On this day in 1972 the TV series M*A*S*H made its debut
The story of the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital is best known through the long-running television series MASH*, which made its debut on this day in 1972. Its ensemble cast included the character of Corporal Maxwell Klinger, who constantly tried to obtain a discharge from the Army by wearing a series of flamboyant outfits.
The story began as a novel written by Richard Hooker, the pen name of former military surgeon H. Richard Hornberger, who drew upon his experiences after being drafted into the Korean War following his graduation from medical school.
In 1970, the novel was adapted into a feature film by director Robert Altman. The film won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and received several Academy Award nominations, winning the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Although the story is set during the Korean War, which ran from 1950 to 1953, it is widely regarded as a commentary on the Vietnam War, which was ongoing when the book and film were released.
Only one actor from the film made the transition to the television version. Gary Burghoff played Corporal Walter Eugene “Radar” O’Reilly in both productions.
For the television series, new actors were cast in the principal roles, including Alan Alda as Hawkeye Pierce, Wayne Rogers as Trapper John McIntyre, McLean Stevenson as Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake, Larry Linville as Major Frank Burns, and Loretta Swit as Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan.
As the series developed, additional characters were introduced. In the fourth episode, viewers were introduced to Corporal Maxwell Klinger, whose elaborate attempts to secure a discharge became one of the show’s most memorable running jokes.
Actor Jamie Farr was initially contracted for a single appearance, but his performance made such an impression that he was invited back for further episodes. By the fourth season, he had become a member of the main cast.
Early versions of the character reportedly portrayed him as a gay man whose gender expression challenged military norms of the era. Farr later suggested that portraying Klinger as a heterosexual man who wore women’s clothing to demonstrate his supposed unsuitability for military service would create a more distinctive and comedic character.
The series never explained where Klinger obtained his colourful wardrobe. Over the years, he appeared dressed as characters including Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, Scarlett O’Hara, a nun, a flapper, Snow White, and many others.
Interpretations of the character have varied over time. Some critics have argued that the portrayal relied on humour associated with gender non-conformity, while others have suggested that the character helped familiarise mainstream audiences with diverse forms of gender expression.
In later seasons, Klinger abandoned his efforts to secure a discharge. In the series finale, he fell in love with a local Korean woman and decided to remain in Korea after the war had ended.
In his book Conduct Unbecoming: Gay and Lesbians in the U.S. Military, investigative journalist Randy Shilts noted that discharges for homosexuality reportedly declined during both the Korean and Vietnam Wars before increasing again after those conflicts ended.
When President Barack Obama later moved to expand opportunities for transgender Americans to serve openly in the military, some conservative commentators opposing the change referenced Klinger as a cultural touchstone.
