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Both aired on ABC during the 8:30 p.m. time slot. On June 16th, 1963, Radar OReilly began his life term at the Iowa State Pen in Fort Madison. When it comes to breaking news stories in the entertainment industry. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. February 15, 1996 In 1975, Henry Blake decided to leave the show. 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. Who was the first Colonel Blake in Actor McLean Stevenson, who played Henry Blake, had grown unhappy on the show and wanted to leave to pursue other opportunities. Home: It was a surprise, it was somebody they loved. He studied tap dance and became a drummer, despite being born with brachydactyly caused by Poland syndrome, which made three fingers on his left hand significantly smaller than those on his right hand. [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. The episode centers on Henry leaving the 4077th MASH for the final time. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Henry was not completely incapable of following military regulation. It seems their lives were always meant to intertwine. Appeared in: In 1975 Stevenson decided to leave the show. This highly rated episode remains notable for its shocking ending: the (off-screen) death of Colonel Henry Blake.. The leading entertainment news publicationLeedaily. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. One is that the actor who played Henry Blake, McLean Stevenson, wanted to leave the show and they couldnt come to an agreement on his contract. The death of Henry Blake was a turning point for television and proved that anything can happen on TV. Just as he climbed aboard, Radar emotionally gave him a final salute. Writing a character off a show can be a simple task, especially for a popular part like Henry Blake. [9] It is estimated that over 1,000 letters were received by the producers regarding the episode; "some were from people who understood. It was a tragic moment for viewers, who had come to love the characters on the show. 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. Actor McLean Stevenson, who played Henry Blake, had grown unhappy on the show and wanted to leave to pursue other opportunities. WebThe show's writers reluctantly penned him an exit in the final episode of the 19741975 season (entitled "Abyssinia, Henry"), in which Lt. He was in charge of the 4077th. The odd thing is, both actors died within hours of each other in real life. And cast members still remembered how they felt when writers gave them the dialogue for the final scene with Blake. Radar was visibly emotional throughout the whole episode. Henry spots an emotional Radar saluting him and approaches to return the salute, hug him, and chide him like a loving father to behave himself, before boarding and flying away. First, it was one of the first times that a major character had died on a television show. Unfortunately he was right -- Henry begins planning his return and places a telephone call to Bloomington, Illinois to inform his wife and family of the good news. Their charge was a half-truth, as Henry had sent some medical supplies to Nurse Meg Cratty, who operated a civilian clinic in North Korea. Click to reveal We were working on the story of McLean leaving. years later that he regretted his decision to leave. This highly rated episode remains notable for its shocking ending: the (off-screen) death of Colonel Henry Blake.. It also proved that television could handle complex issues like death with sensitivity and intelligence. While they were on opposite sides of the country, they were both saying goodbye to their loved ones in the hospital around the same time. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Why did Frank Burns leave? This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 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. The odd thing is, both actors died within hours of each other in real life. The death of a major character on a sitcom was practically unheard of. He often portrayed roles as a stuffy defender of the upper class and had regular roles on a number of television series. RIP McLean and Roger. Required fields are marked *. We were working on the story of McLean leaving. Colonel Henry Blake Scene. Who turned down the role of Hawkeye in mash? Even when they were alive, there were other odd coincidences. At one point, Henry mocked Hot Lips by saying that she had gone over his head so many times that he had athletes scalp. Your email address will not be published. This highly rated episode remains notable for its shocking ending: the (off-screen) death of Colonel Henry Blake.. Why did Henry Blake leave mash? Roger Bowen. Unlike the television Radar, Shaffer is not remembered as a clerk. Farrell was one heck of a Captain Hunnicutt and such a great counterpart to Alan Alda. In a related note, Ive found that there are two times when you can judge a person very well: How they behave when they have nothing, and how they behave when they have everything. In fact, CBS's distaste with the episode was so great that during a later rerun of the episode, the final O.R. Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake's plane was shot down over the Sea of Japan. Lorraine is an excellent cook, but irresponsible with money and, according to Henry, acted like Frank Burns in drag-(in fact in a film she sent to Henry of herself and their children she is actaully not bad looking) she also has a fistful of credit cards and $3,500 worth of Bridgework in her teeth (of which Henry owes $1,700). 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. But M*A*S*H writers had another idea. 6'3" While M*A*S*H incorporated comedic elements, it was ultimately a show about war. It spun in. The title of the episode refers to the 1920s1930s slang use of "Abyssinia" for "goodbye". Henry never repents that he is a hypocritical serial adulterer. McLean said, I wanna get off the show, so we finally made a deal with him: Finish the year. Just send him home. Look, I'm a doctor. The episode centers on Henry leaving the 4077th MASH for the final time. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Up until this point, death had largely been avoided as a topic on television. According to his colleague Loretta Swit, Blake left because he was tired of being in an ensemble and wanted to be number one. This was also confirmed by MASH writer Ken Levine. The creators wanted fans to experience the loss associated with war, so they ultimately decided to kill Blake off. WebMcLean 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. Edgar McLean Stevenson Jr. (November 14, 1927 February 15, 1996) was an American actor and comedian. Mike Farrell is best friends with Alan Alda and no stranger to Hollywood stars. Hawkeye, Trapper and Radar threw him a private going-away party in the back of Rosie's bar, while Margaret and Frank were even more overjoyed as Henry's departure automatically elevated Frank to commander (though their joy would be short-lived when Colonel Potter arrived as the new CO). And they really could not believe what was on the page.. The episode opens with a typical operating room scene; Radar O'Reilly (Gary Burghoff) enters and informs Henry Blake that Blake has received all of the needed Army service points to be discharged and sent home. McLean Stevenson (11/14/27 - 02/15/96) played COL Henry Blake in During season 1 he had an ongoing affair with a Nurse Scorch, and later had affairs with two other nurses; in " A Smattering of Intelligence" it is revaled that prior to coming to Korea Henry had affairs with an underage girl and a prostitute. Whatever the reason, it worked. Dont you remember the promise we all made to each other? He was referring to always showing the reality of war whenever possible.. Another is that the producers wanted to shake things up and create some drama for the show. WAYNE ROGERS WAS ABLE TO LEAVE THE SHOW BECAUSE HE NEVER SIGNED A CONTRACT. Did Radars teddy bear on MASH have a name? "Abyssinia, Henry" (Season 3 TV series season finale) According to his colleague Loretta Swit, Blake left because he was tired of being in an ensemble and wanted to be number one. This was also confirmed by MASH writer Ken Levine. 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. (She wrote) I feel that I have joined that all too non-inclusive fraternity of those who have lost a dear one overseas. I thought that was such an incredible observation by someone so young. 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. He is eventually released and returns to the 4077th, but dies shortly thereafter from his injuries. They even ripped out the last page of the script so the rest of the cast wouldnt know. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Henry is being discharged because he has earned enough points. "Over the River and Through the Woods" (, This page was last edited on 15 February 2023, at 17:29. Klinger, aren't you ashamed of yourself? ", The final scene, in which Radar informs the 4077th of the death of Henry Blake, was unprecedented: it was the first time in American television history that a main character departing a comedy series was killed off in a tragic way. In the season 3 finale "Abyssinia, Henry", Henry had earned all his rotation points and was qualified for discharge. But Gelbart and fellow creator Gene Reynolds used his exit to drum up emotion. In the 1970 film, though SFC Vollmer was the camps Sergeant Major, it was Radar who was company clerk and was invariably entrusted with everything by Colonel Blake. Sandy Brown Bloomington, Illinois The character Henry Blake left the show because his discharge McLean said, I wanna get off the show, so we finally made a deal with him: Finish the year. Hoda Kotb illness: Her Brave Fight Against Disease! [5] After shooting was completed, a season-ending cast party was planned. The episode ends with a touching montage of flashbacks set to the song Suicide Is Painless.. Heart This caused three fingers of Gary Burghoff left hand to be smaller than that of the right hand. Only two actors have portrayed the character of Henry Blake: Coincidentally, both actors died one day apart; Stevenson passed away on February 15, 1996, and Bowen the day after; both died of a heart attack. In Dear Dad, Hawkeye described Henry as a good doctor and a pretty good Joe, but then likened Henry's command style to "being on a sinking liner, running to the bridge and finding out the captain is Daffy Duck". On the night before Henry's departure, Hawkeye Pierce (Alan Alda), Trapper McIntyre (Wayne Rogers), and Radar throw a drunken going-away party for Henry at Rosie's Bar and Grill, and present him with a tailored civilian suit as a parting gift. Our site is an advertising-supported site. They didnt want us to suffer through a week of rehearsal, Swit said. And we did make a connection. Hunnicutt (Mike Farrell) had replaced Trapper John, and the regular Army Colonel Sherman Potter (Harry Morgan) had replaced Henry Blake as commander of the 4077th. McLean Stevenson originally auditioned for the role of Hawkeye, but was convinced by producers to take the role of Lieutenant Colonel Blake instead. Lorraine (called Mildred in Season 1), ?-1952 (his death). 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. WebWho replaced Henry Blake on MASH? supporting, role in the series, and he thought he could do better Lieutenant Colonel Henry Braymore Blake is a character introduced in the 1968 Richard Hooker novel M*A*S*H. He also appeared in the 1970 film, played by Roger Bowen, and more famously in the first three seasons of the television series by McLean Stevenson. 20th Century Fox sued him for breach of contract, but the lawsuit collapsed. However, it is later revealed that he did not die in the crash and was instead captured by the North Koreans. Lt. Col. Henry Blake Lt. The 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 final scene is reported killed by enemy fire. The creators and also the network granted his wish. WebM*A*S*H was both a television series and a movie, so several actors played the same character. Henrys Exit In the third seasons finale, Abyssinia, Henry, Blake had finally gained enough points to get him discharged from the unit. The episode was called Abyssinia, Henry. It ran on March 18, 1975. As the tone of the series had evolved to more Heart Many were from people that didn't. In the Richard Hooker novels and Robert Altman film, Henry Blake remained in command at the 4077th after Hawkeye and Duke went home. And that's not good. Stevenson left the set almost immediately after the end of filming, and the party was canceled due to the dour mood of the cast. Why did Henry Blake leave mash? Creator Larry Gelbart discussed the controversial decision and why it was the right way to end Blakes run on the show. ("Abyssinia", pronounced "ab-ee-SIN-ee-ah" can be understood as "I'll be seeing you".)[1]. Subscribe to our newsletter for new stories, tips & events. Stevenson decided to leave M*A*S*H after the third season when the series enjoyed the fifth highest ratings in the country. ", (Talking on the phone to his son) "I don't care if your sister. On an episode of the variety series Cher that aired shortly afterward and featured Stevenson as a guest, the situation was parodied when the episode opened to a studio shot of Stevenson as Blake floating on a smoking raft and shouting, "I'm OK! Henry's primary concern was that the hospital ran smoothly, and he couldn't care less what the others did while off duty. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. In 1980, the Argus-Leader reported that Alan Alda was the highest-paid TV actor of all time, earning $5.6 million a season on M*A*S*H, which also included the money he made as a writer. WebOriginally Answered: On the TV show M*A*S*H Why was colonel Blake killed off? 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". Sherman T. Potter. MASH (film) /M*A*S*H/TV series Height: [14], In 2005, TV Land included this episode as part of its "Top 100 Most Unexpected Moments in TV History", ranking it number 15.[15]. Colonel Henry Blake, the commanding officer of the 4077th MASH in Korea, was killed while on his way home. Rank: Commanding Officer/Senior Surgeon at the 4077th M*A*S*H Lorraine was most likely feeling guilty for just considering an affair." This highly rated episode remains notable for its shocking ending: the (off-screen) death of Colonel Henry Blake.. WebThe show's writers reluctantly penned him an exit in the final episode of the 19741975 season (entitled "Abyssinia, Henry"), in which Lt. Routing number of commercial bank of Ethiopia? The creators and also the network granted his wish. Most important to Ottumwa is the clerk, Radar OReilly, nicknamed for his acute hearing. Some time later, while the three remaining doctors were in surgery, a visibly shocked Radar came in to report that Henry's plane had been shot down over the Sea of Japan and everyone on board was killed. "[9] Initially, Gelbart and Reynolds hand-wrote letters in response to the feedback, but eventually, due to the overwhelming number of letters, a form response was created explaining the rationale of their decisions. 1." Abyssinia [means] Ill be seeing you. Kind of corny. They both died of a heart attack as well. scene was kept a secret from the cast until immediately before filming; only then did Gelbart hand out the last page of the script. Actor McLean Stevenson, who played Henry Blake, had grown unhappy on the show and wanted to leave to pursue other opportunities. Subscribe to our newsletter for new stories, tips & events. He did not survive the crash. Colonel Henry Blake Written by Everett Greenbaum and Jim Fritzell, it was first aired by CBS on March 18, 1975. Colonel Henry Blake Written by Everett Greenbaum and Jim Fritzell, it was first aired by CBS on March 18, 1975. Henry saw both Frank and Margaret as callous and overbearing, while the two majors incessantly criticized Henry's lack of command skill. McLean Stevenson played the role of Lieutenant Colonel Henry When she arrives in camp she forgets about Henry and quickly develops a thing for Hawkeye. Henry even ordered Hawkeye and Trapper to sober her up quickly for incoming wounded so that the incident would not show up on her permanent military record. The Colonels Last Flight was a groundbreaking episode of television for a number of reasons. While "Abyssinia, Henry" is well known for the departure of McLean Stevenson from the series, it was also the final episode in which Wayne Rogers appeared. "We didn't want Henry Blake going back to Bloomington, Illinois and going back to the country club and the brown and white shoes, because a lot of guys didn't get back to Bloomington. Ex-WhatsApp Exec Pays $22.3M For New Beverly Hills Home, A New Requirement Decided by IRS for R&D Credit Refund Claims, The social security cost of living: Updated news, Real-Life K-Drama Is Streaming on Your Samsung, SEC Sets Clock for Delisting Chinese Companies Over US Audit Demand. Blue Meg Griffin's plane was shot down over the Sea of Japan. As M*A*S*H progressed, Alan Alda, who played Hawkeye, became the starring male lead, and others Just hours later, Roger died of a heart attack as well on February 16th. 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. [3] When Stevenson decided to leave the series partway through the third season, producers Gene Reynolds and Larry Gelbart decided to make a statement regarding the unexpectancies and horror of war, especially with the Vietnam War fresh in viewers' minds. Rogers said that aside from missing the castand his friendship with Alda in particularhe had no regrets about leaving the show after season three. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Loretta Swit, who played Hot Lips Houlihan, said, that in hindsight, it was best that the cast didnt know days beforehand about the decision to have Blake die. 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. His condition is called Brachydactyly. M*A*S*H character Is Tom Sandoval Dating Raquel? Played by: He went back to him to return the salute and then said, "You behave yourself, or I'm gonna come back and kick your butt." [8] Still, shortly after the episode originally aired, the reactions and feedback of viewers were intense, both in support and condemnation of the events of the episode. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. He did not survive the crash. . It was written by Everett Greenbaum and Jim Fritzell, and first aired on March 18, 1975. I think that if there is such a thing as the loss of life there should be some connection. The Ottumwa native was fictionalized as Radar OReilly in the 1968 novel MASH by Richard Hornberger who wrote under the pen name Richard Hooker. Trapper and Hawkeye threw him a big farewell party where everyone said their goodbye to him. In a related note, Ive found that there are two times when you can judge a person very well: How they behave when they have nothing, and how they behave when they have everything. The next morning, Frank attempts to assemble the company for a formal send-off, but Hawkeye and Trapper are out of uniform and unshaven, and Corporal Klinger (Jamie Farr) wears a particularly elaborate dress made specially for the occasion. [19], In general, the show began to take on a more serious tone as a seriocomic (or dramedy) series, in which the focus was on the character rather than the character type, and moved away from its status as a situation comedy.[20]. WebOriginally Answered: On the TV show M*A*S*H Why was colonel Blake killed off? Did He Cheat on Ariana Madix With Raquel Leviss? Stevenson didnt say a word afterward and later went to his trailer and cried, skipping the wrap party. A teacher walks into the Classroom and says If only Yesterday was Tomorrow Today would have been a Saturday Which Day did the Teacher make this Statement? It does not store any personal data. M*A*S*H fans hearts broke everywhere when the show decided to kill off fan-favorite Henry Blake during the shocking Season 3 finale Abyssinia, Henry..