1st Episode of M*A*S*H

[Indy500Dude]

Last night the very first episode of M*A*S*H was on MeTV. I have seen this a number of times and have always wondered this. Hawkeye is speaking about sending their houseboy to the states. He says "He can stay with my parents". Parents? His Mom has been dead for years as I recall. One of those TV gaffs I guess.

[midtown]

Last night the very first episode of M*A*S*H was on MeTV. I have seen this a number of times and have always wondered this. Hawkeye is speaking about sending their houseboy to the states. He says "He can stay with my parents". Parents? His Mom has been dead for years as I recall. One of those TV gaffs I guess.

Maybe she died during the war. It only lasted 12 years or so.

[cheeseczar]

Didn't he always say his nickname was from his Father's favorite book? I think he said in another
episode that his Father hated reading.

[midtown]

Didn't he always say his nickname was from his Father's favorite book? I think he said in another
episode that his Father hated reading.

I think the OP was thinking he should not have said "parents" but rather "father."

[cheeseczar]

I know. I was pointing out that it happened a couple of times.
I think at one point Hawkeye had a Brother or Sister too.(?)

[skypigeon]

Didn't he always say his nickname was from his Father's favorite book? I think he said in another
episode that his Father hated reading.

From Last of the Mohicans, right? His father having a favorite book yet hating to read isn't necessarily a contradiction. Lots of different books, lots of different styles. Hey, my kid hates reading with a passion yet he loved To Kill a Mockingbird.

[Sea Fury]

Didn't he always say his nickname was from his Father's favorite book? I think he said in another
episode that his Father hated reading.

In at least one episode, Hawkeye says that Last of the Mohicans was the only book his father ever read. Which I take to mean the only novel his father ever read, of course, since IIRC Hawkeye's dad was also a doctor.

[grogg]

Last night the very first episode of M*A*S*H was on MeTV. I have seen this a number of times and have always wondered this. Hawkeye is speaking about sending their houseboy to the states. He says "He can stay with my parents". Parents? His Mom has been dead for years as I recall. One of those TV gaffs I guess.

That was the pilot episode. In that episode Father Mulkahey was played by someone else, sort of a buffoonish character. William Christopher was the only Father Mulkahey in my book.

[KevMcNJ]

Donald Sutherland played Hawkeye in the movie and he said his mom was dead in one scene.

There is one episode where Alan Alda is writing a letter to his dad and he says to say hi to mom

but that doesn't necessarily mean she's alive still

[skypigeon]

That was the pilot episode. In that episode Father Mulkahey was played by someone else, sort of a buffoonish character. William Christopher was the only Father Mulkahey in my book.

Did they call him Fr. Mulcahy in the TV pilot? In the movie, he's "Dago Red." Played by Rene Auberjonois.

EDIT: ... though the IMDB movie database lists the character as "Father John Mulcahy" (corrected my spelling accordingly). Hmmm...

EDIT EDIT: ... and gets pretty darn precise about it if you click the character name link:

http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0027348/bio

[KevMcNJ]

Ugly John was an original character and I think Spear Chucker was a carry over from the film

Neither on lasted too long in the TV series

[MichaelP]

Last night the very first episode of M*A*S*H was on MeTV. I have seen this a number of times and have always wondered this. Hawkeye is speaking about sending their houseboy to the states. He says "He can stay with my parents". Parents? His Mom has been dead for years as I recall. One of those TV gaffs I guess.

Back then they could get away with it since there was no internet.

[MD-IRLFAN]

Over the seasons there were many inconsistencies. Especially with Klinger. And not the joke stories about his family members being sick or dead. Seems he was either married or not married depending on how it fit into the story line of the episode.

Something that would probably not fly in a comedy these days is the handling of numerous infidelities. Trapper and Henry were always hooking up with the nurses. I believe Trapper was sometimes married and sometimes not as well.

[StatMan]

Wait, are you saying TV has gotten more morally conservative lately?

[fivehundred2go]

There was a Bell & Howell turquoise cabinet movie projector in one episode that was introduced in the mid 1960's - must have been the "prototype."