When M*A*S*H appeared on movie and television screens more than 40 years ago it was much more than a passing fancy. The 1970 movie was a breakthrough film, which featured a number of new actors. Nominated for five Academy Awards and the Oscar winner for Best Screenplay, it was followed two years later by a mega hit television program which stayed on the air for an amazing 11 years.
A good share of the credit should go the University of Miami and its excellent film and scenic design departments, which was chaired by the redoubtable Ken Kurtz. Professor Kurtz, who also directed the lighting and scenic design for many productions at the Jerry Herman Ring Theatre, taught classes for 43 years at UM and among his acting prodigies are Sylvester Stallone, Ray Liotta, Stephen Bauer (Que Pasa USA), Sandra Santiago and Bob Clark, who directed the classic holiday film Christmas Story.
Other alums who had different majors but made their mark in Hollywood include Dwayne Johnson, Charles Grodin and Jo Ann Pflug, the Lieutenant Dish of M*A*S*H.
Ms. Pflug is from Winter Park, Fl, where her father once served as Mayor. She graduated with a degree BA in history and a minor in broadcasting. M*A*S*H was only her second film. She was so good as the sexy nurse Maria Schneider, Hollywood was forever trying to cast her in alluring roles which called for nudity. Pfulg, who is a born again Christian, declined these parts and eventually carved out a long career in television films and game shows.
But it was M*A*S*H which put Jo Ann Pflug on the map. She is seen early in the film and quickly dubbed Lt. Dish by the sassy medical doctors played by Donald Sutherland (Hawkeye) and Tom Skerritt. “I think I’m in love ,” says the Skerritt character Dr. Duke Forrest as he first lays eyes on the comely nurse. Lt. Dish is married and she quickly flashes her wedding ring at the camp’s newly arrived doctors.
The film was a forerunner of TV and film satire which began in the 70’s. The Robert Altman production and the television show laid waste to the American military, religion and marriage. Though Pflug and Sutherland are married to others, they start an affair in the movie version and Hawkeye even convinces our Lt. Dish to sleep with another officer who was having – shall we say – performance issues. When Ms. Plug was a UM student, friends have told me she was carrying on a hot romance with the Canes football coach.
Everything seemed to be wide open after M*A*S*H jolted audiences with its form of black comedy. The TV show which starred Alan Alda as Hawkeye, Michael Moore and Harry Morgan more or less followed the same format at the successful big screen version. The final show in 1973 drew 105.9 million viewers, the largest audience ever to see a television show in the United States up to that point.
If it wasn’t for the popularity of the original 1970 movie, I doubt if we would have had TV shows like Saturday Night Live or Seinfeld or comedians like Eddie Murphy, Bill Murray, Billy Crystal or Chris Rock.
Thanks, Hawkeye.
Bob Goldstein is a retired broadcaster who has lived in South Florida for more than forty years. He is a veteran political activist (dsdcfl.org) and a member of the South Florida Writers Association. If you’d like to comment on Bob’s columns, send your response by email to robertgrimm62@yahoo.com.
