@@SurvivorBri Honestly I never liked the series finale. I get the baby's death was sad but it's really not his fault and he's seen so much more over the years, I guess it's supposed to be the last straw that put him over the edge but still. I think Hawkeye should have had to have killed someone instead. Think about it; he's a conscientious objector, against the war, wouldn't even raise a gun self defense that one episode clearly willing to die versus betray his principles so imagine what it would do to his mind if he was put in a scenario where maybe to save a whole bus of people he had to take someone's life. I think that would have been a more impactful and emotional struggle for him then losing his temper and some woman accidentally suffocating her kid
The way his hand shakes just a bit more toward the end of his toast is a testament to the nuances of old school acting. This man was one of the greats.
This felt like a very personal scene. It was a pleasure to watch and was beautifully acted. The writing was brilliant. FYI, Harry Morgan died in 2011. Following Morgan's death, Mike Farrell, who played B.J. Hunnicutt opposite Morgan in M*A*S*H, released a statement. I came across it, so hear it is: *He was a wonderful man, a fabulous actor and a dear and close friend since the first day we worked together. As Alan Alda said, he did not have an unadorable bone in his body. He was a treasure as a person, an imp at times, and always a true professional. He had worked with the greats and never saw himself as one of them. But he was. He was the rock everyone depended on and yet he could cut up like a kid when the situation warranted it. He was the apotheosis, the finest example of what people call a ‘character actor’. What he brought to the work made everyone better. He made those who are thought of as ‘stars’ shine even more brightly. The love and admiration we all felt for him were returned tenfold in many, many ways. And the greatest and most selfless tribute to the experience we enjoyed was paid by Harry at the press conference when our show ended. He remarked that someone had asked him if working on M*A*S*H had made him a better actor. He responded by saying, 'I don’t know about that, but it made me a better human being.' It’s hard to imagine a better one." A wonderful testament to his ability as an actor and his personality as a human being!
@@dougr3142 "The actor’s lawyer, Harland Braun, said Morgan never hit his wife but grabbed her as she destroyed furniture in their home during a drunken dispute". There is the chance he was not the aggressor. But hey why not be an asshole and only mention that he was arrested. Way to go ass wipe.
David Ogden Stiers has the perfect reactions in this scene, as the slightly more cultured Maj. Winchester senses the decorum and the formality, as well as the appropriate sentiment. Terrific job of background acting.
Writers made sure to show the diversity of the Americans who fought in war. (Stein, Gianelli, Ryan, Gresky and Potter) My only complaint here is timeline. Korean War and World War I were only 34 years or so apart. Potter said he was 17 in WWI, so he would be about 51 in Korea. he wouldn't be an old man in Korean War, if the timeline was true to history.
I teared up when I was 5 yrs old in 1980 and I teared up again tonight at 45 yrs old watching this episode again. What an amazing episode . Nothing else will ever follow this show.
You’re almost as old as I am (52), and like Sherman Potter, we have old friends we remember, and we have friends today. It is always good to remember the old ones, just as it is good to enjoy the new ones. We all should do this.
Amazing that Harry Morgan spent so many years before this in so many other excellent roles, and yet made an all-timer out of this one. It isn't too often that somebody does his most iconic role _after_ so many other memorable ones. Can't imagine the show without him. If you were around when it was going on, you know there was no small amount of skepticism about whoever was going to replace the Henry Blake character. In retrospect, the way it happened was so natural and so like real life -- just a different guy with no attempt to pull threads from the previous one at all -- that it just couldn't have been better. Exactly what it would've been like if you'd been under one CO and then the next.
I could recognize his voice instantly, no matter how he tried to switch accent or cadence (which he never really did). He has one of those voices who are iconic, you recognize immediately.
I gave my Father-in-law a full collection of M*A*S*H*. There were documentaries within, and some outtakes. After seeing those, this scene has always hit me hard. Everything is solid, until Harry says the first guy’s name and says he died in the War To End All Wars, and he breaks down. Farrell approaches, and puts a reassuring arm around him. That’s how close the cast was. You can’t generate friends like that, you have to be in some sort of suffering together.
Considering that Col. Potter was not in the first three seasons, I think it’s fairly easy to imagine the show without him. But he was a tremendous addition to the cast and had some of the best moments in the series.
Harry Morgan served in WWII, which makes me wonder if some of this scene might be based on experiences he had irl, hence the strong emotion in the performance, and the fact it took several takes before he got through it without completely breaking down. Whether that's the case or not, it's definitely a powerful scene!
This hits hard now. 52 years after my time as a young Marine in I Corps, Vietnam. Our unit reunions are getting more and more sparse. Still talk to the surviving members of my unit thanks to modern media. Have a bottle of old great whiskey, back in the darkest corner of the kitchen cabinet I believe. Colonel Potter, different wars, different times but I think I'll go and join you.
One by one, day by day our youth and our heroes die. Janowicz, Templeton, Osgood, Guarino, Felix, Marshall, Young, McCarthy, Duncan...too many more are unknown.
Something I liked about him was that he was one of those people that once they hit a certain age, they take forever to look older than that. He was recognisable as Col Potter, like he'd just stepped off the set of MASH, for a decent few years after the show ended.
So true. After spending 26 years in the Army I've saluted many a helmit and boots on a chair next to the chair an M16 and dog tags. You wonder why you're still around but I guess it is to remember those who went before you and to keep their memory alive. I would be honnoured to consider you a friend sir. God Bless You.
He means brothers, not by blood, but by experience and that is truly beautiful. May we all find such camaraderie in our fellow man, because that is the love that truly stands the test of time.
@@ghostcityshelton9378 I guess serving must take it's toll on you one thing most civilian s myself included probably with hope will never have experience . but respect to anyone willing to take up arms to protect his fellow man even if some good people are lost along the way .
A friend of mine, Edgard Potts, still puts flags on graves at Henri-Chappelle (sp?) Memorial cemetery in France, having seen, as a 7-year old kid, some of the G.I.s push the Germans back from his neighborhood in Belgium, including my dad, who died long ago. He is grateful beyond words that those young men and women were willing to risk everything to help his neighbors and country. He still sends me messages every important occasion during the year, deeply touched by what they did. I always reply at length to thank him for his devotion.
@@dadlovelace6422 It is so easy, these days, to get wrapped up in our internet and social life....and forget that people died for this free lifestyle. Kudos to your good friend for his continual commitments to reminding us of the ones we lost. When I was a young kid, our 18-year old next door neighbor Walter Koeppe Jr, went to Vietnam. He wasn't a great kid. He didn't finish high school. But he did give his life for our country. Now he is memorialized, one of the 142 - Sons of San Jose (California) who gave their lives from San Jose to that cruddy war.
@Tracy D sometimes I think it better to not come back than for some of them to live with what they have to. I thank God that I was on a Navy ship… MANY miles from any action.
i just watched this. there is no fucking way he's acting. this is real. Morgan was in his 60s when this was filmed he's got actual tears in his eyes and his voice is about to crack. you can't fake that. i don't care how good you are.
This is what makes Charles so great a character. Arrogant, pompous and sarcastic 99 % of the time, but during the important moments, he always shows his caring and deeply human side. Mr. Ogden Stiers' performance was just wonderful.
lolomgmetobavi David Ogden Stiers was complete opposite of his character and was known to be funny, caring and well liked person on set as was Larry Linville whom everyone liked on set.
@@scottknode898 Yep, I read both Mr. Stiers and Mr. Linville were very popular among their colleagues and that Mr. Stiers was also very kind towards the fans.
@Howie Feltersnatch Harry was known to have a temper, and his poor wife got the worst of it once or twice. Living in LA, this sort of stuff did make the local news. But Howie, out here we don't use the phrase "tune-up", but my brother in law, late of the FDNY uses it on occasion. I think it's a great phrase, and I've used it over the years when I had the chance.
@Howie Feltersnatch I was a DA in Los Angeles for 30 years, and glad to be out with this new jerkoff DA who's trying to destroy the Office. Anyway, I used 'tune-up' whenever it was appropriate, and I heard a few others use it, but it never caught on to the extent that I'd hear it around the 42 when I'd hang with my brother-in-law, or in general use on Long Island. In fact, I think I saw it used in a headline in the NY Post.
@Howie Feltersnatch I should say. My older daughter's going to Loyola Law there, and her fiance works for a utility company. Never mind the weather, Chicago is no place to be getting out and about.
My father was in the ETO and turned 20 after D-Day. In the late 80s he met up with an old comrade of his from their old unit, they started talking and it was if they never were separated. Somethings bind you to each other in perpetuity.
Mr. Dana Covert Totally agree. And people need to remember that this was a 70s show...right after Vietnam. Alan Alda was afraid that the show was making war too funny and not enough seriousness. Korea was a SHITTY war and I think Alan Alda just wanted to make it a bit more real.
Michael Godsey - War is shitty but Korea was a just cause. The U.S. kept half if the peninsula free. South Korea is one of the most prosperous nations on Earth. NoKo is a large prison camp.
I sold Mr. Morgan flooring and installed it in his condo in South Pasadena in Pinellas county, Florida. He sure loved his big ole stogies. He did not act like anybody special but instead, like anybody else and very pleasant.
@@artmiller2341 I had a former coworker who met him on numerous occasions because of her job and you echo everything she said he was very down to earth and personable.
Anyone who has been in the military knows, ultimately you will have to say good bye to your buddies and probably never see them or hear from them again. It's a sad experience whether you were a lifer or a draftee. Colonel Potter's speech and his toast was outstanding.
I found out a mucker I served with was killed 3 years after I got out. I found out 15 years later. It hit me like it had only just happened, you never forget. RIP mate.
As a former USMC officer, a retired FBI Agent of 30 years, and now a 72 yoa old guy, i can relate! Friends of my youth were great, but new friends are a blessing! SEMPER FI
Every time... EVERY episode Harry Morgan gets that quiver in his voice in an emotional scene, I can feel tears forming. I don't think it's just the material he was given; his acting was always dialed to the right percentage, whether the scene was sad, funny or heated.
James Smith Harry Morgan was close friends with Alan Alda and Mike Farrell and others in cast so when said their goodbyes in the finale it was genuine emotions. They all kept in touch after the show was done. Alda, Stiers and Farrell all have said they admired Harry Morgan and looked up to him.
Yep, exactly! He's one of those actors that took everything he did on that show and I'm sure other shows and movies he was in took the script and made his emotions as real as he could get it. I know for a fact when Radar left that was real emotion and the same with the episode "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" where he was saying goodbye because that was for real saying goodbye to his cast mates and friends.
@@drServitis It takes a strong man to be able to open up and be vulnerable. And that makes him a good colonel because he trusts the men and women beneath him to do their jobs, while they trust him to do his. That trust wouldn't exist if Colonel Potter didn't make the first move and opened up.
There will never be another show like MASH. It is a classic that stands the test of time. The writing, the stories, the actors. All magnificent. I watched it religiously with my parents every week, and it is good to revisit those memories now that they are gone too. Not many of the cast left alive today. Thank you for everything, all of you.
If a Television performance could be given an Oscar it should be this one, I don't know if you could call this acting since it is so sincere and heartfelt.
Another great scene was when Radar presented Sophie to Col. Potter. He walks around his office admiring the horse and when he gets to the rear, he slips on an unfortunately placed pile of droppings. Major Burns: "That's disGUSTING!" Col. Potter (smiling): "Son. To me, that's a tip toe through the tulips!"
My favorite scene was when Potter had to deal with Flagg. Potter is the kind that wouldn't put up with Flagg's nonsense. Blake on the other hand was too wishy washy when it came to dealing with Flagg.
@@l.salisbury1253 I agree. I didn't care much for the first three seasons. I loved the show more once Colonel Potter joined the cast. I even liked the show better once Frank Burns left the show. Major Charles Emerson Winchester is a better character and a more compantant doctor than Frank!
Given that Harry Morgan served in the military during WWII, I can't help but wonder if there was a little bit of reality subtext behind Potter's toast.
Hard to watch that scene without tearing up . Age is both a curse and a blessing . Hard to remember that when it aches just to get out of bed every day . Thanks for posting .
My Father took me to his Navy reunion shortly before the Pandemic happened. When we arrived at the hotel we found that there was only about 3 dozen of his ship mates left. When we found out that, and we got to our room he started to cry. My Father has always been a very stoic man, and never showed emotion at any time. We both cried in the room, and then we went to hotel bar he stood up and made a toast very similar to this. Little did he know I had a printed copy of Vera Lynns song "We'll meet again". I walked up and took the mic and sang it. By the time I got done there was not a dry eye in the room. Anchors Away Gentlemen! We will meet again some sunny day!
What was really cool was after my father died, my family and I got to share in a tontine. My Dad was a paratrooper with the 507th PIR, 82nd Airborne and jumped outside of Grainges, France on D-Day. After the war, raising kids, and working for years he finally retired quietly in northern Wisconsin. It was somewhere on about 30 years ago an old Army buddy got a personalized bottle of brandy with his name, rank, medals, etc. After he received it, he got the idea to have his family, and any other buddies that could make it, to his gravesite on the day of his burial to have a drink and a toast to our lives together. In November 2020 that day came after 99 years of life. At his gravesite, the brandy came out as a small Army squadron flew overhead while one of them pretended to "bail out." It was all on the local news in Minneapolis, MN. We all toasted him there except for me, who saw it all on Zoom. It was COVID time then, and I live 1500 miles away and was considered at risk. But I saw the whole thing and it was quite moving. Last July, on what would have been his 100th birthday, I was able to fulfill the tontine that made his life, for me, complete.
This is very moving and meaningful. I am grateful to you for sharing this and allowing those of us who took the time to read what you wrote from the heart, share in the celebration of your dad's memorable life. how he bravely fought for freedom, and the legacy he leaves behind Becca USAF veteran Military Police
Got the opportunity to be a real life “Col Potter” in a USAF combat surgical hospital in Iraq. This character was a good model for a medical commander. Hope that, in the eyes of my medics, I at least partially, lived up to it.
When my father entered into the final stages of dementia, the only thing he’d watch and pay any attention to was M*A*S*H. Even non-verbal, his eyes would be fixed on this show. As a career officer in the Navy, he connected somehow to this show. Thank you cast members, for giving my Dad that. May God grant peace to all of you. You gave him a glimpse into his past! Thank you for that.
This scene is one of the many reasons that Hawkeye and BJ give Colonel Potter a genuine salute in the final episode...it was a remarkable show of respect from them... and it never fails to leave me teary-eyed.
Yep, both Hawkeye and BJ respected Colonel Potter and he was a friend and a father figure to them. With Henry, Hawkeye and Trapper knew they could take advantage of him, plus they saw him more as a friend and drinking buddy, basically just one of the guys, they never saw him as a commanding officer. Which is why when he left they hugged him instead of saluted him.
@@sportsygirl8 Yeah, but also, just as Potter can be both a friend and drinking buddy to Hawkeye and B.J. at times, Blake could put his foot down with both Hawkeye and Trapper when it was necessary.
In the run of the show, Hawkeye saluted only two people: Radar and Potter. To both, it was an act that held more meaning and value than any words that could have been said.
One of the best shows on television. I watched every episode. They're never make shows like that again. So many were tearful, and some were hard to watch, but we watched them. Proud to be a Boomer.
When I first saw this scene years ago I thought this was an award winning performance. The subtlety of Morgan chocking back the tears as he gets to the end of his solo toast. The actual release of tension by all the other actors when they learn the Colonel is not sick. Those things are not easy to pull off and yet this was IMHO flawless.
Col. Potter brought to light the emotions and thoughts I, and all who served in our armed forces. We laughed, we cried, we went through some things best forgotten but, whatever the situation goddamm it we went through them together. I could count on them and, though unspoken, they could count on me. I can't honestly say if my own family would do that without judging. I have never been as close to anyone as I was to them. I swear I will never forget them. I loved you all then and still do today. God love and keep you and yours safe. Stay Calm. Be Safe. "Wiener"
We went together, we came back together, we watched each other's backs, and we stood together. We developed trust, bonds and a standard of mateship regardless of rank no one else can never understand. This episode draws those components together perfectly and also shows why the sequels wouldn't work.
I loved the episode where Radar brought in Sophie for Colonel Potter. Changed the entire dynamic of that one episode in 10 seconds. So moving, as were so many episodes of MASH.
I grew up with Mash. I was 7 when it went on the air and ending high school when the last season ended. Hearing the opening theme song makes me emotional because i can literally pick out episodes and place them to the years they aired and what was going on in my life at the time. I can literally see the episode title and say.. 1975!! BJ arrives!! I liked the later years of the show with Potter in charge. Funny enough i did not like Harry Morgan at all when he came in. I was so used to Mclean. But i soon grew to love Harry Morgan's tough but fair approach. He was such a father figure to radar and you just realized what a lovable person Potter was underneath the regular army.
I'm 76, lost my last high school riding buddy, lost veteran friends and family. getting thin out here. Stay in the moment, live life, remember with pride and love.
Sorry for your losses. Remember there are good things and people in life still and remember how Hawkeye and the others found reasons to laugh amidst the pain.
M*A*S*H, the only TV show that shared how the majority of us felt about war, crooked leadership and loss. It also taught us how to rise above it and laugh at it through the support and love for one another, no matter what walk of life you came from. Best show ever!
This episode triggered a lot of tears. I remember watching the series finale while I was still in college. The TV viewing room in the front lobby of my dorm was packed. Not a word was uttered and quite a few tears. For me, it was a personal connection in that both my parents were teenagers who barely survived the Korean War and thank God it only lasted 3 years and not the 11 years M*A*S*H ran on TV. Too many people died in those 3 years. My parents both became doctors out of the ashes of that war. They eventually emigrated to the States and became American citizens. They passed in 2017 and 2021 and everytime i see a M*A*S*H episode i think of them.
I used to sit and watch this show with my Grandma on TV Land when I was a lil guy, I think this show helped teach little me a lot of important lessons. It also helped teach me to shoulder the bad, cherish the good, and help wherever I can. What a legendary program, we will never see it's like again.
As much as I love the zaniness of the first three seasons, I think MASH actually improved with the addition of Potter and later Charles. It had much more of a heart.
I agree 100%. I liked the first three seasons, but Col Potter brought the show to a new level. When whiny Frank was finally gone I was overjoyed, even as a kid. The show just continued to improve all the way up to the most heart-rending final episodes of any show, and the most memorable finale ever.
McLain Stephenson was simply not as good an actor as the rest of the cast. Larry Lindville had gotten tired of a one-note character and wanted out. Both were replaced by actors whose characters who grew in the series, and it made a difference
Correct. I think they ( the writers and cast ) thought they had a mission to make fun of the military to be morally superior and anti war and such. To their credit they were able to do some self reflection and humbly reveal the human condition instead. Much better goal.
@@ccampbell02yt Yeah, he even said it in an interview once. He felt the character wouldn't really ever develop beyond being a total @$$ to everyone. It had to be hard on the guy, because by all accounts, everyone in the cast absolutely loved him off-camera--he was just that type of man.
Begs the question,”What does it mean to be a US Marine?” The answer to that question gets harder and harder each year that I’m still alive. I miss my old buddies more today than I did yesterday…
This is one of my favorite episodes from MASH. As a soldier, I always get a little teary eyed. Hell, sometimes, remembering all my buddies, I actually sob. It's kind of like when the angel tells George Bailey, "All those men on that transport died! He wasn't there to save them, because you weren't there to save Harry!" I love this episode. The most. Thank you, Jim Berthiaume for bringing it to me.
Seen this scene a dozen times over the years and it still chokes me. More so now that I'm getting on in years. Thank you, Lord, for seeing me thus far.
Damn that hits, doesn't it? My Grandfather was a Territorial British Soldier, then later in the 2nd SAS during WWII. About 15 years ago my Father was passing away in a hospital bed and my Grandfather came to say goodbye to his Son. He kept a stiff upper lip but told my Dad that he loved him. He and I were alone in the hospital lift on the way back down when he turned and said "I suppose you think me a hard man for not shedding a tear, but I've just lost so many". His eyes glassed over as I comforted him that everyone deals with grief in their own way. His Mettle came back to him and his composure returned. It must be so hard being an ageing Soldier. We asked and still ask so much. Lest we forget...
True passion Morgan gave his all to each and every role and it shows. I love M*A*S*H and it's cast to those who passed know you will live forever in our hearts.
This scene could be uttered a thousand more times....for the fallen soldiers, airman and sailors who've died since....how do I know?......27 years in Service and you learn what closeness in adversity means. RIP Henry Morgan, the rock on which leading actors leaned.
When I watched this the first time, it was with my WWII combat veteran father and grandfather. They both wept. Now they are gone - and I have my own absent friends, several resting in gardens of stone…row on row.
@@puncherdavis9727 Just because someone wears a war costume doesn’t mean they are holy. It’s down to WHY they are fighting… the stinking Nazis had fancy outfits, but were just a bunch of murdering bullies addicted to crystal meth… just because some poor sap buys a bullet on the battlefield doesn’t make his “side” justified… Democracy, freedom of speech, equal rights, justice for rich and poor alike, etc are worth fighting for
I used to watch this show with my dad when I was a kid. I have always loved this show. My dad is gone now but thankfully I can stream MASH episodes and remember our time together. What an amazing show.
To my mind the best acting is that which doesn’t seem in the slightest to be acting. So often the genuineness of sentiment comes through Harry Morgan’s voice, I’d swear he threw the script away mid-scene- MASTERFUL! 👌
I remember this scene from the first time it was broadcast & have seen it several times since, and still tear up every time. My understanding is that part of Henry Morgan's soliloquy isn't the product of the writers, but an actual toast to lost friends & comrades he knew. Lost my dad this February, he did two tours in the Navy during the time this show was set. His notice in the newsletter of the one ship he truly loved (CVB-43, USS Coral Sea) is one of the very last from his crew. He always wore a cap with her name & registration on it, and as a result for many years ran into either former shipmates or members of the crews who rotated aboard after his last tour at least every 5-6 weeks... but the frequency began dropping, and the last such happy meeting was over a decade ago. Mom has spoken about how, as one ages, the tree of life begins to lean and sway more in the wind, and that eventually, one by one, we have to watch its leaves drop to the ground. Here's to all those who have served, and to all those we've lost.
I have always considered this performance one of the two best in a TV serial of all time. The other - the basically solo performance of Carroll O'Connor when Edith Died. WOW is all I can say
Perfect clip for Veteran's Day. Tears in my eyes. Honor to all of our military who have served and do serve to protect our country. A special thank you to all who died while serving in the armed forces during war times 🪖🎖👏❤❤❤❤❤
I always thought it was a war show about how people had to be to RETAIN their humanity during a war. Especially in a place where the cost was always in their faces.
@@terencejay8845 The first few seasons had a laugh track. But then during season 6 they cut it. And the original producers NEVER wanted a laugh track but the network insisted on it.
Harry Morgan was so damn good....not just in this but in his entire run as Sherman Potter. Still use his line "not enough O's in smooth" to describe a drink!!
I have no idea who wrote this part of the script, but he just rewrote Shakespeare re We Band of Brothers, We happy Few. And Harry Morgan delivers it perfectly. Those of us who wore uniform, served and grew loving mateship and a special relationship will know this so well. This is what we were all about.
The best show ever on television. They could do more in 20 minutes than most movies nowadays can do in 2 hours. They couldn't make a show like this today, unless Aaron Sorkin got involved. I've seen each episode at least two dozen times and still I am moved by many of them, especially this one. I miss real television art. We used to gather and watch this in seminary and got as much out of it as we did in some of our classes. I tried to be a minister like father Mulcahy - compassionate and truly in touch with his own shortcomings and needs. Bless this whole cast and production crew for giving something timeless and meaningful. I think if I were teaching in seminary now, I would require a course in this show.
All in the Family. Archie at the dinner table with the young guy who avoided the draft by going to Canada and the father who lost his son in Vietnam. It has to be on RUclips.
They are doing a MASH reunion show on 1-1-2024 on ABC I believe, I just read about it. It will have surviving cast and interviews with the cast not with us anymore
Is there anywhere I can see this now? Preferably without some random subscription to a service I won't otherwise use? Where are my manners? Please, and thank you.
My grandfather served in the Army-Captain, WWI, France. Never said a word about it and we lived next door. He was a lifelong mechanic and during the depression never charged his labor when working on neighborhood vehicles. He spent his golden years hanging out in his garage with a neighbor, drinking a quart of beer and chewing Copenhagen(gave him cancer in 1969). As a child I was given a note to buy the beer and chew. He gave me 75 cents and I kept the nickel change. How times have changed.... This clip brought back fond memories of my grandpa, Cap. Freisinger.
One of the many reasons that I love this show. It could make you belly laugh till you bust your gut, then turn right around in the same episode and make you cry your heart out, and then laugh one more time at the end, all in 30 minutes. Best Dang show on TV
It’s a whole different feeling knowing all the boys who marched off to war in WW1 and came limping back are all gone and laid to rest. To fade into memory and memory into legend and legend into history.
It's great when a TV series allows a scene for an actor to show his skills, such a Harry Morgan gets a chance to do here. The audience can just feel the sobs just below Potter's self restraint.
tough and hard to watch him salute his old gone passed friends , im a HUGE softy when it comes to scenes and moments like this , cheers and salute to M.A.S.H .
No matter how many times I watch this scene...I choke. The tears stream down my face. R.I.P. Colonel Sherman T Potter/Harry Morgan. There are none left like you. Godspeed.
I'm old enough to remember this episode when it first aired. I was a teenager far too cool to be moved to tears by something as hackneyed as a network television show. Until this one.
As for me - I was 17 when this episode aired. It was especially poignant in my case, because just under a year prior my dad died of a massive heart attack. For various reasons, I was devastated by his passing. This episode brought home the point that we all die, and that we all face traumatic losses. It's how we handle those losses that matters. I wasn't able to cry then - those tears came sometime later. As always, a tip o'the tophat to the cast & crew of MASH - ya done good. 👍❤
Some of the best television ever. Harry Morgan was an inspiration and my favorite. What stories and incredible actors. “You were the friends of my youth…”
Rizzo: "You're one of those COLLEGE boys, huh?" Winchester: "Harvard, class of 43, lettered in Crew and Polo! Women DRIPPING off of me!" (Rizzo attacks him)
@@catsabotage3362 wow 😮 completely disrespectful, I hope you never have to serve in the military and fight on foreign soil and if you have, then I just feel sorry for you
I respect what our fathers, grandfathers, and great grandfathers did for us, overseas and in our backyard. We are free and alive because of them. But i would think all wars are pointless. WWI was over politicians killing politicians. They didnt care that they would send millions to die over one person. WWII a madman was given power, and for politics the leaders stayed silent and let him kill innocent people, then send more to die. So many wars after that. So much life wasted. Didn’t solve anything. We still kill each other and call it politics. I wish the politicians would fight their own wars and leave the people to live. There would only be peace.
I’ve seen this scene a number of times…and I always get choked up whenever I see it - always. Harry Morgan’s portrayal of Col. Potter was always Emmy-worthy; but this episode alone, especially this scene, should have garnered him one without question…
Best scene in television history. Ever!
Super lame!!
Thanks!
To be honest with everyone a cheroot is a type of cigar.
@@rosspatterson131 Straighten your panties, lame-boy ! LOL.....🙂
@@chriscraft1334 You are CORRECT, sir.
A small one, like Clint smoked in the old spaghetti westerns.
M*A*S*H*, The only show that can start off funny, make you cry and end on a funny note in the span of 30 minutes. This was TV at its finest.
I have always said that no show had better story telling in under 30 minutes.
Scrubs had a few tear jerking episodes on par with M*A*S*H. But never better.
I agree, I don't think I have ever seen such an accomplished TV show.
Scrubs was just as good.
@@SurvivorBri Honestly I never liked the series finale. I get the baby's death was sad but it's really not his fault and he's seen so much more over the years, I guess it's supposed to be the last straw that put him over the edge but still. I think Hawkeye should have had to have killed someone instead. Think about it; he's a conscientious objector, against the war, wouldn't even raise a gun self defense that one episode clearly willing to die versus betray his principles so imagine what it would do to his mind if he was put in a scenario where maybe to save a whole bus of people he had to take someone's life. I think that would have been a more impactful and emotional struggle for him then losing his temper and some woman accidentally suffocating her kid
The way his hand shakes just a bit more toward the end of his toast is a testament to the nuances of old school acting. This man was one of the greats.
He certainly was, MASH was an amazing series.
This felt like a very personal scene. It was a pleasure to watch and was beautifully acted. The writing was brilliant. FYI,
Harry Morgan died in 2011.
Following Morgan's death, Mike Farrell, who played B.J. Hunnicutt opposite Morgan in M*A*S*H, released a statement. I came across it, so hear it is:
*He was a wonderful man, a fabulous actor and a dear and close friend since the first day we worked together. As Alan Alda said, he did not have an unadorable bone in his body. He was a treasure as a person, an imp at times, and always a true professional. He had worked with the greats and never saw himself as one of them. But he was. He was the rock everyone depended on and yet he could cut up like a kid when the situation warranted it. He was the apotheosis, the finest example of what people call a ‘character actor’. What he brought to the work made everyone better. He made those who are thought of as ‘stars’ shine even more brightly. The love and admiration we all felt for him were returned tenfold in many, many ways. And the greatest and most selfless tribute to the experience we enjoyed was paid by Harry at the press conference when our show ended. He remarked that someone had asked him if working on M*A*S*H had made him a better actor. He responded by saying, 'I don’t know about that, but it made me a better human being.' It’s hard to imagine a better one."
A wonderful testament to his ability as an actor and his personality as a human being!
Thank you. That was touching.
Wow what a aspiring thing to hear.
He was arrested for beating his wife. Adorable.
@@dougr3142 "The actor’s lawyer, Harland Braun, said Morgan never hit his wife but grabbed her as she destroyed furniture in their home during a drunken dispute".
There is the chance he was not the aggressor.
But hey why not be an asshole and only mention that he was arrested. Way to go ass wipe.
@@dougr3142 And when did you stop beating your wife?
David Ogden Stiers has the perfect reactions in this scene, as the slightly more cultured Maj. Winchester senses the decorum and the formality, as well as the appropriate sentiment. Terrific job of background acting.
My thoughts exactly.
And he alone holds his glass of brandy at the bottom, to warm it properly, as befits that drink. Such intelligent acting.
I got to meet Mr Stiers once, in a sizzler of all places.
winchester could roll with the taunts that Hawkeye and Honeycutt sent his way. he was a much better sport about it that Maj. Burns ever was
Well said.
"To Ryan, who died in W.W.1 'the war to end all wars'. To Giannelli, who died in the war after that." Brilliant.
That was an especially ironic line.
Yeah. No anger or bitterness, just some regret.
@@colinmerritt7645 Good comment sir. Regret.
Writers made sure to show the diversity of the Americans who fought in war. (Stein, Gianelli, Ryan, Gresky and Potter) My only complaint here is timeline. Korean War and World War I were only 34 years or so apart. Potter said he was 17 in WWI, so he would be about 51 in Korea. he wouldn't be an old man in Korean War, if the timeline was true to history.
@@edwardcricchio6106 He meant he felt 17, but he was actually 27 :)
I teared up when I was 5 yrs old in 1980 and I teared up again tonight at 45 yrs old watching this episode again.
What an amazing episode . Nothing else will ever follow this show.
You’re almost as old as I am (52), and like Sherman Potter, we have old friends we remember, and we have friends today. It is always good to remember the old ones, just as it is good to enjoy the new ones. We all should do this.
And I. At 65.
I think I have a piece of dust in my eye(s)......
@@georgebuller1914 yeah i got some dust in my eyes as well but im also crying :p
I did as well, at 62...
Amazing that Harry Morgan spent so many years before this in so many other excellent roles, and yet made an all-timer out of this one. It isn't too often that somebody does his most iconic role _after_ so many other memorable ones. Can't imagine the show without him.
If you were around when it was going on, you know there was no small amount of skepticism about whoever was going to replace the Henry Blake character. In retrospect, the way it happened was so natural and so like real life -- just a different guy with no attempt to pull threads from the previous one at all -- that it just couldn't have been better. Exactly what it would've been like if you'd been under one CO and then the next.
I could recognize his voice instantly, no matter how he tried to switch accent or cadence (which he never really did). He has one of those voices who are iconic, you recognize immediately.
I gave my Father-in-law a full collection of M*A*S*H*.
There were documentaries within, and some outtakes.
After seeing those, this scene has always hit me hard.
Everything is solid, until Harry says the first guy’s name and says he died in the War To End All Wars, and he breaks down.
Farrell approaches, and puts a reassuring arm around him.
That’s how close the cast was.
You can’t generate friends like that, you have to be in some sort of suffering together.
Very well said!
Considering that Col. Potter was not in the first three seasons, I think it’s fairly easy to imagine the show without him.
But he was a tremendous addition to the cast and had some of the best moments in the series.
Harry Morgan served in WWII, which makes me wonder if some of this scene might be based on experiences he had irl, hence the strong emotion in the performance, and the fact it took several takes before he got through it without completely breaking down. Whether that's the case or not, it's definitely a powerful scene!
This hits hard now. 52 years after my time as a young Marine in I Corps, Vietnam. Our unit reunions are getting more and more sparse. Still talk to the surviving members of my unit thanks to modern media. Have a bottle of old great whiskey, back in the darkest corner of the kitchen cabinet I believe. Colonel Potter, different wars, different times but I think I'll go and join you.
One by one, day by day our youth and our heroes die. Janowicz, Templeton, Osgood, Guarino, Felix, Marshall, Young, McCarthy, Duncan...too many more are unknown.
Thank you for your service
I would tip one with you... 🥃🥃
I hear you. We are growing old but it's been a good run. My time came later, but I see the same among my team.
Would you share a drink with a cavalryman from the war after yours? It'd be my honor.
You really don't see actors like Harry Morgan anymore.
"We were so alive back then." - RIP
You don't really see people like that anymore.
He is good in every film I have seen him in.
Something I liked about him was that he was one of those people that once they hit a certain age, they take forever to look older than that.
He was recognisable as Col Potter, like he'd just stepped off the set of MASH, for a decent few years after the show ended.
I liked him as Bill Gannon too ... of course was a different style of show compared to M*A*S*H
Harry Morgan was an AMAZING actor but I think this goes beyond acting. They all cared about each other a lot.
,
He’s got me crying.
@@danb2337 Ditto!
This is why mash was a success for 11yrs😀
2023, i am 65 now and cry like a baby every time i see this, well done mash well done
When a veteran says the friends in front of him mean more than those he served with previously, you know you’re a true friend.
So true. After spending 26 years in the Army I've saluted many a helmit and boots on a chair next to the chair an M16 and dog tags.
You wonder why you're still around but I guess it is to remember those who went before you and to keep their memory alive.
I would be honnoured to consider you a friend sir. God Bless You.
He means brothers, not by blood, but by experience and that is truly beautiful. May we all find such camaraderie in our fellow man, because that is the love that truly stands the test of time.
Your picture looks like Harry Morgan
@@ghostcityshelton9378 I guess serving must take it's toll on you one thing most civilian s myself included probably with hope will never have experience .
but respect to anyone willing to take up arms to protect his fellow man even if some good people are lost along the way .
Memorial Day 2021. Here's to our fallen comrades, who gave their all to our country. RIP service men and women.
yes
A friend of mine, Edgard Potts, still puts flags on graves at Henri-Chappelle (sp?) Memorial cemetery in France, having seen, as a 7-year old kid, some of the G.I.s push the Germans back from his neighborhood in Belgium, including my dad, who died long ago. He is grateful beyond words that those young men and women were willing to risk everything to help his neighbors and country. He still sends me messages every important occasion during the year, deeply touched by what they did. I always reply at length to thank him for his devotion.
@@dadlovelace6422 It is so easy, these days, to get wrapped up in our internet and social life....and forget that people died for this free lifestyle. Kudos to your good friend for his continual commitments to reminding us of the ones we lost.
When I was a young kid, our 18-year old next door neighbor Walter Koeppe Jr, went to Vietnam. He wasn't a great kid. He didn't finish high school. But he did give his life for our country. Now he is memorialized, one of the 142 - Sons of San Jose (California) who gave their lives from San Jose to that cruddy war.
Amen
@Tracy D sometimes I think it better to not come back than for some of them to live with what they have to. I thank God that I was on a Navy ship… MANY miles from any action.
Harry Morgan's performance here is so sincere and heartfelt that he had to be recalling real old friends that had moved on.
i just watched this. there is no fucking way he's acting. this is real. Morgan was in his 60s when this was filmed he's got actual tears in his eyes and his voice is about to crack. you can't fake that. i don't care how good you are.
Harry was always a great actor. My dad loved nick at nite and we watched dragnet. He was great on there too
Aw, I can't watch it again. It shreds me. One of these best scenes in a show with memorable scenes. Just incredible.
You can see the passion in everyone's eyes during this scene. David Ogden Stiers is pretty close to crying. One of the best scenes ever on this show.
He wasn't close to crying..in 2 of his 4 cut away shots, you can see the tears coming down his face.
After looking at it again, I see he did show some tears.
This is what makes Charles so great a character. Arrogant, pompous and sarcastic 99 % of the time, but during the important moments, he always shows his caring and deeply human side. Mr. Ogden Stiers' performance was just wonderful.
lolomgmetobavi David Ogden Stiers was complete opposite of his character and was known to be funny, caring and well liked person on set as was Larry Linville whom everyone liked on set.
@@scottknode898 Yep, I read both Mr. Stiers and Mr. Linville were very popular among their colleagues and that Mr. Stiers was also very kind towards the fans.
RIP Harry Morgan, David Ogden Stiers, William Christopher, Wayne Rogers, Kelley Nakahara.
Sad they are gone but there is a tatterd tent in heaven where they are sitting and polishing off the rest of that magnificent brandy.
And please, let's not forget Wayne Rogers, MacLean Stevenson, Larry Linville and Allan Arbus.
@@ParkerKenpoist And Kellye Nakahara, Johnny Haymer, Timothy Brown and John Orchard.
...and Edward Winter.
@@dougr3142 Flagg!
Only Loretta, Mike, Jamie, Allen, and Gary remain now.
Word has it that Allen is now suffering advanced Parkinson's.
The photo of Mildred on Col. Potter's desk was of his actual wife Eileen.
My Uncle Douglas was also a Gordon Bennett.... KIA Nov 44.
Now THAT (EDIT: the photo) is a wonderful bit of trivia. Thank you.
@Howie Feltersnatch Harry was known to have a temper, and his poor wife got the worst of it once or twice. Living in LA, this sort of stuff did make the local news. But Howie, out here we don't use the phrase "tune-up", but my brother in law, late of the FDNY uses it on occasion. I think it's a great phrase, and I've used it over the years when I had the chance.
@Howie Feltersnatch I was a DA in Los Angeles for 30 years, and glad to be out with this new jerkoff DA who's trying to destroy the Office. Anyway, I used 'tune-up' whenever it was appropriate, and I heard a few others use it, but it never caught on to the extent that I'd hear it around the 42 when I'd hang with my brother-in-law, or in general use on Long Island. In fact, I think I saw it used in a headline in the NY Post.
@Howie Feltersnatch I should say. My older daughter's going to Loyola Law there, and her fiance works for a utility company. Never mind the weather, Chicago is no place to be getting out and about.
My father was in the ETO and turned 20 after D-Day. In the late 80s he met up with an old comrade of his from their old unit, they started talking and it was if they never were separated. Somethings bind you to each other in perpetuity.
To anyone who wonders why that television show earned so many Emmys, let me direct you to.....ANY episode.
Any episode before Alan Alda took over the show completely with season 6.
@@joewhite6868 , agreed. It got too political at that point. Still great acting and some good stories, but far from what it was.
I don't care what you guys say, it was my ALL time favorite show. Political or not. Still an awesome show.
Mr. Dana Covert Totally agree. And people need to remember that this was a 70s show...right after Vietnam. Alan Alda was afraid that the show was making war too funny and not enough seriousness. Korea was a SHITTY war and I think Alan Alda just wanted to make it a bit more real.
Michael Godsey - War is shitty but Korea was a just cause. The U.S. kept half if the peninsula free. South Korea is one of the most prosperous nations on Earth. NoKo is a large prison camp.
I’ve been a huge fan of Harry Morgan since Dragnet. But his portrayal of Col. Potter was genius. Rest In Peace Harry Morgan. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Just an odd reminder. Before he was Col. Potter, Henry Morgan was a nutso general, one of the little oddities of this show.
I sold Mr. Morgan flooring and installed it in his condo in South Pasadena in Pinellas county, Florida. He sure loved his big ole stogies. He did not act like anybody special but instead, like anybody else and very pleasant.
@@artmiller2341 I had a former coworker who met him on numerous occasions because of her job and you echo everything she said he was very down to earth and personable.
@@artmiller2341 I lived there. when was this?
@@whattowatchrightnow 1978
Anyone who has been in the military knows, ultimately you will have to say good bye to your buddies and probably never see them or hear from them again. It's a sad experience whether you were a lifer or a draftee. Colonel Potter's speech and his toast was outstanding.
It happens to dependents, too. I was a brat who saw some duty stations and friends come and go before I was ten.
the feeling is closer to an amputation of a piece of ones soul.
I found out a mucker I served with was killed 3 years after I got out. I found out 15 years later. It hit me like it had only just happened, you never forget. RIP mate.
@@achosenman9376 Thanks for your service and your comment. Prayers!
@@Tommy1977777 Thank you for your comment, and service!
As a former USMC officer, a retired FBI Agent of 30 years, and now a 72 yoa old guy, i can relate! Friends of my youth were great, but new friends are a blessing! SEMPER FI
Semper Fi Sir
Doesn't take much acting when you have a real love for the actor you're working with. The entire cast loved Harry Morgan and it showed.
This scene, Radar giving the news of Henry Blake and Hawkeye on the bus! Powerful moments.
"The plane spun in... there were no survivors."
Every time... EVERY episode Harry Morgan gets that quiver in his voice in an emotional scene, I can feel tears forming. I don't think it's just the material he was given; his acting was always dialed to the right percentage, whether the scene was sad, funny or heated.
Yes. Exactly. Well said!
James Smith Harry Morgan was close friends with Alan Alda and Mike Farrell and others in cast so when said their goodbyes in the finale it was genuine emotions. They all kept in touch after the show was done. Alda, Stiers and Farrell all have said they admired Harry Morgan and looked up to him.
Yep, exactly! He's one of those actors that took everything he did on that show and I'm sure other shows and movies he was in took the script and made his emotions as real as he could get it. I know for a fact when Radar left that was real emotion and the same with the episode "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" where he was saying goodbye because that was for real saying goodbye to his cast mates and friends.
He came across as a weak man. Not colonel material at all and therefore not believable.
@@drServitis It takes a strong man to be able to open up and be vulnerable. And that makes him a good colonel because he trusts the men and women beneath him to do their jobs, while they trust him to do his. That trust wouldn't exist if Colonel Potter didn't make the first move and opened up.
There will never be another show like MASH. It is a classic that stands the test of time. The writing, the stories, the actors. All magnificent. I watched it religiously with my parents every week, and it is good to revisit those memories now that they are gone too. Not many of the cast left alive today. Thank you for everything, all of you.
If a Television performance could be given an Oscar it should be this one, I don't know if you could call this acting since it is so sincere and heartfelt.
That would be an Emmy, and yes, this would deserve one.
Amen💜🙏
I second that and agree with you 100%!
IMO, the best, most gut-wrenching, award-winning performances, whether movie, TV or stage, are best ad-libbed
Thank you, could not have said it better.
What a phenomenal actor. Harry Morgan was surrounded by fine actors in this scene who must have been blown away by his performance.
Yes I agree 👍💯
Wholeheartedly agreed.
Yeah they way he could show emotion reminded me of Robin Williams ability to do that. Both could do it so naturally
he started in the early years of movies
I'm sure his earlier castmates were impressed
Henry fonda John Wayne James Stewart
Harry Morgan's Colonel Potter was my favorite character, salty, down to earth, smart, tough, kind, human & sweet. RIP Harry & thank you.
Another great scene was when Radar presented Sophie to Col. Potter. He walks around his office admiring the horse and when he gets to the rear, he slips on an unfortunately placed pile of droppings.
Major Burns: "That's disGUSTING!"
Col. Potter (smiling): "Son. To me, that's a tip toe through the tulips!"
Colonel Potter is the kind of boss every supervisor should emulate. A true leader.
My favorite scene was when Potter had to deal with Flagg. Potter is the kind that wouldn't put up with Flagg's nonsense. Blake on the other hand was too wishy washy when it came to dealing with Flagg.
@@melissacooper4482 I thought MASH became a better show when Col. Potter joined...
@@l.salisbury1253 I agree. I didn't care much for the first three seasons. I loved the show more once Colonel Potter joined the cast. I even liked the show better once Frank Burns left the show. Major Charles Emerson Winchester is a better character and a more compantant doctor than Frank!
No one could have done that scene any better. It takes age and experience.
"...You were the friends of my youth...". That line hits hard when you get older. Cheers Brothers!
Given that Harry Morgan served in the military during WWII, I can't help but wonder if there was a little bit of reality subtext behind Potter's toast.
Everything I've read says he never served. Closest he got to the war was a 1942 recruitment film, To the Shores of Tripoli
Wonder if he was thinking of Jack Webb too, I think he recently died when this was filmed.
Not impossible
That wasn't Colonel Potter; that was Harry Morgan, pure and simple. He was a damn fine actor.
He's a fine human being with a heart
Hard to watch that scene without tearing up . Age is both a curse and a blessing . Hard to remember that when it aches just to get out of bed every day . Thanks for posting .
My Father took me to his Navy reunion shortly before the Pandemic happened. When we arrived at the hotel we found that there was only about 3 dozen of his ship mates left. When we found out that, and we got to our room he started to cry. My Father has always been a very stoic man, and never showed emotion at any time. We both cried in the room, and then we went to hotel bar he stood up and made a toast very similar to this. Little did he know I had a printed copy of Vera Lynns song "We'll meet again". I walked up and took the mic and sang it. By the time I got done there was not a dry eye in the room. Anchors Away Gentlemen! We will meet again some sunny day!
Fair winds and following seas. Rest easy shipmate, we have the watch.
God bless you for your support of those men
Bravo!
May their eternal skies be clear, and the winds ever at their backs.
I toast to your father and his mates. He is fortunate to have a wonderful son.
What was really cool was after my father died, my family and I got to share in a tontine. My Dad was a paratrooper with the 507th PIR, 82nd Airborne and jumped outside of Grainges, France on D-Day. After the war, raising kids, and working for years he finally retired quietly in northern Wisconsin. It was somewhere on about 30 years ago an old Army buddy got a personalized bottle of brandy with his name, rank, medals, etc. After he received it, he got the idea to have his family, and any other buddies that could make it, to his gravesite on the day of his burial to have a drink and a toast to our lives together. In November 2020 that day came after 99 years of life. At his gravesite, the brandy came out as a small Army squadron flew overhead while one of them pretended to "bail out." It was all on the local news in Minneapolis, MN. We all toasted him there except for me, who saw it all on Zoom. It was COVID time then, and I live 1500 miles away and was considered at risk. But I saw the whole thing and it was quite moving. Last July, on what would have been his 100th birthday, I was able to fulfill the tontine that made his life, for me, complete.
This is very moving and meaningful. I am grateful to you for sharing this and allowing those of us who took the time to read what you wrote from the heart, share in the celebration of your dad's memorable life. how he bravely fought for freedom, and the legacy he leaves behind
Becca
USAF veteran Military Police
Wow wonderful story thank you for sharing that with us .
Got the opportunity to be a real life “Col Potter” in a USAF combat surgical hospital in Iraq. This character was a good model for a medical commander. Hope that, in the eyes of my medics, I at least partially, lived up to it.
When my father entered into the final stages of dementia, the only thing he’d watch and pay any attention to was M*A*S*H. Even non-verbal, his eyes would be fixed on this show. As a career officer in the Navy, he connected somehow to this show. Thank you cast members, for giving my Dad that. May God grant peace to all of you. You gave him a glimpse into his past! Thank you for that.
How have we gone from this, as the "standard" we saw on TV, to Kardashian/reality/housewives of XYZ garbage? HOW??
stupidity of the American viewers
@@Hithere-ek4qt That just about sums it up...
@@Hithere-ek4qt More like the new stuff is super cheap to make.
Studios didn’t want to pay writers
Because after the silents and early boomers (46-55) every subsequent youth is a piece of shit (and that’s coming from a Gen Z
The slight quaver in his voice at the end of his toast hits like a hammer.
This scene is one of the many reasons that Hawkeye and BJ give Colonel Potter a genuine salute in the final episode...it was a remarkable show of respect from them... and it never fails to leave me teary-eyed.
Yep, both Hawkeye and BJ respected Colonel Potter and he was a friend and a father figure to them. With Henry, Hawkeye and Trapper knew they could take advantage of him, plus they saw him more as a friend and drinking buddy, basically just one of the guys, they never saw him as a commanding officer. Which is why when he left they hugged him instead of saluted him.
Stevenson admitted that he made a big mistake leaving that show as early as he did
@@sportsygirl8 Yeah, but also, just as Potter can be both a friend and drinking buddy to Hawkeye and B.J. at times, Blake could put his foot down with both Hawkeye and Trapper when it was necessary.
In the run of the show, Hawkeye saluted only two people: Radar and Potter. To both, it was an act that held more meaning and value than any words that could have been said.
@@libertubey2199 Rarely he would put his foot down, majority of the time they'd take advantage of him.
What superb acting! To watch Col. Potter tear up, then Maj. Winchester's reaction makes this a real tear jerker!
Hell of an actor. Hell of script.
that was something HUGE and MIGHTY to say and salute , may he rest in peace and the rest of M.A.S.H who has gone , powerfull scene.
Beautiful scene. As good as it gets.
Wonderful scene, and a great show.
to all the men and women who didnt come home alive or never came home at all thank you and rest in peace
Hello Becky, How are you doing?
I feel so honored to have grown up watching MASH. Seeing Klinger and Charles just as loyal as the rest of the crew full of love is beautiful!
I didn't grow up when it was airing but my grandparents had the whole thing on dvd, so I watched all of it twice! Amazing, beautiful, wonderful show.
One of the best shows on television. I watched every episode. They're never make shows like that again. So many were tearful, and some were hard to watch, but we watched them. Proud to be a Boomer.
Col Potters speech hits different when you’ve served and lost buddies. I can’t watch this without tearing up. Its my favorite episode though
When I first saw this scene years ago I thought this was an award winning performance. The subtlety of Morgan chocking back the tears as he gets to the end of his solo toast. The actual release of tension by all the other actors when they learn the Colonel is not sick. Those things are not easy to pull off and yet this was IMHO flawless.
Every time I watch this, I feel like I’ve met Colonel Potter’s old WW1 friends. A master class in acting from Morgan.
Col. Potter brought to light the emotions and thoughts I, and all who served in our armed forces. We laughed, we cried, we went through some things best forgotten but, whatever the situation goddamm it we went through them together. I could count on them and, though unspoken, they could count on me. I can't honestly say if my own family would do that without judging. I have never been as close to anyone as I was to them. I swear I will never forget them. I loved you all then and still do today. God love and keep you and yours safe. Stay Calm. Be Safe. "Wiener"
We went together, we came back together, we watched each other's backs, and we stood together.
We developed trust, bonds and a standard of mateship regardless of rank no one else can never understand.
This episode draws those components together perfectly and also shows why the sequels wouldn't work.
I loved the episode where Radar brought in Sophie for Colonel Potter. Changed the entire dynamic of that one episode in 10 seconds. So moving, as were so many episodes of MASH.
I grew up with Mash. I was 7 when it went on the air and ending high school when the last season ended. Hearing the opening theme song makes me emotional because i can literally pick out episodes and place them to the years they aired and what was going on in my life at the time. I can literally see the episode title and say.. 1975!! BJ arrives!! I liked the later years of the show with Potter in charge. Funny enough i did not like Harry Morgan at all when he came in. I was so used to Mclean. But i soon grew to love Harry Morgan's tough but fair approach. He was such a father figure to radar and you just realized what a lovable person Potter was underneath the regular army.
I'm 76, lost my last high school riding buddy, lost veteran friends and family. getting thin out here. Stay in the moment, live life, remember with pride and love.
Sorry for your losses. Remember there are good things and people in life still and remember how Hawkeye and the others found reasons to laugh amidst the pain.
Cheers to that.
I feel privileged to have grown up with this show. It is without a doubt one of the finest shows that has ever and likely will ever be produced.
yup. and sopranos after
@@graememorrison333
Be serious.
@@graememorrison333 Sopranos? Get real. It tanked after the mother died in Season 3.
I absolutely love this scene as I have gotten older I can appreciate it where Col Potter is feeling and coming from
I remember watching this scene as a teenager, or maybe a "20 something". Now as a "60 something", I really understand it.
I’m with you. It’s bittersweet.
No matter if you're rich or poor or inbetween... appreciate what you have ...cause nothing lasts forever...except ... love.
Mash sowed us some of the best and worst of humanity. One of TVs true masterpieces.
The bonds of man is strong.
Me too, and I am pushing 70. I just lost a good friend of mine who worked with me on many of field projects.
M*A*S*H, the only TV show that shared how the majority of us felt about war, crooked leadership and loss. It also taught us how to rise above it and laugh at it through the support and love for one another, no matter what walk of life you came from. Best show ever!
This episode triggered a lot of tears. I remember watching the series finale while I was still in college. The TV viewing room in the front lobby of my dorm was packed. Not a word was uttered and quite a few tears. For me, it was a personal connection in that both my parents were teenagers who barely survived the Korean War and thank God it only lasted 3 years and not the 11 years M*A*S*H ran on TV. Too many people died in those 3 years. My parents both became doctors out of the ashes of that war. They eventually emigrated to the States and became American citizens. They passed in 2017 and 2021 and everytime i see a M*A*S*H episode i think of them.
I used to sit and watch this show with my Grandma on TV Land when I was a lil guy, I think this show helped teach little me a lot of important lessons. It also helped teach me to shoulder the bad, cherish the good, and help wherever I can.
What a legendary program, we will never see it's like again.
today's youth could use a dose of this
MASH was a hell of a show. Preached without preaching, lots of emotions and even more laughs.
As much as I love the zaniness of the first three seasons, I think MASH actually improved with the addition of Potter and later Charles. It had much more of a heart.
I agree 100%. I liked the first three seasons, but Col Potter brought the show to a new level. When whiny Frank was finally gone I was overjoyed, even as a kid. The show just continued to improve all the way up to the most heart-rending final episodes of any show, and the most memorable finale ever.
McLain Stephenson was simply not as good an actor as the rest of the cast. Larry Lindville had gotten tired of a one-note character and wanted out. Both were replaced by actors whose characters who grew in the series, and it made a difference
Correct. I think they ( the writers and cast ) thought they had a mission to make fun of the military to be morally superior and anti war and such. To their credit they were able to do some self reflection and humbly reveal the human condition instead. Much better goal.
@@arthuralford Is that true about Lindville? Man, I really wish they would have fleshed out that character more, like Charles.
@@ccampbell02yt Yeah, he even said it in an interview once. He felt the character wouldn't really ever develop beyond being a total @$$ to everyone. It had to be hard on the guy, because by all accounts, everyone in the cast absolutely loved him off-camera--he was just that type of man.
M*A*S*H had so many great scenes. But this is definitely one of the best.
Sadly I don’t think today’s shows even try to have any meaning like this.
No show today holds a candle to this.
You are both 100 percent correct
Indeed! The marshmellos that write today,apparently have no idea of commrades in arms friendships ... pitty the generations to come!
Begs the question,”What does it mean to be a US Marine?”
The answer to that question gets harder and harder each year that I’m still alive.
I miss my old buddies more today than I did yesterday…
Ra
This is one of my favorite episodes from MASH. As a soldier, I always get a little teary eyed. Hell, sometimes, remembering all my buddies, I actually sob. It's kind of like when the angel tells George Bailey, "All those men on that transport died! He wasn't there to save them, because you weren't there to save Harry!" I love this episode. The most. Thank you, Jim Berthiaume for bringing it to me.
MASH will always be a cherished classic. no other TV can duplicate the sincerity or quality of the writing and cast. MASH will never be forgotten.
Even after all these years,... if this one doesn't make you tear up, you might want to check to see where your soul got off to....
Seen this scene a dozen times over the years and it still chokes me. More so now that I'm getting on in years. Thank you, Lord, for seeing me thus far.
Damn that hits, doesn't it? My Grandfather was a Territorial British Soldier, then later in the 2nd SAS during WWII. About 15 years ago my Father was passing away in a hospital bed and my Grandfather came to say goodbye to his Son. He kept a stiff upper lip but told my Dad that he loved him. He and I were alone in the hospital lift on the way back down when he turned and said "I suppose you think me a hard man for not shedding a tear, but I've just lost so many". His eyes glassed over as I comforted him that everyone deals with grief in their own way. His Mettle came back to him and his composure returned. It must be so hard being an ageing Soldier. We asked and still ask so much. Lest we forget...
True passion Morgan gave his all to each and every role and it shows. I love M*A*S*H and it's cast to those who passed know you will live forever in our hearts.
This scene could be uttered a thousand more times....for the fallen soldiers, airman and sailors who've died since....how do I know?......27 years in Service and you learn what closeness in adversity means. RIP Henry Morgan, the rock on which leading actors leaned.
Could not have said it better , 32 years Canadian Military , Rest in Peace , all my friends , many gone now , closest friends I ever will have .
The corporate and nationalist murderers who wore military costume to hide their crimes have nothing to be proud of
When I watched this the first time, it was with my WWII combat veteran father and grandfather. They both wept.
Now they are gone - and I have my own absent friends, several resting in gardens of stone…row on row.
@@moosefactorymullet Comrade you need to put your marxist book down.. these are actors not the real military. get a clue
@@puncherdavis9727 Just because someone wears a war costume doesn’t mean they are holy. It’s down to WHY they are fighting… the stinking Nazis had fancy outfits, but were just a bunch of murdering bullies addicted to crystal meth… just because some poor sap buys a bullet on the battlefield doesn’t make his “side” justified… Democracy, freedom of speech, equal rights, justice for rich and poor alike, etc are worth fighting for
This was definitely a shining moment for Harry Morgan. He made it all so REAL.
I used to watch this show with my dad when I was a kid. I have always loved this show. My dad is gone now but thankfully I can stream MASH episodes and remember our time together. What an amazing show.
To my mind the best acting is that which doesn’t seem in the slightest to be acting. So often the genuineness of sentiment comes through Harry Morgan’s voice, I’d swear he threw the script away mid-scene- MASTERFUL! 👌
I remember this scene from the first time it was broadcast & have seen it several times since, and still tear up every time. My understanding is that part of Henry Morgan's soliloquy isn't the product of the writers, but an actual toast to lost friends & comrades he knew. Lost my dad this February, he did two tours in the Navy during the time this show was set. His notice in the newsletter of the one ship he truly loved (CVB-43, USS Coral Sea) is one of the very last from his crew. He always wore a cap with her name & registration on it, and as a result for many years ran into either former shipmates or members of the crews who rotated aboard after his last tour at least every 5-6 weeks... but the frequency began dropping, and the last such happy meeting was over a decade ago. Mom has spoken about how, as one ages, the tree of life begins to lean and sway more in the wind, and that eventually, one by one, we have to watch its leaves drop to the ground. Here's to all those who have served, and to all those we've lost.
Television has rarely seen writing and acting of this caliber. Timeless.
I have always considered this performance one of the two best in a TV serial of all time. The other - the basically solo performance of Carroll O'Connor when Edith Died. WOW is all I can say
Perfect clip for Veteran's Day. Tears in my eyes. Honor to all of our military who have served and do serve to protect our country. A special thank you to all who died while serving in the armed forces during war times 🪖🎖👏❤❤❤❤❤
Anyone who thinks M*A*S*H is a show about a war, missed the humanity in it.
I'm so pleased it was shown in the UK on the BBC with no laugh track. I didn't even know it had one until I saw an episode in the USA.
I always thought it was a war show about how people had to be to RETAIN their humanity during a war. Especially in a place where the cost was always in their faces.
At its best it was a show about people, and all the things that happen to people, who happened to be in the middle of a war.
@@terencejay8845 I don't recall a laugh track in South Africa either.
@@terencejay8845 The first few seasons had a laugh track. But then during season 6 they cut it. And the original producers NEVER wanted a laugh track but the network insisted on it.
Im 64, Have out lived many dear friends. But, im lucky, I ve made new friends, Young ones that i admire deeply
Harry Morgan was so damn good....not just in this but in his entire run as Sherman Potter. Still use his line "not enough O's in smooth" to describe a drink!!
I ALWAYS remembered THAT line ! LOL....
@@pwilson6439 Cheers !
if you didn't like M.A.S.H. there's something wrong with you and you should consult, the best show on television ever, the GOAT.
I have no idea who wrote this part of the script, but he just rewrote Shakespeare re We Band of Brothers, We happy Few. And Harry Morgan delivers it perfectly. Those of us who wore uniform, served and grew loving mateship and a special relationship will know this so well. This is what we were all about.
I heard somewhere (memory is a little fuzzy as to where) that the toast was to guys he actually served with.
One of the most profound scenes in the history of television. Harry Morgan is just breathtaking.
I Agree shoud have got an Emmy.Take care.
The best show ever on television. They could do more in 20 minutes than most movies nowadays can do in 2 hours. They couldn't make a show like this today, unless Aaron Sorkin got involved. I've seen each episode at least two dozen times and still I am moved by many of them, especially this one. I miss real television art. We used to gather and watch this in seminary and got as much out of it as we did in some of our classes. I tried to be a minister like father Mulcahy - compassionate and truly in touch with his own shortcomings and needs. Bless this whole cast and production crew for giving something timeless and meaningful. I think if I were teaching in seminary now, I would require a course in this show.
How Many tv shows make you think laugh and cry as l get older my self l look at my life just like Colonel Potter love watching M.A.S.H even reruns 😊👍
How can a "sitcom," send chills down your spine? Good writing and a hell of an actor, that's what.
All in the Family. Archie at the dinner table with the young guy who avoided the draft by going to Canada and the father who lost his son in Vietnam. It has to be on RUclips.
This is how one of the best comedies of all time becomes one of the best dramas of all time without missing a beat
Televisions first Dramedy.
Seriously, this show was amazing. I don't know if I have seen another show go from comedy to drama so perfrectly well
They are doing a MASH reunion show on 1-1-2024 on ABC I believe, I just read about it. It will have surviving cast and interviews with the cast not with us anymore
On Fox
It was fantastic and this was one of the scenes they talked about
@@therenegadej5764 A show ya actually wanted to watch with a story line ya could follow....
Is there anywhere I can see this now? Preferably without some random subscription to a service I won't otherwise use?
Where are my manners? Please, and thank you.
Who's still around from the main cast?
My grandfather served in the Army-Captain, WWI, France. Never said a word about it and we lived next door. He was a lifelong mechanic and during the depression never charged his labor when working on neighborhood vehicles. He spent his golden years hanging out in his garage with a neighbor, drinking a quart of beer and chewing Copenhagen(gave him cancer in 1969). As a child I was given a note to buy the beer and chew. He gave me 75 cents and I kept the nickel change.
How times have changed....
This clip brought back fond memories of my grandpa, Cap. Freisinger.
One of the many reasons that I love this show. It could make you belly laugh till you bust your gut, then turn right around in the same episode and make you cry your heart out, and then laugh one more time at the end, all in 30 minutes. Best Dang show on TV
Exactly. You defined the show.
MASH fan from England.
It’s a whole different feeling knowing all the boys who marched off to war in WW1 and came limping back are all gone and laid to rest. To fade into memory and memory into legend and legend into history.
It's great when a TV series allows a scene for an actor to show his skills, such a Harry Morgan gets a chance to do here. The audience can just feel the sobs just below Potter's self restraint.
tough and hard to watch him salute his old gone passed friends , im a HUGE softy when it comes to scenes and moments like this , cheers and salute to M.A.S.H .
I am one of the last surviving members of my high school class. This scene did bring me to tears. I very seldom cry at anything anymore.
No matter how many times I watch this scene...I choke. The tears stream down my face. R.I.P. Colonel Sherman T Potter/Harry Morgan. There are none left like you. Godspeed.
I'm old enough to remember this episode when it first aired. I was a teenager far too cool to be moved to tears by something as hackneyed as a network television show. Until this one.
As for me - I was 17 when this episode aired. It was especially poignant in my case, because just under a year prior my dad died of a massive heart attack. For various reasons, I was devastated by his passing. This episode brought home the point that we all die, and that we all face traumatic losses. It's how we handle those losses that matters. I wasn't able to cry then - those tears came sometime later.
As always, a tip o'the tophat to the cast & crew of MASH - ya done good. 👍❤
@@svenmorgenstern9506 I'm so sorry for your tragic loss.
Some of the best television ever. Harry Morgan was an inspiration and my favorite. What stories and incredible actors. “You were the friends of my youth…”
I like Winchester. He's more human than Burns. I also love how Margaret soften as the series went on.
He was a gentleman and poor Frank was just rough around all the edges but loved him just as much
Rizzo: "You're one of those COLLEGE boys, huh?" Winchester: "Harvard, class of 43, lettered in Crew and Polo! Women DRIPPING off of me!" (Rizzo attacks him)
"To Ryan, who died in WWI: the War to End All Wars. To Gianelli, who died in the war after that."
Ouch!
And let’s not forget Vietnam. The 58,000 American Heroes who died for no reason at all 😢
@@gwennlong5915 can't be a hero if you're invading someone else's country because you're afraid of your own government.
@@catsabotage3362 wow 😮 completely disrespectful, I hope you never have to serve in the military and fight on foreign soil and if you have, then I just feel sorry for you
@@derektereve286 Disrespectful? Perhaps. Axiomatic? Yes.
I respect what our fathers, grandfathers, and great grandfathers did for us, overseas and in our backyard. We are free and alive because of them. But i would think all wars are pointless. WWI was over politicians killing politicians. They didnt care that they would send millions to die over one person. WWII a madman was given power, and for politics the leaders stayed silent and let him kill innocent people, then send more to die. So many wars after that. So much life wasted. Didn’t solve anything. We still kill each other and call it politics. I wish the politicians would fight their own wars and leave the people to live. There would only be peace.
I’ve seen this scene a number of times…and I always get choked up whenever I see it - always. Harry Morgan’s portrayal of Col. Potter was always Emmy-worthy; but this episode alone, especially this scene, should have garnered him one without question…