Sherman T. Potter. RIP McLean and Roger. According to multiple accounts, one most famously from co-star Loretta Swift, corroborated by writer Ken Levine, McLean left because he wanted to be No. The shows creators swore the writers to secrecy. "4/22/1979 - Steve Martin / The Blues Brothers" (, 37. Radar walks into the operating room, without a mask, and announces that Blakes plane had been shot down over the Sea of Japan. Lorraine (called Mildred in Season 1), ?-1952 (his death) Stevenson later said in an interview that he was deeply hurt that his character's death was revealed in this fashion and the party was "ruined". Written by Everett Greenbaum and Jim Fritzell, it was first aired by CBS on March 18, 1975. For the first time, a major character had been killed off without warning and without explanation. McLean Stevenson was actually born in Normal, Illinois. The overwhelming combination of paperwork and incessant arrivals of incoming wounded often left Henry feeling exhausted, but like the others, Henry soldiered on as best he could. In return, Radar, more or less, was Henry's backbone, and kept the unit running like a well-oiled machine, utilizing his nearly magical skills for getting everything done, counter-balancing Henry's laissez-faire attitude. Henry is married to Lorraine (called "Mildred" throughout Season 1), and they have three children, Jane, Molly and Andrew, the latter of whom was born shortly after Henry shipped out for Korea. Please whitelist to support our site. As the tone of the series had evolved to more serious storylines, Linville felt that he had taken the Frank Burns character, which had become increasingly one-dimensional, as far as he could, and chose to leave the series to pursue other roles. It was a tragic moment for viewers, who had come to love the characters on the show. He once admitted causing his college football team to lose a championship game after Henry taped the wrong leg of the star running-back. In the latter episode, the final episode produced and the next-to-last aired, Margaret decided to bury a time capsule and asked others to volunteer various items from the camp. The episode, titled The Colonels Last Flight, aired on February 28, 1975, and was the shows 16th episode. Relatives/Children: In the film, Henry is a career Army man, having been commissioned prior to World War II. 1970s / Henry Blake Killed On MASH. Henry Blake, the lovable and bumbling commanding officer of the 4077th on M*A*S*H, was killed in a helicopter crash off-screen. Routing number of commercial bank of Ethiopia? because "everyone loved Henry". McLean Stevenson/Date of death. Second, the death of Colonel Blake was significant because it showed that even fictional characters were not immune to the horrors of war. Klinger, aren't you ashamed of yourself? Eerily enough, the drunken Margaret told Henry that he looked just like her father before he died, to which Henry merely shrugged and replied, Yeah, a lot of people have said that. (Later in the series, Margaret's father was retconned as still alive and visited her in camp). Trapper and Hawkeye threw him a big farewell party where everyone said their goodbye to him. Similar to Henry, Potter was easygoing, fun-loving and compassionate enough to earn the deep respect of his staff (including Margaret, but not Frank, who resented being passed over for command), but in contrast, Potter was a career soldier and consummate leader and surgeon, and never hesitated to put his foot down when things got out of hand. The Vietnam War was still raging at the time this episode aired, and viewers were able to see how war could impact even those who were not directly involved in the fighting. Appearances The creators wanted fans to experience the loss associated with war, so they ultimately decided to kill Blake off. He was portrayed by Harry Morgan, and replaced the departing character of Henry Blake as commander of the 4077th MASH. WebThe show's writers reluctantly penned him an exit in the final episode of the 19741975 season (entitled "Abyssinia, Henry"), in which Lt. It was a move that would change television forever. Roger Bowen (born May 25, 1932 died February 16, 1996) was an American comedic actor and novelist, known for his portrayal of Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake in the 1970 film MASH. The creators wanted fans to experience the loss associated with war, so they ultimately decided to kill Blake off. But M*A*S*H writers had another idea. Farrell was one heck of a Captain Hunnicutt and such a great counterpart to Alan Alda. Colonel Henry Blake Written by Everett Greenbaum and Jim Fritzell, it was first aired by CBS on March 18, 1975. The departure took place in the last episode of the third season. After the production of this episode, both Stevenson and Wayne Rogers, who played the character of Trapper John McIntyre, left the series to pursue other interests. Big Birds teddy bear is named Radar in homage to Radar OReillys teddy bear. The character Henry Blake left the show because his discharge papers came through, but sadly on his flight home, his plane was show down over the Sea of Japan. Bloomington, Illinois Blue Colonel Henry Blake, the commanding officer of the 4077th MASH in Korea, was killed while on his way home. Actor McLean Stevenson, who played Henry Blake, had grown unhappy on the show and wanted to leave to pursue other opportunities. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2023 FAQS Clear - All Rights Reserved The episode centers on Henry leaving the 4077th MASH for the final time. Monster M*A*S*H is a FANDOM TV Community. the Season 3 finale. Our site is an advertising-supported site. Actor McLean Stevenson, who played Henry Blake, had grown unhappy on the show and wanted to leave to pursue other opportunities. Why did Frank Burns leave? It also proved that television could handle complex issues like death with sensitivity and intelligence. In fact, CBS's distaste with the episode was so great that during a later rerun of the episode, the final O.R. The character Henry Blake left the show because his discharge papers came through, but sadly on his flight home, his plane was show down over the Sea of Japan. McLean said, I wanna get off the show, so we finally made a deal with him: Finish the year. Harry Morgan, as Sherman Potter, took over the 4077th. Some people thought it was great and others were very upset. Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen (TV series episode), Commanding officers of the 4077 Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, "I never claimed to be a junior General MacArthur. 1." Conversely, he was also a considerable drinker; in To Market, To Market, when his treasured 100-year-old antique oak desk was stolen by Hawkeye and Trapper to trade for desperately needed medical supplies, Henry's initial concern was whether someone had broken into his liquor cabinet. Then, M*A*S*H and the 4077th go about the business of tending to the wounded. McLean said, I wanna get off the show, so we finally made a deal with him: Finish the year. People like Henry Blake are lost in war. What Is Willie Spences Net Worth At The Time Of His Death? 200 lbs. His friends sent him off with a round of applause. We were working on the story of McLean leaving. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Remember, on the show, Henry Blake was going home, back to Illinois to his wife and son, who had been born while he was in Korea. Sandy Brown She and Henry met at a freshman mixer while she was dating football star Buzz Wollinski. Certain journalists revealed Blake's fate in the weeks leading up to the episode's broadcast. WebThe episode is notable for its shocking ending, in which the unit's amiable commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake (played by McLean Stevenson) receives an honorable discharge and leaves for home, but in the Appeared in: This ending prompted more than 1,000 letters to series producers Gene Reynolds and Larry Gelbart, and drew fire from both CBS and 20th Century Fox. M*A*S*H fans sent hundreds of letters to complain about the ending. In Henry in Love, Henry almost leaves Lorraine for a college girl named Nancy Sue Parker, who was less than half his age (20 to his 44). McLean Stevenson was Henry Blake, who in M*A*S*H, the TV series, was an Army reservist called up to serve in the Korean War as a doctor. Did He Cheat on Ariana Madix With Raquel Leviss? The creators wanted fans to experience the loss associated with war, so they ultimately decided to kill Blake off. [9] Another, more lighthearted response to the episode came from an unhappy viewer in Lubbock, Texas, who sent a telegram stating that "Henry Blake has been found in a raft in Lake Lubbock. Stevenson left the set almost immediately after the end of filming, and the party was canceled due to the dour mood of the cast. According to Wikipedia, Alan Alda had McLean Stevensons character (Lt. Col. Henry Blake) killed off. His condition is called Brachydactyly. Writing a character off a show can be a simple task, especially for a popular part like Henry Blake. (Ironically, during the real Korean War, a non-hostile air crash occurred in the sea of Japan in Sept 1950 and at least one medical personnel, US Air Force Medical Squadron Captain Vera Brown, was killed.). They even ripped out the last page of the script so the rest of the cast wouldnt know. He and Radar embrace before Henry gets back on the chopper to leave camp for the final time. How much money did Alan Alda make on MASH? You are both very missed. One plot hole is Blake being a Lt Col after only being in the service 10 years {Since Dec 1941}; according to the 1959 US Army Almanic [p.148] the allowed service of time to rise up to the rank of Lt. Col. is 21 Years service; in real life his 10 years in the service rank would be that of Captain (US Army Alamanic service time 7 years). They both died of a heart attack as well. Heart Colonel Sherman Tecumseh Potter appears in the M*A*S*H and AfterMASH television series. It is normal to cold feet before wedding. He was in charge of the 4077th. This caused three fingers of Gary Burghoff left hand to be smaller than that of the right hand. Henry Blake left 'M*A*S*H' because the actor was ready to move on. [5] After shooting was completed, a season-ending cast party was planned. The death of Henry Blake was a turning point for television and proved that anything can happen on TV. He wanted more of a starring, instead of a supporting, role in the series, and he thought he could do better because "everyone loved Henry". What happened to Gary Burghoff hand? Heart attack Both aired on ABC during the 8:30 p.m. time slot. [5] Gelbart later said of the event, "I wish we could say to him, 'We didn't mean it, Mac.'"[6]. Henry dared him to do it saying "He's done it so many times I've got footprints on my scalp". Actor McLean Stevenson, who played Henry Blake, had grown unhappy on the show and wanted to leave to pursue other opportunities. Your IP: Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. He is best known for his role as Lt. All were short-lived, and he later conceded that leaving MASH was the mistake of his career. As the tone of the series had evolved to more Henry claimed in one episode to be the best diagnostician in Bloomington, Illinois. Look, I'm a doctor. Vital information Blake, Commanding officer of the 4077th. [3], To evoke genuine emotions of shock and sadness, the final O.R. M*A*S*H was both a television series and a movie, so several actors played the same character. First, it was one of the first times that a major character had died on a television show. The odd thing is, both actors died within hours of each other in real life. It was written by Everett Greenbaum and Jim Fritzell, and first aired on March 18, 1975. The creators and also the network granted his wish. MASH (film) /M*A*S*H/TV series Henry was replaced by Colonel Sherman Potter as the 4077th new commander. These combined departures and their subsequent cast replacements also signaled the beginning of a shift in focus of the M*A*S*H series as a whole, with a greater focus on the character of Hawkeye Pierce, played by Alan Alda. You never know who might be coming around! In Suzy Kalter's book The Complete Book of M*A*S*H, Jamie Farr (Klinger) relates his own version of the events leading up to the scene in which Radar announces Henry's death. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Why did Frank Burns leave? Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Being a genuinely kind-hearted and forgiving person, Henry chose not to reprimand Margaret when she got herself so drunk that she could not even pronounce her own name properly. Andrew (son) Jane and Molly (daughters) Unnamed newborn son (born during Season 1 episode "Showtime") M*A*S*H was not about happy endings. At one point, Henry mocked Hot Lips by saying that she had gone over his head so many times that he had athletes scalp. He admitted The plot of that film centers on two married people who become attracted to each other, start spending more time together, but never actually sleep together before deciding to part ways. In 1975, Henry Blake decided to leave the show. Roger Bowen as Henry Blake in the 1970 film. Does this place look like the Mayo Clinic? Eye Color: For instance, McLean Stevenson played Col. Henry Blake on TV but Roger Bowen played the role in the movie. The episode was called Abyssinia, Henry. It ran on March 18, 1975. Trapper and Hawkeye make joking comments, but Radar announces, "I have a message. When it comes to breaking news stories in the entertainment industry. The title of the episode refers to the 1920s1930s slang use of "Abyssinia" for "goodbye". He was shanked by a fellow murderer on August 19th, 1966 and died the next morning. This highly rated episode remains notable for its shocking ending: the (off-screen) death of Colonel Henry Blake.. Hunnicutt). Another is that the producers wanted to shake things up and create some drama for the show. Henrys Exit In the third seasons finale, Abyssinia, Henry, Blake had finally gained enough points to get him discharged from the unit. Henry arrives in his new suit, and Frank and Margaret give Blake a formal salute, but Henry chides Frank for being too disciplined. They knew the public may be confused since they were both best known for playing the same character. The odd thing is, both actors died within hours of each other in real life.

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