Yeah. Anyone would get tired and worrisome that they'd be forever typecast.
My uncle (name withheld since he has passed away) worked as an extra and he used to tell us kids about his times there and I remember he saying that "Radar" was the nicest person he met on set.
It's good to hear that. It's such a disappointment when you read that one of your childhood favourites was actually a nasty piece of work.
From what I've read, the only heat on the set was between Alan Alda and Wayne Rogers. It was the reason why Rogers left the cast.
I started to lose interest in the show as the original cast members started checking out, Gary's departure was the last straw for me, I felt that the show started to go stale once he left, and in spite of being a comedy that did periodically give a message to remind the viewers that war itself wasn't funny, later episodes started to become darker culminating in the series finale where Hawkeye suffers a mental breakdown.
I saw an interview with Gary where he stated his ex-wife was using his MASH work schedule to gain sole custody of their daughter. Gary wanted shared custody so he quit the show.
I believe Gary signaled his intentions to leave the show prior to their divorce.
Typical of some vengeful wives. Just like husbands that are fire fighters pro soldiers or policemen. I thought Gary wanted out because his character wasn't going any new direction just like Larry Linville
@@josephcontreras8930 That may be true but when or if a man's family is being "threatened" and he is financially able to leave his career to focus on it I believe he would. I know that most Father's won't allow their kids to be taken if they can avoid it. The sad part with custody battles is the child gets torn apart and the vengeful parent causing it seems to only care about hurting the other spouse and thinks nothing of the child.
The bottom line was Gary's ex-wife hated his guts. From Ms. Harper Stacey.
That's Sad I always wondered why he quit or what really happened He was Besides Henry Blake & Lt. Dish ( who Remembers her .
The scene that still brings me to tears today was when Gary Walks into surgery room and announces that Henry Blake's plane was shot down and --- "There were no survivors." Just a great example of how this show could bring you to tears from both laughing or tragedy. Just an amazing series!
Thanks for sharing BucStart!
I remember seeing that scene too as a kid and thinking “I really wouldn’t want to have the doctor who is operating on me to be told his friend had died while he was working on me”😁
I watched a special on the making of that episode. Apparently Gary came in and delivered an astounding performance on the first take. Alan Alda said he had the perfect tears and the cast on set just broke down from his performance. Then a few minutes later the sound engineer and house that the mic had failed to work and they had to shoot the scene all over again. 😲😥 He still did a great job on the reshoot, but could not recapture that magic.
they didnt tell the rest of the cast that henry was going to die the noise heard when gary comes in was in instrument dropping out of disbelief from someone on set
I’ve seen the episode several dozen times. I tear up every time too.
I still watch MASH irregularly, but at the moment, its Patty Duke, Love Boat, and Old Hawaii 5-0.
I pretty much live in the past these days because the present sucks so bad.
Like you, older tv shows are better to watch. For me, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Hogan's Heroes, Perry Mason, and just about anything that I can find that I haven't seen before. All this "reality tv" sucks.
@@stevenroe6402 I’ve been keenly seeing Perry Mason as one of my new marathon shows once the others run out. Good stuff.
Older shows rule! Current faves of mine are The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Patty Duke Show, Leave it to Beaver, WKRP in Cincinnati, Barney Miller, and The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (the earlier years).
Xfiles if you haven't seen it or haven't watched it in a while, still amazing
Watch Joe Mannix and Perry Mason and one cable news broadcast. Now she is doing one day a week.
I met Jamie Farr in 1990 in New Haven CT when he was in Oklahoma, the musical. I met him and his family and he was the kindest, funniest and warmest person you could meet and so was his family. He asked me for a recommendation to a local restaurant and I made my suggestion, I happened to walk by the restaurant (not noticing him) when all of a sudden I hear banging on the window and there is Jamie and his family, all smiles and waving with their “Thumbs Up” too. Talk about a great guy with a fantastic family, well you’re talking about him;)
Thanks for sharing Lou!
Colonel Flagg was one of my favorite characters on the show, so I highly recommend watching that video. Gary Burghoff was the only cast member who transitioned over to the tv show from the film. Reading about the early days of the show it was surprising that some of the cast members did not even see the movie. The tone of the show changed over time. The characters of Hawkeye and Trapper in the movie were really not very likeable. They were softened up for the television show, and then evolved over time to be more sympathetic and less self centered.
The one thing that I noticed about Radar was that, in the early episodes, he was a little more mischievous. There is an early episode where they think they could all die and Radar skirts around camp trying to find a female willing to sleep with him. In another episode he helps Hawkeye and Trapper trick a visiting psychiatrist into thinking that Margaret wants to sleep with him and fools him into thinking her tent is his. Over time the character sweetened and became more innocent.
My impression in reading about Burghoff was that he was kind of burned out on playing Radar, and that his wife may have been using his full schedule on MASH in order to get custody of their children. I remember reading that the writers were not happy that Burghoff played Radar a little more angry in the final episodes, and, for some reason, all of a sudden did not want to wear the knit hat. To be honest, Burghoff was getting a little long in the tooth to play the character anyway.
Sad that he did not find success in another show, or in movies, but I am grateful for work he did on MASH. He had some great episodes and his performance has given me a lot of joy over the years.
I adored the movie Donald Sutherland was adorable Elliot Gould was hilarious!!.Their characters were great!
G. Wood also transitioned from the movie to the show as General Hammond. Granted he only made a few appearances in the first season but he, along with Burghoff, reprised his character in the show.
Yeah, Alan Alda took directed and wrote some of the later episodes of the show. He made them less comical and more political. Kinda brought down the mood of the show.
"I am the wind." He was great!
For my money, my favorite guest character was Dr. Sydney Freedman, played by the incomparable Alan Arbus. Of the main cast, I have to go with Father Mulcahy and Klinger (I'm an Ohio boy, too).
But the one who SHOULD have been listed in the main cast was Kellye Nakahara as Nurse Kellye. She was in more episodes than any other character except Hawkeye, Margaret, Klinger, Mulcahy, Radar, Potter and BJ. She was in 170 episodes. Farrel was in 179, Morgan was in 180, and Burgoff was in 181. That's 11 episodes or less from three of the major (not Major) stars, and many more than main cast members David Ogden Stires, McLean Stevenson and Wayne Rogers.
I will ALWAYS believe that Kellye should have been a main cast member, even if they gave her very few lines.
I absolutely LOVED the Episode where the late great Miss Kellye Nakahara was at last allowed to shine. She showed a deft sense of humor, took "Hawkeye" and his ego down a few pegs, and held a terrified young Soldier's hand and eased him through a heartbreakingly tender and poignant scene. Definitely should've been nominated for let alone won an Emmy. Just plain gorgeous and electrifying work!👩⚕️📺B.W.
She was very underrated. Really, it’s hard to find a character that I genuinely didn’t get much from. Granted, I’m one of the “later episodes were the better ones” crowd, so I might be more biased to like Hunnicut, Potter, and Winchester more than Trapper, Blake, snd Burns. I still like them, I just think the later additions rounded out the show a lot better.
I found it a little odd that the character of Radar “evolved” from drinking, smoking, poker playing and meeting up with women in the early episodes… to being an overtly shy, grape Nehi drinking, virginal character.
I must state though, I loved all of him in equal measure. ❤️
I love MASH and Radar.. but they really did water down his character, for some reason and neutered his characterization.
I’ve always found the innocent Radar more convincing, more believable. Maybe because Gary B. was so cherubic looking.
True, Radar when from hip to naive in just a couple of years. That doesn't happen in real life,but does in Hollywood. I loved Radar through it all as well. Mash is my favorite show ever. I still watch about 3 shows everyday. It feel good time for me. Thanks Mash.
I’ve met Garry Burghoff . He is a super nice guy . He told me that the issues the cast had with him were political . Allan Alda was super liberal while Garry was very conservative , and when Alda would direct an episode he would be very hard on Burghoff and easier on the other cast members
The whole show and movie was a big FU to conservative hypocritical values. How could he be in it ever if those were his values. Oh because conservatives are hypocritical and have no values
Thank you for this comment.
This is the first time I've heard about it
regarding Gary Burghoff and Alan Alda
on M.A.S.H.
So it all boiled down to politics, really?
I could believe that, Alan Alda political rhetoric came shinning through, when MASH turned into the Alan Alda show
That makes sense. Alda had free rein over the character, and his liberal views came to dominate the character, the show, and the original concept, of the show written by an actual surgeon during the Korean War. The politics of the show aped that of the years after the Vietnam War, but cleverly not mentioning it. The show became its own beast, with Alda the puppet master. Most characters left the show rather than taking this on.
I have Leukemia and I’m on chemo. I watch MASH every night as it’s calming.
I had a film school teacher who worked some of the people that worked on M*A*S*H (behind the scenes) and from what he was able to gather was that everyone loved Gary, but that towards the end of his run, he was clearly under stress from personal issues and was burning out. If he became "difficult," it was because of that, and nobody blamed him or hated him. There were no hard feelings.
Respectfully to Gary, after almost nine consecutive years of playing Radar, the typecasting situation was probably absolutely unavoidable.
Gary had guest appearances on "Fantasy Island" and "Wonder Woman". I'm not too familiar with his other acting gigs.
He was cast in nine movies, including the original 1970 M.A.S.H. film (he and G. Wood - General Hammond - are the only two actors who were in both the film and the TV series playing the same characters). He was also cast in numerous TV series such as Fantasy Island; Love Boat; Wonder Woman; Love, American Style; and Burke's Law.
@@daniel_sc1024 didn't the network try him in a pilot that never took off??
@@josephcontreras8930 Yes, it was called "After M.A.S.H." I believe. None of the M.A.S.H. spinoffs took off, except "Trapper John, M.D." but I think it was successful because they didn't hype its connection to M.A.S.H. very much and it didn't feel like a spinoff.
@@daniel_sc1024 Gary Burghoff wasn't a regular cast member in After M*A*S*H but he did appear in a guest role. He did a pilot called W*A*L*T*E*R, but I don't think it made it to series.
I met Gary "Radar" Burghoff when I worked at Gold Country Casino in Oroville California. Gary lived in Paradise (the same one that burned down in the 2018 Campfire) since he lived so close, he was a regular during the weeknights (he came in very late/early) I assume to avoid the crowds of people. The staff knew who he was and we went out of our way to make sure no other patrons knew as he just didn't want to be bothered. I think this was around 2000-2002 and I think he was going through something... He wasn't too talkative, but he was polite (but never tipped).. He stopped coming in around the end of 2001 or beginning of 2002.. I heard that he moved. Honestly he was nicer than most of the other regulars we had in (some are assholes and meth heads) I did have the opportunity to speak with him briefly (not about his career) but about life in general and it was clear he was depressed... Noticing that, I just wished him luck and a good day (we are customer service staff, not therapists..).. I'm sure he wont remember me, but the short convos I had with him, I will remember for the rest of my life.. especially after re-watching the entire MASH series!
I remember Radar leaving, one of his first stand-up gigs Alan Alda was in the audience to support him. MASH was a level of success that is almost unimaginable now, everyone watched it, the last show was seen by 3/4 of the tvs that night.
That show was a work of art. I was eight years old when the series ended in 1983; I remember it being a national EVENT on par with the Super Bowl.
Gary Burghoff grew tired of playing the wholesome character and felt he’d outgrown it and that Radar had become insipid. He was also going through a custody battle and needed to prove that he’d have time to spend with his daughter. He also became quite a successful art trader and no longer needed to earn a living from MASH any longer as he was trading very highbrow art.
Radar in the movie was best- less innocent and naive- more realistic for someone who was the go to guy to get stuff and get stuff done as company clerk. The best of him then was being a semi visible busy looking sly sneak who is busily sending stuff home without anyone realising (a jeep if I remember correct). Usually guys doing that in movies are also portrayed as fast talking swindlers, but they had better plans for the Radar character.
TBH, him and Larry had the least potential for character arcs out of pretty much the entire cast. There's only so much you can do with those characters and still be consistent with their character and role in the show.
It doesn't surprise me that Gary would be so beloved, but Larry being such an unforgivable prick as a character, while being incredibly nice behind the scenes, was a bit more of a surprise. He just seems to play a jerk so well.
Gary was also getting residuals from the show. From Ms. Harper Stacey.
@@harperstacey9604 True, but the residuals just from the seasons that he shot would likely be sufficient to live without need for further work.
@@SmallSpoonBrigade each year, the residuals dwindle. Alan alda recently said that he got a residual check from a mash rerun for 3 dollars and ten cents. From Ms. Harper Stacey.
I was working at Thrifty Drug Store in Montebello, CA, at the cash register when Gary Burghoff came in and bought a pack of cigarettes. I was grinning ear-to-ear because I had never had a celebrity in my store before. I don't remember what I said to him, other than perhaps the usual thank you for shopping at Thrifty. He didn't smile at all, but he did look at me. He was wearing a light blue sportscoat and a matching pair of pants that were hemmed at the knee. It looked like a young boy's short pants suit.
Hard to believe that no one has yet mentioned how this guy had his first real Show Business break. 1967 as "Charlie Brown" on Broadway in The Original Cast of "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown!"😂⚾️📺B.W.
I 1000% remember there being an article I read stating that the MASH cast disliked him and that he was legendary for having temper tantrums etc. That article was in the early 80s. Not sure if it’s accurate, but it’s out there.
Gary was an integral part of the cast and fitted in with the rest of the crew perfectly
Gary actually had a decent part in a movie that was made in 1970. commenting on how the younger generation was behaving in those difficult times. The movie also starred Elliott Gould, and the female lead was Candace Bergen. for the life of me, I cannot remember the name of the movie!...it was not bad, but was not really an indepth look at the emerging counter-culture. Anyway, Gary went on to appear in the movie Mash, and of course, was in the TV show for a long time.
I've heard two things. He was tired of being 30+ years old and playing a 19 year old. Plus, like Larry Linville, felt he had taken the character as far as it could go.
Gary was so good that we forgot he was about the same age as the Drs. A 40 year old guy playing a 19 year old for 10 years.
He didn't turn 40 till 1983, but still he was a bit too old, I agree.
He would have been 29, when they started shooting the first season, so that's ten years older than the character he was portraying. This is only eclipsed by the fact, that of the four Sweathog characters, in 'Welcome Back, Kotter' (Travolta, Pallilo, Hegyes and Hilton-Jacobs), at the start of the first season, Travolta was the youngest (21) and Pallilo was the oldest (26). They were portraying 17-year-olds, I presume. But having actors blatantly too old to legitimately play younger roles has been widespread practice, both in film and television, for a long time. It was probably unavoidable, due to a dearth of competent actors, of the required age.
@ShannonFreng and I was obviously talking about towards the end of his role. He was very passable in the beginning.. but he seemed to have aged drastically in the last 2 seasons.. especially the receding hairline. By 35.. he honestly looked every bit of it.. if not older than 35
@@joshythehand2960Agreed.
One of my absolute favorite episodes and perhaps my single funniest moment was when Hawkeye and Radar went to pick up the korean soldiers pregnant wife and she started giving birth on the way back. Gary's acting in that scene was incredibly believable for who he was playing and hysterically funny. To this day I laugh out loud at that scene.
Saw that again the other day... "Oh, No, No, No No. AHHHH" 😂What a great actor! Love him.
Back in the 80's my mother read me an interview with Loretta Swit that she did for some magazine. It was over a year after the show had ended. Anyway, she said that when Gary left the show there was "no love loss". She explained how difficult he was at times, and just didn't get along with many of the cast and crew. That always stuck with me because it was the first time I'd heard of it and it kind of stuck with me. I think in the years since MASH any hard feelings have dissipated.
Not everyone gets along. She may have seen his behavior in a way others didn't.
Greetings Dave.
MASH is one of my all time favorite shows. Everyone has their favorite characters and opinions about the show, but I believe all the actors that came and went over the years added their own unique spin to the show.
I always enjoyed Gary's portrayal of Radar, but thought that his leaving opened the door for Jamie Farrs character of Klinger to expand.
Thanks for sharing your memories David!
One of my favorites along side Seinfeld and Frazier.
I ran into Gary in Alberta Canada at the Baniff Springs hotel in the mid 1980s. We were in a gift shop and he was being very rude to an Asian clerk. It was a turn off for me.
@@brucesanborn492 Perhaps it wasn't Gary Burghoff, but a "body double", someone who looked like, and sounded a bit like Burghoff in speech.
Best show in the history of TV imho
Gary was the onlly actor that was in both the movie and tv series.
G. Wood was also in the movie and tv show as General Hammond. He only does a few episodes in season one however.
Unfortunately, a few months ago the man Radar was based on, Don Shaffer, passed away. He still lived near his hometown of Ottumwa, Iowa.
I did not know this! Thanks for sharing Retro Rob.
You forgot to mention he wrote a book and is also a very good artist painting. He lives by my uncle Ron in Florida in a gated community. I got to meet him once years ago and I was thrilled.
Even as a kid watching this series you could appreciate the humor and quality storytelling of MASH. So many fond memories of MASH and I’m not quite sure there will be a series that draws more viewers from different walks of life than what MASH did. It’s objective was to entertain by making you laugh, smile, and shed a few tears along the way. Mission accomplished.
I prefer the way they wrote RADAR in the first few seasons. He would quietly enable all of Hawkeye's and Trapper's mischief without a blink. And he would get things past Henry if he needed to. And he would zing Frank subtlety. "I didn't come here to be liked." "You came to the right place."
I worked at a Hilton where both Gary and Ogden would often stay. I never met them but I was told that Gary, nearly 20 years removed from being an active star was tasty the staff as if they were beneath him.
Radar was one of my favorite characters on the show. I used to have a neighbor who was also a fan of Radar, so much so, that she named her chihuahua after him.
Love it!
I knew a Springer spaniel named radar after him too
I read that Mike Farrell told him that he should reconsider leaving and used McLean, Wayne and Larry as examples that you aren't guaranteed success when you leave. I also remember someone saying that they would miss Radar, but not Gary.
Thanks for sharing!
I didn't care for the show as a child, growing up in the seventies we only had the one television so it was my parents that said what everyone watched so, that's probably why I don't care for the show today. but I did and still do like Alan Alda well before he stared on Mash
Wayne Rogers's show "House Calls" was just starting in 1979. That show. did well until a diispute with Lynn Redgrave detailed the show. The show wasn't the same with Sharon Gless.
@@NoNonsenseKindaGal Just curious, if you don't care for the show, why are you watching this?
@@dos3622 Always remember, only liberas are allowed an opinion here. This is hallowed ground for Leftists. Any others can and will be attacked/dismissed.
I look at the character of Radar the same way I look at the character Phoebe from Friends. They were both the smartest people in the room. Genius often comes off as naivete, but they also seem intuitive.
Love it!
Actually my favorite character was Father Francis Mulcahy. He was so funny. He was innocent but they tried to give him a real personality. I loved the episode when planted sweet corn and the cook creamed it and Father Mulcahy called him nincompoop. Then the cook said "well next time I'll just let you eat it off the cob" when in actuality that is what Father Mulcahy wanted in the first place.
He call him a 'Ninny"
@@littleblackduck3134 Thanks, I knew it was something with an N. lol
There was an Episode where he felt stifled by Army protocol and he referred to certain Army personnel as "Nerds!"😂👨⚕️📺B.W.
I loved the cast of M*A*S*H. There was such great chemistry. I still watch it nightly. Loved Gary as Radar. God bless him.
Remember that actors in the public eye are doing a job, and not always for a paycheck. They're experts at pretending to be someone they're not, and showing an audience what they want to see. Just because they're all buddy-buddy in a podcast, that doesn't mean they actually ARE.
I miss wholesome shows like M.A.S.H.
Radar was an awesome character. I truly wish he had continued to Act.
He did a few things after M*A*S*H but I believe he found it difficult to shake the role of Radar.
Wholesome? While in production it was one of the raunchiest shows on TV.
Compared to some of todays stuff it was fairly tame.
@@PvtEd Because of modern editing, most people are unaware or have forgotten that in Season 1 Trapper's and Hawkeye's nickname for the black surgeon was "Spearchucker."
Radars character was the heart and soul of MASH. Not even Hawkeyes character could carry the love an warmth that Radar did. I heard that Gary's marriage was on the rocks which was one of the reasons he left. It sounds to me that if there were hard feelings between him and the rest if the cast, time healed all wounds.
The only thing I didn't like was Frank & Margaret made me sick.
Hawkeye was my least favorite character.
@@kathystuart3513 Margaret was a complete _caricature_ of a person in those earlier episodes where all they could think to do was put her in funny gags about Frank cheating on his wife with her. I was dumbstruck with how thin her character was when I started watching those early episodes after being introduced to the show by the MeTV tribute to all of David Ogden Stiers best episodes.
I was not aware that there was any animosity toward Gary Burghoff from the other cast members. He could be just as funny as the other cast members.I remember one episode where it was Movie Night at 4077th. Col. Potter was telling Radar I love those Rockettes then he asks Radar if he has ever seen the Rockettes? Radars answer was only on the 4th of July.
After he left MASH, Gary came to San Antonio and was in a play that my Mom took me too.
I think I’ve heard years ago although I cannot remember the source, that one of the reasons he had left the show was there was a wildfire in his neighbourhood where his family were threatened by them. He had to say that he did not want to be away from his family ever again.
I actually published a video about that. The source that I used for the video was TV Week magazine. Here's the video: ruclips.net/video/6fvrcUQL5UE/видео.html
I loved M*A*S*H. Also loved the Match Game. Gary and McLean were both really good on both shows. BTW, when Klinger took over as company clerk, those are some fine episodes as we watch him learn the new assignment and grow as a character. Great memories. Thanks.
Jamie Farr and Gary Burghoff were the two celebrities on a week of Bert Convy's "Super Password" in about 1985.
No show can or will EVER be as good as mash. That show was also a commentary for Vietnam War too until China Beach.
Gary was hilarious on Match Game. Seemed like a super nice guy, too.
I think Gary was more like Radar than we'll ever know. Loved this.
Thanks for this great video! MASH was/is still my favorite show going on 50 years soon. I never miss a MeTv rerun. GB certainly is a talented drummer, that's for sure.
From one of the writers:
"Although nobody wanted to be quoted for the record, the feelings about Gary Burghoff's leaving were fairly unanimous: loved Radar, hated Burghoff. As summed up by one of the principals: 'Gary had personality problems. He always felt there was a conspiracy against him. He was rude to everyone, but if anyone ever said anything back to him, he'd throw a tantrum. He had a particularly heated relationship with Alan Alda. Once, Mike Farrell told him that his problem was that he could dish it out but he couldn't take it, and Gary said, "And I'm getting real sick and tired of dishing it out." The poor guy didn't even realize what he'd said.'"
-- Burt Prelutsky, "So Long, 4077th: The Troops Scatter, but the Memories Linger." TV Guide, February 12, 1983, p.21
Thanks for sharing!
I was too young to really get M.A.S.H. back in the day. But I have rewatched it through clips and I have to say the episode where Alan Alda complains about the squawking chicken has to be the most horrific and heart rending episodes I've ever seen.
It turned out the mother killed her child by smothering the child,hard to get over that
@@robbiewt0254
Yeah, I was trying not to give spoilers in case someone hadn't watched it yet.
That was the final episode.
Met Gary burghoff in San Antonio many years ago, at a grocery store I worked at. Super nice guy and very down to earth.
I wish I could find out more about Radar's off screen counterpart Sparky. When Radar had trouble getting something, he'd usually contact Sparky.
Also known as Sergeant Pryor. We actually get to see him in one episode, Maybe it was TUTTLE, but I am not certain. I just checked. It was TUTTLE. Dennis Fimple played him.
Very detailed video, thank you. You so often explore the wonderful efforts and causes people undertake; not because they have to but because they want to. And as I've always said, you have a very artful way of expressing the truth; while staying away from any negative aspects people may have experienced or been a part of. Always appreciated.
Never missed an episode of MASH when it was on.
I only caught the final few seasons when they aired in prime time. But...one of our local channels here in Utah played the show in reruns twice a day and that is where I fell in love with the show.
My grandmother met him in passing once. He was treating everyone who crossed his path that day like they were beneath him. Left a lot of people with a negative take on him as a person and actor.
Hi Dave. I have been watching but cannot always comment. Even if the MASH cast did not like Gary who cares. We always work with people we may not like but you do the job and don't let it get to you.But I am glad that the entire cast got along. I always enjoy knowing that castmates who are friends on TV are friends in real life. There is not one character on MASH that I did not like-they were all exceptional and Radar was a gem!
My mother had been friends with Gary Burghoff's parents, meeting for dinner periodically. I never met them as I was in my 20s and off on my own thing, but my mother said that she met Gary several times, and that he came off as a bit of a snob and could be somewhat rude to people even though no one was playing the star-struck fan or asking for autographs; simply conversing as adults. My mother had been a rather keen observer of people's attitudes and social interactions, surprising me when I thought otherwise, so I'm inclined to believe her assessment. That's not to say that Gary was a jerk or that he couldn't be nice in other settings; we all are complex creatures.
There a lot of "don't meet your idol" type reddits, etc. out there that mention Gary. Their accounts seem to agree with your mother's assessment.
@@laurab5750 A timely reminder. Actors in particular are somewhat narcissistic, competitive and attention-seeking. Why else would you devote your life to getting people to watch you. I grew to find Alan Alda insufferable as his fame from MASH increased. He was in virtually every scene and all the other actors played off him. Offscreen he gave commencement speeches at medical school graduating ceremonies and lectured new grads on how to be ethical practitioners. Such arrogance!!
I was extra in a local religious movie here in Florida and got to chat with him a few times. Really nice guy. Friendly and no ego. I would assume when a fan favorite leaves a show it hurts the show and might have caused some passed off people.
No. This was click bate. The cast loved the guy. How could you not. Gary was a great actor.
I saw Gary Bergdoff one time when I worked for Evergreen liquors in Louisville Kentucky. I’ll be at brief, I’m sure that he’s a good man. Let’s face it in life some people don’t like other people it’s a crying shame we should try to like all people but we don’t. Best regards from the state of Kentucky.
Great video! I did hrs and hrs of jr high & H.S. homework while Mash played in the background. One of my favorite all time series. Today’s shows rarely compare to that era!
Glad you enjoyed it!
MASH was the first tv show I taped with my first VCR back in 1980.
Do you still have the tapes? And, if you do, did you keep the commercials? I love watching those things!
@@jdsundstrom Tried to edit as best as we could using the pause switch, but some commercials did get recorded. Ahhh... the good old days!
RADAR is the person that we need to emulate on how to treat people!!
I was about 17 or so in the last few years of the show and I OFTEN heard rumors that he was difficult to work with.
When I was a kid, him and Klinger would come to Kansas City a lot to do dinner theaters. Never at the same time, of coarse. Don Knotts came through a lot too. He ran into my grandmother at a grocery store and was incredibly nice.
I loved all the MASH characters, but especially ferret face Larry Linville.
Larry was great!
My guess is that if there were any difficulties on set, time and perspective have made them fade, with only the good memories remaining. Every work place has its share of tension; it's rare that everybody gets along ALL the time. And yes, I think the media does enjoy the more negative stories because, frankly, "whole cast loves each other" gets fewer clicks/views. I watch these videos and I just ache for something of similar quality to be made today, and yet, I know it's never going to happen. Thanks again for at least keeping our past alive, Dave.
I've noticed that actors that play an innocent character in a show
always seem to get bad rumors started on them to smear their name.
You know, the way that Alda tweet was worded, kind of implies he was somewhat estranged from Gary at some time. Using "me too" as a postscript and constructing a greeting that would facilitate a postscript.
He coulda wrote "I send you love on your birthday."
I don't remember reading about public beefs at the time either. I was sad he left.
And who didn't cry like a baby when Radar announced that Col. Blake's chopper had been shot down...with no survivors? I'm tearing up just typing this all these years later....on Memorial Day. I remember hearing that the creators of M.A.S.H., even as it was comedy, never wanted to venture too far away from the real cost of war.
A shocking moment that I heard only Gary was told so when he walked into the surgical room to tell them it was to get a genuine reaction from that cast.
My step-dad loved M.A.S.H TV series he passed away 3 years ago
My mom brother and I still watch it it's very hilarious
I had the most surreal experience of MASH, I first saw the film while serving in Vietnam, we were on a hill, Special Forces, our “Picture Theatre” was a dug out in the side of the hill, the screen was on the other side of the road. At the start of the film someone put a kilo cannonball of opium on a hibachi, to keep the mosquitoes at bay. At the end of the film, the 20 or so troops who had watched, re-watched it, then watched it backwards, then watched selected scenes. I stumbled back to my hootch and went to sleep, apparently sleeping through an Alert and Stand To. I missed breakfast. I was a bit dis oriented, turn out I had a fairly high fever that saw me hospitalised a day later. I’d not eaten in 2 days and the food in the hospital wasn’t worth eating. A Dust Off chopper was called out to a major fire fight, so I walked out of the hospital and got on the chopper, arrived at the site of the fire fight, it was all over and there were about 15 corpses lines up in body bags. I helped stack them and got a ride back to hospital.
Gary Burghoff's "Radar O'Reilly" was the only TV Show character/cast member who also appeared in the original movie.
I'm so glad the cast has nothing but nice things to say about this wonderful person. Was he ill a few years back? I recall seeing photos of him that shocked me, but the still from his video about the wildfires looks great, he looks like the same old Gary. He always had so much fun on Match Game and I loved seeing him there as well as on MASH. Another great job as usual!
Thanks for sharing dovegrey1. I'm not sure about Gary being ill a few years back. I hadn't heard anything like that...but he is getting older.
A book I own about the history of MASH included an interview with Gary, and according to IT at least, Gary left the show due to feeling burned out. He appeared in all 24 episodes of the first 3 seasons, as did Alda and Wayne Rogers, but by season 4 there were some Radar-less episodes, all the way through season 7. Was early in season 8 that we had the 2-parter involving Radar's leaving. And while still good, the show seemed like it was missing something after Radar left. We also "lost" Klinger in one respect too, as he went from trying to get out of the army to trying to take over as company clerk, and we also lost Zale, as he no longer appeared after Radar's final episodes. We did however get Sgt. Rizzo portrayed by G.W. Bailey, and he was a sensational replacement for Zale!
Gw really hit it big after mash he appeared in movies commercials and it was great to see him in major crimes and the closer. He always reminded me of the Tasmanian devil and Jamie as gonzo of Muppet show.
From what I understand, that's similar to why Larry left the show. He'd done about all he could do with the character and barring a plot development that effectively turned him into a completely different character, there wasn't really anymore for him to do. Which is kind of a shame as from what I understand, he was a really nice guy and doing one hell of a job playing the part of an obnoxious weasle.
Wow! I didn't know Gary Burghoff was in the show THAT long. I think that Burghoff got tired of playing the cute teddy bear. And wanted meatier roles. But that's just my opinion.
I much prefer Rizzo over Zale, he oozes sleaze to the point I can't actually hate him.
Gary really did like acting though. He jumped at the opportunity to star in one of the few spinnoffs of M*A*S*H such as, W*A*L*T*E*R where he plays a beat cop.
L
"Lt Col. Henry Blake's plane was shot down over the Sea of Japan. It spun in. There were no survivors." STILL MAKES ME CHOKE UP!
Miss Florence: I have trouble even looking now at how emotionally disheveled Gary looked when the scene started. The Epilogue that shows some of "Henry Blake's" prominent Footage is a backbreaker too.😔😭👨⚕️📺B.W.
Around the time of the final episode of Mash, an article came out in TV Guide about the show. In it, the piece said "everyone loved Radar. Hated Burghoff". Someone supposedly quoted Mike Farrel (seconhand) saying to Burghoff, "the problem with you is you can dish it out but you can't take it." Burghoff allegedly replied " I'm sick and tired of dishing it out". I remember Gary Burghoff held a news conference after the article to denounce the implications in the article but I don't remember Mike Farrel ever denying it.
If Gary Burghoff was really disliked by the cast of MASH, then the writers of the show (IMO) would not have written an excellent two-part episode of the departure of Radar.
I love this show, but I must admit I was a late coming to the show. I started watching it in 1993 when I was stationed in Sasebo, Japan with the US Navy. Since then I still watch it. Awesome show. Great video and channel 👏 👍
TV Guide did a story with a quote "loved Radar, hated Gary."
I read the book prior to the Movie and watch the series for a long time. The thing with the Radar character, was that he was more adult acting and world wise in the movie and the first couples of seasons and then became more innocent in the later half of the series.
Yes, very strange. We see him playing poker, smoking cigars and drinking and then later choking on a cigar with Col. Potter "trying it for the first time." Ridiculous.
LOVE MASH!. I loved how they replaced out-going characters with equally good, but VERY different characters. Very smart casting. I've heard many had issues with berghoff, but all people are different and we can look past those differences. A lot of people stated so, but time heals things so it looks like they have all come around. Close friends are too hard to find.
Well said, Dutchmiester1911!
That's why the series was so successful. People didn't get tired of it because they didn't keep playing on the same note.
My late dad WAS a medic in Korea. He loved the show, especially radar with Henry Blake. Klinger was his fav as Jamie was an actual veteran from that era. We still watch the reruns often and recall laughing along with dad.
Alan Alda was a vet from Korea as well. I believe he was only in the last bit of the war...police action...war... But he was there iirc.
@@Kaemea iirc?
All of the main cast were old enough to serve in Korea.
@@kjk7611 stands for if I recall correctly. 😊
@@Kaemea Oh, thx.
Gary Burghoff was also the only cast member for both M*A*S*H the tv series and the movie.
So good to hear he was well loved and appreciated for his work on the show. Thank you for this video.💖
Those rumors of Gary surprised me, too. He was funny and charming in his own way on the show, and I liked him on the Match Game, too. I remember someone saying he liked to take trips to Hawaii, Maui in particular.
Gary Burghoff was the only actor from the film who reprised his role in the TV show. But one other actor tried out to do the same. Roger Bowen played Henry Blake in the film and auditioned for the role in the series. When he was rejected in favor of McLean Stevenson he said that he would miss out on the steady work but at least he wouldn't have to work with Gary Burghoff,
Wasn't Roger Bowen on the hersheal Bernard show as Hamilton majors at the time was real reason he couldn't play Henry again
I saw a thing where Burghoff thought there needed to be more wholesome tv....does anybody else hate the stupid violence and way 2 much sexual topics of law and order and the like? who writes(garbage) like that ----do they think the public wants law and order on @ 11am showing explicit sexual language about females tied up and all that, so many rape shows, fine 4 ten pm on cable, but please....
@@kevinhanney1979 Well this, of course, is just one of many benefits to the death of commercial TV As we watch its slow but inevitable demise we are free to choose the programming that we want to see. Heck, we are even free to create such programming ourselves. We are no longer subject to the dictates of three (or four) networks taking it upon themselves to decide what we can watch and when.
I think all of us loved all the characters of this show. It was very hard to say goodbye to all. With love to everyone involved.
Another GREAT video! Thank You. Peace & Health ~ LOTS of rumors and "stories".
Thanks!
Believe it or not, I have only ever watched two or three episodes of Mash, despite its longevity and reputation for excellence. Even so, I always remembered (and liked) Gary Burghoff more than any of the other cast members. He made such an impression on me primarily because of his innocent almost virginal look.
I don't know whether he might find my impression of him insulting or not, but it is how he came across to me, and I mean it as a compliment. I find his look and manner refreshing in today's anything-goes world. It is impossible for me to believe that this man was difficult to work with and that the other cast members did not like him, if not love him.
Thanks for sharing!
I remember Mike Farrell said he tried to talk Gary out of leaving reminding him that Wayne Rogers and McLean Stevenson had never got the same successful roles after they left. Of course Wayne Rogers was already a successful milionare and really didn't need to work in films, but I've never heard that any of the actors on M*A*S*H* were hard to get along with, you can tell it by the chemistry between the cast, other than the exects had trouble with McLean Stevenson as he wanted better conditions for the cast and crew. Other than that he was loved by his fellow cast mates. Personally I liked M*A*S*H* it's first three years and missed the original cast a lot, no offense to Mike Farrell, David Ogden Stiers and Harry Morgan. The fourth year was alright, but when Alan Alda kind of took over, almost completely, I really lost interest in the show.
The two worst mistakes I felt the show did was killing of Henry Blake, I felt the exects did this because they had it in for McLean, so they didn't want to give him a chearful send off, I mean come on, Henry was always flying to Tokyo or Sol and just happened his plane got shot down when he finally got to go home!🤔And the final show of M*A*S*H* which in my opinion, just mine, the worst of all the episodes of M*A*S*H*. This was the most watched show final ever, and to me the worst. Like I said, just my opinion.
But just the same, so glad Gary is doing well. Thanks always, my friend, for the upload. Still like to see you do one on child star Bill Mumy.😉
Don't forget that Radar was originally more like the other characters, though. He drank, smoke, wise-cracked, etc.
"Fallen Idol" is my fave episode with Radar, when he gets dressed down by his idol Hawkeye who had let him down, as a means for him to grow up & stand on his own.
Good video. I just want to say one thing about the character of Radar. The first season Radar was very different from the remaining seasons. In the first season Radar was more world wise and tougher than afterwards. If you rewatch the first season episodes of MASH you'll see Radar sitting in Henry Blakes' office smoking one of his cigars and drinking his booze. In the following seasons the strongest drink he took was a Grape Nehi, and he never smoked anything. Also in season 1 he spoke back to others once in a while. He wasn't the same naive youth he devolved into in subsequent seasons.
Again, thanks for a great video. Cheers!
Great comments! Thanks for sharing.
The first season played him more like the movie version did IMHO with a bit of darkness and sarcasm.
I have some information about this that most people don’t have. Gary had severe heart disease, and had to have extensive heart surgery at a hospital in Detroit. He was friends with my social studies teacher, and he had six hours of intensive heart surgery; and we bought him this blue fuzzy bathroom as a get well present, and he couldn’t stop crying when she brought it to him.
Of course this was hushed up, because an actor cannot be known as having a severe medical condition like that. It would kill their career.
Of course this, because an actor cannot be known as having a severe condition like that.
Love it! Thanks so much for sharing. 🙂
You bought him a whole bathroom?! (That's what it says.)
Thank you, Dave:). Over the years, I did hear the rumors (probably like many others) about Gary being difficult. Great that you took the time to disabuse that notion:).
Conditions on the external set were like being at a camp... because they actually were in a park! Loretta Swit said Burghoff was always complaining about something-or-rather.
He had a hidden talent too, he was a good drummer too. They featured his playing on an episode that escapes me, but he seemed pretty good, and he was a Jazz guy I'd assume.
Gary was right to leave when he did, the writers did him a real disservice by continuing Radar’s naivety for far too long, Radar grew during the show but not nearly enough for a “front line veteran “ in a war (police action).
He was really inconsistently naïve. Early on, Radar was secretly the mastermind running the 4077th and could drink and debauched with the best of them. Then they slowly kidified him again after Blake's death. Still one of the best shows ever, but if you binge it now all at once, you'll pick up on the inconsistencies and writing shortcuts they used.
How long is too long? According to the timeline, Radar was only there for a little over a year. There were episodes set after Radar left that were set about a year and a half after the war started. That's what happens by trying to make an 11 year long show about a 3 year war.
He was the only cast member who was also in the movie (playing Radar, of course)....
Fun Fact : on Sesame Street, Big Bird's Teddy Bear is named "Radar"
My grandpa was a stubborn man. When they killed off Henry Blake's character he stopped watching and refused to acknowledge any episode after that, even when it became reruns. Although he loved Gary Burghoff's Radar to death.
Dave, can you provide us a top 10 list of shows you did not like and why? That would make for interesting discussions.
In many respects, MASH ended when Radar left the show.
Loved it as usual Dave, you and Ricknineg really feed my old show and behind the scenes nostalgia
I'm so glad that you are enjoying my videos J C!
@@jdsundstrom and I'm glad you responded to my comment 😁
To quote a cast member "Everyone loved Radar and hated Gary"