Major Margaret Houlihan and Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger both got married (Margaret in person, Klinger over the phone) and divorced during their service at the 4077th. 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. Klinger, aren't you ashamed of yourself? How did McLean Stevenson die? But M*A*S*H writers had another idea. The moment went down as one of the most memorable in the shows long run. Writers gave them a page of dialogue at the last minute. But Gelbart and fellow creator Gene Reynolds used his exit to drum up emotion. Here's an oldie but a goodie half of the family dying, other half pregnant. Henry said goodbye to the camp, taking a little extra time with Trapper and Hawkeye, who gave Henry a kiss on both cheeks, and then talked him into giving Margaret a big goodbye kiss before making his way to the chopper arriving at the pad. They even ripped out the last page of the script so the rest of the cast wouldnt know. 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. Henry was replaced by Colonel Sherman Potter as the 4077th new commander. Subscribe to our newsletter for new stories, tips & events. The Hollywood Reporter did an oral history on the award-winning show back in 2018. When Henry Blake died on M*A*S*H, it was a major event for television. McLean Stevenson , who had established himself on Broadway, as well as in TV writing, played Blake on TV beginning in 1972. The night before Blake left, Hawkeye, Trapper John and Radar threw a going-away party for him. Henry Blake, the lovable and bumbling commanding officer of the 4077th on M*A*S*H, was killed in a helicopter crash off-screen. Why did M*A*S*H Why was Colonel Blake killed off As M*A*S*H progressed, Alan Alda, who played Hawkeye, became the starring male lead, and others Actor McLean Stevenson, who played Henry Blake, had grown unhappy on the show and wanted to leave to pursue other opportunities. In 1975 Stevenson decided to leave the show. Burghoff was born in Bristol, Connecticut, moved to Clinton, Connecticut, and then later moved to Delavan, Wisconsin. Henry saw both Frank and Margaret as callous and overbearing, while the two majors incessantly criticized Henry's lack of command skill. Just hours later, Roger died of a heart attack as well on February 16th. M*A*S*H Cast and Crew Once Discussed Making - Outsider The departure took place in the last episode of the third season. Roger Bowen. Andrew Tate Lung Cancer: This Big News Has Arrived About Him! Who was the first Colonel Blake in Trapper and Hawkeye threw him a big farewell party where everyone said their goodbye to him. This highly rated episode remains notable for its shocking ending: the (off-screen) death of Colonel Henry Blake.. That was gracious. In the novel M*A*S*H Mania (set in the 1970s) it is revealed that Blake stayed in the Army and had attained the rank of Major General. "[7] Many of those who objected also cited the fact that M*A*S*H was considered a situation comedy, and that Blake's "cheap" killing did not belong in the show; one caller to Reynolds stated after the episode aired that they "don't know why [they] did it; it's not necessary, it's just a little comedy show" and that "you've upset everybody [in the family]," before vowing never to watch the show again. Then, M*A*S*H and the 4077th go about the business of tending to the wounded. Vanderpump Rules Stars Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix Split After Following Cheating Allegations. Having the much-loved Henry Blake (wonderfully played by McLean Stevenson) killed off when his plane was shot down during his flight home was a sort of reality check provided for the viewers by the show's writers. After a commercial break, the episode closes with a "reluctant and affectionate farewell" to Blake by means of a light-hearted montage of clips from past episodes. Both aired on ABC during the 8:30 p.m. time slot. We decided his character could, not should, could die. For instance, McLean Stevenson played Col. Henry Blake on TV but Roger Bowen played the role in the movie. The characters learn the news and are shocked by Blakes death. (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.). Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. He was killed in a plane crash while on his way home from the war. Abyssinia, Henry M*A*S*H was not about happy endings. It was probably actually Baijiu . [18], As a result, when the cast returned to begin filming the series' fourth season in September 1975, there were major changes in both the makeup and the direction of the show. Your IP: While M*A*S*H incorporated comedic elements, it was ultimately a show about war. Henry Blake MASH WebOriginally Answered: On the TV show M*A*S*H Why was colonel Blake killed off? In reality, the Army stopped using the point system after World War II, and doctors were never rotated according to points. During the summer 1975 break between seasons three and four, he quit the series. In 1975, Henry Blake decided to leave the show. His character dies, and he was that character., Gary Burghoff, who portrayed Radar, said he felt devastated by the cruel finality of it all., Burghoff said: I took Mac aside and said, If you dont want me to do this scene, I wont. I was hoping the shock of it would get him to change his mind. Hair Color: Blake, before he boarded a chopper the day of his departure, changed into a civilian suit. McLean Stevenson; Played Lt. Col. Blake Written by Everett Greenbaum and Jim Fritzell, it was first aired by CBS on March 18, 1975. McLean Stevenson Up until this point, death had largely been avoided as a topic on television. There were no survivors." Gelbart acted as director for the episode, and the cast filmed all the other scenes before they learned of Blakes death. WebOn the rare occasion when Henry actually stood his ground the maverick captains would criticize Henry for not being one of the guys; for example, when Henry decided to send a lost Korean boy to an orphanage, accurately insisting that the unit wasn't qualified enough to look after him, Hawkeye called him a villain, which offended Henry. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. 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. Actor McLean Stevenson, who played Henry Blake, had grown unhappy on the show and wanted to leave to pursue other opportunities. The Reason McLean Stevenson Left MASH Why did Frank Burns leave? And wars are rarely funny and dont always have happy endings. However, the army will credit time for civilian professional experience for commissioning officers with essential skills, such as medical doctors, and he may have received such credit. The leading entertainment news publicationLeedaily. According to Wikipedia, Alan Alda had McLean Stevensons character (Lt. Col. Henry Blake) killed off. 'M*A*S*H': 30th Anniversary Reunion (2002) at 1 hour, 4 minutes and 44 seconds in the movie, "Controversial Killoff True to MASH Form", https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxmvqrCNwH8, "The 100 Greatest TV Episodes of All Time", "TV Guide and TV Land Join Forces To Count Down The 100 Most Unexpected TV Moments", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Abyssinia,_Henry&oldid=1139542859, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes), Short description is different from Wikidata, Television episode articles with short description for single episodes, Pages using infobox television episode with unnecessary list markup, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, 12. Colonel Henry Blake Written by Everett Greenbaum and Jim Fritzell, it was first aired by CBS on March 18, 1975. Instead, he welcomed B.J. Look, I'm a doctor. While he was beloved by most of the camp, particularly Hawkeye and Trapper for his down-to-earth, laid-back manner, he was disliked and scorned by Margaret and Frank, with Margaret preferring stricter military discipline while Frank yearned to take command. He is presumed dead and a memorial service is held for him at the 4077th. Everyone was overwhelmed with grief and shock, even Frank and Margaret, who could be seen sobbing at the news. (1941-1984). They didnt want us to suffer through a week of rehearsal, Swit said. His condition is called Brachydactyly. Claire Mccaskill Husband illness: Unraveling the Health Crisis of Claires Spouse! Henry Blake MASH "[13], In 1997, TV Guide included this episode in their list of the "100 Greatest Episodes of All Time," ranking it number 20. Only one cast member knew Henry Blake would die beforehand, and that was star Alan Alda. One time when Klinger was being particularly obnoxious, Henry threatened Klinger by saying, Klinger, Ive never hit a woman before.. Played by: 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. Even when they were alive, there were other odd coincidences. Henry Blake left 'M*A*S*H' because the actor was ready to move on. submitted a fishing fly that once belonged to Henry; he suggested that it should symbolize all of the men who never made it back home. Not everybody, not every kid gets to go back to Bloomington, Illinois. 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. He often portrayed roles as a stuffy defender of the upper class and had regular roles on a number of television series. He attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he was an athletic trainer for the football team. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. years later that he regretted his decision to leave. As the tone of the series had evolved to more When he goes home he wears a civilian suit, which was against army regulations; first of all, though he had earned enough rotation points to go home he has not been actually discharged from the army, and his civilian garb would have subject him to arrest by the MPs for being out of uniform. "Whatever you guys decide is fine with me. All I try to do is patch kids up and run a hospital. Stevenson was recovering from bladder cancer surgery at the Encino-Tarzana Regional Medical Center on February 15, 1996, when he suffered a sudden fatal heart attack. He did not survive the crash. He will be missed by all who knew him. Blakes death was a turning point for the show. Roger Bowen (film)McLean Stevenson (TV) He did not survive the crash. He was in charge of the 4077th. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. McLean Stevenson originally auditioned for the role of Hawkeye, but was convinced by producers to take the role of Lieutenant Colonel Blake instead. Mike Farrell is best friends with Alan Alda and no stranger to Hollywood stars. Blakes death showed that television could be more than just entertainment and it revolutionized the medium. What happened to Gary Burghoff hand? This caused three fingers of Gary Burghoff left hand to be smaller than that of the right hand. [7] The final scenes have always been shown in syndication, and were uncut on the DVD release of the series' third season in 2003. They are unfortunately not accurately portrayed. This highly rated episode remains notable for its shocking ending: the (off-screen) death of Colonel Henry Blake.. Lt. Col. Henry Blake