'M*A*S*H' Match Trivia Quiz

Answer: Alan Alda

Captain Benjamin Franklin 'Hawkeye' Pierce was the central figure in most episodes, whether in the operating theatre or around the camp. Not only was he a bit (okay, a lot) of a practical joker, he was also a ladies' man who seemed to be constantly on the lookout for a new conquest. His refusal to unquestioningly obey military protocol was symbolised by his refusal to wear proper uniform (unless there was something in it for him), including his abhorrence of guns. Although he maintained an appearance of being unfeeling, we knew it was a defense mechanism to protect himself from having to acknowledge the fears and sorrow that his experiences in Korea engendered.

Alan Alda (born Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo) had experienced considerable success as an actor on stage and television before he was cast for the part of Hawkeye, but this was the role that made him a household word. During the course of the show, he was nominated for 21 Emmy Awards (for acting, writing and directing episodes), and won five. He went on to make more movies, and appear in a number of television shows, including a recurring role in the last two seasons of 'The West Wing' as presidential candidate Arnold Vinick.

Answer: Gary Burghoff

Corporal Walter Eugene 'Radar' O'Reilly enlisted when he finished high school, and arrived in Korea still acting like a naive country boy: he slept with his teddy bear, he drank grape Nehi at Rosie's instead of the intoxicants preferred by the others, and he often showed his lack of worldliness. But he knew how to work the system to get hold of materials needed for licit or illicit purposes. He was given a compassionate discharge near the end of Season 8, when his uncle died and he was needed back on the farm. When he departed, he left his teddy bear with Hawkeye, a gesture designed to show he was growing up; Hawkeye included the bear in the time capsule assembled during the second-last episode of the show, as a tribute to "all the soldiers who came here as boys and went home as men."

Gary Rich Burghoff had his first major role playing Charlie Brown in the original Off-Broadway production of 'You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown' in 1967. (Maybe you haven't heard of it, but I remember seeing him in it. Wonderful show based on the cartoon strip 'Peanuts'.) He played Radar in the 1970 movie 'M*A*S*H', but the portrayal was of a much more cynical and manipulative character than the innocent character of the television series. He received an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1977. After leaving 'M*A*S*H' in 1979, he continued to work both as an actor and as a musician (a jazz drummer, despite the fact that he only had three fingers on his left hand).

Answer: Wayne Rogers

Captain 'Trapper' John Francis Xavier McIntyre and Hawkeye were originally planned to be essentially co-stars, as had been the case in the movie, but during the first few seasons it became clear that Hawkeye was the star, and Trapper John definitely played a supporting role. He was, however, always happy to assist in planning and conducting practical jokes aimed at their tent-mate, Frank Burns, and his paramour, Margaret Houlihan. Not to mention running the still, playing poker, and chasing the nurses.

William Wayne McMillan Rogers III was born in Birmingham AL, and graduated from Princeton, where he was a member of the theatrical group called the Triangle Club. He had a series of parts, mostly minor ones, in the years before he joined 'M*A*S*H'; that also pretty well describes his post-'M*A*S*H' career - remember the PI Charlie Garrett who assisted Jessica Fletcher on five episodes of 'Murder She Wrote'? His career as an investment advisor was definitely more lucrative and secure.

Answer: McLean Stevenson

Lieutenant Colonel Henry Braymore Blake was not your traditional army CO, but he got the most out of his medical staff, allowing them to indulge themselves in all the antics that helped them relieve tension. He got a lot of support from Radar, who generally managed to anticipate his needs, including writing out the necessary orders before Henry even realised he would need them. When he was given a discharge and sent home in the episode 'Abyssinia, Henry', everyone was sad to see him go, except for Frank, who became acting CO, and Margaret, who hoped Frank's promotion would be permanent, and bring some proper discipline to the unit. They were also, of course, a bit envious of his upcoming return to civilian life. When Radar came into the operating room to announce that Henry's plane had been shot down on its way, the shock shown by the medical team was real - nobody (except Alan Alda, who was one of the writers) had known about this secret ending to the script until just before filming.

Edgar McLean Stevenson Jr originally auditioned for the part of Hawkeye, but accepted the role of Henry, for which he earned a 1974 Golden Globe award as Best Supporting Actor. His career after leaving 'M*A*S*H' was less than spectacular, including four failed sitcoms in which he was the star, and a period of time as a panelist on 'Match Game'.

Answer: Larry Linville

Major Franklin Delano Marion 'Frank' Burns held a higher rank than the other surgeons, but his poor skills led to his being passed over in the medical rankings, so Hawkeye was Chief Surgeon, which Frank resented bitterly. The only person who seemed to appreciate him was the head nurse, Margaret 'Hot Lips' Houlihan, with whom he had a long-term affair until his refusal to divorce his wife (because all his money was in her name, for purposes of tax evasion) led to her realising that she deserved better. Following her marriage, Frank had a breakdown, and was sent home for psychiatric evaluation. Ironically, this was followed (as reported after his departure at the end of the fifth season) by a promotion to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and allocation to duties at a veterans' hospital in his home town.

Lawrence Lavon Linville had a number of guest-starring roles on television shows both before and after his stint on 'M*A*S*H', but nothing that compared in substance to his time on the show, more a journeyman's career than a true star. In 1997, he was one of three representatives of the TV show to attend the decommissioning of the 43rd MASH, the final MASH unit active in Korea.

Answer: Jamie Farr

Corporal (later Sergeant) Maxwell Q. 'Max' Klinger originally played little part other than to provide comic relief in his desperate attempts to get out of the army, including dressing as a woman to try and get a psychiatric discharge. Later on, when he took on the role of company clerk following Radar's departure, he gave up on these antics, and we saw a much fuller picture of the man. When his long-distance marriage to his childhood sweetheart (a wedding that took place by radio) broke down, and Colonel Potter refused to let him go home, considering it just another stunt, Klinger decided to wear his proper uniform, and do his job to the best of his ability. At the end of the series, he chose to stay in Korea to help his Korean wife find her missing family.

Jameel Joseph Farah, who used the name Jamie Farr professionally) based some of the details of Max's back story on his own - he too is an Arab-American of Lebanese descent from Toledo OH. His first film role came at the age of 21, in 'Blackboard Jungle' (1965), playing the part of Santini, credited by his birth name. He was originally only planned to have a single-episode appearance as Klinger, but the part worked so well that he was called back multiple times, and eventually made a regular member of the cast. He has since had an active and varied career, including a national tour of 'The Odd Couple', playing Oscar Madison, with William Christopher as Felix Unger.

Answer: William Christopher

1st Lieutenant (later Captain) Francis John Patrick Mulcahy, S.J. often questioned whether his contribution was very meaningful in comparison to the massive efforts of the surgeons and nurses, but he was regularly shown to be able to offer them essential non-judgmental support when it was needed. For much of the series his disappointment that his service had not been recognised by promotion was a running reference, but he did eventually get promoted, thanks to Klinger making some strategic phone calls, near the middle of the eighth season. In the final episode, he risked his life to free some POWs, and was injured, losing his hearing. He then told everyone that he planned to work with the deaf after the war, but did not reveal the reason to anyone except BJ, who helped him keep it secret so that it would not be a distraction to everyone's excitement at a return to normal life.

William Christopher had previously made numerous guest appearances on television shows such as 'Hogan's Heroes' and 'Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.', but his big break came when the producers decided that the actor who played Father Mulcahy in the pilot for 'M*A*S*H' (George Morgan) wasn't quite right for the way they envisaged the part evolving. After the series finished, he continued to make regular television appearances - like most of the rest of the cast, he appeared on an episode of 'Murder She Wrote', as well as multiple episodes of 'The Love Boat' (as different, not recurring, characters). His longest stint was in 'AfterMASH', which ran for two seasons from 1983 to 1985. It followed the lives of Father Mulcahy, Colonel Potter and Sergeant Klinger in their post-war work in a VA Hospital. (The show credited an experimental surgical procedure with restoring the hearing that had been lost at the end of 'M*A*S*H'.)

Answer: Mike Farrell

Captain B.J. Hunnicutt and his wife Peg had a daughter, Erin, just before he left, and he often commented on how much he missed them. Perhaps the worst moment came when Radar, heading home, met BJ's family, and was called Daddy by Erin. BJ was less of an extreme joker than Trapper, and often made Hawkeye realise that he was about to go too far. That doesn't mean he didn't enjoy a good practical joke - several times he managed to get two of the others engaged in an escalating battle of prank-and-prank-about, by making each of them think the other was responsible for something that BJ actually did.

Michael Joseph Farrell Jr. had a number of minor acting jobs before 'M*A*S*H', including playing the role of architect Scott Banning in the soap opera 'Days of Our Lives' from 1968 until 1970. Following 'M*A*S*H', he continued to work as an actor, including the veterinarian Dr. Jim Hansen on 'Providence' from 1999 until 2002. He has, perhaps, become better known as an activist: he has been actively involved with a number of groups including Human Rights Watch, Death Penalty Focus and the Military Religious Freedom Foundation.

Answer: Harry Morgan

Colonel Sherman Tecumseh Potter managed to volunteer in World War One by lying about his age, and was assigned to a cavalry unit. The war saw a lot of hardship (hardly surprising), and his promotion to Sergeant. After the war he attended medical school, and served in World War II as an army doctor. As a MASH commander, he was a traditionalist in terms of respecting military practices, but also prepared to acknowledge the need for a slack rein as he controlled his people. When Radar rescued an injured horse, and was trying to surreptitiously care for it, the gang gave him the idea of presenting the animal to Colonel Potter as a gift on his wedding anniversary. Sophie appeared in multiple episodes over the rest of the show.

Harry Bratsberg used Harry (or sometimes Henry) Morgan as a screen name, starting with his film debut in 1942's 'To the Shores of Tripoli'. On television, he played Office Bill Gannon, partner to Jack Webb's Joe Friday in 'Dragnet' from 1967 to 1970. He has credits in over a hundred films, including playing Captain Gannon on the 1987 film 'Dragnet'. Fans of 'The Simpsons' may recall his appearance on that show as one of the FBI agents chasing Homer's mother in the episode 'Mother Simpson' - he was once again Bill Gannon, while the Joe Friday role was voiced by Harry Shearer, since Jack Webb had died in 1982.

Answer: David Ogden Stiers

Major Charles Emerson Winchester III was born to a wealthy Boston family, and attended the best schools, where he achieved outstanding results. An excellent surgeon, he was well on his way to a high-ranking position in a prestigious hospital before being drafted. He found himself transferred to the 4077th following a game of cribbage - perhaps he shouldn't have rubbed his commanding officer's nose in the major loss. While he was mostly an adversary for Hawkeye and BJ, he was never the fool that his predecessor in the unit had been, and earned the respect of his fellow surgeons for his skills, even if they did still enjoy pricking his bombast when the chance arose.

David Allen Ogden Stiers graduated from Juilliard before starting a career on Broadway which included playing the aging alcoholic magician Feldman the Magnificent in 'The Magic Show' from 1974 until 1978. Following 'M*A*S*H', he continued to work in film and television (including three different characters in episodes of 'Murder She Wrote'), both as a live actor and as a voice actor. He read the audiobooks for a number of well-known novels, including Tom Wolfe's 'A Man in Full'. Like Major Winchester, he had a love of classical music, and, despite having no formal training, became a guest conductor for a number of orchestras around the world.