The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Henry was not completely incapable of following military regulation. 1." Bloomington, Illinois, USA In 1975 Stevenson decided to leave the show. The odd thing is, both actors died within hours of each other in real life. "[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. papers came through, but sadly on his flight home, his plane was They even ripped out the last page of the script so the rest of the cast wouldnt know. At one point, Henry mocked Hot Lips by saying that she had gone over his head so many times that he had athletes scalp. Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. Commanding Officer/Senior Surgeon at the 4077th M*A*S*H Rank: All were short-lived, and he later conceded that leaving MASH was the mistake of his career. Trapper and Hawkeye threw him a big farewell party where everyone said their goodbye to him. Actor McLean Stevenson, who played Henry Blake, had grown unhappy on the show and wanted to leave to pursue other opportunities. Unlike the television Radar, Shaffer is not remembered as a clerk. Rogers didnt decide to leave until after season three, so his departure from the show couldnt be planned with an entire episode. McLean Stevenson (11/14/27 - 02/15/96) played COL Henry Blake in For the first time, a major character had been killed off without warning and without explanation. Roger Bowen. Henrys Exit In the third seasons finale, Abyssinia, Henry, Blake had finally gained enough points to get him discharged from the unit. And they really could not believe what was on the page.. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Played by: The expression Abyssinia, Henry comes from a Flapper era, 20s era. . It was a huge deal at the time because no one had ever seen anything like it before. Another is that the producers wanted to shake things up and create some drama for the show. He was also unsure of the success of the show. "Klinger, it's 4 o'clock in the afternoon and you're still in a housecoat?! ", 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. 185.126.219.251 Just hours later, Roger died of a heart attack as well on February 16th. Henry is Christian, having mentioned his faith in many episodes, but his denomination remains unknown. Blakes death was a turning point for the show. 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 But Gelbart and fellow creator Gene Reynolds used his exit to drum up emotion. 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Written by Everett Greenbaum and Jim Fritzell, it was first aired by CBS on March 18, 1975. He will be missed by all who knew him. First, it was one of the first times that a major character had died on a television show. 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.. He left the show at the Season 3 finale. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. How Did Tom Sizemore Die? Henry Blake left 'M*A*S*H' because the actor was ready to move on. 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). The character of Trapper John McIntyre was subsequently written off the series in Welcome to Korea, the first episode of the next season. But as doctors, theyre forced to continue with their jobs despite their grief. I think that if there is such a thing as the loss of life there should be some connection. The 4077th were happy for him. There are a few theories floating around. M*A*S*H was not about happy endings. WebThe show's writers reluctantly penned him an exit in the final episode of the 19741975 season (entitled "Abyssinia, Henry"), in which Lt. the CBS television comedy M*A*S*H from 1974-75. Longtime recurring guest cast member Jamie Farr, who played Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger, was elevated to the regular cast, with his name being featured on the opening credits. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. The odd thing is, both actors died within hours of each other in real life. What did the Nazis begin using gas chambers instead of mobile killing units and shooting squads after a while. Sherman T. Potter. In 1975 Stevenson decided to leave the show. Trapper and Hawkeye make joking comments, but Radar announces, "I have a message. To his aggravation, Lorraine sent him her bills and used check books to balance their account, though Henry insisted that he was terrible with numbers; he once complained about an expensive Vet bill for their elderly house cat care. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2023 FAQS Clear - All Rights Reserved Claire Mccaskill Husband illness: Unraveling the Health Crisis of Claires Spouse! According to Wikipedia, Alan Alda had McLean Stevensons character (Lt. Col. Henry Blake) killed off. Blake put friendship above his command, but there was the rare occasion when he had little choice but to assert his authority, which he did firmly, albeit uncomfortably. 24th episode of the 3rd season of M*A*S*H. "Abyssinia, Henry." WebM*A*S*H was both a television series and a movie, so several actors played the same character. Everyone was overwhelmed with grief and shock, even Frank and Margaret, who could be seen sobbing at the news. 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. Colonel Henry Blake Henrys Exit In the third seasons finale, Abyssinia, Henry, Blake had finally gained enough points to get him discharged from the unit. In The Trial of Henry Blake, Hawkeye and Trapper fought to secure Henry's command when Margaret and Frank brought formal charges against him for, as they put it, giving aid and comfort to the enemy. "Abyssinia, Henry" (Season 3 TV series season finale) One time when Klinger was being particularly obnoxious, Henry threatened Klinger by saying, Klinger, Ive never hit a woman before.. That was gracious. The creators and also the network granted his wish. 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. [9] It is estimated that over 1,000 letters were received by the producers regarding the episode; "some were from people who understood. 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. [3], To evoke genuine emotions of shock and sadness, the final O.R. Vanderpump Rules Stars Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix Split After Following Cheating Allegations. Why did Frank Burns leave? Up until this point, death had largely been avoided as a topic on television. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. [5] After shooting was completed, a season-ending cast party was planned. {From ". The creators and also the network granted his wish. Henry arrives in his new suit, and Frank and Margaret give Blake a formal salute, but Henry chides Frank for being too disciplined. Hunnicutt). His character dies, and he was that character., Gary Burghoff, who portrayed Radar, said he felt devastated by the cruel finality of it all., Burghoff said: I took Mac aside and said, If you dont want me to do this scene, I wont. I was hoping the shock of it would get him to change his mind. It was probably actually Baijiu . Of course, Mac was as torn apart as we all were. When Henry Blake was killed off on MASH, it sent shockwaves through the television world. 20th Century Fox sued him for breach of contract, but the lawsuit collapsed. His tenacity nearly cost him his life when, in Cowboy, he stubbornly refused to let a distraught helicopter pilot go on leave to see his wife, and the nearly unbalanced pilot almost killed Blake four times. Monster M*A*S*H is a FANDOM TV Community. Written by Everett Greenbaum and Jim Fritzell, it was first aired by CBS on March 18, 1975. And Rule Number 2 is doctors can't change Rule Number 1.". He was portrayed by Harry Morgan, and replaced the departing character of Henry Blake as commander of the 4077th MASH. Episodes following this represented a major change in focus for the show; the individual effects and psychological damages of war were explored more, often in parallel to the ending of the Vietnam War, and the Korean culture was portrayed in greater depth than had been done before, instead of focusing on a "boorish, military mindset" as before. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. 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. 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. In the TV series, Henry is a reservist called up to active duty from his private practice in his hometown of Bloomington, Illinois. 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 Whatever the reason, it worked. Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake's plane was shot down over the Sea of Japan. c.1907 (?) Actor McLean Stevenson, who played Henry Blake, had grown unhappy on the show and wanted to leave to pursue other opportunities. According to Wikipedia, Alan Alda had McLean Stevensons character (Lt. Col. Henry Blake) killed off. What episode of Mash did Henry Blake die? It is normal to cold feet before wedding. To avoid confusion, the Bowen family decided to wait a week to announce the death of Roger. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Radar walks into the operating room, without a mask, and announces that Blakes plane had been shot down over the Sea of Japan. The Colonels Last Flight was a groundbreaking episode of television for a number of reasons. As the tone of the series had evolved to more serious storylines, Linville felt that he had taken the Frank Burns character, which had become increasingly one-dimensional, as far as he could, and chose to leave the series to pursue other roles. McLean Stevenson/Date of death. Birthplace: Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a2fea0c7a8cc2c8 The creators and also the network granted his wish. Stevenson decided to leave M*A*S*H after the third season when the series enjoyed the fifth highest ratings in the country. 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. Burghoff left M*A*S*H in 1979 after the seventh season because of burnout and a desire to spend more time with his family, though he returned the following season to film a special two-part farewell episode, Goodbye Radar. 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.