@@SurvivorBri Honestly I never liked the series finale. I get the baby's death was sad but it's really not his fault and he's seen so much more over the years, I guess it's supposed to be the last straw that put him over the edge but still. I think Hawkeye should have had to have killed someone instead. Think about it; he's a conscientious objector, against the war, wouldn't even raise a gun self defense that one episode clearly willing to die versus betray his principles so imagine what it would do to his mind if he was put in a scenario where maybe to save a whole bus of people he had to take someone's life. I think that would have been a more impactful and emotional struggle for him then losing his temper and some woman accidentally suffocating her kid
The way his hand shakes just a bit more toward the end of his toast is a testament to the nuances of old school acting. This man was one of the greats.
This was a great birthday present...seeing this scene from a wonderful tv series. I turned 70 today. Mash is one of my all time favorite television shows. I still love it today.
I knew what this was from the title, but I stayed and watched anyway. Such an iconic show. Great childhood memories. Also, I'm not crying. You're crying.
David Ogden Stiers has the perfect reactions in this scene, as the slightly more cultured Maj. Winchester senses the decorum and the formality, as well as the appropriate sentiment. Terrific job of background acting.
This felt like a very personal scene. It was a pleasure to watch and was beautifully acted. The writing was brilliant. FYI, Harry Morgan died in 2011. Following Morgan's death, Mike Farrell, who played B.J. Hunnicutt opposite Morgan in M*A*S*H, released a statement. I came across it, so hear it is: *He was a wonderful man, a fabulous actor and a dear and close friend since the first day we worked together. As Alan Alda said, he did not have an unadorable bone in his body. He was a treasure as a person, an imp at times, and always a true professional. He had worked with the greats and never saw himself as one of them. But he was. He was the rock everyone depended on and yet he could cut up like a kid when the situation warranted it. He was the apotheosis, the finest example of what people call a ‘character actor’. What he brought to the work made everyone better. He made those who are thought of as ‘stars’ shine even more brightly. The love and admiration we all felt for him were returned tenfold in many, many ways. And the greatest and most selfless tribute to the experience we enjoyed was paid by Harry at the press conference when our show ended. He remarked that someone had asked him if working on M*A*S*H had made him a better actor. He responded by saying, 'I don’t know about that, but it made me a better human being.' It’s hard to imagine a better one." A wonderful testament to his ability as an actor and his personality as a human being!
@@dougr3142 "The actor’s lawyer, Harland Braun, said Morgan never hit his wife but grabbed her as she destroyed furniture in their home during a drunken dispute". There is the chance he was not the aggressor. But hey why not be an asshole and only mention that he was arrested. Way to go ass wipe.
I teared up when I was 5 yrs old in 1980 and I teared up again tonight at 45 yrs old watching this episode again. What an amazing episode . Nothing else will ever follow this show.
You’re almost as old as I am (52), and like Sherman Potter, we have old friends we remember, and we have friends today. It is always good to remember the old ones, just as it is good to enjoy the new ones. We all should do this.
Amazing that Harry Morgan spent so many years before this in so many other excellent roles, and yet made an all-timer out of this one. It isn't too often that somebody does his most iconic role _after_ so many other memorable ones. Can't imagine the show without him. If you were around when it was going on, you know there was no small amount of skepticism about whoever was going to replace the Henry Blake character. In retrospect, the way it happened was so natural and so like real life -- just a different guy with no attempt to pull threads from the previous one at all -- that it just couldn't have been better. Exactly what it would've been like if you'd been under one CO and then the next.
I could recognize his voice instantly, no matter how he tried to switch accent or cadence (which he never really did). He has one of those voices who are iconic, you recognize immediately.
I gave my Father-in-law a full collection of M*A*S*H*. There were documentaries within, and some outtakes. After seeing those, this scene has always hit me hard. Everything is solid, until Harry says the first guy’s name and says he died in the War To End All Wars, and he breaks down. Farrell approaches, and puts a reassuring arm around him. That’s how close the cast was. You can’t generate friends like that, you have to be in some sort of suffering together.
Considering that Col. Potter was not in the first three seasons, I think it’s fairly easy to imagine the show without him. But he was a tremendous addition to the cast and had some of the best moments in the series.
@Howie Feltersnatch Harry was known to have a temper, and his poor wife got the worst of it once or twice. Living in LA, this sort of stuff did make the local news. But Howie, out here we don't use the phrase "tune-up", but my brother in law, late of the FDNY uses it on occasion. I think it's a great phrase, and I've used it over the years when I had the chance.
@Howie Feltersnatch I was a DA in Los Angeles for 30 years, and glad to be out with this new jerkoff DA who's trying to destroy the Office. Anyway, I used 'tune-up' whenever it was appropriate, and I heard a few others use it, but it never caught on to the extent that I'd hear it around the 42 when I'd hang with my brother-in-law, or in general use on Long Island. In fact, I think I saw it used in a headline in the NY Post.
@Howie Feltersnatch I should say. My older daughter's going to Loyola Law there, and her fiance works for a utility company. Never mind the weather, Chicago is no place to be getting out and about.
A friend of mine, Edgard Potts, still puts flags on graves at Henri-Chappelle (sp?) Memorial cemetery in France, having seen, as a 7-year old kid, some of the G.I.s push the Germans back from his neighborhood in Belgium, including my dad, who died long ago. He is grateful beyond words that those young men and women were willing to risk everything to help his neighbors and country. He still sends me messages every important occasion during the year, deeply touched by what they did. I always reply at length to thank him for his devotion.
@@dadlovelace6422 It is so easy, these days, to get wrapped up in our internet and social life....and forget that people died for this free lifestyle. Kudos to your good friend for his continual commitments to reminding us of the ones we lost. When I was a young kid, our 18-year old next door neighbor Walter Koeppe Jr, went to Vietnam. He wasn't a great kid. He didn't finish high school. But he did give his life for our country. Now he is memorialized, one of the 142 - Sons of San Jose (California) who gave their lives from San Jose to that cruddy war.
@Tracy D sometimes I think it better to not come back than for some of them to live with what they have to. I thank God that I was on a Navy ship… MANY miles from any action.
Harry Morgan served in WWII, which makes me wonder if some of this scene might be based on experiences he had irl, hence the strong emotion in the performance, and the fact it took several takes before he got through it without completely breaking down. Whether that's the case or not, it's definitely a powerful scene!
Something I liked about him was that he was one of those people that once they hit a certain age, they take forever to look older than that. He was recognisable as Col Potter, like he'd just stepped off the set of MASH, for a decent few years after the show ended.
Hard to watch that scene without tearing up . Age is both a curse and a blessing . Hard to remember that when it aches just to get out of bed every day . Thanks for posting .
Writers made sure to show the diversity of the Americans who fought in war. (Stein, Gianelli, Ryan, Gresky and Potter) My only complaint here is timeline. Korean War and World War I were only 34 years or so apart. Potter said he was 17 in WWI, so he would be about 51 in Korea. he wouldn't be an old man in Korean War, if the timeline was true to history.
This hits hard now. 52 years after my time as a young Marine in I Corps, Vietnam. Our unit reunions are getting more and more sparse. Still talk to the surviving members of my unit thanks to modern media. Have a bottle of old great whiskey, back in the darkest corner of the kitchen cabinet I believe. Colonel Potter, different wars, different times but I think I'll go and join you.
One by one, day by day our youth and our heroes die. Janowicz, Templeton, Osgood, Guarino, Felix, Marshall, Young, McCarthy, Duncan...too many more are unknown.
This is what makes Charles so great a character. Arrogant, pompous and sarcastic 99 % of the time, but during the important moments, he always shows his caring and deeply human side. Mr. Ogden Stiers' performance was just wonderful.
lolomgmetobavi David Ogden Stiers was complete opposite of his character and was known to be funny, caring and well liked person on set as was Larry Linville whom everyone liked on set.
@@scottknode898 Yep, I read both Mr. Stiers and Mr. Linville were very popular among their colleagues and that Mr. Stiers was also very kind towards the fans.
I grew up watching MASH and then after some years being a RN I became an Operating Room nurse. It made watching the show even more meaningful. I’ve watched the episodes countless times, over the years, and Never tire of doing so. You’re Right, there’ll never be another series like it. It may be a worn out trope but they don’t make them like they use to.
So true. After spending 26 years in the Army I've saluted many a helmit and boots on a chair next to the chair an M16 and dog tags. You wonder why you're still around but I guess it is to remember those who went before you and to keep their memory alive. I would be honnoured to consider you a friend sir. God Bless You.
He means brothers, not by blood, but by experience and that is truly beautiful. May we all find such camaraderie in our fellow man, because that is the love that truly stands the test of time.
@@ghostcityshelton9378 I guess serving must take it's toll on you one thing most civilian s myself included probably with hope will never have experience . but respect to anyone willing to take up arms to protect his fellow man even if some good people are lost along the way .
There will never be another show like MASH. It is a classic that stands the test of time. The writing, the stories, the actors. All magnificent. I watched it religiously with my parents every week, and it is good to revisit those memories now that they are gone too. Not many of the cast left alive today. Thank you for everything, all of you.
i just watched this. there is no fucking way he's acting. this is real. Morgan was in his 60s when this was filmed he's got actual tears in his eyes and his voice is about to crack. you can't fake that. i don't care how good you are.
I sold Mr. Morgan flooring and installed it in his condo in South Pasadena in Pinellas county, Florida. He sure loved his big ole stogies. He did not act like anybody special but instead, like anybody else and very pleasant.
@@artmiller2341 I had a former coworker who met him on numerous occasions because of her job and you echo everything she said he was very down to earth and personable.
Mr. Dana Covert Totally agree. And people need to remember that this was a 70s show...right after Vietnam. Alan Alda was afraid that the show was making war too funny and not enough seriousness. Korea was a SHITTY war and I think Alan Alda just wanted to make it a bit more real.
Michael Godsey - War is shitty but Korea was a just cause. The U.S. kept half if the peninsula free. South Korea is one of the most prosperous nations on Earth. NoKo is a large prison camp.
Given that Harry Morgan served in the military during WWII, I can't help but wonder if there was a little bit of reality subtext behind Potter's toast.
One of the best shows on television. I watched every episode. They're never make shows like that again. So many were tearful, and some were hard to watch, but we watched them. Proud to be a Boomer.
My father was in the ETO and turned 20 after D-Day. In the late 80s he met up with an old comrade of his from their old unit, they started talking and it was if they never were separated. Somethings bind you to each other in perpetuity.
Another great scene was when Radar presented Sophie to Col. Potter. He walks around his office admiring the horse and when he gets to the rear, he slips on an unfortunately placed pile of droppings. Major Burns: "That's disGUSTING!" Col. Potter (smiling): "Son. To me, that's a tip toe through the tulips!"
My favorite scene was when Potter had to deal with Flagg. Potter is the kind that wouldn't put up with Flagg's nonsense. Blake on the other hand was too wishy washy when it came to dealing with Flagg.
@@l.salisbury1253 I agree. I didn't care much for the first three seasons. I loved the show more once Colonel Potter joined the cast. I even liked the show better once Frank Burns left the show. Major Charles Emerson Winchester is a better character and a more compantant doctor than Frank!
Harry Morgan was so damn good....not just in this but in his entire run as Sherman Potter. Still use his line "not enough O's in smooth" to describe a drink!!
Anyone who has been in the military knows, ultimately you will have to say good bye to your buddies and probably never see them or hear from them again. It's a sad experience whether you were a lifer or a draftee. Colonel Potter's speech and his toast was outstanding.
I found out a mucker I served with was killed 3 years after I got out. I found out 15 years later. It hit me like it had only just happened, you never forget. RIP mate.
Officer Bill Gannon in the late 60's Dragnet series was the first time I saw Harry Morgan. He was a serious partner for Sergeant Joe Friday, but every so often he provided some light comedy relief, which was always fun. I think for many fans Gannon and Colonel Potter were his most famous roles.
I'm 76, lost my last high school riding buddy, lost veteran friends and family. getting thin out here. Stay in the moment, live life, remember with pride and love.
Sorry for your losses. Remember there are good things and people in life still and remember how Hawkeye and the others found reasons to laugh amidst the pain.
What was really cool was after my father died, my family and I got to share in a tontine. My Dad was a paratrooper with the 507th PIR, 82nd Airborne and jumped outside of Grainges, France on D-Day. After the war, raising kids, and working for years he finally retired quietly in northern Wisconsin. It was somewhere on about 30 years ago an old Army buddy got a personalized bottle of brandy with his name, rank, medals, etc. After he received it, he got the idea to have his family, and any other buddies that could make it, to his gravesite on the day of his burial to have a drink and a toast to our lives together. In November 2020 that day came after 99 years of life. At his gravesite, the brandy came out as a small Army squadron flew overhead while one of them pretended to "bail out." It was all on the local news in Minneapolis, MN. We all toasted him there except for me, who saw it all on Zoom. It was COVID time then, and I live 1500 miles away and was considered at risk. But I saw the whole thing and it was quite moving. Last July, on what would have been his 100th birthday, I was able to fulfill the tontine that made his life, for me, complete.
This is very moving and meaningful. I am grateful to you for sharing this and allowing those of us who took the time to read what you wrote from the heart, share in the celebration of your dad's memorable life. how he bravely fought for freedom, and the legacy he leaves behind Becca USAF veteran Military Police
When my father entered into the final stages of dementia, the only thing he’d watch and pay any attention to was M*A*S*H. Even non-verbal, his eyes would be fixed on this show. As a career officer in the Navy, he connected somehow to this show. Thank you cast members, for giving my Dad that. May God grant peace to all of you. You gave him a glimpse into his past! Thank you for that.
If a Television performance could be given an Oscar it should be this one, I don't know if you could call this acting since it is so sincere and heartfelt.
When I first saw this scene years ago I thought this was an award winning performance. The subtlety of Morgan chocking back the tears as he gets to the end of his solo toast. The actual release of tension by all the other actors when they learn the Colonel is not sick. Those things are not easy to pull off and yet this was IMHO flawless.
True passion Morgan gave his all to each and every role and it shows. I love M*A*S*H and it's cast to those who passed know you will live forever in our hearts.
Seen this scene a dozen times over the years and it still chokes me. More so now that I'm getting on in years. Thank you, Lord, for seeing me thus far.
It always hits me hard when he toasts his buddy that died “in the war to end all wars.” Then toasts his buddy that”…that died in the war after that”. Wars never have ended. I pray that they will someday. This is one of my very favorite scenes in all of M*A*S*H.
Also to add that Winchester although a pompus ass at times actually was kind and decent and not a idiot like Frank Burns. As for Sherman T. Potter he was the greatest addition to MASH humble honest man not afraid to head into danger and not afraid to admit when he is scared. Potter is the type of career officer that looks after the men and women under his command and doesn't demand respect he gets it because he earned it.
Every time... EVERY episode Harry Morgan gets that quiver in his voice in an emotional scene, I can feel tears forming. I don't think it's just the material he was given; his acting was always dialed to the right percentage, whether the scene was sad, funny or heated.
James Smith Harry Morgan was close friends with Alan Alda and Mike Farrell and others in cast so when said their goodbyes in the finale it was genuine emotions. They all kept in touch after the show was done. Alda, Stiers and Farrell all have said they admired Harry Morgan and looked up to him.
Yep, exactly! He's one of those actors that took everything he did on that show and I'm sure other shows and movies he was in took the script and made his emotions as real as he could get it. I know for a fact when Radar left that was real emotion and the same with the episode "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" where he was saying goodbye because that was for real saying goodbye to his cast mates and friends.
@@drServitis It takes a strong man to be able to open up and be vulnerable. And that makes him a good colonel because he trusts the men and women beneath him to do their jobs, while they trust him to do his. That trust wouldn't exist if Colonel Potter didn't make the first move and opened up.
I have always considered this performance one of the two best in a TV serial of all time. The other - the basically solo performance of Carroll O'Connor when Edith Died. WOW is all I can say
I used to sit and watch this show with my Grandma on TV Land when I was a lil guy, I think this show helped teach little me a lot of important lessons. It also helped teach me to shoulder the bad, cherish the good, and help wherever I can. What a legendary program, we will never see it's like again.
Col. Potter brought to light the emotions and thoughts I, and all who served in our armed forces. We laughed, we cried, we went through some things best forgotten but, whatever the situation goddamm it we went through them together. I could count on them and, though unspoken, they could count on me. I can't honestly say if my own family would do that without judging. I have never been as close to anyone as I was to them. I swear I will never forget them. I loved you all then and still do today. God love and keep you and yours safe. Stay Calm. Be Safe. "Wiener"
We went together, we came back together, we watched each other's backs, and we stood together. We developed trust, bonds and a standard of mateship regardless of rank no one else can never understand. This episode draws those components together perfectly and also shows why the sequels wouldn't work.
M*A*S*H, the only TV show that shared how the majority of us felt about war, crooked leadership and loss. It also taught us how to rise above it and laugh at it through the support and love for one another, no matter what walk of life you came from. Best show ever!
As a former USMC officer, a retired FBI Agent of 30 years, and now a 72 yoa old guy, i can relate! Friends of my youth were great, but new friends are a blessing! SEMPER FI
This is one of my favorite episodes from MASH. As a soldier, I always get a little teary eyed. Hell, sometimes, remembering all my buddies, I actually sob. It's kind of like when the angel tells George Bailey, "All those men on that transport died! He wasn't there to save them, because you weren't there to save Harry!" I love this episode. The most. Thank you, Jim Berthiaume for bringing it to me.
I wish Radar could've been in this scene. He and Sherman were like a father and son. I loved M*A*S*H, and every character was special. Oh I wish there was wholesome television shows for us nowadays.
I saw this title and I knew that's what it was
M*A*S*H*, The only show that can start off funny, make you cry and end on a funny note in the span of 30 minutes. This was TV at its finest.
I have always said that no show had better story telling in under 30 minutes.
Scrubs had a few tear jerking episodes on par with M*A*S*H. But never better.
I agree, I don't think I have ever seen such an accomplished TV show.
Scrubs was just as good.
@@SurvivorBri Honestly I never liked the series finale. I get the baby's death was sad but it's really not his fault and he's seen so much more over the years, I guess it's supposed to be the last straw that put him over the edge but still. I think Hawkeye should have had to have killed someone instead. Think about it; he's a conscientious objector, against the war, wouldn't even raise a gun self defense that one episode clearly willing to die versus betray his principles so imagine what it would do to his mind if he was put in a scenario where maybe to save a whole bus of people he had to take someone's life. I think that would have been a more impactful and emotional struggle for him then losing his temper and some woman accidentally suffocating her kid
The way his hand shakes just a bit more toward the end of his toast is a testament to the nuances of old school acting. This man was one of the greats.
He certainly was, MASH was an amazing series.
This was a great birthday present...seeing this scene from a wonderful tv series. I turned 70 today. Mash is one of my all time favorite television shows. I still love it today.
Happy 70th Birthday 🎉
Happy Birthday!
I knew what this was from the title, but I stayed and watched anyway. Such an iconic show. Great childhood memories.
Also, I'm not crying. You're crying.
Who's cutting onions? 😢
David Ogden Stiers has the perfect reactions in this scene, as the slightly more cultured Maj. Winchester senses the decorum and the formality, as well as the appropriate sentiment. Terrific job of background acting.
My thoughts exactly.
And he alone holds his glass of brandy at the bottom, to warm it properly, as befits that drink. Such intelligent acting.
I got to meet Mr Stiers once, in a sizzler of all places.
winchester could roll with the taunts that Hawkeye and Honeycutt sent his way. he was a much better sport about it that Maj. Burns ever was
Well said.
"...You were the friends of my youth...". That line hits hard when you get older. Cheers Brothers!
2023, i am 65 now and cry like a baby every time i see this, well done mash well done
Some of the greatest moments ever on a TV show, Watched them all with my Dad, 40 plus years ago.
This felt like a very personal scene. It was a pleasure to watch and was beautifully acted. The writing was brilliant. FYI,
Harry Morgan died in 2011.
Following Morgan's death, Mike Farrell, who played B.J. Hunnicutt opposite Morgan in M*A*S*H, released a statement. I came across it, so hear it is:
*He was a wonderful man, a fabulous actor and a dear and close friend since the first day we worked together. As Alan Alda said, he did not have an unadorable bone in his body. He was a treasure as a person, an imp at times, and always a true professional. He had worked with the greats and never saw himself as one of them. But he was. He was the rock everyone depended on and yet he could cut up like a kid when the situation warranted it. He was the apotheosis, the finest example of what people call a ‘character actor’. What he brought to the work made everyone better. He made those who are thought of as ‘stars’ shine even more brightly. The love and admiration we all felt for him were returned tenfold in many, many ways. And the greatest and most selfless tribute to the experience we enjoyed was paid by Harry at the press conference when our show ended. He remarked that someone had asked him if working on M*A*S*H had made him a better actor. He responded by saying, 'I don’t know about that, but it made me a better human being.' It’s hard to imagine a better one."
A wonderful testament to his ability as an actor and his personality as a human being!
Thank you. That was touching.
Wow what a aspiring thing to hear.
He was arrested for beating his wife. Adorable.
@@dougr3142 "The actor’s lawyer, Harland Braun, said Morgan never hit his wife but grabbed her as she destroyed furniture in their home during a drunken dispute".
There is the chance he was not the aggressor.
But hey why not be an asshole and only mention that he was arrested. Way to go ass wipe.
@@dougr3142 And when did you stop beating your wife?
I teared up when I was 5 yrs old in 1980 and I teared up again tonight at 45 yrs old watching this episode again.
What an amazing episode . Nothing else will ever follow this show.
You’re almost as old as I am (52), and like Sherman Potter, we have old friends we remember, and we have friends today. It is always good to remember the old ones, just as it is good to enjoy the new ones. We all should do this.
And I. At 65.
I think I have a piece of dust in my eye(s)......
@@georgebuller1914 yeah i got some dust in my eyes as well but im also crying :p
I did as well, at 62...
Amazing that Harry Morgan spent so many years before this in so many other excellent roles, and yet made an all-timer out of this one. It isn't too often that somebody does his most iconic role _after_ so many other memorable ones. Can't imagine the show without him.
If you were around when it was going on, you know there was no small amount of skepticism about whoever was going to replace the Henry Blake character. In retrospect, the way it happened was so natural and so like real life -- just a different guy with no attempt to pull threads from the previous one at all -- that it just couldn't have been better. Exactly what it would've been like if you'd been under one CO and then the next.
I could recognize his voice instantly, no matter how he tried to switch accent or cadence (which he never really did). He has one of those voices who are iconic, you recognize immediately.
I gave my Father-in-law a full collection of M*A*S*H*.
There were documentaries within, and some outtakes.
After seeing those, this scene has always hit me hard.
Everything is solid, until Harry says the first guy’s name and says he died in the War To End All Wars, and he breaks down.
Farrell approaches, and puts a reassuring arm around him.
That’s how close the cast was.
You can’t generate friends like that, you have to be in some sort of suffering together.
Very well said!
Considering that Col. Potter was not in the first three seasons, I think it’s fairly easy to imagine the show without him.
But he was a tremendous addition to the cast and had some of the best moments in the series.
What an actor Harry was. All of them. I still love MASH. Hilarious, but very emotive when it had to be.
IKR? When his voice broke in the middle I was blown away how good he was
The photo of Mildred on Col. Potter's desk was of his actual wife Eileen.
My Uncle Douglas was also a Gordon Bennett.... KIA Nov 44.
Now THAT (EDIT: the photo) is a wonderful bit of trivia. Thank you.
@Howie Feltersnatch Harry was known to have a temper, and his poor wife got the worst of it once or twice. Living in LA, this sort of stuff did make the local news. But Howie, out here we don't use the phrase "tune-up", but my brother in law, late of the FDNY uses it on occasion. I think it's a great phrase, and I've used it over the years when I had the chance.
@Howie Feltersnatch I was a DA in Los Angeles for 30 years, and glad to be out with this new jerkoff DA who's trying to destroy the Office. Anyway, I used 'tune-up' whenever it was appropriate, and I heard a few others use it, but it never caught on to the extent that I'd hear it around the 42 when I'd hang with my brother-in-law, or in general use on Long Island. In fact, I think I saw it used in a headline in the NY Post.
@Howie Feltersnatch I should say. My older daughter's going to Loyola Law there, and her fiance works for a utility company. Never mind the weather, Chicago is no place to be getting out and about.
Memorial Day 2021. Here's to our fallen comrades, who gave their all to our country. RIP service men and women.
yes
A friend of mine, Edgard Potts, still puts flags on graves at Henri-Chappelle (sp?) Memorial cemetery in France, having seen, as a 7-year old kid, some of the G.I.s push the Germans back from his neighborhood in Belgium, including my dad, who died long ago. He is grateful beyond words that those young men and women were willing to risk everything to help his neighbors and country. He still sends me messages every important occasion during the year, deeply touched by what they did. I always reply at length to thank him for his devotion.
@@dadlovelace6422 It is so easy, these days, to get wrapped up in our internet and social life....and forget that people died for this free lifestyle. Kudos to your good friend for his continual commitments to reminding us of the ones we lost.
When I was a young kid, our 18-year old next door neighbor Walter Koeppe Jr, went to Vietnam. He wasn't a great kid. He didn't finish high school. But he did give his life for our country. Now he is memorialized, one of the 142 - Sons of San Jose (California) who gave their lives from San Jose to that cruddy war.
Amen
@Tracy D sometimes I think it better to not come back than for some of them to live with what they have to. I thank God that I was on a Navy ship… MANY miles from any action.
Harry Morgan served in WWII, which makes me wonder if some of this scene might be based on experiences he had irl, hence the strong emotion in the performance, and the fact it took several takes before he got through it without completely breaking down. Whether that's the case or not, it's definitely a powerful scene!
No one could have done that scene any better. It takes age and experience.
You really don't see actors like Harry Morgan anymore.
"We were so alive back then." - RIP
You don't really see people like that anymore.
He is good in every film I have seen him in.
Something I liked about him was that he was one of those people that once they hit a certain age, they take forever to look older than that.
He was recognisable as Col Potter, like he'd just stepped off the set of MASH, for a decent few years after the show ended.
I liked him as Bill Gannon too ... of course was a different style of show compared to M*A*S*H
RIP Harry Morgan, David Ogden Stiers, William Christopher, Wayne Rogers, Kelley Nakahara.
Sad they are gone but there is a tatterd tent in heaven where they are sitting and polishing off the rest of that magnificent brandy.
And please, let's not forget Wayne Rogers, MacLean Stevenson, Larry Linville and Allan Arbus.
@@ParkerKenpoist And Kellye Nakahara, Johnny Haymer, Timothy Brown and John Orchard.
...and Edward Winter.
@@dougr3142 Flagg!
Only Loretta, Mike, Jamie, Allen, and Gary remain now.
Word has it that Allen is now suffering advanced Parkinson's.
Loved this show , never got old . Could watch reruns over and over
It still doesn’t get old even in 2024
Hard to watch that scene without tearing up . Age is both a curse and a blessing . Hard to remember that when it aches just to get out of bed every day . Thanks for posting .
"To Ryan, who died in W.W.1 'the war to end all wars'. To Giannelli, who died in the war after that." Brilliant.
That was an especially ironic line.
Yeah. No anger or bitterness, just some regret.
@@colinmerritt7645 Good comment sir. Regret.
Writers made sure to show the diversity of the Americans who fought in war. (Stein, Gianelli, Ryan, Gresky and Potter) My only complaint here is timeline. Korean War and World War I were only 34 years or so apart. Potter said he was 17 in WWI, so he would be about 51 in Korea. he wouldn't be an old man in Korean War, if the timeline was true to history.
@@edwardcricchio6106 He meant he felt 17, but he was actually 27 :)
Aw, I can't watch it again. It shreds me. One of these best scenes in a show with memorable scenes. Just incredible.
This scene, Radar giving the news of Henry Blake and Hawkeye on the bus! Powerful moments.
"The plane spun in... there were no survivors."
MASH will always be one of the classics. Superb. Nothing on modern TV even comes close.
This hits hard now. 52 years after my time as a young Marine in I Corps, Vietnam. Our unit reunions are getting more and more sparse. Still talk to the surviving members of my unit thanks to modern media. Have a bottle of old great whiskey, back in the darkest corner of the kitchen cabinet I believe. Colonel Potter, different wars, different times but I think I'll go and join you.
One by one, day by day our youth and our heroes die. Janowicz, Templeton, Osgood, Guarino, Felix, Marshall, Young, McCarthy, Duncan...too many more are unknown.
Thank you for your service
I would tip one with you... 🥃🥃
I hear you. We are growing old but it's been a good run. My time came later, but I see the same among my team.
Would you share a drink with a cavalryman from the war after yours? It'd be my honor.
As years go by this becomes more and more meaningful.
You can see the passion in everyone's eyes during this scene. David Ogden Stiers is pretty close to crying. One of the best scenes ever on this show.
He wasn't close to crying..in 2 of his 4 cut away shots, you can see the tears coming down his face.
After looking at it again, I see he did show some tears.
This is what makes Charles so great a character. Arrogant, pompous and sarcastic 99 % of the time, but during the important moments, he always shows his caring and deeply human side. Mr. Ogden Stiers' performance was just wonderful.
lolomgmetobavi David Ogden Stiers was complete opposite of his character and was known to be funny, caring and well liked person on set as was Larry Linville whom everyone liked on set.
@@scottknode898 Yep, I read both Mr. Stiers and Mr. Linville were very popular among their colleagues and that Mr. Stiers was also very kind towards the fans.
If you have friends at any age, you truly are blessed. Great show. There will never be another one like it.
I grew up watching MASH and then after some years being a RN I became an Operating Room nurse. It made watching the show even more meaningful. I’ve watched the episodes countless times, over the years, and Never tire of doing so. You’re Right, there’ll never be another series like it. It may be a worn out trope but they don’t make them like they use to.
When a veteran says the friends in front of him mean more than those he served with previously, you know you’re a true friend.
So true. After spending 26 years in the Army I've saluted many a helmit and boots on a chair next to the chair an M16 and dog tags.
You wonder why you're still around but I guess it is to remember those who went before you and to keep their memory alive.
I would be honnoured to consider you a friend sir. God Bless You.
He means brothers, not by blood, but by experience and that is truly beautiful. May we all find such camaraderie in our fellow man, because that is the love that truly stands the test of time.
Your picture looks like Harry Morgan
@@ghostcityshelton9378 I guess serving must take it's toll on you one thing most civilian s myself included probably with hope will never have experience .
but respect to anyone willing to take up arms to protect his fellow man even if some good people are lost along the way .
Can’t count the times I watched Mash. I think Harry Morgan left a lasting impression with his experienced talent. Rest easy Harry.🌸🌸
I watched this when it first aired. Cried my eyes out.
I still do.
There will never be another show like MASH. It is a classic that stands the test of time. The writing, the stories, the actors. All magnificent. I watched it religiously with my parents every week, and it is good to revisit those memories now that they are gone too. Not many of the cast left alive today. Thank you for everything, all of you.
Harry Morgan's performance here is so sincere and heartfelt that he had to be recalling real old friends that had moved on.
i just watched this. there is no fucking way he's acting. this is real. Morgan was in his 60s when this was filmed he's got actual tears in his eyes and his voice is about to crack. you can't fake that. i don't care how good you are.
Harry was always a great actor. My dad loved nick at nite and we watched dragnet. He was great on there too
I’ve been a huge fan of Harry Morgan since Dragnet. But his portrayal of Col. Potter was genius. Rest In Peace Harry Morgan. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Just an odd reminder. Before he was Col. Potter, Henry Morgan was a nutso general, one of the little oddities of this show.
I sold Mr. Morgan flooring and installed it in his condo in South Pasadena in Pinellas county, Florida. He sure loved his big ole stogies. He did not act like anybody special but instead, like anybody else and very pleasant.
@@artmiller2341 I had a former coworker who met him on numerous occasions because of her job and you echo everything she said he was very down to earth and personable.
@@artmiller2341 I lived there. when was this?
@@whattowatchrightnow 1978
MASH was a hell of a show. Preached without preaching, lots of emotions and even more laughs.
I cried like a baby. I’ve been watching M*A*S*H since it began. And still watch every night.
What a phenomenal actor. Harry Morgan was surrounded by fine actors in this scene who must have been blown away by his performance.
Yes I agree 👍💯
Wholeheartedly agreed.
Yeah they way he could show emotion reminded me of Robin Williams ability to do that. Both could do it so naturally
he started in the early years of movies
I'm sure his earlier castmates were impressed
Henry fonda John Wayne James Stewart
if you didn't like M.A.S.H. there's something wrong with you and you should consult, the best show on television ever, the GOAT.
To anyone who wonders why that television show earned so many Emmys, let me direct you to.....ANY episode.
Any episode before Alan Alda took over the show completely with season 6.
@@joewhite6868 , agreed. It got too political at that point. Still great acting and some good stories, but far from what it was.
I don't care what you guys say, it was my ALL time favorite show. Political or not. Still an awesome show.
Mr. Dana Covert Totally agree. And people need to remember that this was a 70s show...right after Vietnam. Alan Alda was afraid that the show was making war too funny and not enough seriousness. Korea was a SHITTY war and I think Alan Alda just wanted to make it a bit more real.
Michael Godsey - War is shitty but Korea was a just cause. The U.S. kept half if the peninsula free. South Korea is one of the most prosperous nations on Earth. NoKo is a large prison camp.
What superb acting! To watch Col. Potter tear up, then Maj. Winchester's reaction makes this a real tear jerker!
The slight quaver in his voice at the end of his toast hits like a hammer.
To hear harry morgan say those words so touching so memorable ❤
Beautifully written series, the writers knew what war was about. Captured its roller coaster of emotions perfectly.
Brilliant. I miss quality network television.
Given that Harry Morgan served in the military during WWII, I can't help but wonder if there was a little bit of reality subtext behind Potter's toast.
Everything I've read says he never served. Closest he got to the war was a 1942 recruitment film, To the Shores of Tripoli
Wonder if he was thinking of Jack Webb too, I think he recently died when this was filmed.
Not impossible
One of the best shows on television. I watched every episode. They're never make shows like that again. So many were tearful, and some were hard to watch, but we watched them. Proud to be a Boomer.
My father was in the ETO and turned 20 after D-Day. In the late 80s he met up with an old comrade of his from their old unit, they started talking and it was if they never were separated. Somethings bind you to each other in perpetuity.
One of the greatest scenes in one of the greatest tv shows of all time!
Harry Morgan's Colonel Potter was my favorite character, salty, down to earth, smart, tough, kind, human & sweet. RIP Harry & thank you.
Another great scene was when Radar presented Sophie to Col. Potter. He walks around his office admiring the horse and when he gets to the rear, he slips on an unfortunately placed pile of droppings.
Major Burns: "That's disGUSTING!"
Col. Potter (smiling): "Son. To me, that's a tip toe through the tulips!"
Colonel Potter is the kind of boss every supervisor should emulate. A true leader.
My favorite scene was when Potter had to deal with Flagg. Potter is the kind that wouldn't put up with Flagg's nonsense. Blake on the other hand was too wishy washy when it came to dealing with Flagg.
@@melissacooper4482 I thought MASH became a better show when Col. Potter joined...
@@l.salisbury1253 I agree. I didn't care much for the first three seasons. I loved the show more once Colonel Potter joined the cast. I even liked the show better once Frank Burns left the show. Major Charles Emerson Winchester is a better character and a more compantant doctor than Frank!
Harry Morgan was so damn good....not just in this but in his entire run as Sherman Potter. Still use his line "not enough O's in smooth" to describe a drink!!
I ALWAYS remembered THAT line ! LOL....
@@pwilson6439 Cheers !
I feel so honored to have grown up watching MASH. Seeing Klinger and Charles just as loyal as the rest of the crew full of love is beautiful!
I didn't grow up when it was airing but my grandparents had the whole thing on dvd, so I watched all of it twice! Amazing, beautiful, wonderful show.
I always loved this show and still do now. So many memories.
Anyone who has been in the military knows, ultimately you will have to say good bye to your buddies and probably never see them or hear from them again. It's a sad experience whether you were a lifer or a draftee. Colonel Potter's speech and his toast was outstanding.
It happens to dependents, too. I was a brat who saw some duty stations and friends come and go before I was ten.
the feeling is closer to an amputation of a piece of ones soul.
I found out a mucker I served with was killed 3 years after I got out. I found out 15 years later. It hit me like it had only just happened, you never forget. RIP mate.
@@achosenman9376 Thanks for your service and your comment. Prayers!
@@Tommy1977777 Thank you for your comment, and service!
Every time I watch this, I feel like I’ve met Colonel Potter’s old WW1 friends. A master class in acting from Morgan.
Harry Morgan was a great actor. The scene certainly shows that, and makes me tear up.
Can't recall a single bad line reading from him, ever. He really understood the sense of the writing.
Officer Bill Gannon in the late 60's Dragnet series was the first time I saw Harry Morgan. He was a serious partner for Sergeant Joe Friday, but every so often he provided some light comedy relief, which was always fun. I think for many fans Gannon and Colonel Potter were his most famous roles.
Col Potters speech hits different when you’ve served and lost buddies. I can’t watch this without tearing up. Its my favorite episode though
I'm 76, lost my last high school riding buddy, lost veteran friends and family. getting thin out here. Stay in the moment, live life, remember with pride and love.
Sorry for your losses. Remember there are good things and people in life still and remember how Hawkeye and the others found reasons to laugh amidst the pain.
Cheers to that.
It really doesn't get any better than that, pure class.
Harry Morgan was an AMAZING actor but I think this goes beyond acting. They all cared about each other a lot.
,
He’s got me crying.
@@danb2337 Ditto!
This is why mash was a success for 11yrs😀
What a frigging spectacular performance by a tremendous actor.
Thank you, sir.
I had never heard the word "tontine" until I saw this terrific episode. This was one of the best.
Me too 🤓😎✌🏻
Give that man a cheroot.
There’s a classic British comedy called The Wrong Box, which also involves a tontine. Peter Sellers is screamingly funny as Dr. Pratt.
Harry Morgan acting at the highest level.
What was really cool was after my father died, my family and I got to share in a tontine. My Dad was a paratrooper with the 507th PIR, 82nd Airborne and jumped outside of Grainges, France on D-Day. After the war, raising kids, and working for years he finally retired quietly in northern Wisconsin. It was somewhere on about 30 years ago an old Army buddy got a personalized bottle of brandy with his name, rank, medals, etc. After he received it, he got the idea to have his family, and any other buddies that could make it, to his gravesite on the day of his burial to have a drink and a toast to our lives together. In November 2020 that day came after 99 years of life. At his gravesite, the brandy came out as a small Army squadron flew overhead while one of them pretended to "bail out." It was all on the local news in Minneapolis, MN. We all toasted him there except for me, who saw it all on Zoom. It was COVID time then, and I live 1500 miles away and was considered at risk. But I saw the whole thing and it was quite moving. Last July, on what would have been his 100th birthday, I was able to fulfill the tontine that made his life, for me, complete.
This is very moving and meaningful. I am grateful to you for sharing this and allowing those of us who took the time to read what you wrote from the heart, share in the celebration of your dad's memorable life. how he bravely fought for freedom, and the legacy he leaves behind
Becca
USAF veteran Military Police
Wow wonderful story thank you for sharing that with us .
As many as there were...I think this is one of the finest MASH moments...Harry Morgan gave so much to this already proven experience...God Bless
When my father entered into the final stages of dementia, the only thing he’d watch and pay any attention to was M*A*S*H. Even non-verbal, his eyes would be fixed on this show. As a career officer in the Navy, he connected somehow to this show. Thank you cast members, for giving my Dad that. May God grant peace to all of you. You gave him a glimpse into his past! Thank you for that.
If a Television performance could be given an Oscar it should be this one, I don't know if you could call this acting since it is so sincere and heartfelt.
That would be an Emmy, and yes, this would deserve one.
Amen💜🙏
I second that and agree with you 100%!
IMO, the best, most gut-wrenching, award-winning performances, whether movie, TV or stage, are best ad-libbed
Thank you, could not have said it better.
That wasn't Colonel Potter; that was Harry Morgan, pure and simple. He was a damn fine actor.
He's a fine human being with a heart
One of the most profound scenes in the history of television. Harry Morgan is just breathtaking.
I Agree shoud have got an Emmy.Take care.
He gave a terrific speech here I felt his emotions.
Doesn't take much acting when you have a real love for the actor you're working with. The entire cast loved Harry Morgan and it showed.
I absolutely love this scene as I have gotten older I can appreciate it where Col Potter is feeling and coming from
One of the top 5 scenes from M*A*S*H that I will never forget.
Harry Morgan was such an underappreciated actor.
When I first saw this scene years ago I thought this was an award winning performance. The subtlety of Morgan chocking back the tears as he gets to the end of his solo toast. The actual release of tension by all the other actors when they learn the Colonel is not sick. Those things are not easy to pull off and yet this was IMHO flawless.
David Ogden Stiers starts to choke as Col. Potter toasts his old friends... You can tell this scene affected everyone there.
Notice that he his late for touching of the glasses for the toast. Like his character was late to their friendship
True passion Morgan gave his all to each and every role and it shows. I love M*A*S*H and it's cast to those who passed know you will live forever in our hearts.
This was definitely a shining moment for Harry Morgan. He made it all so REAL.
The finest cast with the finest script with finest of intentions.
Finest kind
Seen this scene a dozen times over the years and it still chokes me. More so now that I'm getting on in years. Thank you, Lord, for seeing me thus far.
This scene, and the Henry Blake announcement are some of the best scenes out of the 4077.
Hell of an actor. Hell of script.
that was something HUGE and MIGHTY to say and salute , may he rest in peace and the rest of M.A.S.H who has gone , powerfull scene.
Beautiful scene. As good as it gets.
Wonderful scene, and a great show.
Im 64, Have out lived many dear friends. But, im lucky, I ve made new friends, Young ones that i admire deeply
Powerful scene. Those seem like genuine emotions.
It always hits me hard when he toasts his buddy that died “in the war to end all wars.” Then toasts his buddy that”…that died in the war after that”.
Wars never have ended. I pray that they will someday.
This is one of my very favorite scenes in all of M*A*S*H.
Also to add that Winchester although a pompus ass at times actually was kind and decent and not a idiot like Frank Burns. As for Sherman T. Potter he was the greatest addition to MASH humble honest man not afraid to head into danger and not afraid to admit when he is scared. Potter is the type of career officer that looks after the men and women under his command and doesn't demand respect he gets it because he earned it.
Best scene in television history. Ever!
Super lame!!
Thanks!
To be honest with everyone a cheroot is a type of cigar.
@@rosspatterson131 Straighten your panties, lame-boy ! LOL.....🙂
@@chriscraft1334 You are CORRECT, sir.
A small one, like Clint smoked in the old spaghetti westerns.
Every time... EVERY episode Harry Morgan gets that quiver in his voice in an emotional scene, I can feel tears forming. I don't think it's just the material he was given; his acting was always dialed to the right percentage, whether the scene was sad, funny or heated.
Yes. Exactly. Well said!
James Smith Harry Morgan was close friends with Alan Alda and Mike Farrell and others in cast so when said their goodbyes in the finale it was genuine emotions. They all kept in touch after the show was done. Alda, Stiers and Farrell all have said they admired Harry Morgan and looked up to him.
Yep, exactly! He's one of those actors that took everything he did on that show and I'm sure other shows and movies he was in took the script and made his emotions as real as he could get it. I know for a fact when Radar left that was real emotion and the same with the episode "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" where he was saying goodbye because that was for real saying goodbye to his cast mates and friends.
He came across as a weak man. Not colonel material at all and therefore not believable.
@@drServitis It takes a strong man to be able to open up and be vulnerable. And that makes him a good colonel because he trusts the men and women beneath him to do their jobs, while they trust him to do his. That trust wouldn't exist if Colonel Potter didn't make the first move and opened up.
Television has rarely seen writing and acting of this caliber. Timeless.
I have always considered this performance one of the two best in a TV serial of all time. The other - the basically solo performance of Carroll O'Connor when Edith Died. WOW is all I can say
I used to sit and watch this show with my Grandma on TV Land when I was a lil guy, I think this show helped teach little me a lot of important lessons. It also helped teach me to shoulder the bad, cherish the good, and help wherever I can.
What a legendary program, we will never see it's like again.
today's youth could use a dose of this
Col. Potter brought to light the emotions and thoughts I, and all who served in our armed forces. We laughed, we cried, we went through some things best forgotten but, whatever the situation goddamm it we went through them together. I could count on them and, though unspoken, they could count on me. I can't honestly say if my own family would do that without judging. I have never been as close to anyone as I was to them. I swear I will never forget them. I loved you all then and still do today. God love and keep you and yours safe. Stay Calm. Be Safe. "Wiener"
We went together, we came back together, we watched each other's backs, and we stood together.
We developed trust, bonds and a standard of mateship regardless of rank no one else can never understand.
This episode draws those components together perfectly and also shows why the sequels wouldn't work.
M*A*S*H, the only TV show that shared how the majority of us felt about war, crooked leadership and loss. It also taught us how to rise above it and laugh at it through the support and love for one another, no matter what walk of life you came from. Best show ever!
As a former USMC officer, a retired FBI Agent of 30 years, and now a 72 yoa old guy, i can relate! Friends of my youth were great, but new friends are a blessing! SEMPER FI
Semper Fi Sir
SEMPERD
Thank you sir
Till we die
One of my favorite scenes of all time, whether movie or TV.
MASH will always be a cherished classic. no other TV can duplicate the sincerity or quality of the writing and cast. MASH will never be forgotten.
I've watched this many times. Love the emotion on Winchesters face. Pure, not acting. RIP David Ogden Stiers.
The way Potter's hands were shaking. That was pure too. RIP to both Stiers and Morgan.
Harry Morgan - one of the best.
This is one of my favorite episodes from MASH. As a soldier, I always get a little teary eyed. Hell, sometimes, remembering all my buddies, I actually sob. It's kind of like when the angel tells George Bailey, "All those men on that transport died! He wasn't there to save them, because you weren't there to save Harry!" I love this episode. The most. Thank you, Jim Berthiaume for bringing it to me.
I wish Radar could've been in this scene. He and Sherman were like a father and son. I loved M*A*S*H, and every character was special. Oh I wish there was wholesome television shows for us nowadays.
ME TOO
Col Potter - a commander I'd follow anywhere.
One of the most memorable scenes in the show. It is a very moving and a true scene.