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My favorite Winchester moment is when he decides to console Hawkeye when his father is having a difficult surgery. They both have the chance to talk about their relationships with their fathers, and Charles says “I had a father, whereas you had a Dad.” Brilliant piece of dialogue, and you feel every inch of it thanks to David.
I loved the Christmas episode when Charles annonumsly donated all those speacial chocolate bars to the orphanage when Klinger thought he was a real Scrooge until Klinger discovered his secret, then brought Charles a humble meal and kept Charles secret. That was a very touching moment to me!
I can play the notes but I cannot make the music -- my all time favorite line from David Steirs as Charles. It moved me because it expressed not only his music but his own inability to communicate and get alone with people.
Yep. "I have hands that can make a scalpel sing". I truly believe Winchester loved music more than medicine. The fact he even went to Father Mulcahy for advice shows just how deep was his love of music; he couldn't bear the loss of such a talented musician, something he knew he would never become.
A few years ago I bought a large quantity of classical CD's at a moving sale. I practically squealed with delight when I realized that one of the pieces was the one Winchester mentions to the patient.
The best memory I have of the Charles Emerson Winchester III character is from the M*A*S*H finale. It is the scene with the captured North Korean soldier/musicians where Charles sees their Korean instruments and flippantly tells them, "Why don't you play some Mozart?!?" To his utter shock and surprise, the North Koreans understand 'Mozart' and begin to play masterfully as Charles begins to walk away, and then he turns around and can't believe what he is witnessing. Charles takes an interest in these North Koreans and even tries to teach them more classical music, even with the obvious language barrier. Of course, this was the setup for the horrific ironic ending. I think out of all the M*A*S*H characters' experiences of irony, Charles suffered the cruelest form.
Right on, Ronald! I agree that it was a cruel irony that Winchester's love of music was shattered by the loss of his " band. " There has never been a show that mixed comedy and drama so well.
You know, I just rewatched that the other day. It was so moving to see the arrogant smug Winchester get totally emotionally destroyed by what happened to his "band." Great writing. Brilliant acting. Loved his portrayal of this character!
I have to respectfully disagree on your comment about the first 5 seasons of the show. I found that Frank Burns was becoming to predictable abs too easy a target for zHawkeye and Trapper latterly BJ . Winchester was a far more worthy apponent and that in combination with the superior Harry Morgan moved the show up several notches and it started to deal with serious issues of the day .
I know that there are people in both camps, those that prefer the more comedic seasons and those who prefer the later seasons. I like them all, but due prefer the earlier seasons. There’s really no right or wrong when it comes to preference though, and the whole show is great! Thanks for watching my video and for sharing your comments!
But by the time Houlihan's hair turned silver the show had ridiculously jumped the shark, becoming indulgent, preachy, gimmicky and little more than a soapbox for Alan Alda's liberal politics..
@@HailAnts I am saddened by the thought that there still exists people who would rather hate and tear down others with whom they may disagree on some (likely immaterial) point rather than explore the topic to potentially learn something that may make them a better person. THAT was the “preaching” that Mr Alda provided and the world would be a better place if he was heeded. Constantly stealing from others to fill the hole in one’s soul is the folly I will never understand about “conservatives”, a word that should mean to preserve the wholesomeness of previous generations but, in practice, provides those in power the excuse and misunderstanding to oppress for their own continued enrichment. Thus the difference between Frank Burns, the undeserving but self-important Conservative, and Charles Emerson Winchester III, who had everything that Burns wanted but also the VERY Liberal (though often hidden) qualities of Noblesse Oblige, compassion, and humanity. The later years of M*A*S*H taught that humanity, if you had the heart to listen, but the early years, though more gag-orientedly humorous, also showed how concern for one’s fellow man and the lack of real differences to feed our tribalism illuminated the stupidity of war. How sad that lesson was wasted on some, but glad you could find something to laugh at that didn’t include shooting kittens with BB guns.
Major Winchester was a fantastic character and David Ogden Stiers played him beautifully! Frank Burns was a one dimensional character whereas Winchester was well rounded. My favorite MASH episode was Death Takes a Holiday. Everyone thought Winchester was a scrooge (for not donating his Christmas candy) but he secretly donated it to the local orphanage. Great video!
Death Takes A Holiday is my favourite episode also. The “old family tradition” exchange between Klinger and Winchester is beautifully written and acted.
Klinger: “The source of this Christmas dinner must remain anonymous. It's an old family tradition.” Charles: “Thank you, Max.” One of the most tender scenes ever & yet neither of them ever mentioned it again. Some things don't need a reminder, they stay with you all your life.
It could not have been easy for Stiers to step in and fill the void left by Linville. Frank Burns was the original character you "love to hate". Stiers did a remarkable job portraying the next character you love to hate but my favorite Winchester episodes are the ones portraying Winchester's humanity. Another great video Stephen!
I love the "Dear Sis" (1978) episode that highlights Father Mulcahy's feelings. There is also a great Charles moment when Radar gives Charles his old toboggan cap as a gift. He expresses real gratitude toward Radar and to Mulcahy. His monologue to a listening Radar is also heart-warming.
“You saved me, Father. You lowered a bucket into the well of my despair and you raised me up to the light of day." I loved that scene in that Christmas episode!
He had a depth and humanity underneath that veneer of pompousity. Being able to carve out his own presence in MASH, considering all the other talent around him, is just simply, stunning. Ravi Peiris M.D.
Stiers’ personal love of music came through in his portrayal of the outwardly arrogant though privately compassionate Winchester. In “Morale Victory” he sends for a copy of Ravel’s Piano Concerto for the Left Hand to encourage a permanently wounded soldier who is a concert pianist and who cannot play with his right hand due to nerve damage to continue to play and teach. “I can play the notes,” he tells the young pianist, “but I cannot make the music.” Incredibly moving.
In my opinion, Winchester is the character that best represents the ability of M*A*S*H* to create both great comedy and compelling drama. Frank Burns was a one-dimensional punchline good only for jokes, whereas Winchester was a fleshed-out, multifaceted human being. His arrogance, elitism, and dry wit served the jokes well, while his intelligence, sophistication, surgical talent, and ability to show compassion towards other people were what helped to make some of the show's best dramatic moments happen. It was that ability to transition between the two with such seamlessness that makes both the character and the show as a whole during the time he was on it stand out as a true masterpiece.
Again, blame/credit the writers. Winchester wasn't the compassionate soul until years after his character was introduced. His first couple years, he's the arrogant, do nothing wrong, I'm better than you surgeon who wanted to be in Tokyo rather than at the 4077th. Once Alan Alda started having more of a say in the show's direction, then you see the compassionate Winchester. Those middle years are a transition from a straight comedy to a dramedy. By season 5, Burns' character was nothing more than comic relief. There were no episodes where the main storyline is about him.
RIP Mr. Stiers! The man truly had several great bits over his tenure as Winchester! (The episode where he takes down the bullies for messing with the kid with the speech impediment was downright inspiring!) But the one the scene that always got me was when he received the turned-leaf from Crabapple Cove. All he says is 'Autumn in New England' yet the emotion was overwhelming! As a New Englander myself, I new exactly where he was coming from!
He really did have some great moments on MASH, and was a more likable character than Burns had been. That episode with the stuttering was awesome! It’s amazing how many people still remember or talk about it. Thanks for watching my video and supporting my channel! It means a lot!
@@jenniferhansen3622 That last episode IS truly tragic! The man used music to escape... & in the end it had become a constant reminder! Almost Clock-work Orange in it's scale!
I lived in Connecticut for 5 years, when I was a youth, I’m from the Midwest. I still remember the fall time there. I’m getting misty eyed thinking about it.
Winchester was an amazing character! Stuck up, Prideful, but he showed such heart and integrity at points. Like when he had the chance to go home if he stuck up for that (major?) that tried to take advantage of Margaret. But instead he chose to sacrifice what he wanted to protect her. When I watched the finale G,F,& A it made me sad for him when he said that music used to be his escape but now it would be a reminder. He also wasn't as racist to the koreans as Frank was. He had a good heart that was well hidden from others but I enjoyed seeing when it showed, cuz it showed who he could be deep down. Can we tell I like this character alot?😂😂😂
His facial expressions are what really did it for me. I have 2 favorite scenes that involve him that I think really show this. The first is the scene where they decide to have their families attend a reunion now. They look on Charles' face as he realizes his family and Radar's might co-mingle is truly priceless. You can see not just the horror but the embarrassment. My other scene is the other end of the spectrum during the final episode when one of the north Korean men he was conducting for was killed and they were driven off. The look of true despair and loss.....
Mash was also a big part of my youth. My mom and I loved it. The one line Charles said to Hawkeye in an episode that is a part of my life is, " where I have a father you have a dad." It stays with me.
I just watched that episode the other night. A great bit of writing for that interaction between Charles and Hawkeye. Thanks for watching my video and sharing your thoughts!
I love when Winchester got the letter with the leaf in it, when we found out that Honoria had a stutter, when we found he donated the chocolate to the orphanage . . . and it was funny when he made Klinger be his bird dog and I loved that he went in on the practical joke of getting Hawkeye where the whole camp ganged up on him to make him nervous about when the prank would be played which was the entired prank - making Hawkeye nervous all day long.
Winchester probably is the best example of how an officer should behave in the series. He knew all the military protocols and rules, but he also knew when to let his hair down (eh, yeah) and fight back on the pranks whereas Burns just tattled. He knew what being in charge was about, except for that one episode when he took it too far.
Stiers, in my opinion, was a master actor. Watch him in a scene that is not about him to see his true genius. Many actors are just waiting for their line, you can catch some actors mouthing lines of other characters waiting for their line. Stiers acts all the way through the scene allowing a full impact of the moment that allows the audience to immerse themselves better into the story. The next time you watch a scene he is in without a speaking part observe a master at work. Then see how artfully he uses his skill in a part with another actor, he will lift their performance to another level.
Yes, indeed. I could not have said this better or as well! Stiers was a classically trained actor who took his craft seriously. I was lucky enough to see him onstage in NYC with Houseman's troupe, including in "The School for Scandal." He was one of the actors who could project in the theater and act ore subtly in the intimacy of television.
I adored Stiers - always one of my favourite actors - he was so wonderful as Charles Emerson Winchester III...& indeed every other role he undertook - a really class act.
A favorite Charles Emerson Winchester scene for me was the episode where we get a glimpse into the dreams/nightmares of the characters. In Major Winchester's he is dressed to the nines and performing simple magic tricks. Suddenly a wounded soldier is wheeled in. He is ignored by the Major who attempts to step up his performance. Eventually the patients dies, and the Major is left only to top dance while waving around sparklers. Major Winchester wakes with a start and utters a single, bitter "DAMN!" Flawless.
I have to say my favourite Charles moment is his first episode at the 4077. When the various lecture time announcements about lice, dysentery and foot fungus go over the camp speaker... his facial expressions of deflated morale are priceless.
Loved the episode where Winchester helped the pianist who lost the use of his hand. The Christmas episode where he wanted to give the candy to the orphanage away secretly( and Klinger helps him feel better about the candy being traded for food). The episode where he was getting full of himself for a potential news story, but he neglected a patient, and Hawkeye had to reoperate on the patient...Winchester asked that the news story be canceled because of his failure. Hawkeye, at the end of the episode, said he was pompous and arrogant, and " you're all right ". The expression on his face upon hearing that was perfection. One of the funniest MASH episodes ever was when Winchester refused to quit playing his French horn, so Hawkeye and BJ refused to bathe...all three got comeuppance at the end, in hilarious fashion, Hawkeye and BJ being literally hosed down, Winchester's horn is flattened by a jeep. Stiers also appeared in a few episodes of " Frazier " too
I had the distinct honor of meeting DOS. The bit of Charles conducting the N.Korean POWs was his idea and it was easy since DOS was a very gifted conductor. In 1987 he was the guest conductor at a symphony orchestra my mother played violin for. Being a family member of an orchestra member meant I could go back stage which I did all the time. This time I stood back and waited to say something to DOS since orchestra members should have dibs. After a few minutes it was obvious that most people had spoken to him at the two rehearsals and before the concert. I walked up and mentioned that I was a huge classical music buff and giant M*A*S*H fan. I said that I almost called him Charles. He laughed and said it happened all the time. He was duly impressed that I knew the encore piano piece that the soloist had played because it wasn’t well known. We must have talked for over 15 minutes about mash. My mom, all the years she played in the orchestra, would always stay over for 15 to 20 minutes since we knew so many people from the area. David said that his only caveat was that he could play classical music anytime. Both the conductor bit, and the bit with the Ravel Piece for the left hand, we’re both entirely his idea and both times took zero research since he knew that piece well and the fact that he was so gifted at conducting. He was approachable, talkative, and very friendly. He was the polar opposite of CEWIII.
I asked him why he didn't use sheet music and he said that it just gets in the way and can be a distraction. He said that he would look down and have to regroup when he had music for complicated pieces, and he never lost track of where he was when it came to concerts with solo pianists or violinists. As long as he knew the piece it was easier to just do it from memory. I still find that stunning to this day. I know how guest soloists do it. My mother was a gifted violinist and she used to play strolling violin at weddings and never needed music. I remember that if she found that there was a piece she either didn't know or wasn't entirely familiar with she'd find the sheet music, being that she taught at a college with a music program it was easy enough, and she'd play it. After playing it once or twice she'd never need to again. But for a conductor to not use music I find stunning.
The dialogue of “You have a dad, I have a father” was classic, and how many people relate to parents is something that the viewers could relate to. It was caught perfectly
I love the episode where he stands up for the kid that has a stutter. I myself have struggled with a stutter all my life. And faced the same problems the kid faced. But Winchester's talk to him, helped me through it.
My favorite episode was when Charles gave the orphans the chocolate that he received from his family, and becomes incensed when the caretaker sells it on the black market. His interaction with the caretaker is poignant, as is his later interaction with Klinger in his tent. It’s one of the few times he calls Klinger Max and the only time Klinger calls him Charles. Amazing writing and acting.
I’m glad they made Charles completely different from Frank. It just doesn’t work when they replace a character with the same kind. I loved his later films as well. I was always excited to see his name pop up.
As much as Linville's Frank Burns was a good antagonist, I can see his point that there was nowhere for the character to go. I think the choice and development of Winchester as a new character really was what the show needed. He started as an antagonist who thought he was too good for the rest of them, but that gave him room for character growth that Burns never had. And Winchester was still committed to his patients even if he was too good for the work, rather than the bungling Burns. I mean, I suppose they could have shown Burns coming to some sort of realization and improving his surgical skills, but I don't know how his power mad self could have learned that lesson without ruining the character. Meanwhile, Winchester might be a bit of a snob who needed to learn lessons, but he could teach a few lessons of his own about appreciating culture and how the arts could improve life and bring hope and healing. He brought new perspective that was lacking before to the whole idea of medicine.
All of the regular characters had some sort of growth, some development. Except Frank Burns. That's why I think Mr. Linville made the right decision to leave when he did. I'm glad the producers didn't just bring in another Frank Burns type. Charles was, as you said, "what the show needed". And Mr. Stiers played him to perfection.
Terrific comment. Winchester was a child of privilege, and inhibited by his upbringing. i would bet being in the army was the first time in his life he was ever in such prolonged contact with the proletariat! It took him a while to adjust, but gradually the true worth of his character came out, and as a viewer you can realize he his his own integrity and even sensitivity. I think he's an example of old money and "noblesse oblige," with its good qualities such as sense of honor, and also its deficits such as snobbery. Frank Burns is more nouveau riche, or would-be n.r., and he's so tied up with his social status and making it into the country club set that he has no room in his life for anything much beyond his ambition. I would add that we do see development in Margaret's character, as she goes through the disaster of her marriage, and she becomes a fuller character, but with Frank the show had gotten stuck with no way to proceed. To some extent the same is true of Trapper John and even Henry Blake (not to mention most of the nubile nurses), but the other characters develop and become more complicated, and that's why to my mind the later seasons are more rewarding. Winchester was a part of that development.
@@elainechubb971 I think they could have done more stuff with Blake. They just hadn't. I prefer Colonel Potter, and I think by being of a different generation than the rest of the cast he brought another perspective to everything that benefited the later seasons. But they could have tried more stuff with Blake. I think they had options for him. With Trapper John and Honeycutt, I honestly can't remember much difference between them. I was a child when I watched MASH, and I've only ever caught episodes since now and again, not watching it all through. But to me they seemed interchangeable as Hawkeye's partner in crime. Most of the nurses, yeah, they were interchangeable. I kind of wish we had another woman in the regular cast with Margaret just for contrast. But yeah, Margaret got development with Frank leaving and the disastrous marriage. Those things moved her out of her previous position.
@@jenniferhanses7064 B.J. got more character background, with his wife and baby daughter that he missed so much. And he had a rather quiet, sly humor--he could play pranks on Hawkeye, just to one-up him. I love Potter, and Harry Morgan played him so well. Perhaps in the earliest seasons the writers felt constrained to keep to a sitcom format, and it took time for them to loosen up and give the characters freedom to develop?
David ogden stiers was a fine actor. There was a certain episode where Winchester forms an orchestra made up of Koreans only after much exhaustion only to lose the whole orchestra in a bombing the look of grief on ogden stiers face no dialogue was needed that is how good of an actor he was.
For me it's a toss up between the "Pieces for the Left Hand" episode that you mention, the "Handmade Chocolate" episode and the "Stuttering Soldier" episode! Episodes where we really see Charles Winchester's hidden humanity! They are gold! A great actor sorely missed!
The difference between Frank Burns and Major Winchester was, Winchester had a spine and a moral compass despite his arrogance, while Frank Burns did not.
They spent so much effort making Burns one dimensional, it would have been difficult, if not impossible, to make him worthwhile. Winchester comes in and is, in my opinion, the most multi dimensional character on the show
I loved Stiers as Winchester. His character was deep, interesting, funny and he carried a lot of greatness too. I loved how they really used everything for his character trademarks as story-driving forces for certain episodes. Especially in the finale. In fact as a character i found him a lot more enjoyable than Frank Burns.
I appreciate your comments, but I do also love the goofiness of Burns. But I also like Winchester and the layer-by-layer performance of David Ogden Stiers.
I loved the character of Winchester. He knew how to handle Hawkeye and BJ. He didn't just get even, he got ahead but truthfully Winchester was a character of many different layers to him. He had more heart and compassion than he would ever show. I've always had the feeling that he wasn't comfortable showing this side of himself. David Ogden Stiers was a fantastic addition to the cast.
The episode where he buys the fine chocolate for the orphanage later to find out they sold it on the black market in order to buy much more food. He get humbled and realizes that his gift of chocolates wasn’t the need but rather real food was the need. Great episode.
What I loved about Charles was how he was just one of the guys under the filigree. He wasn't afraid to let people see his vulnerable side and he was a friend when they needed one. That really stuck out in the Christmas episode when he gave the white elephant gift to the orphanage in the form of canned oysters; which turned out to be full of chocolate bars. When he heard why the headmaster sold the chocolates, he realized he was in the wrong. I still shed a tear when Klinger brings in the plate of food for Charles.
I became somewhat infamous in my work for using his line, I do one thing at a time, I do it VERY WELL and then I move on. thank you major Winchester!!!
In many ways the best character on the show. A bit pompous on the surface due to his upbringing, education, and achievements, but a fine surgeon with a good heart, and the ultimate humanist. He really cared about people. Lots of good scenes that showed the depth of the character. Still one of the best shows ever.
The episode that I really remember, was when Charles got his French horn. Hawkeye and BJ got tired of him playing it. And they decided not to bathe in protest. Eventually this battle affects the whole camp David Ogden Steirs played the character amazingly. When Larry left the show, I didn't think would find a good replacement. But they did. Thank goodness they created a new character that wasn't a copy of Frank Burns. RIP David Ogden Steirs
Hard to widdle it down to just one favorite moment for Charles. The Christmas episode where the candy he gave to the orphanage head was sold for actual food that the children needed. Such a touching moment between Charles and Klinger in The Swamp. I loved him in the newspaper episode, loved the moment when he became so irate with the clerk while he and Hawkeye were trying to get a baby of mixed parents adopted and Charles grabbed the phone and said "Mr. so and so is in conference, let them eat OUT!" and then slamming the phone down. I also loved it when he came to Margaret's rescue when Col. Baldwin wanted Charles to lie about Margaret and he went on a mini tirade which I also loved.
My favorite episode is when Winchester is moved by a Korean soldier playing a flute, and he tries to start an orchestra. Later, he sees the flute playing soldier has died, and it effects how he hears music. That episode moved me so much.
I can't say this enough, I can feel your Passion in your words talking about Mash..What I loved about Mash is all the little side stories each episode had..The exorcism when Igor hasnt drawn better then a pair in the last two weeks.(paraphrasing)
He had a guest role on Stargate Atlantis. Later, there was an opportunity for the character to reappear on a screen. This could have been done in LA with a green screen and that was offered to him, but he instead decided to drive to Vancouver and do it live on set. Stargate often had telecommunications scenes with both actors in different rooms having the conversation live, which produced better interaction. He cared enough to go well out of his way to do it right. Major respect to the fans. Doc Hollywood was filmed near where I was working at the time and he was a guest conductor for the Gainesville Symphony Orchestra, coming back several times.
MASH was so filled with a cornucopia of feelings and experiences i doubt any show and never an other sitcom can reach it's scope. Touching everyone looking for a laugh to those it brought back painful memories to.
My ABSOLUTE favorite Charles episode was the Christmas one where he gets a package of expensive treats, including decadent chocolates and candies. When pressed to donate to the bounty to be presented to local children in a Christmas dinner, he instead offers some smoked oysters. Later that night he delivers the chocolates and candies to a local orphanage in secret. He later finds out that the man running the orphanage sold the candy on the black market to get the more important staples the children would need over the long haul. Throughout the episode Charles is dumped on by everyone for giving oysters, and he maintains the usual stiff upper lip. Until Cpl. Klinger finds out, and brings an offering of the collected food to the Major, who is alone in the Swamp. The two warmly and humbly exchange Merry Christmas as equals who share an important secret.
Who else remembers the shattered record? I had no idea how real those emotions were when i saw the show as a kid, but now i totally get it. I've been to war and I've experienced how hard it is to remain human during those times. My post war take on how he played his role made him my favorite character.
One of the most poignant episodes, for me, is the vignette where Major Winchester saves the life of a wounded soldier all while under sniper fire, and in the process takes a round through his service cap. Having been in combat, I found a verisimilitude in the “today I’m here, tomorrow isn’t guaranteed; and if I’m not here tomorrow… where will I be?” I often wonder if the actors, knew at the time, they had captured lightning in a bottle. Fifty years from its debut, and it’s still one of the best shows on television, to this day.
My favourite Winchester episode is Death Takes a Holiday (probably my favourite episode of MASH, period) which brings out the charitable side of his character, and the scene when Klinger brings him food from the Christmas buffet never fails to make me tear up.
I inadvertently met DOS in 1980 while living in the Hollywood hills. I rented a lower level apt in a multi-story villa converted to apartments. One day I heard the Star Trek Movie theme blaring like a Hollywood Bowl concert. I followed the sound up to the top penthouse apt higher on the hill. I was curious what was capable of blasting concert level sound, so I knocked on the door. DOS answered the door. I acted like I didn't recognize him, and politely explained I was curious where the concert was coming from. He invited me in to his apartment to show me his system. He introduced himself as David, and I told him my name was also David. It looked like he had recently moved in, and everything was moved to accommodate his sound system. I don't remember what components he had but he had some big-ass tall speakers. He had a wall of shelved vinyl LP's. He was friendly and we chatted for a few minutes, then I left him alone.
I liked when Col Potter was painting Winchester's portrait, while he was complaining.....then Potter said it was finished, turned it around.....a portrait of Winchester hollering!
I met him after MASH ended. He was a true gentleman, a consummate professional, a kind and thoughtful person. Rolled his eyes a little about MASH, but an interesting and intelligent man.
Winchester was a gifted surgeon, and a fine gentleman, which galled that snotty, sanctimonious pratt, hawkeye, to no end. Winchester could run rings around both BJ and Hawkeye when it came to medicine, and unlike Burns, Winchester had a real heart and a love of all things that went unappreciated by the Col., hawkeye and BJ. If I needed surgery, it would be Charles that I would want operating on me!
I felt Winchester was a great addition. He wasn't a one dimensional punching bag for the show. He had arcs, he grew and changed with experiences. The finale destroyed me when he was devastated by the death of the Chinese band he'd been tutoring. Watching him trying to listen to the music he taught them only for it to destroy his soul.
I am so sorry we have lost this wonderful actor. However we can be grateful for his recorded performances of all kinds that allow us to relive those moments on film. I like the episodes when he gets acupuncture and the one when he refuses to see a dentist and there are so many more.
I loved the juxtaposition of his normally arrogant, egotistical persona with his rarely-shown (thus more memorable) tender & caring side. Examples include his answer to the letter from the young girl in Hawkeye's hometown who had sent him a red leaf from a maple tree ("autumn in New England" he muses nostalgically). Then there was his comment to Hawkeye, who's father was undergoing surgery back home: "My father & I have been 10,000 miles apart in the same room. Where I have a father, Hawkeye, you have a dad." But the best example of this character shift was the Christmas episode where he left some candy at an orphanage as his family had done when he was a child - only to be furious when the candy was sold on the black market to "raise enough money to feed them for a month". His response of "it is sadly inappropriate to give dessert to a child who has had no meal" is perhaps my favorite line from the entire series & shows Winchester's true nature - good human being!
Ravel, the composer of " piano for the Left Hand" was a ammo truck driver during the Battle of Verdun, along the " Voie Sacre" , a heavily bombarded access to the Verdun front. The music was written for a fellow soldier, a young Lieutenant, who had lost a hand in a grenade attack by a German patrol.
One of my fav episodes of mash was when Hawkeye and bj didn’t shower cause he wouldn’t stop playing the horn. And his short scene in Star Trek the next gen a fine actor.
That was definitely a funny episode! My favorite dialogue in it was in the Swamp! Potter: I thought I told you kids to change your diapers! Hawkeye: Not until he stops tooting! Me:😂
I was 13 when he started I had no idea who the classical musicians were until I started checking out classical radio stations and from then until today still love classical music I couldn’t stand him at first but when he connected with the soldier that lost the use of his arm and was so happy to see a network series deal with stuttering and the effects of it as a 15-16 year old with stuttering and dyslexia he became my favorite MASH character Finally I read the tweet Alan Alda did the day he passed. I had no idea DAvid was a skater something I was and still am today. The world became a sadder place with his passing
"Mozart! Please!" "I will play that thing whenever I feel like it! That thing may be the only thing that keeps me from going mad in this cultural Death Valley."
David Ogden Stiers also appeared a regular guest role villain as the leader of the Replicators on Star Gate Atlantis for a couple of seasons. Major /Dr. Winchestor in Mash was probably the role most TV fans would love him the most for his portrayal as a warm hearted doctor who went out of way to help many of his patients on Mash. Thanks for your review.
You are very welcome! Thanks for sharing that additional info. I never watched Star Gate Atlantis, although as a huge SciFi fan I should probably check it out. Have a great week!
There are many fine moments with Charles Emerson Winchester III that are gifts of David Ogden Stiers fine acting. One was when he taught Korean musicians to play an orchestra piece, which they played for him as they departed in a truck only to be found a little later dead, as a result of bombing (not sure); his grief stricken expression is a silent condemnation of war...or restoring faith in his talent in the musician you mentioned whom he convinced that he could still share his talent and passion for music through teaching. One of my favorite lines from MASH also belongs to David Ogden Stiers' character. This is from an episode when Hawkeye finds out that his Dad is in the hospital. This leads to Hawkeye and Charles reminiscing about their fathers At the,e nd it was Charles, who stated the most succinct analysis of the two men, "While I have a father, Hawkeye, you have a Dad.":).
Good video. There is an episode where Winchester barely avoids getting killed and he becomes obsessed with understanding death. He talks to a soldier who is dying and gives the enigmatic line "I smell bread" which to the writers had no deeper meaning but Stiers look really captures the angst of understanding mortality.
That was a great subplot to "Back Pay" near the end of Season 8. I loved how he referred to the Korean doctors as Curly, Larry & Moe. Of course they figured it out by the end, one of them saying "Not bad for three stooges".
I loved his first episode when he sadly understood he was to be a permanent member of the 4077th surgical teem. He finally learned to adapt My favorite episode with Charles is the rivalry between him and the other two "ironic cell mates' about their piggish living verses his French horn playing. The most touching episode episode waa a part of the final movie about the end ofcthe war aa he discovers a small POW musicians who were killed while being transferred to a unit who would see thrm hone safety. That movie gmrecwived more viewers thsn the superbowl that year!
One of my favorites was the "practical joke war" where he pitted Margaret, Hawkeye and B.J. against each other and then at the end they realized that Charles was behind all of the antics, and then they turned the tables in him by making him think that Margaret sent a letter to B.J's wife saying B.J was having an affair with her. I was always impressed by the ability of Stiers to portray a wide range of emotions in the various episodes. In his credits... you should mention Star Trek the Next Generation (Half a Life) and the Perry Mason TV movie series where played D.A. Michael Reston , the contemporary Hamilton Burger that always lost to Mason.
My favorite episode with Major Winchester is "Rally 'Round the Flagg, Boys", in which he is "recruited" by Col. Flagg to spy on Hawkeye after he saves a North Korean by putting him ahead of an American G.I. Winchester decides to set Flagg up with a fake map of the camp, which outlines plans for a clandestine meeting in Pierce's tent with some Korean gentlemen. It is a classic episode, in which he really makes a monkey out of Flagg and gets a few laughs out of doing it.
Great comments! I don’t remember that episode, but I’m rewatching the whole series right now, so should get to it soon enough. Thanks for watching my video!
My favorite Winchester quote is from an episode where I can't remember the plot, but the line was, "Number one, I don't sweat, I perspire. Number two, I don't perspire".
Winchester was a much better foil to Hawkeye and BJ than Frank had been. He frequently came over as a stuffed shirt, but when it came time to do the right and best thing he was there! When he gave a strong comeuppance to the soldiers who were teasing and bullying the kid who stuttered! Real Justice! Many in the main cast were given great challenges in the final episode of MASH! Charles was very much broken by the deaths of the Korean musicians he was coaching in classical music. A great character, played just right! RIP, David Ogden Stiers.
David Ogden Stiers was a fantastic reader of novels for audio. One of the absolute best. He was brilliant. Find one & give it a listen. His pace, voice characterizations, accents, everything are amazing. Three characters, for instance, may be having a conversation and one may be British, one Vietnamese, and one American & Stiers just flips from one perfect accent to another. Check one out & you'll appreciate this man's talent more than you already do.
In my honest opinion, David Ogden Stiers was a wonderful replacement actor when it came to replacing Larry Linville along with his Major Frank Burns character as a new main character of Major Charles Emerson Winchester III. He definitely knew how to fill the void when it came to finishing a lot of unfinished business down there at the 4077th unit. As I mentioned before, David Ogden Stiers would go on to play his new main character of Major Charles Emerson Winchester III during the seasons 6 to 11 after Larry Linville was done playing his original main character of Major Frank Burns during the seasons 1 to 5 of M*A*S*H. Otherwise, Larry Linville and David Ogden Stiers were awesome in many ways even though they played different main characters on M*A*S*H. Great video by the way.
Thanks for your comments John! I loved Stiers as Winchester, and agree he was the perfect replacement to step in after Linville chose to leave the show. As always, THANK YOU for supporting my channel! Have a great weekend!
Thanks for watching the video! If you liked this video, please consider subscribing to my channel. I talk about TV shows and movies from the 70's, 80's and 90's
Doing so now. Great job.
Which was the episode where Winchester stuck his hands into his lab coat pockets, stared off into the distance, and said something meaningful?
One of my favorite sequences from MASH
My favorite Winchester moment is when he decides to console Hawkeye when his father is having a difficult surgery. They both have the chance to talk about their relationships with their fathers, and Charles says “I had a father, whereas you had a Dad.” Brilliant piece of dialogue, and you feel every inch of it thanks to David.
I absolutely LOVE that scene as well! Thanks!
I hated that episode except for that scene, which is near-perfect.
And that wonderful toast at the end of that episode “to our fathers”. “And their sons”.
@@bradlevantis913 Yep. Brilliant.
I loved the Christmas episode when Charles annonumsly donated all those speacial chocolate bars to the orphanage when Klinger thought he was a real Scrooge until Klinger discovered his secret, then brought Charles a humble meal and kept Charles secret. That was a very touching moment to me!
Definitely a great episode!
Is this the same episode where he accused the orphanage leader of selling the chocolate on the black market?
@@milesparris4045 Yes
@@milesparris4045which he was, to buy either more nutritious food, or like a cow or something, anyways, for more beneficial and sustainable food.
I grew up knowing David Ogden Stiers. He was a fantastic friend and mentor. I miss him every day
That is so cool! Thanks for sharing that info!
His picture & name are on the wall of my local theater venue- "Very Little Theater". I would have loved to see him conduct the symphony.
I've often heard his name pronounced "Steers", which was correct, the way this video pronounces it or the 'steers'?
@@canuck_gamer3359 st-years… the I is there for a reason lol
@@dee_dee_place are you in Newport Oregon? I think I know which theater your talking about
I loved when he tore into the guys making fun of the stutterer because his sister did.
That was indeed a great episode! I still remember it clearly today. As always Todd, thanks for supporting my channel!
Yes! Charles had a heart and he showed it. That episode always makes me cry.
Great episode! & it was interesting to someone with 'bully tendencies' go full anti-bully!
@@thrashpondopons2776 Yes, even though he could be arrogant, he had a heart.
That was indeed one of the great aspects of Winchester, he really was a good guy with a good heart.
I can play the notes but I cannot make the music -- my all time favorite line from David Steirs as Charles. It moved me because it expressed not only his music but his own inability to communicate and get alone with people.
Great comments Dave! That line...”I can play the notes but I cannot make the music” is indeed a fantastic line.
That speech beings tears to my eyes.
Yep. "I have hands that can make a scalpel sing".
I truly believe Winchester loved music more than medicine.
The fact he even went to Father Mulcahy for advice shows just how deep was his love of music; he couldn't bear the loss of such a talented musician, something he knew he would never become.
A few years ago I bought a large quantity of classical CD's at a moving sale. I practically squealed with delight when I realized that one of the pieces was the one Winchester mentions to the patient.
@@stephensundstrom6379 It shows that Charles had the ability to recognize his own limitations, in spite of the front he put up for everyone else.
The best memory I have of the Charles Emerson Winchester III character is from the M*A*S*H finale. It is the scene with the captured North Korean soldier/musicians where Charles sees their Korean instruments and flippantly tells them, "Why don't you play some Mozart?!?" To his utter shock and surprise, the North Koreans understand 'Mozart' and begin to play masterfully as Charles begins to walk away, and then he turns around and can't believe what he is witnessing. Charles takes an interest in these North Koreans and even tries to teach them more classical music, even with the obvious language barrier. Of course, this was the setup for the horrific ironic ending. I think out of all the M*A*S*H characters' experiences of irony, Charles suffered the cruelest form.
Great comments Ronald! Thanks for watching my video.
The most poignant scene of all the episodes, IMHO.
Right on, Ronald! I agree that it was a cruel irony that Winchester's love of music was shattered by the loss of his " band. " There has never been a show that mixed comedy and drama so well.
You know, I just rewatched that the other day. It was so moving to see the arrogant smug Winchester get totally emotionally destroyed by what happened to his "band." Great writing. Brilliant acting. Loved his portrayal of this character!
I just wrote how I loved this episode. Truly a moving piece.
The episode where Winchester first met Colonel Flag and set him up in revenge for getting him to try and spy on Hawkeye was pure gold!!
I totally agree!
I have to respectfully disagree on your comment about the first 5 seasons of the show. I found that Frank Burns was becoming to predictable abs too easy a target for zHawkeye and Trapper latterly BJ . Winchester was a far more worthy apponent and that in combination with the superior Harry Morgan moved the show up several notches and it started to deal with serious issues of the day .
I know that there are people in both camps, those that prefer the more comedic seasons and those who prefer the later seasons. I like them all, but due prefer the earlier seasons. There’s really no right or wrong when it comes to preference though, and the whole show is great! Thanks for watching my video and for sharing your comments!
But by the time Houlihan's hair turned silver the show had ridiculously jumped the shark, becoming indulgent, preachy, gimmicky and little more than a soapbox for Alan Alda's liberal politics..
@@HailAnts I am saddened by the thought that there still exists people who would rather hate and tear down others with whom they may disagree on some (likely immaterial) point rather than explore the topic to potentially learn something that may make them a better person. THAT was the “preaching” that Mr Alda provided and the world would be a better place if he was heeded. Constantly stealing from others to fill the hole in one’s soul is the folly I will never understand about “conservatives”, a word that should mean to preserve the wholesomeness of previous generations but, in practice, provides those in power the excuse and misunderstanding to oppress for their own continued enrichment. Thus the difference between Frank Burns, the undeserving but self-important Conservative, and Charles Emerson Winchester III, who had everything that Burns wanted but also the VERY Liberal (though often hidden) qualities of Noblesse Oblige, compassion, and humanity. The later years of M*A*S*H taught that humanity, if you had the heart to listen, but the early years, though more gag-orientedly humorous, also showed how concern for one’s fellow man and the lack of real differences to feed our tribalism illuminated the stupidity of war. How sad that lesson was wasted on some, but glad you could find something to laugh at that didn’t include shooting kittens with BB guns.
Charles was my favorite MASH character. Stiers played it perfectly.
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Winchester, Potter, and Mulcahy were the best characters, as well as later-season Klinger.
As a kid he was mine as well!
Major Winchester was a fantastic character and David Ogden Stiers played him beautifully! Frank Burns was a one dimensional character whereas Winchester was well rounded. My favorite MASH episode was Death Takes a Holiday. Everyone thought Winchester was a scrooge (for not donating his Christmas candy) but he secretly donated it to the local orphanage. Great video!
Thanks Mac! Have a great weekend!
I forgot about that one.
Death Takes A Holiday is my favourite episode also. The “old family tradition” exchange between Klinger and Winchester is beautifully written and acted.
Best Boston Brahmin accent of any actor ever. Understood that there was more than one Boston accent.
Klinger: “The source of this Christmas dinner must remain anonymous. It's an old family tradition.”
Charles: “Thank you, Max.”
One of the most tender scenes ever & yet neither of them ever mentioned it again. Some things don't need a reminder, they stay with you all your life.
It could not have been easy for Stiers to step in and fill the void left by Linville. Frank Burns was the original character you "love to hate". Stiers did a remarkable job portraying the next character you love to hate but my favorite Winchester episodes are the ones portraying Winchester's humanity. Another great video Stephen!
Thanks E. B.!
I love the "Dear Sis" (1978) episode that highlights Father Mulcahy's feelings. There is also a great Charles moment when Radar gives Charles his old toboggan cap as a gift. He expresses real gratitude toward Radar and to Mulcahy. His monologue to a listening Radar is also heart-warming.
Great comments Daniel! Thanks!
“You saved me, Father. You lowered a bucket into the well of my despair and you raised me up to the light of day." I loved that scene in that Christmas episode!
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And he was so touched by Radar giving him that speacial gift, Charles eyes watered up. That was a touching episode!
He had a depth and humanity underneath that veneer of pompousity. Being able to carve out his own presence in MASH, considering all the other talent around him, is just simply, stunning.
Ravi Peiris M.D.
Great comments and I totally agre with your assessment! Thanks for watching my video and have a great weekend!
Stiers’ personal love of music came through in his portrayal of the outwardly arrogant though privately compassionate Winchester. In “Morale Victory” he sends for a copy of Ravel’s Piano Concerto for the Left Hand to encourage a permanently wounded soldier who is a concert pianist and who cannot play with his right hand due to nerve damage to continue to play and teach. “I can play the notes,” he tells the young pianist, “but I cannot make the music.” Incredibly moving.
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In my opinion, Winchester is the character that best represents the ability of M*A*S*H* to create both great comedy and compelling drama. Frank Burns was a one-dimensional punchline good only for jokes, whereas Winchester was a fleshed-out, multifaceted human being. His arrogance, elitism, and dry wit served the jokes well, while his intelligence, sophistication, surgical talent, and ability to show compassion towards other people were what helped to make some of the show's best dramatic moments happen. It was that ability to transition between the two with such seamlessness that makes both the character and the show as a whole during the time he was on it stand out as a true masterpiece.
Great comments! Thanks for watching my video!
Best character on the show.
Without Blake, Trapper and Burns there would have been no Winchester.
@@yummyyum36719 Klinger was another great character.
Again, blame/credit the writers. Winchester wasn't the compassionate soul until years after his character was introduced. His first couple years, he's the arrogant, do nothing wrong, I'm better than you surgeon who wanted to be in Tokyo rather than at the 4077th. Once Alan Alda started having more of a say in the show's direction, then you see the compassionate Winchester. Those middle years are a transition from a straight comedy to a dramedy. By season 5, Burns' character was nothing more than comic relief. There were no episodes where the main storyline is about him.
RIP Mr. Stiers! The man truly had several great bits over his tenure as Winchester! (The episode where he takes down the bullies for messing with the kid with the speech impediment was downright inspiring!) But the one the scene that always got me was when he received the turned-leaf from Crabapple Cove. All he says is 'Autumn in New England' yet the emotion was overwhelming! As a New Englander myself, I new exactly where he was coming from!
He really did have some great moments on MASH, and was a more likable character than Burns had been. That episode with the stuttering was awesome! It’s amazing how many people still remember or talk about it. Thanks for watching my video and supporting my channel! It means a lot!
He was great during sentimental moments. I can always feel the emotion.
@@jenniferhansen3622 That last episode IS truly tragic! The man used music to escape... & in the end it had become a constant reminder! Almost Clock-work Orange in it's scale!
I lived in Connecticut for 5 years, when I was a youth, I’m from the Midwest. I still remember the fall time there. I’m getting misty eyed thinking about it.
Winchester was an amazing character! Stuck up, Prideful, but he showed such heart and integrity at points. Like when he had the chance to go home if he stuck up for that (major?) that tried to take advantage of Margaret. But instead he chose to sacrifice what he wanted to protect her. When I watched the finale G,F,& A it made me sad for him when he said that music used to be his escape but now it would be a reminder. He also wasn't as racist to the koreans as Frank was. He had a good heart that was well hidden from others but I enjoyed seeing when it showed, cuz it showed who he could be deep down. Can we tell I like this character alot?😂😂😂
We sure can! Thanks Lexa!
His facial expressions are what really did it for me. I have 2 favorite scenes that involve him that I think really show this. The first is the scene where they decide to have their families attend a reunion now. They look on Charles' face as he realizes his family and Radar's might co-mingle is truly priceless. You can see not just the horror but the embarrassment. My other scene is the other end of the spectrum during the final episode when one of the north Korean men he was conducting for was killed and they were driven off. The look of true despair and loss.....
Great comments Rian! Thanks for watching my video!
Mash was also a big part of my youth. My mom and I loved it. The one line Charles said to Hawkeye in an episode that is a part of my life is, " where I have a father you have a dad." It stays with me.
I just watched that episode the other night. A great bit of writing for that interaction between Charles and Hawkeye. Thanks for watching my video and sharing your thoughts!
I love Winchester's "fetid & festering sewer" speech so much that I've memorized it. It showed to me his endurance in the face of adversity.
It truly was a great speech (tirade) and Stiers delivered it perfectly! Thanks for sharing your comments!
That's where I got the term festering sinkhole about my former job. It must have stuck in my mind.
I love when Winchester got the letter with the leaf in it, when we found out that Honoria had a stutter, when we found he donated the chocolate to the orphanage . . . and it was funny when he made Klinger be his bird dog and I loved that he went in on the practical joke of getting Hawkeye where the whole camp ganged up on him to make him nervous about when the prank would be played which was the entired prank - making Hawkeye nervous all day long.
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Winchester probably is the best example of how an officer should behave in the series. He knew all the military protocols and rules, but he also knew when to let his hair down (eh, yeah) and fight back on the pranks whereas Burns just tattled. He knew what being in charge was about, except for that one episode when he took it too far.
Agreed!
Stiers, in my opinion, was a master actor. Watch him in a scene that is not about him to see his true genius. Many actors are just waiting for their line, you can catch some actors mouthing lines of other characters waiting for their line. Stiers acts all the way through the scene allowing a full impact of the moment that allows the audience to immerse themselves better into the story. The next time you watch a scene he is in without a speaking part observe a master at work. Then see how artfully he uses his skill in a part with another actor, he will lift their performance to another level.
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Yes, indeed. I could not have said this better or as well! Stiers was a classically trained actor who took his craft seriously. I was lucky enough to see him onstage in NYC with Houseman's troupe, including in "The School for Scandal." He was one of the actors who could project in the theater and act ore subtly in the intimacy of television.
I adored Stiers - always one of my favourite actors - he was so wonderful as Charles Emerson Winchester III...& indeed every other role he undertook - a really class act.
Well said! Thanks and have a great weekend!
Have been rewatching the episodes lately, and it’s hard to believe he’s gone. Amazing, iconic actor.
Very true!
A favorite Charles Emerson Winchester scene for me was the episode where we get a glimpse into the dreams/nightmares of the characters.
In Major Winchester's he is dressed to the nines and performing simple magic tricks. Suddenly a wounded soldier is wheeled in. He is ignored by the Major who attempts to step up his performance. Eventually the patients dies, and the Major is left only to top dance while waving around sparklers.
Major Winchester wakes with a start and utters a single, bitter "DAMN!" Flawless.
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I have to say my favourite Charles moment is his first episode at the 4077. When the various lecture time announcements about lice, dysentery and foot fungus go over the camp speaker... his facial expressions of deflated morale are priceless.
Great comments! Thanks for watching my video!
Loved the episode where Winchester helped the pianist who lost the use of his hand.
The Christmas episode where he wanted to give the candy to the orphanage away secretly( and Klinger helps him feel better about the candy being traded for food).
The episode where he was getting full of himself for a potential news story, but he neglected a patient, and Hawkeye had to reoperate on the patient...Winchester asked that the news story be canceled because of his failure. Hawkeye, at the end of the episode, said he was pompous and arrogant, and " you're all right ". The expression on his face upon hearing that was perfection.
One of the funniest MASH episodes ever was when Winchester refused to quit playing his French horn, so Hawkeye and BJ refused to bathe...all three got comeuppance at the end, in hilarious fashion, Hawkeye and BJ being literally hosed down, Winchester's horn is flattened by a jeep.
Stiers also appeared in a few episodes of " Frazier " too
Great comments! I also love the episodes you mentioned. Such a talented actor!
@@stephensundstrom6379 I remember he also appeared in an episode of Wings
I had the distinct honor of meeting DOS. The bit of Charles conducting the N.Korean POWs was his idea and it was easy since DOS was a very gifted conductor.
In 1987 he was the guest conductor at a symphony orchestra my mother played violin for. Being a family member of an orchestra member meant I could go back stage which I did all the time.
This time I stood back and waited to say something to DOS since orchestra members should have dibs. After a few minutes it was obvious that most people had spoken to him at the two rehearsals and before the concert. I walked up and mentioned that I was a huge classical music buff and giant M*A*S*H fan. I said that I almost called him Charles. He laughed and said it happened all the time. He was duly impressed that I knew the encore piano piece that the soloist had played because it wasn’t well known. We must have talked for over 15 minutes about mash. My mom, all the years she played in the orchestra, would always stay over for 15 to 20 minutes since we knew so many people from the area. David said that his only caveat was that he could play classical music anytime. Both the conductor bit, and the bit with the Ravel Piece for the left hand, we’re both entirely his idea and both times took zero research since he knew that piece well and the fact that he was so gifted at conducting.
He was approachable, talkative, and very friendly. He was the polar opposite of CEWIII.
Wow!!! What a cool story! Thanks for taking the time to share that.
@@stephensundstrom6379 yeah that was such an honor. He also used no sheet music.
I asked him why he didn't use sheet music and he said that it just gets in the way and can be a distraction. He said that he would look down and have to regroup when he had music for complicated pieces, and he never lost track of where he was when it came to concerts with solo pianists or violinists. As long as he knew the piece it was easier to just do it from memory. I still find that stunning to this day.
I know how guest soloists do it. My mother was a gifted violinist and she used to play strolling violin at weddings and never needed music. I remember that if she found that there was a piece she either didn't know or wasn't entirely familiar with she'd find the sheet music, being that she taught at a college with a music program it was easy enough, and she'd play it. After playing it once or twice she'd never need to again.
But for a conductor to not use music I find stunning.
Sons and Bowlers was my favorite episode of the Winchester years. Charles and Hawkeye talking about their father’s really touched my heart.
That is a great episode!
"The Life You Save" is another fantastic story centered on Charles.
The dialogue of “You have a dad, I have a father” was classic, and how many people relate to parents is something that the viewers could relate to. It was caught perfectly
Yeah, I still get choked up watching the stuttering episode. Best show of all time 👌
That is a great episode! Thanks John!
As someone that was bullied (not for stuttering), I can relate.
I love the episode where he stands up for the kid that has a stutter. I myself have struggled with a stutter all my life. And faced the same problems the kid faced. But Winchester's talk to him, helped me through it.
Thanks for sharing your personal story! I also love that episode as it was another time that Winchester’s more sensitive side was illustrated.
My favorite episode was when Charles gave the orphans the chocolate that he received from his family, and becomes incensed when the caretaker sells it on the black market. His interaction with the caretaker is poignant, as is his later interaction with Klinger in his tent. It’s one of the few times he calls Klinger Max and the only time Klinger calls him Charles. Amazing writing and acting.
I believe that episode is called “Death Takes A Holiday”. It’s one of my favorite episodes as well!
I’m glad they made Charles completely different from Frank. It just doesn’t work when they replace a character with the same kind. I loved his later films as well. I was always excited to see his name pop up.
I agree, they needed someone different from Frank and Winchester was great! Thanks Bobby!
As much as Linville's Frank Burns was a good antagonist, I can see his point that there was nowhere for the character to go. I think the choice and development of Winchester as a new character really was what the show needed. He started as an antagonist who thought he was too good for the rest of them, but that gave him room for character growth that Burns never had. And Winchester was still committed to his patients even if he was too good for the work, rather than the bungling Burns.
I mean, I suppose they could have shown Burns coming to some sort of realization and improving his surgical skills, but I don't know how his power mad self could have learned that lesson without ruining the character. Meanwhile, Winchester might be a bit of a snob who needed to learn lessons, but he could teach a few lessons of his own about appreciating culture and how the arts could improve life and bring hope and healing. He brought new perspective that was lacking before to the whole idea of medicine.
Great comments Jennifer! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
All of the regular characters had some sort of growth, some development. Except Frank Burns. That's why I think Mr. Linville made the right decision to leave when he did. I'm glad the producers didn't just bring in another Frank Burns type. Charles was, as you said, "what the show needed". And Mr. Stiers played him to perfection.
Terrific comment. Winchester was a child of privilege, and inhibited by his upbringing. i would bet being in the army was the first time in his life he was ever in such prolonged contact with the proletariat! It took him a while to adjust, but gradually the true worth of his character came out, and as a viewer you can realize he his his own integrity and even sensitivity. I think he's an example of old money and "noblesse oblige," with its good qualities such as sense of honor, and also its deficits such as snobbery. Frank Burns is more nouveau riche, or would-be n.r., and he's so tied up with his social status and making it into the country club set that he has no room in his life for anything much beyond his ambition. I would add that we do see development in Margaret's character, as she goes through the disaster of her marriage, and she becomes a fuller character, but with Frank the show had gotten stuck with no way to proceed. To some extent the same is true of Trapper John and even Henry Blake (not to mention most of the nubile nurses), but the other characters develop and become more complicated, and that's why to my mind the later seasons are more rewarding. Winchester was a part of that development.
@@elainechubb971 I think they could have done more stuff with Blake. They just hadn't. I prefer Colonel Potter, and I think by being of a different generation than the rest of the cast he brought another perspective to everything that benefited the later seasons. But they could have tried more stuff with Blake. I think they had options for him.
With Trapper John and Honeycutt, I honestly can't remember much difference between them. I was a child when I watched MASH, and I've only ever caught episodes since now and again, not watching it all through. But to me they seemed interchangeable as Hawkeye's partner in crime.
Most of the nurses, yeah, they were interchangeable. I kind of wish we had another woman in the regular cast with Margaret just for contrast.
But yeah, Margaret got development with Frank leaving and the disastrous marriage. Those things moved her out of her previous position.
@@jenniferhanses7064 B.J. got more character background, with his wife and baby daughter that he missed so much. And he had a rather quiet, sly humor--he could play pranks on Hawkeye, just to one-up him. I love Potter, and Harry Morgan played him so well. Perhaps in the earliest seasons the writers felt constrained to keep to a sitcom format, and it took time for them to loosen up and give the characters freedom to develop?
David ogden stiers was a fine actor. There was a certain episode where Winchester forms an orchestra made up of Koreans only after much exhaustion only to lose the whole orchestra in a bombing the look of grief on ogden stiers face no dialogue was needed that is how good of an actor he was.
Great comments! Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
That happened in the series finale
For me it's a toss up between the "Pieces for the Left Hand" episode that you mention, the "Handmade Chocolate" episode and the "Stuttering Soldier" episode! Episodes where we really see Charles Winchester's hidden humanity! They are gold! A great actor sorely missed!
All of those are really great episodes that hold up well! Thanks!
The difference between Frank Burns and Major Winchester was, Winchester had a spine and a moral compass despite his arrogance, while Frank Burns did not.
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They spent so much effort making Burns one dimensional, it would have been difficult, if not impossible, to make him worthwhile.
Winchester comes in and is, in my opinion, the most multi dimensional character on the show
I loved Stiers as Winchester. His character was deep, interesting, funny and he carried a lot of greatness too. I loved how they really used everything for his character trademarks as story-driving forces for certain episodes. Especially in the finale. In fact as a character i found him a lot more enjoyable than Frank Burns.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
I appreciate your comments, but I do also love the goofiness of Burns. But I also like Winchester and the layer-by-layer performance of David Ogden Stiers.
I loved the character of Winchester. He knew how to handle Hawkeye and BJ. He didn't just get even, he got ahead but truthfully Winchester was a character of many different layers to him. He had more heart and compassion than he would ever show. I've always had the feeling that he wasn't comfortable showing this side of himself. David Ogden Stiers was a fantastic addition to the cast.
👍 I totally agree!
What a great character, with layers of humanity revealed over time. What an outstanding performance he gave.
Well said! Thanks for sharing your comments!
The episode where he buys the fine chocolate for the orphanage later to find out they sold it on the black market in order to buy much more food. He get humbled and realizes that his gift of chocolates wasn’t the need but rather real food was the need.
Great episode.
That is a great episode indeed! It really touches the heart.
It was brilliant how they started making Charles chill out later and be grasped by his crew
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What I loved about Charles was how he was just one of the guys under the filigree. He wasn't afraid to let people see his vulnerable side and he was a friend when they needed one. That really stuck out in the Christmas episode when he gave the white elephant gift to the orphanage in the form of canned oysters; which turned out to be full of chocolate bars. When he heard why the headmaster sold the chocolates, he realized he was in the wrong. I still shed a tear when Klinger brings in the plate of food for Charles.
That episode, called “Death Takes A Holiday” is one of the best!
@@stephensundstrom6379 agreed. There isn't many episodes I've not seen, but that one is special
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I became somewhat infamous in my work for using his line, I do one thing at a time, I do it VERY WELL and then I move on. thank you major Winchester!!!
I love that line! Thanks for watching my video!
In many ways the best character on the show. A bit pompous on the surface due to his upbringing, education, and achievements, but a fine surgeon with a good heart, and the ultimate humanist. He really cared about people. Lots of good scenes that showed the depth of the character. Still one of the best shows ever.
I agree! Thanks Troy!
The episode that I really remember, was when Charles got his French horn.
Hawkeye and BJ got tired of him playing it. And they decided not to bathe in protest.
Eventually this battle affects the whole camp
David Ogden Steirs played the character amazingly.
When Larry left the show, I didn't think would find a good replacement. But they did. Thank goodness they created a new character that wasn't a copy of Frank Burns.
RIP David Ogden Steirs
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Hard to widdle it down to just one favorite moment for Charles. The Christmas episode where the candy he gave to the orphanage head was sold for actual food that the children needed. Such a touching moment between Charles and Klinger in The Swamp. I loved him in the newspaper episode, loved the moment when he became so irate with the clerk while he and Hawkeye were trying to get a baby of mixed parents adopted and Charles grabbed the phone and said "Mr. so and so is in conference, let them eat OUT!" and then slamming the phone down. I also loved it when he came to Margaret's rescue when Col. Baldwin wanted Charles to lie about Margaret and he went on a mini tirade which I also loved.
Those are all great moments indeed!
I loved his voice and how he talked. Just listening to him speak was a pleasure.
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My favorite episode is when Winchester is moved by a Korean soldier playing a flute, and he tries to start an orchestra. Later, he sees the flute playing soldier has died, and it effects how he hears music. That episode moved me so much.
I think that is in the final episode. Such a strong scene!
I can't say this enough, I can feel your Passion in your words talking about Mash..What I loved about Mash is all the little side stories each episode had..The exorcism when Igor hasnt drawn better then a pair in the last two weeks.(paraphrasing)
Thank you for your kind comments! I do really love MASH and think it's one of the best tv shows of all time.
Great actor that left a TREMENDOUS body of work........
I totally agree!
He had a guest role on Stargate Atlantis. Later, there was an opportunity for the character to reappear on a screen. This could have been done in LA with a green screen and that was offered to him, but he instead decided to drive to Vancouver and do it live on set. Stargate often had telecommunications scenes with both actors in different rooms having the conversation live, which produced better interaction. He cared enough to go well out of his way to do it right. Major respect to the fans. Doc Hollywood was filmed near where I was working at the time and he was a guest conductor for the Gainesville Symphony Orchestra, coming back several times.
Very cool info about Mr. Stiers! Thanks for sharing these details!
I am so glad you mentioned the scene where he gets the one-handed piano sheet music. Who doesn't love that moment?
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David was my very favorite M.A.S.H.
RIP Davis Ogden Stiers.
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I loved Winchester’s humanity. At times he could be snobby but underneath that exterior was a truly kind person
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MASH was so filled with a cornucopia of feelings and experiences i doubt any show and never an other sitcom can reach it's scope. Touching everyone looking for a laugh to those it brought back painful memories to.
Well said!
My ABSOLUTE favorite Charles episode was the Christmas one where he gets a package of expensive treats, including decadent chocolates and candies. When pressed to donate to the bounty to be presented to local children in a Christmas dinner, he instead offers some smoked oysters. Later that night he delivers the chocolates and candies to a local orphanage in secret. He later finds out that the man running the orphanage sold the candy on the black market to get the more important staples the children would need over the long haul.
Throughout the episode Charles is dumped on by everyone for giving oysters, and he maintains the usual stiff upper lip. Until Cpl. Klinger finds out, and brings an offering of the collected food to the Major, who is alone in the Swamp. The two warmly and humbly exchange Merry Christmas as equals who share an important secret.
That’s a great episode. I believe that episode was titled “Death Takes A Holiday”
Who else remembers the shattered record? I had no idea how real those emotions were when i saw the show as a kid, but now i totally get it. I've been to war and I've experienced how hard it is to remain human during those times. My post war take on how he played his role made him my favorite character.
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One of the most poignant episodes, for me, is the vignette where Major Winchester saves the life of a wounded soldier all while under sniper fire, and in the process takes a round through his service cap. Having been in combat, I found a verisimilitude in the “today I’m here, tomorrow isn’t guaranteed; and if I’m not here tomorrow… where will I be?”
I often wonder if the actors, knew at the time, they had captured lightning in a bottle. Fifty years from its debut, and it’s still one of the best shows on television, to this day.
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My favourite Winchester episode is Death Takes a Holiday (probably my favourite episode of MASH, period) which brings out the charitable side of his character, and the scene when Klinger brings him food from the Christmas buffet never fails to make me tear up.
That is a fabulous episode for sure! One of the best!
I inadvertently met DOS in 1980 while living in the Hollywood hills. I rented a lower level apt in a multi-story villa converted to apartments. One day I heard the Star Trek Movie theme blaring like a Hollywood Bowl concert. I followed the sound up to the top penthouse apt higher on the hill. I was curious what was capable of blasting concert level sound, so I knocked on the door. DOS answered the door. I acted like I didn't recognize him, and politely explained I was curious where the concert was coming from. He invited me in to his apartment to show me his system. He introduced himself as David, and I told him my name was also David. It looked like he had recently moved in, and everything was moved to accommodate his sound system. I don't remember what components he had but he had some big-ass tall speakers. He had a wall of shelved vinyl LP's. He was friendly and we chatted for a few minutes, then I left him alone.
Very cool! Thanks for sharing that story. I know he was a huge music aficionado. Thanks for watching my video!
I liked when Col Potter was painting Winchester's portrait, while he was complaining.....then Potter said it was finished, turned it around.....a portrait of Winchester hollering!
That is a hilarious moment on the show!
I met him after MASH ended. He was a true gentleman, a consummate professional, a kind and thoughtful person. Rolled his eyes a little about MASH, but an interesting and intelligent man.
Thanks for sharing this! I wonder why he would have rolled his eyes regarding MASH, as that show clearly is what most people remember him for.
70s was definitely a golden period for sitcoms, MASH was one of my favs
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Winchester was a gifted surgeon, and a fine gentleman, which galled that snotty, sanctimonious pratt, hawkeye, to no end. Winchester could run rings around both BJ and Hawkeye when it came to medicine, and unlike Burns, Winchester had a real heart and a love of all things that went unappreciated by the Col., hawkeye and BJ. If I needed surgery, it would be Charles that I would want operating on me!
Great comments! Thanks Mary!
I co-opted his phrase “anticipation is a sensation to be savored “. I loved that perspective
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He was an excellent upgrade to Frank's character.
DOS was also a very kind soul and person.
Thanks for the laughs.
You are absolutely welcome! Thanks for watching my video!
I remember seeing the original MASH movie in 1971. I've been hooked ever since no matter who the actors were.
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I felt Winchester was a great addition. He wasn't a one dimensional punching bag for the show. He had arcs, he grew and changed with experiences. The finale destroyed me when he was devastated by the death of the Chinese band he'd been tutoring. Watching him trying to listen to the music he taught them only for it to destroy his soul.
That final episode really was great!
I am so sorry we have lost this wonderful actor. However we can be grateful for his recorded performances of all kinds that allow us to relive those moments on film. I like the episodes when he gets acupuncture and the one when he refuses to see a dentist and there are so many more.
He really was great in MASH!
I loved the juxtaposition of his normally arrogant, egotistical persona with his rarely-shown (thus more memorable) tender & caring side. Examples include his answer to the letter from the young girl in Hawkeye's hometown who had sent him a red leaf from a maple tree ("autumn in New England" he muses nostalgically). Then there was his comment to Hawkeye, who's father was undergoing surgery back home: "My father & I have been 10,000 miles apart in the same room. Where I have a father, Hawkeye, you have a dad." But the best example of this character shift was the Christmas episode where he left some candy at an orphanage as his family had done when he was a child - only to be furious when the candy was sold on the black market to "raise enough money to feed them for a month". His response of "it is sadly inappropriate to give dessert to a child who has had no meal" is perhaps my favorite line from the entire series & shows
Winchester's true nature - good human being!
Excellent comments! I love every one of those episodes you referenced.
Thanks for the wonderful memories..
You’re very welcome! 😁
I believe the most moving episode is Major Winchester dealing with amphetamine abuse
I need to go watch that episode again. Thanks Rick!
For me it was the one where he was helping the G.I. that had a stuttering problem. And it turned out charles’ sister also stuttered.
That was a great episode as well!
His speech to the injured pianist in "Morale Victory" brings tears to my eyes. "I have hands, David....."
Such a great episode! I also love that speach.
Ravel, the composer of " piano for the Left Hand" was a ammo truck driver during the Battle of Verdun, along the
" Voie Sacre" , a heavily bombarded access to the Verdun front.
The music was written for a fellow soldier, a young Lieutenant, who had lost a hand in a grenade attack by a German patrol.
One of my fav episodes of mash was when Hawkeye and bj didn’t shower cause he wouldn’t stop playing the horn. And his short scene in Star Trek the next gen a fine actor.
I forgot he was in STTNG. Thanks for the reminder!
That was the best episode with those three.
@@KevinDavis338 Yes, he had played one of the husbands of Diana Troy´s mother.
That was definitely a funny episode! My favorite dialogue in it was in the Swamp!
Potter: I thought I told you kids to change your diapers!
Hawkeye: Not until he stops tooting!
Me:😂
You showcased my favorite. "I can play the notes. But YOU can make music"
A great episode indeed. Thanks Richard!
Mash was the only show that got better when new characters replaced old ones, and Charles headed that list.
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I was 13 when he started I had no idea who the classical musicians were until I started checking out classical radio stations and from then until today still love classical music
I couldn’t stand him at first but when he connected with the soldier that lost the use of his arm and was so happy to see a network series deal with stuttering and the effects of it as a 15-16 year old with stuttering and dyslexia he became my favorite MASH character
Finally I read the tweet Alan Alda did the day he passed. I had no idea DAvid was a skater something I was and still am today.
The world became a sadder place with his passing
Great comments Bobb!
Winchester could be a frightful snob but deep down he had a heart of gold
Agreed!
"Mozart! Please!"
"I will play that thing whenever I feel like it! That thing may be the only thing that keeps me from going mad in this cultural Death Valley."
A great line from the show!
One of Winchester's quips has always stayed with me: "I do one thing at a time, I do it very well, and then I move on." Pretty wise!
Agreed!
David Ogden Stiers also appeared a regular guest role villain as the leader of the Replicators on Star Gate Atlantis for a couple of seasons. Major /Dr. Winchestor in Mash was probably the role most TV fans would love him the most for his portrayal as a warm hearted doctor who went out of way to help many of his patients on Mash. Thanks for your review.
You are very welcome! Thanks for sharing that additional info. I never watched Star Gate Atlantis, although as a huge SciFi fan I should probably check it out. Have a great week!
I know this is a simple answer but I just loved how he would address the Swampmen........”Gentlemennnnn”
Andrew....thanks for sharing your comments!
There are many fine moments with Charles Emerson Winchester III that are gifts of David Ogden Stiers fine acting. One was when he taught Korean musicians to play an orchestra piece, which they played for him as they departed in a truck only to be found a little later dead, as a result of bombing (not sure); his grief stricken expression is a silent condemnation of war...or restoring faith in his talent in the musician you mentioned whom he convinced that he could still share his talent and passion for music through teaching. One of my favorite lines from MASH also belongs to David Ogden Stiers' character. This is from an episode when Hawkeye finds out that his Dad is in the hospital. This leads to Hawkeye and Charles reminiscing about their fathers At the,e nd it was Charles, who stated the most succinct analysis of the two men, "While I have a father, Hawkeye, you have a Dad.":).
Wow…great comments. Thank had forgotten about that exchange between Charles and Hawkeye, but it IS a great one indeed!
@@stephensundstrom6379 Thank you:).
DAVID OGDEN STIERS was a great actor. He was great on MASH.
I totally agree!
Good video. There is an episode where Winchester barely avoids getting killed and he becomes obsessed with understanding death. He talks to a soldier who is dying and gives the enigmatic line "I smell bread" which to the writers had no deeper meaning but Stiers look really captures the angst of understanding mortality.
I remember that episode well! Thanks!
He was excellent in the episode The Party. He also was hilarious in another episode where he is given acupuncture.
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That was a great subplot to "Back Pay" near the end of Season 8. I loved how he referred to the Korean doctors as Curly, Larry & Moe. Of course they figured it out by the end, one of them saying "Not bad for three stooges".
I loved his first episode when he sadly understood he was to be a permanent member of the 4077th surgical teem. He finally learned to adapt
My favorite episode with Charles is the rivalry between him and the other two "ironic cell mates' about their piggish living verses his French horn playing.
The most touching episode episode waa a part of the final movie about the end ofcthe war aa he discovers a small POW musicians who were killed while being transferred to a unit who would see thrm hone safety. That movie gmrecwived more viewers thsn the superbowl that year!
Those are some great Winchester moments for sure!
One of my favorites was the "practical joke war" where he pitted Margaret, Hawkeye and B.J. against each other and then at the end they realized that Charles was behind all of the antics, and then they turned the tables in him by making him think that Margaret sent a letter to B.J's wife saying B.J was having an affair with her. I was always impressed by the ability of Stiers to portray a wide range of emotions in the various episodes. In his credits... you should mention Star Trek the Next Generation (Half a Life) and the Perry Mason TV movie series where played D.A. Michael Reston , the contemporary Hamilton Burger that always lost to Mason.
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My favorite episode with Major Winchester is "Rally 'Round the Flagg, Boys", in which he is "recruited" by Col. Flagg to spy on Hawkeye after he saves a North Korean by putting him ahead of an American G.I. Winchester decides to set Flagg up with a fake map of the camp, which outlines plans for a clandestine meeting in Pierce's tent with some Korean gentlemen. It is a classic episode, in which he really makes a monkey out of Flagg and gets a few laughs out of doing it.
Great comments! I don’t remember that episode, but I’m rewatching the whole series right now, so should get to it soon enough. Thanks for watching my video!
i love the line :"Who cares about the Red Sox"
My favorite Winchester quote is from an episode where I can't remember the plot, but the line was, "Number one, I don't sweat, I perspire. Number two, I don't perspire".
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Winchester was a much better foil to Hawkeye and BJ than Frank had been. He frequently came over as a stuffed shirt, but when it came time to do the right and best thing he was there! When he gave a strong comeuppance to the soldiers who were teasing and bullying the kid who stuttered! Real Justice! Many in the main cast were given great challenges in the final episode of MASH! Charles was very much broken by the deaths of the Korean musicians he was coaching in classical music. A great character, played just right! RIP, David Ogden Stiers.
Great comments! Thank you Vilstef!
David Ogden Stiers was a fantastic reader of novels for audio. One of the absolute best. He was brilliant. Find one & give it a listen. His pace, voice characterizations, accents, everything are amazing. Three characters, for instance, may be having a conversation and one may be British, one Vietnamese, and one American & Stiers just flips from one perfect accent to another. Check one out & you'll appreciate this man's talent more than you already do.
Thanks for sharing that additional info!
In my honest opinion, David Ogden Stiers was a wonderful replacement actor when it came to replacing Larry Linville along with his Major Frank Burns character as a new main character of Major Charles Emerson Winchester III. He definitely knew how to fill the void when it came to finishing a lot of unfinished business down there at the 4077th unit. As I mentioned before, David Ogden Stiers would go on to play his new main character of Major Charles Emerson Winchester III during the seasons 6 to 11 after Larry Linville was done playing his original main character of Major Frank Burns during the seasons 1 to 5 of M*A*S*H. Otherwise, Larry Linville and David Ogden Stiers were awesome in many ways even though they played different main characters on M*A*S*H. Great video by the way.
Thanks for your comments John! I loved Stiers as Winchester, and agree he was the perfect replacement to step in after Linville chose to leave the show. As always, THANK YOU for supporting my channel! Have a great weekend!
@@stephensundstrom6379: You're welcome. I subscribed to you and your brother Dave the other day. You have a wonderful weekend as well.
My favorite Winchester moment was when he goes out candy to the fence and he didn’t want anyone to know about it understanding with true charity is
A great episode indeed!
David's portrayal of Charles was magnificent!!! Thanks Stephen for this informative video 🙂
You’re absolutely welcome Christopher! As always, thanks for watching my video and supporting my channel! Have a great weekend!
The one that always bring a tear to my eye is when Maj. Winchester donates the candy to the orphanage.
That episode is called “Death Takes A Holiday”. Truly a great episode!
I have the entire Mash series and still watch it. I was really saddened when I heard of David Stiers death.
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I loved his character; you are correct it was deeper then the others, if you cared to look.
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