Cheap M*A*S*H - Season Three (Collector's Edition) (DVD) (Hy Averback, Gabrielle Beaumont, Burt Metcalfe, Bruce Bilson (II), Tony Mordente, Norman Tokar, George Tyne, John Erman, Joshua Shelley (II), Mel Damski) Price

Related Products

Customer Reviews of M*A*S*H - Season Three (Collector's Edition)

The Final Season for McLean Stevenson & Wayne Rogers
The success of the 1970 film "MASH", which was directed by Robert Altman, inspired the production of one of the most successful and longest running TV series of all time: "M*A*S*H". While most of the main characters from the original film were portrayed in the TV series, only one of the film's actors reprised his role for the TV series: Gary Burghoff. Like the film, the show was about the men and women working in a fictitious U.S. Army "Mobile Army Surgical Hospital" (or MASH unit) known as the 4077th during the Korean War in the early 1950's. For the first three seasons, the U.S. Army personnel stationed at the 4077th included Lt. Col. Henry Blake (McLean Stevenson, 1929-1996), Major Frank Burns (Larry Linville, 1939-2000), Maj. Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan (Loretta Swit), Capt. Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce (Alan Alda), Capt. "Trapper John" McIntyre (Wayne Rogers), Father Francis Mulcahy (William Christopher, except for the first season pilot episode), Cpl. Walter "Radar" O'Reilly (Gary Burghoff) and Cpl. Maxwell Klinger (Jamie Farr). <
> <
>As in the film, the TV show often demonstrated a lack of respect for the U.S. military by portraying many of its officers as being inept and incompetent. This was the formula used for Maj. Burns and Lt. Col. Henry Blake, but whereas Lt. Col. Blake had a very likeable personality, Maj. Burns wanted to see a more disciplined command and was often quite the little stool pigeon. Also, while being married and regarding himself as being a devout Christian, Maj. Burns maintained a romantic affair with Maj. Houlihan. (In the film, it was while Majors Burns & Houlihan were passionately kissing with the entire MASH unit listening to them that Maj. Houlihan earned the nickname "Hot Lips".) Whereas in the film Maj. Burns (played originally by Robert Duvall) was whisked away in a straightjacket, in the show, this never occurs; but the film's two primary characters and pranksters, Captains Hawkeye Pierce (played originally by Donald Sutherland) and Trapper John McIntyre (played originally by Elliott Gould), were portrayed equally well in the TV show. Though typically disrespectful of the Army, Hawkeye and Trapper were completely honest about themselves, which is probably the main reason why they despised the hypocritical Maj. Burns so much. And, as in the film, they both found Maj. Houlihan particularly attractive, but weren't particularly friendly towards her because, like Maj. Burns, she wanted to see greater military discipline. This often set Major Burns & Houlihan at odds with Hawkeye, Trapper and Lt. Col. Blake. So, with the officers preoccupied, it was essentially up to the 4077's lowly company clerk, Radar, to keep things running smoothly; but even with the interesting personalities among the officers, the MASH 4077th had the best rate of survival for any wounded soldiers treated there. Hawkeye was an especially gifted surgeon, as was Trapper; while Maj. Burns had probably barely made it through medical school. Father Mulcahy was polite and helpful, but Cpl. Klinger's main objective was to get a "Section 8" from the U.S. Army so that he'd be discharged. To get his precious "Section 8", Klinger wore women's dresses instead of his uniform. As a side note, the only major character from the film that was not included in the TV series was another doctor named Capt. Augustus Bedford 'Duke' Forrest (played originally by Tom Skerritt). <
> <
>The third season of "M*A*S*H" that aired between 1974 and 1975 had the following 24 episodes: <
> <
>1. "The General Flipped at Dawn". When crazy Major General Bartford Hamilton Steele (Harry Morgan, the future Col. Sherman T. Potter) pays a visit to the 4077th, Hawkeye must defend himself in a court martial with a song. <
> <
>2. "Rainbow Bridge". Instead of traveling to Tokyo for some R&R, Hawkeye & Trapper join Frank, Radar and Klinger on a dangerous mission to a bridge to swap POW's with North Korean soldiers. <
> <
>3. "Officer of the Day". The bumbling Col. Flagg (Edward Winter, 1937-2001) wants to take a wounded North Korean soldier for questioning, but officer of the day Hawkeye won't allow it in spite of the camp being in the temporary command of Frank & Margaret. <
> <
>4. "Iron Guts Kelly". When General 'Iron Guts' Kelly (James Gregory, 1911-2002) dies in Margaret's tent, his assistant, Colonel Wortman (Keene Curtis, 1923-2002), insists on taking his body to the front for a more appropriate death in battle. <
> <
>5. "O.R.". With a huge number of wounded, Hawkeye massages a wounded soldier's heart while Maj. Sidney Freedman (Allan Arbus) pays a visit. <
> <
>6. "Springtime". When Klinger's girlfriend in Toledo wants to marry him, Father Mulcahy performs a marriage ceremony over the radio. <
> <
>7. "Check-Up". When Trapper gets an ulcer, he thinks it's his ticket home; but it doesn't work out that way. <
> <
>8. "Life With Father". Father Mulcahy performs a brist for the Korean-born son of a G.I. over the objections of Frank & Margaret while Henry worries about his wife back at home. <
> <
>9. "Alcoholics Unanimous". When Henry goes to Tokyo, Frank is put in charge and denies alcohol to all 4077th personnel, but that won't necessarily stop Hawkeye, Trapper or even Margaret. <
> <
>10. "There is Nothing Like a Nurse". The men go a bit stir-crazy when the nurses are ordered to evacuate, but an interesting home film of Frank's turns up. <
> <
>11. "Adam's Ribs". Hawkeye is determined to get a take-out order of ribs from a Chicago restaurant named Adam's Ribs. <
> <
>12. "A Full Rich Day". Hawkeye writes to his dad about various things going on in camp. <
> <
>13. "Mad Dogs and Servicemen". When Radar gets bitten by a stray dog, he may have to undergo a painful series of rabies shots. <
> <
>14. "Private Charles Lamb". When a Greek officer decides to reward the 4077th with a feast for taking care of his wounded men, Radar doesn't want the lamb that the officer sends to become dinner. <
> <
>15. "Bombed". When the 4077th comes under fire and is inundated with wounded, Frank proposes to Margaret. <
> <
>16. "Bulletin Board". Henry delivers a lecture in which Hawkeye & Trapper heckle him, and everyone enjoys a cookout with orphaned Korean children. <
> <
>17. "The Consultant". When Dr. Borelli (Robert Alda, 1914-1986) pays a visit to the 4077th to demonstrate a new surgical technique, his drinking problem is revealed again to Hawkeye. <
> <
>18. "House Arrest". After Hawkeye hits Frank, Frank presses charges; but Frank gets charges against himself when the woman (Mary Wickes, 1910-1995) who comes to investigate his claims accuses Frank of rape. <
> <
>19. "Aid Station". Hawkeye, Margaret & Klinger come under fire after volunteering to work at an aid station on the front lines. <
> <
>20. "Love and Marriage". Hawkeye & Trapper step in to prevent a GI from marrying a Korean girl that has TB. <
> <
>21. "Big Mac". The camp goes nuts in trying to prepare for a visit from General Douglas MacArthur. <
> <
>22. "Payday". When Frank buys two sets of pearls (a good strand and a cheap imitation), he gives one to Margaret; but she really wants the real strand for herself. <
> <
>23. "White Gold". Col. Flagg shows up again, this time demanding penicillin to barter with. <
> <
>24. "Abyssinia, Henry". Perhaps the most emotional "M*A*S*H" episode of all, Henry dies while en route to go back home to the states. This also turns out to be the final episode with Trapper. <
> <
>Overall, I rate the third season of "M*A*S*H" with a resounding 5 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it. In its eleven years of production, "M*A*S*H" was one of the best TV shows of its day and remains one of the best TV shows of all time.

---

A Television Landmark
The third season of "M*A*S*H" (1974-75) ranks among the finest in television history, with a vast array of creative talent in peak form. Happily, this DVD edition provides the long-awaited opportunity to eliminate the obtrusive laugh track -- with improved results. Season Three offers a wealth of classic episodes, including "The General Flipped at Dawn," "Adam's Ribs," "Private Charles Lamb," "Big Mac" and "Abyssinia, Henry." Though the departures of McLean Stevenson and Wayne Rogers did not affect the show's longevity, the serio-comic tone was notably altered with the addition of Harry Morgan and Mike Farrell to the ensemble. When Lt. Col. Henry Blake's plane was shot down over the Sea of Japan, the anarchic spirit of "M*A*S*H" died with him.

---

One of the Top 5 television series of all time...
Based on a Richard Hooker novel of the same name, MASH was released in 1970 as a full-length feature film by 20th Century Fox before experiencing widespread success as a groundbreaking television sitcom in the Fall of 1972. The show's brilliant integration of drama and comedy made it one of the most celebrated shows in TV history, culminating in an eleven year prime time series stint. The 1983 series finale of MASH made history as the program with the single largest audience in television history, beating out several SuperBowls and the fabled "Who Shot J.R." episode of Dallas. With the proliferation of new television mediums, it's a record likely to never be broken... <
> <
>The sitcom is set in South Korea during American involvement in the Korea War (with M*A*S*H standing for "Mobile Army Surgical Hospital"). Buffered from the front lines by a mountain range and a minefield, the men and women of MASH were tasked with patching up wounded American soldiers. Unique to its genre, the cast of MASH was unusually large. Surgeons Dr. Benjamin Pierce (Alan Alda) and Dr. "Trapper" John McIntyre (Wayne Rogers) play the roles of excellent doctors who enjoy women and booze, while Dr. Frank Burns (Larry Linville) and Nurse Practitioner Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan (Loretta Swit) play foil to the two men's shenanigans (due to a contract dispute, Rogers' character was later replaced by Dr. B.J. Hunnicutt - played by Mike Farrell). The character of Frank Burns was also later replaced by Dr. Charles Emerson Winchester (David Ogden Stiers)... <
> <
>Corporal Max Klinger (Jamie Farr) provides comic relief with his early attempts to procure a discharge by dressing in women's clothing, and Father Francis Mulcahy (William Christopher) adds flavor to a diverse cast of characters. Also rounding out the cast are Lt. Col. Henry Blake (McLean Stevenson), Corporal Walter "Radar" O'Reilly (Gary Burghoff), and Col. Sherman Potter (Harry Morgan)... <
> <
>The MASH (Season 3) DVD offers a number of hilarious episodes including the season premiere "The General Flipped at Dawn" in which the MASH unit is visited by Major General Bartford Steele who, through his various actions, is perceived to be mentally insane. When Pierce goes over Steele's head in the transfer of a medical patient, Steele orders a court martial, but Pierce is cleared when it becomes obvious that Steele is a mental case... Other notable episodes from Season 3 include "Iron Guts Kelly" in which a recently expired general is smuggled to the front lines where he would've preferred to have died, and "Aid Station" in which Hawkeye, Houlihan, and Klinger bond while at the front and develop a new respect for one another... <
> <
>Below is a list of episodes included on the MASH (Season 3) DVD: <
> <
>Episode 49 (The General Flipped at Dawn) <
>Episode 50 (Rainbow Bridge) <
>Episode 51 (Officer of the Day) <
>Episode 52 (Iron Guts Kelly) <
>Episode 53 (O.R.) <
>Episode 54 (Springtime) <
>Episode 55 (Check-Up) <
>Episode 56 (Life with Father) <
>Episode 57 (Alcoholics Unanimous) <
>Episode 58 (There is Nothing Like a Nurse) <
>Episode 59 (Adam's Ribs) <
>Episode 60 (A Full Rich Day) <
>Episode 61 (Mad Dogs and Servicemen) <
>Episode 62 (Private Charles Lamb) <
>Episode 63 (Bombed) <
>Episode 64 (Bulletin Board) <
>Episode 65 (The Consultant) <
>Episode 66 (House Arrest) <
>Episode 67 (Aid Station) <
>Episode 68 (Love and Marriage) <
>Episode 69 (Big Mac) <
>Episode 70 (Payday) <
>Episode 71 (White Gold) <
>Episode 72 (Abyssinia, Henry) <
> <
>The DVD Report