Corrected entry: When Col. Potter is talking to Father Mulcahy about his son-in-law's rendezvous, Father Mulcahy says he has seen the 6th commandment take a beating, but "Thou shalt not commit adultery" is actually the 7th commandment.
Dear Sigmund - S5-E7
Corrected entry: In this episode, Sidney Freedman writes a letter to Sigmund Freud, detailing his experiences at the 4077. Freud died September 23, 1939. M*A*S*H is set during the Korean War, June 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953.
Correction: Yes, Sidney's addressing Sigmund Freud in his "letter" but it's not an actual letter he's writing, it's Sidney's therapeutic way of expressing and venting his own private thoughts and feelings regarding coping mechanisms to the founder of psychoanalysis, whom he greatly respected. Sidney knows that Sigmund Freud has been dead for over a decade, and BJ even commented to Sidney that writing a letter to Sigmund Freud is a little crazy, but Sidney's reply says it all, "who better than he would understand."
Hot Lips Is Back in Town - S7-E19
Corrected entry: The Nurses were hanging pantyhose to dry in their tent. One piece pantyhose were not available until 1959. This episode was supposedly 1952.
Correction: Please rewatch this scene, the hosiery we see is appropriate for the time. When Radar shows up at the tent, Nugent is hanging thigh-high stockings which are single leg type hosiery, not "pantyhose" which are the waist-high two legged type (00:18:55).
The General Flipped at Dawn - S3-E1
Corrected entry: Actor Lynnette Mettey was introduced in the episode "Carry On Hawkeye" (series 2) as Lt. Anderson - in the episode "The General Flipped at Dawn" her character's name changed to Nurse Baker.
Correction: Several actors throughout the series play different characters. Example: the actor who plays general Steele plays Colonel Potter in seasons 4-11.
Plot hole: Hawkeye calls a number of people into the mess tent over the PA - the ones he allegedly suspects of being behind the thefts he is suspected of himself. Interestingly enough, Ho Jon, later revealed to be the guilty party, is not on Hawkeye's list - yet he shows up uninvited, just to be ensnared by Hawk's clever ploy. Note also that he had no way of knowing what the purpose of the meeting was, so we cannot ascribe to him the motive of wanting to find out how much Hawkeye knew.
Suggested correction: Of course Ho-Jon would come to the tent; it makes perfect sense, since he is the "houseboy" of the Swamp and, consequently, a sort of personal assistant to the Swampmen (Hawkeye, Trapper, and Spearchucker). He simply followed Trapper and Spearchucker to the tent after the announcement, probably figuring they might need him in some way.
It's late evening. It's, as far as anyone knows, an official meeting. Ho Jon isn't "standing attendance", he's sitting at the table (which is very convenient for him to hide his hands later). If he WERE standing attendance, it would be the only time in the series he does so in the mess tent instead of the swamp. It would also be the only time he's attending a meeting anyone called. Also he isn't a "house boy" - that would be totally out of character for Hawkeye, see "The Moose" - he's more an adoptee and roommate who makes himself useful. And last but not least: What a convenient coincidence, that just the guy who turns out to be the culprit would turn up uninvited, because he "might be needed" instead of staying the hell away because he is guilty and suspicious of the whole affair! Had - HAD, which he hasn't - Trapper said "Ho Jon, you better come too", you could call it a Deus Ex, but the way it is, it's just a plot hole, to quote Margaret Houlihan, "period, end of sentence."
Factual error: In surgery Trapper John is singing Frank Sinatra's version of "I got you under my skin". Although it was written in 1936, Sinatra did not release it until 1956, after the Korean War ended. The 1936 version sung by Al Bowlly sounds nothing like the version Trapper John was singing, which was mimicking Sinatra's version.
Suggested correction: While it hadn't been released on vinyl until 1956, Sinatra had sung the song as early as 1946 on his radio show and during live shows.
The version Frank Sinatra sang on his radio show was similar to the original version used in the movie "Born to Dance" (a movie he references before singing his two songs). He didn't change it to the big band version that Trapper imitates until 1956.
Corrected entry: Unless the regulations for the time period were different, the belt buckles seen with the regular fatigues is incorrect. They should be the same color as the belt and/or uniform. The brass buckles seen were used with the dress uniforms only. Also, any rank insignia worn by officers would have been dull in color so that they would be less of a target to snipers.
Correction: There were no dull insignias in the Korean war.
If so, then I stand corrected.
Corrected entry: Klinger has a rash from his uniform. However, in earlier and later episodes, he wears uniforms without a problem.
Correction: As mentioned, Klinger's rash is psychosomatic. It wasn't necessarily the uniform that caused it. It was being forced into it by Colonel Potter. Hawkeye says women's clothes are Klinger's personal defense against the Army and lack of that defense is causing him to break out.
I stand corrected, I had forgotten that angle.
Continuity mistake: In this episode, as they come from the pad, Hawkeye told them to get his canvas tub. But in "None Like It Hot", he had one that caused a lot of trouble and they traded it away for ice cream.
Suggested correction: There is no reason he couldn't have gotten another one.
Corrected entry: As Hawkeye calls the names over the P.A., the people were already on the way and entering the tent.
Correction: They were simply overlaying the PA announcement with the video of the people arriving to create dramatic effect and/or save time. It isn't a mistake.
The Most Unforgettable Characters - S5-E14
Corrected entry: In the scene where Hawkeye and BJ are actually fighting while pretending to fight; when they enter the tent, Frank is polishing his boots and whistling the theme music to The Muppet Show (1976). While The Muppet Show had already been screening for a year when this episode was first broadcast, the music was unknown in the 1950s as it was written specifically for the show by Muppets creator Jim Henson, and Sam Pottle.
Correction: The song that Frank is humming is "Happy Days are Here Again", which was copyrighted in 1929.
Corrected entry: Both Klinger and Radar are far too old for their rank.
Correction: Though the TV show M*A*S*H was on the air for 11 years, the real Korean War lasted 3 years. Radar is a corporal and states in season 2 "As You Were" that his age is 19. We don't know Corporal Klinger's age, but Max is promoted to sergeant in season 10, which in "real" time would be somewhere between the end of the second year and the third year of the real war.
Corrected entry: Radar is seen reading Marvel Comics that were weren't published until the mid 60s.
Correction: The problems with Radar's comics are already noted in the specific episodes.
Corrected entry: Many references to films mentioned appeared well after the Korean War.
Correction: A few movie anachronisms are already listed individually for the episodes, which include "McLintock!" and "The Ten Commandments." Also already listed are variations of "Godzilla" movies. If you watch an episode with an unlisted anachronistic film, submit it for that episode.
Bombshells - S11-E6
Corrected entry: At the end, after BJ has received his Bronze Star, Colonel Potter dismisses the formation with "At Ease. Dismissed." According to Drill and Ceremonies as I learned them, this is impossible. The only legal command from the at-ease position is "Attention."
Correction: While this is technically correct, I've had NCOs and officers call fallout or dismissed from at ease, parade rest, and rest all the time. This is in line with a unit that has as little military discipline as the 4077TH.
Dear Sigmund - S5-E7
Corrected entry: After being loaded with wounded, an ambulance accelerates, turns left and moves out of sight. Immediately after there is the sound of a crash, and the ambulance is lying on its left side. Radar states that it turned too fast and rolled over...but in that case, it would be on its right side.
Correction: The ambulance driver was quickly heading for the next left turn on the road out of camp, but instead wound up driving into the sloped rocky ditch on his left, hence the vehicle rolled onto its left side. Nothing wrong with its depiction.
Last Laugh - S6-E3
Corrected entry: Leo Bardonaro supposedly left his hat at the hotel where he used BJ's name as an alias. General Fred Fox made BJ put on the hat to prove he was at the hotel. When Leo shows back up at the Swamp he has his hat back on.
Correction: He could easily have more than one hat.
Corrected entry: While Klinger is collecting toilet paper from the latrines, he's singing/chanting the theme music from "Bridge on the River Kwai" (known as the Colonel Bogie March, BTW). That movie wasn't released until several years after the war.
Correction: The music itself was written during World War I and was associated with soldiers during both World Wars. Klinger would have been familiar with it before the release of the film that kept it famous.
Correction: The famous march whistled by the POW in the movie wasn't composed for it but is actually the "Colonel Bogey March" composed in 1914 by Lieutenant F. J. Ricketts. It became immensely popular with the troops in WW2, with the somewhat rude text "Hitler has only got one ball." This is also the reason why it was whistled in that movie, because those lyrics wouldn't have gotten past the censors. That it is often (wrongly) called the "River Kwai March" today is due to the fact that the actual movie theme called that was a march superimposed on the whistling POW in the movie. So when you're listening to the movie theme, you're actually listening to two marches: Col. Bogey March, and the River Kwai March at the same time.
Corrected entry: Radar is talking with Henry. In this episode, Radar is smoking a cigar, and drinking alcohol, something he did in "Chief Surgeon Who?" But in a later episode, he has trouble when Potter is trying to teach how to smoke a cigar.
Correction: Dr Freedman explains this as the war causing Radar to regress to a more childlike state, helped along by Potter as more of a father figure.
Quo Vadis, Captain Chandler - S4-E9
Corrected entry: When Sydney Freedman asked Capt Chandler if he wasn't in the Army or a B-29 bombardier, that would be impossible. The U.S. Air Force was established Sept 18th, 1947. They controlled all bombing missions and bombers with only U.S. Air Force crews only.
Correction: This may be taking "The Army" too literally. It may technically be incorrect, but in this case, one probably could substitute "The Armed Forces", especially out of the mouth of Sidney, who certainly isn't a stickler for military tables of organisation. What bugs me about this is that from the writers' perspective the distinction would have been much more of a given. I guess one could argue either way, so let the voting begin.
Correction: Yes, according to Protestants (and others) it's the 7th commandment which states not to commit adultery, however, according to the Roman Catholic Church (and Lutheranism) it is indeed the 6th commandment just as Father Mulcahy asserts, and since Father Mulcahy is a devout Catholic military chaplain, his statement, "I've seen the 6th commandment take quite a beating," holds perfectly true for his character.
Super Grover ★