Discuss M*A*S*H
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Larry Linville never should have been completely dropped from show.
posted by Benton12STAFFMOD on January 7, 2022 at 10:26 AM
(See my other postings on this series.) He was a mega-phenomenal actor able to make Frank Burns seem 100 different ways but still always recognizable. There was no way to keep Linville on the show. Not even as a voice on a transmitter? They did something similar for the lady who played Nurse Kelley as her voice appeared on AfterMash. Speaking of that lady. She was positively not as great at acting as Linville and yet she got to stay with the show till the end and her role increased. With her plus the guys playing Igor and Rizzo the show seemed to really capitalize on more amateur actors rather than the great ones (it originally had) as it progressed to its end.
Reply by Benton12
on January 8, 2022 at 1:58 AM
Did not read Mech's reply but if it was anything like Linville wished to leave the show. Immaterial. Every actor has their price and they should have met Linville's to stay on.
Reply by bratface
on January 8, 2022 at 2:21 AM
Nope!
Reply by Benton12
on January 8, 2022 at 7:35 AM
Like I said before. They took out most of the great talent and left or put in the amateurs.A scene between Rizzo and Charles showed how A-bombing this series was getting. Charles owes Rizzo money and tries to give him a prized antique vase instead. Rizzo could not be more rejecting or disinterested in the vase if he tried. The scene was probably supposed to be amusing but you hardly even crack a smile. Neither actor succeeds (Stiers does not even throw the vase well to destroy it). Somehow if Klinger had been in this scene instead of either one of them it may have been amusing. As it is remember this was the same show that was sidesplitting in the first season with the adventures of Trap and Hawk and their antics with often nurses.Oh for those days again. How the very mighty had fallen!