Stevenson decided to leave M*A*S*H after the third season when the series enjoyed the fifth highest ratings in the country. Radar then leaves the operating room as the camera pans across the stunned staff, each visibly fighting to retain composure and continue with their work. Henry's primary concern was that the hospital ran smoothly, and he couldn't care less what the others did while off duty. In the TV series, Henry is a reservist called up to active duty from his private practice in his hometown of Bloomington, Illinois. Henry Blake left 'M*A*S*H' because the actor was ready to move on. Played by: Colonel Henry Blake Written by Everett Greenbaum and Jim Fritzell, it was first aired by CBS on March 18, 1975. As M*A*S*H progressed, Alan Alda, who played Hawkeye, became the starring male lead, and others 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. On 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. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. The creators wanted fans to experience the loss associated with war, so they ultimately decided to kill Blake off. 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. 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! 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. We were working on the story of McLean leaving. In 1975 Stevenson decided to leave the show. The odd thing is, both actors died within hours of each other in real life. There were no survivors. 1970s / Henry Blake Killed On MASH. The creators and also the network granted his wish. Roger Bowen (film)McLean Stevenson (TV) Monster M*A*S*H is a FANDOM TV Community. It also proved that television could handle complex issues like death with sensitivity and intelligence. It is normal to cold feet before wedding. (, During the first three seasons, Henry is absent in the episodes ", "It's entirely possible that Henry's wife Lorraine did not, in fact, cheat on him (to the extent that he had cheated on her), in that she referenced the 1945 film Brief Encounter. [5] After shooting was completed, a season-ending cast party was planned. When it comes to breaking news stories in the entertainment industry. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Gin is a flavored spirit, flavored with Juniper berry s. NOTE: Gwen Farrell is not related to Mike Farrell (B.J. This highly rated episode remains notable for its shocking ending: the (off-screen) death of Colonel Henry Blake.. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. "[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. "[13], In 1997, TV Guide included this episode in their list of the "100 Greatest Episodes of All Time," ranking it number 20. Meg Griffin's plane was shot down over the Sea of Japan. The creators and also the network granted his wish. Henry saw both Frank and Margaret as callous and overbearing, while the two majors incessantly criticized Henry's lack of command skill. Loretta Swit said it was because he was tired of being in an ensemble and wanted to be number one . (This is also confirmed by MASH writer Ken Levine) The departure would take place the last episode of the third season. We were working on the story of McLean leaving. Stevenson decided to leave M*A*S*H after the third season when the series enjoyed the fifth highest ratings in the country. 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. 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. 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. Colonel Henry Blake Scene. How was Trapper John written out of MASH? Actor McLean Stevenson, who played Henry Blake, had grown unhappy on the show and wanted to leave to pursue other opportunities. 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. In the 1970 film there seemed to be little to no father/son bond, though Henry entrusted everything to Radar, who was still company clerk, as opposed to SFC Vollmer, the camp's sergeant major, who invariably found himself one step behind Henry and Radar's machinations. Your email address will not be published. Henry was not completely incapable of following military regulation. Job/Role in Unit: McLean said, I wanna get off the show, so we finally made a deal with him: Finish the year. No, youhaveto do it! he said. In 1975 Stevenson decided to leave the show. [3], To evoke genuine emotions of shock and sadness, the final O.R. 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. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. The departure took place in the last episode of the third season. In the movie the girlfriend was played by actress Indus Arthur 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. How did McLean Stevenson die? The creators and also the network granted his wish. Are Kellyanne and George Conway Getting Divorced? WebWho replaced Henry Blake on MASH? There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Fifty thousand we left fifty thousand boys in Korea and we realized it was right for the show, because the premise of our show was the wastefulness of the war. In the latter episode, the final episode produced and the next-to-last aired, Margaret decided to bury a time capsule and asked others to volunteer various items from the camp. 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? Mike Farrell is best friends with Alan Alda and no stranger to Hollywood stars. Though at one point he caved To Frank and Margaret's demand that Klinger undergo psychiatric evaluation. Though a family man, Henry shared Hawkeye and Trapper's penchant for fraternizing with the nurses. Certain journalists revealed Blake's fate in the weeks leading up to the episode's broadcast. Stevenson decided to leave M*A*S*H after the third season when the series enjoyed the fifth highest ratings in the country. He was shanked by a fellow murderer on August 19th, 1966 and died the next morning. The creators wanted fans to experience the loss associated with war, so they ultimately decided to kill Blake off. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Actor McLean Stevenson, who played Henry Blake, had grown unhappy on the show and wanted to leave to pursue other opportunities. . McLean Stevenson (11/14/27 - 02/15/96) played COL Henry Blake in Henry Blake left 'M*A*S*H' because the actor was ready to move on. Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake's plane was shot down over the Sea of Japan. Just as he climbed aboard, Radar emotionally gave him a final salute. [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. Instead, he welcomed B.J. Your email address will not be published. Written by Fritzell, Jim and Greenbaum, Everett. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. The odd thing is, both actors died within hours of each other in real life. However, it was not created as an award until 1954, two years after Henry Blake was killed. This caused three fingers of Gary Burghoff left hand to be smaller than that of the right hand. Blue The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. It does not store any personal data. 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. Everyone was overwhelmed with grief and shock, even Frank and Margaret, who could be seen sobbing at the news. Another is that the producers wanted to shake things up and create some drama for the show. 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. Then, M*A*S*H and the 4077th go about the business of tending to the wounded. The reason we kept it a secret, the primary reason, is to keep our actors from being influenced by that information, Gelbart said. Just for playing Hawkeye, though, Alda earned $5.4 million that year. We all lamented that death on the show was as impersonal as it was on the news, Reynolds said. All were short-lived, and he later conceded that leaving MASH was the mistake of his career. He did not survive the crash. He left the show at the Season 3 finale. Some people thought it was great and others were very upset. Harry Morgan, as Sherman Potter, took over the 4077th. Roger Bowen. And they really could not believe what was on the page.. It seems their lives were always meant to intertwine. Eye Color: And that's not good. In reality, the Army stopped using the point system after World War II, and doctors were never rotated according to points. 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. Loretta Swit said it was because he was tired of being in an ensemble and wanted to be number one . (This is also confirmed by MASH writer Ken Levine) The departure would take place the last episode of the third season. In 1972, the United States was rocked by the death of a beloved television character. In 1975, Henry Blake decided to leave the show. Lee County Crash Claims Life of a 40-year-old Guy. Henry is Christian, having mentioned his faith in many episodes, but his denomination remains unknown. The character Henry Blake left the show because his discharge M*A*S*H character Henry never repents that he is a hypocritical serial adulterer. But more than that, it was a turning point for television. "4/22/1979 - Steve Martin / The Blues Brothers" (, 37. WebThe show's writers reluctantly penned him an exit in the final episode of the 19741975 season (entitled "Abyssinia, Henry"), in which Lt. Gary was born with a rare condition called Poland syndrome. the Season 3 finale. The creators and also the network granted his wish. And Rule Number 2 is doctors can't change Rule Number 1.". As the tone of the series had evolved to more He once admitted causing his college football team to lose a championship game after Henry taped the wrong leg of the star running-back. 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. [12], The final scene was spoofed on the Family Guy episode "Fifteen Minutes of Shame" when a cutaway shows Brian Griffin saying to the rest of the family, "I have an announcement. The creators wanted fans to experience the loss associated with war, so they ultimately decided to kill Blake off. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. During the summer 1975 break between seasons three and four, he quit the series. [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. And wars are rarely funny and dont always have happy endings. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Why did Frank Burns leave? Actor McLean Stevenson, who played Henry Blake, had grown unhappy on the show and wanted to leave to pursue other opportunities. After bringing Meg to the hearing to testify in Henry's behalf, the presiding officers were ready to drop the charges with Frank's approval, which he naturally refused at first, but when Hawkeye and Trapper threatened to tell Frank's wife about Margaret, Frank abruptly changed his mind. As M*A*S*H progressed, Alan Alda, who played Hawkeye, became the starring male lead, and others Eerily enough, the drunken Margaret told Henry that he looked just like her father before he died, to which Henry merely shrugged and replied, Yeah, a lot of people have said that. (Later in the series, Margaret's father was retconned as still alive and visited her in camp). McLean Stevenson/Cause of death. But then again, Henry Blake was kind of corny. 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. Henry was replaced by Colonel Sherman Potter as the 4077th new commander. Second, the death of Colonel Blake was significant because it showed that even fictional characters were not immune to the horrors of war. The stuffed bear was named by Big Birds performer Caroll Spinney as a tribute to actor Gary Burghoff, who played Walter Radar OReilly on M*A*S*H. In a Season 39 episode, Big Bird holds a nest sale and bumps Radar into the nest where he is selling toys without knowing. According to Wikipedia, Alan Alda had McLean Stevensons character (Lt. Col. Henry Blake) killed off. Colonel Henry Blake in the television series M*A*S*H, which earned him a Golden Globe Award in 1974. Farrell was one heck of a Captain Hunnicutt and such a great counterpart to Alan Alda. "Abyssinia, Henry" (Season 3 TV series season finale) Gelbart acted as director for the episode, and the cast filmed all the other scenes before they learned of Blakes death. He was in charge of the 4077th. Radar's TV depiction was that of a nave, bespectacled, fresh-faced farm boy from Iowa, vulnerable to the horrors of war, and Henry became like the father he never had, providing guidance, comfort, and support to the young Corporal. The odd thing is, both actors died within hours of each other in real life. It was one of the first times that a major character died on a television show, and it changed the way that people thought about television. WebM*A*S*H was both a television series and a movie, so several actors played the same character. '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. After a quick phone call to Lorraine set up by Radar, Hawkeye and Trapper are worried that Henry will wreck his marriage, but realizing what he has back home, Henry thinks better of mentioning Nancy to Lorraine and ends the call with his marriage still intact. He repeatedly refused to give Corporal Klinger his devoutly-wished Section Eight for being mentally unstable, despite all the exuberant dresses and ludicrous schemes Klinger concocted in order to convince his superiors that he was insane. What episode of Mash did Henry Blake die? He died in the final episode of the show, which aired in 1983. WebThe 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 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. They even ripped out the last page of the script so the rest of the cast wouldnt know. "[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. Ten Of The Saddest Moments From M*A*S*H, Just In: WKRP In Cincinnati Star Frank Bonner Dies At 79, How John Wayne Almost Went Broke During The Height Of His Career. Colonel (O-5), U.S. Army Reserve ", (Talking on the phone to his son) "I don't care if your sister. Henry made good use of his own downtime, as he was an avid golfer and fisherman, the latter of which is in frequent display on his non-uniform bucket hat which is covered with numerous fishing flies and lures (along with his rank insignia). It was probably actually Baijiu . "[11], In Bobbie Ann Mason's 1985 novel In Country, the teenage protagonist recalls having watched the episode as a child and being "so shocked she went around stunned for days," and confesses that Blake's death on the show had seemed more real to her than the death of her own father in Vietnam. They tried to hide it throughout the series run by having Radar hold a clipboard or other hand-obscuring prop in virtually all his scenes. RELATED: Ten Of The Saddest Moments From M*A*S*H. The Hollywood Reporter did an oral history on the award-winning show back in 2018. Just hours later, Roger died of a heart attack as well on February 16th. This ending prompted more than 1,000 letters to series producers Gene Reynolds and Larry Gelbart, and drew fire from both CBS and 20th Century Fox. 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. 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? The creators wanted fans to experience the loss associated with war, so they ultimately decided to kill Blake off. For instance, McLean Stevenson played Col. Henry Blake on TV but Roger Bowen played the role in the movie. It was a huge deal at the time because no one had ever seen anything like it before. He will be missed by all who knew him. It was a surprise, it was somebody they loved. Though Henry was a capable doctor and a decent man, he was largely ineffectual as a commanding officer, though in his defense, Henry never professed to be a great leader, and was fully aware that he was in over his head as commander. Sherman T. Potter. Bloomington, Illinois, USA Death. The episode centers on Henry leaving the 4077th MASH for the final time. Gene and I thought we should use the departure of the character in some meaningful fashion. Radar was visibly emotional throughout the whole episode. He is presumed dead and a memorial service is held for him at the 4077th. 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. 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. Edgar McLean Stevenson Jr. (November 14, 1927 February 15, 1996) was an American actor and comedian. [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. ", (Comforting Hawkeye after the death of a friend) "If I had all the answers I'd be at the Mayo Clinic. M*A*S*H was not about everyone having a good time, Gelbart said. No, Blake is not still alive. When Henry Blake was killed off on MASH, it sent shockwaves through the television world. Colonel Sherman Tecumseh Potter appears in the M*A*S*H and AfterMASH television series. Towards the end of the episode, in another typical operating-room scene, Radar enters, visibly shaken. Trapper and Hawkeye threw him a big farewell party where everyone said their goodbye to him. Roger Bowen as Henry Blake in the 1970 film. Negative reactions were not exclusive to the home viewers of the program: both CBS, the network that aired M*A*S*H, and 20th Century Fox, the company that produced M*A*S*H, expressed their unhappiness at the killing of Henry Blake. He gave Hot Lips a long kiss goodbye. Heart (to Trapper) Boy oh boy, you gotta stay on top of these guys every second! In 1975 Stevenson decided to leave the show. Subscribe to our newsletter for new stories, tips & events. Most important to Ottumwa is the clerk, Radar OReilly, nicknamed for his acute hearing. Lt. Col. Henry Blake Want Some Related Articles? 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. The character of Trapper John McIntyre was subsequently written off the series in Welcome to Korea, the first episode of the next season. After the news of Colonel Blake's death shocked the world, the very next night during her opening monologue on her musical variety show, Cher introduced Stevenson as her guest star, saying that he was "missing in action"; the video briefly cut away to a shot of Stevenson, in costume as Henry, rowing a raft as he looked straight into the camera and said, "Hey guys, Im OK. Im OK!" ", "Ever since the dark days before Pearl Harbor, I've been proud to wear this uniform". In 1975, Henry Blake decided to leave the show. It spun in. Farr then went on to say that the first take "was a blockbuster", with gasps being heard from the crew, but they had to shoot a second take due to a technical problem.