"M*A*S*H" Mail Call, Again (1975)

Director:

George Tyne

Writers:

James Fritzell (writer)
Everett Greenbaum (writer)
(more)

TV Series:

"M*A*S*H" (1972)

Original Air Date:

8 December 1975 (Season 4, Episode 14)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | War

Plot:

Colonel Potter finds out that he's about to become a grandfather, and Major Burns learns that his wife knows about his affair with Margaret--and wants a divorce. |

Plot Keywords:

Nurse | Colonel | Doctor | Korean War | Captain

Cast

Alan Alda	...	Captain Benjamin Franklin Pierce
Mike Farrell	...	Captain B.J. Hunnicut
Harry Morgan	...	Colonel Sherman T. Potter
Loretta Swit	...	Major Margaret Houlihan
Larry Linville	...	Major Franklin Marion Burns
Gary Burghoff	...	Corporal Walter Eugene O'Reilly
Jamie Farr	...	Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger
William Christopher	...	Father Francis Mulcahy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kellye Nakahara	...	Lieutenant Kellye Yamato (uncredited)

Directed by
George Tyne

Writing credits
Ring Lardner Jr.		(1970 screenplay) uncredited
James Fritzell		writer (as Jim Fritzell)
Everett Greenbaum		writer
W.C. Heinz		uncredited
Richard Hooker		uncredited

Produced by
Larry Gelbart	....	producer
Burt Metcalfe	....	associate producer
Gene Reynolds	....	producer

Cinematography by
William K. Jurgensen		(director of photography) (as William Jurgensen)

Film Editing by
Fred W. Berger
Stanford Tischler

Art Direction by
Rodger Maus

Set Decoration by
Norman Rockett

Production Management
Ted Butcher	....	unit production manager
Mark Evans	....	executive production manager
Joseph Silver	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Leonard S. Smith Jr.	....	assistant director

Music Department
Johnny Mandel	....	composer: theme music
Lionel Newman	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Walter D. Dishell	....	medical advisor (as Walter D. Dishell M.D.)
Larry Gelbart	....	developed for television by

Writing credits
Ring Lardner Jr.		(1970 screenplay) uncredited
Linda Bloodworth-Thomason		writer (5 episodes 1973-1976) (as Linda Bloodworth)
Elias Davis		writer (17 episodes 1981-1982)
Sid Dorfman		writer (5 episodes 1973-1977)
Jay Folb		writer (5 episodes 1975-1977)
James Fritzell		writer (24 episodes 1974-1978) (as Jim Fritzell)
Larry Gelbart		writer (40 episodes 1972-1976)
Ronny Graham		writer (7 episodes 1978-1979)
Everett Greenbaum		writer (24 episodes 1974-1978)
Karen Hall		writer (6 episodes 1980-1983) (as Karen L. Hall)
David Isaacs		writer (17 episodes 1976-1979)
Robert Klane		writer (5 episodes 1972-1975)
Dennis Koenig		writer (15 episodes 1979-1983)
Ken Levine		writer (17 episodes 1976-1979)
Laurence Marks		writer (28 episodes 1972-1978)
Thad Mumford		writer (15 episodes 1979-1983)
Simon Muntner		writer (6 episodes 1975-1976)
David Pollock		writer (18 episodes 1980-1982)
Burt Prelutsky		writer (8 episodes 1975-1977)
Gene Reynolds		writer (12 episodes 1974-1980)

Cinematography by
Vilis Lapenieks

Art Department
Michael Casey	....	assistant property master
Kurt V. Hulett	....	property man (season 8)

Sound Department
William Hartman	....	sound editor
Don Isaacs	....	sound editor (as Don V. Isaacs)
Ed Rossi	....	supervising sound editor
Richard Sperber	....	sound editor

Stunts
Jean Coulter	....	stunts
Tom Elliott	....	stunts
Chuck Hicks	....	stunts
Pat Romano	....	stunts
Rick Sawaya	....	stunt performer
Jesse Wayne	....	stunt double: Harry Morgan and Gary Burghoff (1975-1983)

Camera and Electrical Department
Curtis Foster	....	rigging gaffer (1979-1980)
Dave Friedman	....	still photographer
Michael Hofstein	....	additional camera operator
Michael Hofstein	....	aerial director of photography
Al LaVerde	....	key grip (1978-1982)
Jim Sellars	....	first assistant camera

Music Department
Joseph Silver	....	supervising music editor

Other crew
Elias Davis	....	executive story consultant (1981-1983)
Rita Hudis	....	technical advisor: medical
David Pollock	....	executive story consultant (1981-1983)
Lee Sollenberger	....	animal handler

Production Companies

• 20th Century Fox Television

Distributors

• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1975) (USA) (TV) (original airing)

Runtime:

30 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Photophone Sound Recording)

Company:

20th Century Fox Television

Trivia:

Gary Burghoff played his character's own mother.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: Boom mic briefly visible just before Margaret reaches her tent after the "war horse" argument with Frank. DVD time 19:41.

A Solid 8 Rating!!

The opening clip of "Mail Call, Again" had Colonel Potter preparing himself to shave in his tent. Corporal O'Reilly entered the tent and delivered the mail. He handed him a letter; and he found out that Jeanee Potter would have a baby in their family. Colonel Potter was all excited about the pleasant news. Both of them would plan a pool to determine -- for one dollar -- the weight, date, birth, and sex of the baby. Major Houlihan would reluctantly agree to participate in the pool -- despite her disapproval to gambling -- after it was known Colonel Potter was formatting this event.

Corporal O'Reilly would enter "The Swamp" to deliver the mail. Corporal O'Reilly had a letter opened by accident. He told Captains Pierce and Hunnicutt about Major Burns's divorce from his wife -- Louise -- discreetly. Major Burns would -- as predicted -- scold Corporal O'Reilly for being nosy about the letter he looked inside "The Swamp." He read his letter about his situation in Fort Wayne, Indiana -- obviously in frustration ... with the result in ripping his pillow into shreds.

Colonel Potter had Corporal O'Reilly place the call to Ohio in preparation to find out about the baby. In contrast, Major Burns acted snotty at Corporal O'Reilly for not placing the call to Indiana. Colonel Potter told him to stop shooting off his mouth at camp ... or he would face problems for his misconduct. Only then did Colonel Potter realized that Major Burns's wife wanted a divorce. Towards the end, he asked Colonel Potter if he could his own phone to contact his wife in Indiana. He reluctantly agreed to the situation. After the call, Major Houlihan found out that she did not appreciate the comments he made to her about being a "War Horse" or an "Army Mule." He would be whacked without warning if he did not remove his hand off her arm.

The finishing touch to the episode would be a movie of Corporal O'Reilly's Family in Colonel Potter's Office. Captains Pierce and Hunnicutt saw the glimpses of milk and chocolate cake in the film. The film also had his mother, his relatives, his dog, and his clergy master recognizing him in the movie. His mother said -- in silent tone -- goodbye to his son. In the end, Father Mulcahy won the betting pool. The baby was actually a girl in the Potter Family. The end grade: A High "C+" !! A quality episode recommended for viewing from the 1975-1976 Television Season. An 8.6!!