"M*A*S*H" Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen (1983)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Alan Alda

Writers:

Alan Alda (written by) and
Burt Metcalfe (written by) ...

TV Series:

"M*A*S*H" (1972)

Original Air Date:

28 February 1983 (Season 11, Episode 16)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | War

Plot:

In the closing days of the Korean War, the staff of the 4077 M*A*S*H Unit find themselves facing irrevocable changes in their lives.

Plot Keywords:

Korean War | Casualty Of War | M A S H | Medical | Surgery

Cast

Alan Alda	...	Captain Benjamin Franklin Pierce
Mike Farrell	...	Captain B.J. Hunnicut
Harry Morgan	...	Colonel Sherman T. Potter
Loretta Swit	...	Major Margaret Houlihan
David Ogden Stiers	...	Major Charles Winchester
Jamie Farr	...	Sergeant Maxwell Q. Klinger
William Christopher	...	Father Francis Mulcahy
Allan Arbus	...	Maj. Sidney Freedman
G.W. Bailey	...	Sergeant Luther Rizzo
Rosalind Chao	...	Soon-Lee Klinger
John Shearin	...	The Chopper Pilot
Kellye Nakahara	...	Lieutenant Kellye Yamato
Jeff Maxwell	...	Igor Straminsky
Lang Yun	...	The Woman on Bus
Jon Van Ness	...	'Truman'

Runtime:

180 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Photophone System)

Certification:

Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Ranch, Malibu Creek State Park - 1925 Las Virgenes Road, Calabasas, California, USA

Company:

20th Century Fox Television

Trivia:

In the final episode ("Goodbye, Farewell, Amen"), the song "Hail to the Chief/Sayonara" can be heard in a scene between Hawkeye Pierce and Sidney Freedman at the psychiatric hospital. The song originated from Robert Altman's MASH (1970).

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: Colonel Potter's horse, Sophie is supposed to be a mare. In the shot of Potter riding "her" away from camp, "she" is definitely a stallion.

Quotes:

A soldier: Timber!
[He and some other soldiers take down a tent]
Maj. Winchester: How I wish I could have swung the axe.
Hawkeye: Just think of all the rats who are homeless now.
Maj. Winchester: Oh, don't worry, you'll find somewhere to go.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Robot Chicken: Celebutard Mountain (#3.9)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

Oh! Susanna

The end of the best show on TV

I can see why people didn't like the later episodes of MASH when it became very preachy and dramatic as opposed to a comedy series. personally I thought it was great from start to finish. the ending was sad in some ways and very happy in others. You knew these people would not be friends back in the states but here they are like family in Korea. I especially loved how Klinger had to stay in Korea after his years of trying to get out. The finale was, and still is, the most watched sitcom event in the world (in fact, only various FIFA televised events have drawn a higher viewing audience around the world) and I think that says a lot about it. It put the finale of Seinfeld to shame (now THAT was a let down) and no television show has ever come close to the quality of MASH. A great end to a great show.