One of the world's most acclaimed comedies, M*A*S*H focuses on three Korean War Army surgeons brilliantly brought to life by Donald Sutherland, Tom Skerritt and Elliott Gould. Though highly skilled and deeply dedicated, they adopt a hilarious, lunatic lifestyle as an antidote to the tragedies of their Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, and in the process infuriate Army bureaucrats. Robert Duvall, Gary Burghoff and Sally Kellerman co-star as a sanctimonious Major, an other-worldly Corporal, and a self-righteous yet lusty nurse.
Direction
Altman's revolutionary sound design—seven conversations at once, somehow coherent
Acting
Gould and Sutherland's unscripted chemistry, barely controlled chaos
Writing
Ring Lardner Jr.'s Oscar-winning script born from Altman's actor improvisation
Director
Robert Altman
Donald Sutherland
Hawkeye Pierce
Elliott Gould
Trapper John McIntyre
Tom Skerritt
Duke Forrest
Sally Kellerman
Maj. Margaret 'Hot Lips' O'Houlihan
Robert Duvall
Maj. Frank Burns
Roger Bowen
Lt. Col. Henry Blake
René Auberjonois
Father John Mulcahy
David Arkin
St. Major Wade Vollmer
Jo Ann Pflug
Lt. 'Dish' Schneider
Gary Burghoff
Cpl. 'Radar' O'Reilly
Fred Williamson
Dr. Oliver 'Spearchucker' Jones
Michael Murphy
'Me Lai' Marston
Indus Arthur
Lt. Leslie
Ken Prymus
PFC. Seidman
Bobby Troup
Sgt. Gorman
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Altman only got hired because fifteen other directors passed; the studio forgot to review the dailies until it was too late to stop him.
The iconic TV series exists because the film's success was accidental—Altman later called the show 'the antithesis of what we tried to do.' Sally Kellerman's Oscar-nominated performance was nearly cut entirely.
US
