Between directing 31 episodes and writing 13 episodes while continuing to act on the show, Alan Alda made history as the first person to win an Emmy for writing, directing, and acting in a show. Fans who paid attention to the show noticed that even when jokes were cracked in the operating room, there was no laugh track while Hawkeye and company were at work. At the beginning of Season 4 he replaced Trapper John at the 4077th, shortly before Henry Blake's replacement, Colonel Potter, arrived as the new commander. He was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 2004 for his role in The Aviator. It continues to air in syndication to this day, and so many other modern sitcoms are indebted to M*A*S*H. While many of the cast members have sadly passed away, many are still alive well into their eighties. Captain "Trapper John" McIntyre (born John Francis Xavier McIntyre), is a character in Richard Hooker's M*A*S*H novels, as well as in the 1970 film and two TV series. In the CBS television series M*A*S*H (1972-83) Trapper John is with the group as they say goodbye to Henry Blake at the Season 3 finale. In the series finale ofM*A*S*H, the staff has to bug out due to an incoming brush fire. Incorrectly regarded as a goof in the series is him being shown as a Captain. Hooker was merely their shared pen name. According to IMDB, she's only had one acting role since the 1990s. Trapper's TV portrayal was further compromised when the producers decided that Hawkeye, not Trapper, was to be the chest cutter and therefore Chief Surgeon. is more reasoned and mature. Part of the original cast, the amount of signs grew as the show continued. After 11 seasons sharing life, loss, and laughter with the actors who played their favorite military doctors, fans want to know: Where is the M*A*S*H gang now? Also in 1985, he starred opposite Barbara Eden in the televised reunion movie I Dream of Jeannie Fifteen Years Later based on the 1960s situation comedy I Dream of Jeannie. Whenever I see a big pair of feet or a cheesy mustache, I'll think of you." B.J, like Radar and Colonel Potter, is Methodist. The two exchange a long brotherly embrace, and Hawkeye boards a chopper while B.J., now wielding his San Francisco sign from the fingerpost, gets back on his motorcycle, but says one last thing to Hawkeye before he rides off: "I'll see you back in the States. In Oh, How We Danced, Hawkeye and the others tried to ease B.J. In Post Op, Frank Burns wrongly accuses an enlisted corpsman named Boone of killing his patient; Boone is crushed, but Trapper examines the patient's chart and then punches Frank in the presence of Margaret who had just arrived at camp moments earlier. Centered around the exploits of Army surgeons in the fictional Mobile Army Surgical Hospital 4077 during the Korean War, the show began as a spinoff of the hit Robert Altman film released in 1970, which in turn was an adaptation of the bestseller M*A*S*H: A Novel About Three Doctors. It was the first spin-off to feature a character from the series in civilian life after the war. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. received a letter from Peg in which she tells of meeting Radar in San Francisco; he becomes particularly upset when he reads that Erin ran up to Radar and called him "Daddy"; his anger reaches a level where he destroys the still in the Swamp and punches Hawkeye in the face before storming out. 's explanation. It is believed that Trapper is, or was raised, a Roman Catholic. that followed them. Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. Not really fair to compare the two, since Farrell had many more years to exploer his character than Wayne Rogers. series. ", "I'm a temporarily misassigned civilian.". 's replacement supposedly arrives in camp, but to everyone's surprise, it is B.J. BJ > Trapper Again, Trapper just felt like diet Hawkeye (which is funny because Trapper was the main in the movie). 's pain of being away from home during his anniversary; Hawkeye secretly recorded a conversation with B.J. gets orders to ship out in two days, and, "next thing I know, here I am" (in Korea). But just in case, I left you a note!". There were plenty of other details that were either omitted, changed or exaggerated as well, including the length of the war. In the film, Trapper was purported to be single while Hawkeye was married, but in the series, their marital statuses were reversed, and while Trapper was still a womanizer he remained devoted to his wife and children and remained a family man at heart. This presents a problem for Colonel Blake as he intended to appoint Trapper Chief Surgeon, but Margaret is determined to see Trapper punished. THEN: Wayne Rogers played surgeon Captain John Trapper McIntyre, Hawkeyes partner-in-crime in the shows first three seasons, before leaving to pursue other work. Rogers considerably reduced his Alabama accent for the character of Trapper.[3]. In light of the series' lengthy run, Rogers later admitted he regretted leaving M*A*S*H. Trapper John's final M*A*S*H episode was "Abyssinia, Henry," which also included the final appearance of Col. Henry Blake (McLean Stevenson). over a contract dispute. Sara has been writing professionally for 26 years. Offers may be subject to change without notice. stood for; they unanimously reply that it stood only for "B.J." is discharged from the army and leaves while Hawkeye is under psychiatric treatment. It has been conceded by fans, critics and the producers of Trapper John M.D. Walter "Radar" O'Reilly is perhaps one of the most beloved characters in television history. Jamie Farr played Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger on M*A*S*H for all eleven seasons, although his character only appeared in a recurring role for the first three seasons before being upped to series regular status for season four. Hawkeye is convinced that B.J. However, that changed radically when Alan Alda was cast as Hawkeye. Better. Rogers enjoyed working with Alda and the rest of the cast as a whole (Alda and Rogers quickly became close friends), but eventually chafed that the writers were devoting the show's best humorous and dramatic moments to Alda. Contents 1 "Welcome to Korea" 2 About B.J. ", ~Hawkeye when he remembers Trapper John, telling Duke about how Trapper got his nickname (1970 film), "Trapper" John McIntyre Instead, Trapper was played by Pernell Roberts, who had portrayed Adam Cartwright in Bonanza prior to the role. During a break in the deluge, B.J. (Hunnicutt's orders are rescinded, however, and he gets only as far as Guam before being sent back, by which time Hawkeye has been discharged from the psychiatric clinic.). THEN: Standup comedian McLean Stevenson played the commanding officer of the 4077, Henry Blake, for three years before leaving to find starring roles in other shows and movies. Contents. McIntyre, Jr., M.D. Oct 25, 2017 72. The next morning at breakfast, he teased her by telling her that "last night" meant a lot to him and he wanted to know she was not "playing games". featured the character of Trapper John McIntyre, played by Pernell Roberts, twenty-eight years after the events of the M*A*S*H film and television series. A skill he developed despite the deformity. At the time, he claimed he didn't want to get typecast into physician roles and wanted to expand his acting reach. Ironically, nearly three months after Trapper John, M.D. He was the youngest of the main characters on the show, and was 78 in 2022. The pilot was shown as a "CBS Special Presentation" on July 17, 1984. M*A*S*H is a 1970 feature film adaptation of the original novel. Richard Hooker wrote MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors (1968), based on his experiences as a surgeon at the 8055th MASH in South Korea. Oct . M*A*S*H premiered in 1972, and 2022 officially marked the hit sitcom's fiftieth anniversary. One of the most beloved actors of the '80s, Patrick Swayze, was even on the show. In 1990, Rogers co-starred with Connie Selleca in the CBS made-for-television movie Miracle Landing based on the true story of the 1988 Aloha Airlines Flight 243 crash landing after an explosive cabin depressurization. B.J. is shown to have a passion for motorcycles; he gets to drive one in The Yalu Brick Road. is in a helicopter and forced to cut a rope leading down to a wounded soldier he and the pilot were attempting to rescue from an enemy patrol, effectively abandoning him to capture or death. The U.S. entered the Korean conflict at the end of June 1950. He was also the head of Wayne Rogers & Co., a stock trading investment corporation. Rogers also played a role in Odds Against Tomorrow, which was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 1960 as Best Film Promoting International Understanding. Then, in the movie The Gig (1985), alongside Cleavon Little, he was a jazz musician-hobbyist whose group has an opportunity to play a Catskills resort and must confront failure. Unfortunately for Morgan, his career never really took off after being replaced on M*A*S*H. According to IMDB, he's only had three professional acting roles since. She also guest-starred on one episode of the M*A*S*H spin-off series Trapper John, M.D. William Wayne McMillan Rogers III (April 7, 1933 December 31, 2015)[1] was an American actor, known for playing the role of Captain "Trapper" John McIntyre in the CBS television series M*A*S*H and as Dr. Charley Michaels on House Calls (19791982). is a TV dramatic series that showed the character in a contemporary setting (approximately 25 years after the Korean War ended). In the final episode he gets yet another motorcycle from a group of Chinese POWs and, after painting it yellow, rides it off into the sunset toward home. The film was directed by Robert Altman and starred Donald Sutherland as Hawkeye Pierce and Elliott Gould as Trapper John McIntyre. At the beginning of Season 4 (after the dramatic season 3 finale in which Henry is discharged but killed on the way home), Hawkeye returns from R&R alone in Tokyo to find that Trapper has also been discharged. Rogers also appeared in the 1980s miniseries Chiefs. The rank of Captain is achieved after 7 years of active duty service or a field promotion for officers on the line side (fighting). After the production of this episode, both Stevenson and Wayne Rogers, who played the character of Trapper John McIntyre, left the series to pursue other interests. When they finally arrive back in camp, Hawkeye introduces Frank to B.J., who drunkenly salutes and greets Frank saying, "What say, Ferret Face?". Rogers was told that Trapper and Hawkeye would have equal importance as characters. While angry over missing Trapper, Hawkeye met his replacement in the person of Captain B.J. He has most recently appeared on Ray Donovan, The Longest Ride, The Blacklist, and Horace and Pete. is overcome with envy over Radar's discharge, and says he almost hates Radar because he is home while he is still stuck in Korea, then mentioning that he feels the same way about Trapper even though the two have never met. It is occasionally produced by community theater and high school theater companies. Rogers left television's M.A.S.H. Who took Trapper John's Place on MASH? The series, which was similar in comedic tone to the earlier seasons of M*A*S*H, aired from 1979-1982 with Rogers as Dr. Charley Michaels, a character similar to Trapper John, with Lynn Redgrave playing hospital administrator Ann Atkinson, replaced after two seasons by Sharon Gless as Jane Jeffries. 1970 MASH film and M*A*S*H and Trapper John, M.D. Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Rogers attended its Ramsay High School and was a graduate of the Webb School in Bell Buckle, Tennessee. B.J. [3][4] The play incorporates many of the characters but omits more of the dark comedy aspects. Although he shared most of Hawkeye's assessment of the Army, the war, and regulation in general, B.J. (FYI, the Bronze Star is awarded for combat action against the enemy; he would have probably been awarded a US Army Commendation Medal or the US Soldiers Medal). premiered, Wayne Rogers returned to TV in House Calls, a sitcom based on the 1978 Walter Matthau film. Its final episode in 1983 was the most-watched in television history.[2]. Farrell's wife at the time, Judy Farrell, also acted on M*A*S*H in the recurring role of Nurse Able. gets into a discussion with Hawkeye about the things they're not going to miss once they head home, but when their discussion comes around to what they will miss- each other, B.J. Hunnicutt, hearing of the pranks played by Trapper John, attempts to show that he in fact is "the world's heavyweight scamp". "MASH", in posters for the movie and in the trailer, it was rendered as M*A*S*H. M*A*S*H, a TV adaptation of the film, ran from 1972 to 1983, more than three times as long as the war it chronicled. THEN: TV veteran Harry Morgan stepped into McLean Stevensons army boots, playing the gruff-but-loveable camp commander Colonel Potter through the end of the series and into the spinoff AfterM*A*S*H. NOW: Morgan passed in his sleep in 2011 at the age of 96. Distractify is a registered trademark. Captain B. J. Hunnicutt is played by Mike Farrell in the TV show. got his doctorate from Stanford University medical school, becoming a fourth generation doctor in his family. Trapper John was referred to a few times in the series after his departure, most notably in an episode in which his replacement B.J. The Korean War lasted under four years, yet the show itself ran for 11 years. He must leave so quickly after hearing the news that he has no time even to leave a note, echoing Trapper's failure to do so at his departure. Before Farr acted on M*A*S*H, he actually did serve in Korea with the United States Army, and according to an article Farr wrote for the U.S. Bj all the way! He wrote his novel in 1956. creators argued it was a spinoff of the original 1970 movie. Season 5 continued to put comedy first, though Margaret began to change and Burns ran out of room to grow. Rogers co-starred with Robert Bray and Richard Eyer in the western series Stagecoach West on ABC from 1960 to 1961. strongly objects to this needless surgery calling it mutilation and a violation of his oath, and after a heated argument with him refuses to be a part of Hawkeye's scheme. In the series finale, while Hawkeye is in psychiatric care for his nervous breakdown, B.J. . AfterMASH was a successor to the original M*A*S*H television series, featuring Harry Morgan, Jamie Farr, and William Christopher after the war, as the same characters they played in the original television series. M*A*S*H: A Novel About Three Army Doctors, Wayne Rogers (for M*A*S*H) and Pernell Roberts (for Trapper John, M.D.). Especially in the episodes where he played the drums. Disobeying Major Burns' order to stay in camp, Hawkeye hitches a ride with Radar (who is on his way to Kimpo) to see Trapper one last time, but missed him by just ten minutes. In the time between his Korea experience and his tenure at San Francisco Memorial Hospital, Trapper John (now played by Pernell Roberts) had matured considerably, becoming a steadier part of the medical establishment. Frank's unnatural storyline is because Larry Linville's five-year contract was up. They had been separated for almost four years prior to the divorce. He won five Emmy Awards for his work on the show, and he has remained a well-known and successful actor to this day. to replace the departed Trapper John as Hawkeye's best friend, and they did many things together, including going to Tokyo on R&R (Dear Comrade). The track was muted for these scenes, and given the serious nature of the show, producers pushed for no laugh track at all. 's note, spelled out in rocks on the chopper pad (for Hawkeye, and for the viewing audience): In essence, B.J. Wayne Rogers, who portrayed "Trapper" in the TV series, was told when he accepted the role that Trapper and Hawkeye would be equally important, almost interchangeable (much like how Hawkeye and Trapper were presented in the MASH film). Hunnicutt, a replacement for Wayne Rogers' character "Trapper" John. and Hawkeye swap their own personal reflections of one another with Hawkeye saying, "I'll never be able to shake you. Birthplace: Appeared in: Hawkeye tells B.J. Incorrectly regarded as a goof in the series is him being shown as a Captain. NOW:Stiers passed away in Oregon due to complications resulting from bladder cancer in 2018. The rank of Major is attained for members of the AMEDD after serving as a Captain for 6 years. On the M*A*S*H 30th Anniversary Reunion Television Special aired by Fox-TV in 2002, Rogers spoke on the differences between the Hawkeye and Trapper characters, saying, "Alan [Alda] and I both used to discuss ways on how to distinguish the differences between the two characters as to where there would be a variance. My character [Trapper John McIntyre] was a little more impulsive [than Hawkeye]." 185 lbs. But Hawkeye stopped him before he did anything, gently reminding him that, being doctors, they were there to save lives, not take them. Rogers received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2005.[6]. First appeared in: that everyone in camp calls "Ferret Face". Gary Burghoff and Edward Winter also appeared as guests. M*A*S*H character After feeling as though he was being shafted from a more developed character arc, Wayne made the decision to quit the show. "B.J. "Trapper" John Francis Xavier McIntyre is a fictional character in Richard Hooker's M*A*S*H novels, as well as the film and the two TV series (M*A*S*H and Trapper John, M.D.) After the pilot puts B.J. RELATED: 10 Sitcoms From The '70s Everyone Forgot About. THEN: Coming in to replace Trapper John as Hawkeyes best friend/partner-in-crime, B.J. In fact, the producers gave the TV version of Hawkeye some of the character details of the film version of Trapper (in the MASH film, Trapper John is the 4077th's top chest-cutter and Chief Surgeon; in the TV series, Hawkeye is Chief Surgeon and references are made to him being the camp's top chest-cutter). He attempts to apologize to Hawkeye for not leaving a note, citing that there just wasn't enough time, and Hawkeye sarcastically responds, "I didn't even know you were gone. In the TV show MASH, were the character replacements for Henry Blake, Trapper John, and Frank Burns better or worse? Their writing has been featured in numerous magazines, literary journals, digital projects, educational media, websites, nonprofit materials and marketing campaigns. Mulcahy with Hawkeye Pierce, Trapper mentions that his parents wanted him to be a priest. . B.J. At the beginning of the fourth season, Hawkeye returns from "R&R" in Tokyo to find that Trapper has been discharged. When Trapper first arrives at the 4077th, he is very ambiguous about himself; all Duke can get out of him is that he is from Boston and that he has been in the Army two months. reluctantly tells Hawkeye that he can no longer thumb his nose at authority, as the act and the citation have turned him into a soldier. He lives in the San Francisco suburb of Mill Valley, California with his wife Peg and their infant daughter Erin. He replaced Trapper John, both in his position within the unit and as an ally of Hawkeye Pierce and a foil of Frank Burns, appearing in all but one episode of the rest of the series. Hunnicut, Hawkeye's new tent mate. Elliott Gould (1970 film)Wayne Rogers TV series Pernell Roberts Trapper John, M.D. is a direct spin-off of the MASH film rather than the television series due to licensing issues. was originally intended as a continuation of the departed Trapper John, with many of the latter's habits and mannerisms initially being retained through B.J. After returning from R&R in Tokyo, Hawkeye is informed by Radar that Trapper John had gotten his discharge and was on his way to Kimpo Air Field in Seoul to fly home. During season 4 of M*A*S*H, Mike Farrell joined the cast as B.J. In a season six episode, Major Charles Winchester added one for his hometown of Boston. Morgan, a veteran character actor and former Universal contract player, portrayed Colonel Sherman T. Potter. He trapped me! I can't imagine what this place would have been like if I hadn't found you here." Hawkeye starts asking him questions, swearing that he has seen him somewhere before. Early on, Trapper and Hawkeye were partners, both partaking in hedonistic pursuits and playing practical jokes on Majors Frank Burns and Margaret Houlihan. NOW: Alda continues to act in occasional projects, including playing Jack Donaghys soft-hearted liberal father on the sitcom 30 Rock. The show gave him a $4 million contract in 1979 (about $15 million in today's economy), but he rejected the deal because he still wouldn't have been its highest-earning cast member. He also starred in the short-lived 1976 period detective series City of Angels and the 19791982 CBS series House Calls, first with Lynn Redgrave (both were nominated for Golden Globes in 1981, as best actor and best actress in TV comedy, but did not win) and then later with actress Sharon Gless (coincidentally, one of the House Calls co-stars was Roger Bowen who played the original Colonel Henry Blake in the MASH movie). Out of the characters onM*A*S*H*,the most famous is not Hawkeye Pierce or Maxwell Klinger. They have also written several books. The reason for this was three of his fingers were deformed to a birth defect. didn't have to add one for Mill Valley as San Francisco was already on the signpost. But by the end of the third season, Trapper was often treated more as a sidekick, which did not go unnoticed by Wayne Rogers; when he accepted the role of Trapper John for the TV series he was told that Trapper and Hawkeye would be almost interchangeable equals, but this turned out to not be the case when Alan Alda was cast as Hawkeye. Mike Farrell joined the cast of M*A*S*H in season four as Captain B.J. The ruse didnt work, as the character was so popular he stayed for the entire run of the series. He guest starred on an episode of the CBS western Johnny Ringo. It's fun to revisit some of the shows of yesteryear and discover just what was going on during filming, what the series was actually based on, and other fun hidden facts about the programs. Hunnicutt. [4] He appeared regularly as a panel member on the Fox Business Network cable TV stocks investment/stocks news program Cashin' In, hosted since 2013 by Fox News anchor Eric Bolling. Hornberger, who was described as a good surgeon with a sense of humor, worked in a VA hospital following the war before opening his own practice. Charles was played by David Ogden Stiers. Consequently, unbeknownst to viewers at the time, Abyssinia, Henry would be Trapper John's final M*A*S*H episode as well as Henry's. He's not only cute, he's funny! After a harrowing ride back to camp (including being fired on by snipers while changing a flat tire, unsuccessfully trying to prevent two girls from being forced by their father to sweep a minefield, and getting shelled while passing a squadron on patrol- all of this after stealing a general's jeep after their own was stolen), Hawkeye, Radar and B.J. THEN: Wayne Rogers played surgeon Captain John "Trapper" McIntyre, Hawkeye's partner-in-crime in the show's first three seasons, before leaving . It starred Alan Alda as Hawkeye Pierce and Wayne Rogers as Trapper John McIntyre. In the series finale, B.J. In the Season 7 episode Lil, when asked what his initials stood for, he answered, "anything you want", but Hawkeye became adamant to know what they actually meant. When he made his exit, there was nothing the show's creators could do to make him stay. NOW: Stevenson passed January 15, 2016, from a heart attack. Hunnicutt replaced Trapper John in the show's fourth season, he was a young, clean-shaven, mild-mannered doctor drafted into the Korean War. On the other hand, B.J. Louise referred to as such once on the "M*A*S*H" TV seriesMelanie (depicted on Trapper John, M.D. Most of the cast had no idea when Henry Blake was being offed from the show. Member. Wayne Rogers: "Trapper" John McIntyre. THEN: Maxwell Q. Klinger was only supposed to appear in one episode as a Colonel who dresses in womens clothing in an attempt to get kicked out of the Army (the 1970s were a different time). Last appeared in: BJ Hunnicutt, played by Farrell (replaced Trapper John after the fourth season) Reynolds (co-creator, producer, director): We named him "BJ" because our cameraman, a great guy, was named Bill . then tells about how he got drafted during residency in Sausalito while his wife Peg was eight months pregnant. The rank of Captain is achieved after 7 years of active duty service or a field promotion for officers on the line side (fighting). It was a major switch, considering Trapper John was partners in crime with Alan Alda's character Hawkeye. It was a decent agreement to help relieve the tension of the show during its more dramatic moments. Specifically, he did not like how the Trapper John character began and ended the movie with the same role significance as Hawkeye (e.g., Trapper John was brought into the movie because the unit needed a "chest cutter") but .