08.25.10 | Jerry Frebowitz | Staff NotesPrint this Post
Here are 10 trivia facts about M*A*S*H from 1970, which originally appeared as our Mystery Movie Quiz on our Facebook page. There are hundreds of pieces of behind-the-scenes information about this movie. Please feel free to comment and add more trivia we might have missed.
1. This movie could be considered in three genres.
M*A*S*H is primarily a dark comedy. However, it fits neatly into both the drama and war genres.
2. The director of this film started his craft in the early ‘50s.
Legendary director Robert Altman started his career in 1951. His first movie was "Modern Football."
3. The cast featured many actors who were unknown at the time.
The budget-conscious Altman populated the cast of M*A*S*H with recognizable “name” talent in only a few of the roles. Leads Elliott Gould and Donald Sutherland were reportedly none too pleased with how much screen time their director was affording the rest of the ensemble cast and took their complaints to the top brass at 20th Century Fox. Gould alone would later confess to Altman that he’d gone behind his back in an (unsuccessful) attempt to have him removed from the film, while Sutherland never discussed the matter with Altman face to face. Guess which of the two thespians Altman employed again? (Answer: Gould.)
4. Two of the actors reprised the same roles subsequent to this film.
Gary Burghoff reprised his movie role of "Radar" for the TV series. G. Wood portrayed General Hammond in both the movie and television program, though his return to the 4077th only lasted through the show’s first three episodes.
5. The film was the first to use a groundbreaking sound technique.
Altman pioneered a particular kind of "confusing and messy" overlapping dialogue between his characters that had never really been tried in a film. Meant to evoke the chaos of war, this “Altmanesque” ingredient would go on to be copied—or is that “paid homage?”—in many subsequent movies.
6. One of the actors in the film was married to a famous singer.
Elliott Gould was married to Barbra Streisand from 1963 until 1971. They had one son together, Jason Gould.
7. The movie carried a political message.
Robert Altman's anti-war sentiments were well-known, leading him to purposefully cut out any mention of Korea in the film so that viewers might just as easily “read” the story as an indictment of the Vietnam conflict. As much as studio heads may have wanted to thwart his intentions by insisting on an unambiguous opening title card specifically identifying the location, few audience members had any trouble making the connection.
8. The film featured many graphic sequences.
Were it not for the enthusiastic recommendation of two female visitors to the set, the realistic and bloody operating room scenes might have been removed from the picture entirely at the insistence of then-queasy producers.
9. One of the actors is the father of a popular film/TV star.
Donald Sutherland's son Kiefer Sutherland has had a very successful acting career including his role as Federal agent Jack Bauer in "24."
10. This film was among the very first titles available on home video.
M*A*S*H was one of 50 Fox titles licensed to Magnetic Video Corp. in 1977. The very next year, Fox’s acquisition of Magnetic paved the way for its continuing successes in the home video market.
Another piece of trivia some fans may not know (not part of our Mystery Movie Quiz) surrounds the famous shot in which the camp gets a revealing look at "Hot Lips" while she's showering. Altman had difficulty capturing the sense of spontaneity he valued because Sally Kellerman knew well in advance how the scene was to progress, and concealed herself much too soon. The director's creative solution was to have himself and Gary Burghoff go into the tent and drop their pants to distract her. The camera rolled, the tent flap was raised, and a hilariously authentic moment was the result. Funny, eh?
And now you can watch the theatrical trailer for M*A*S*H!
