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Henry Blake's departure from Mash came in the season 3 finale with his tragic death summarizing the show's core message about war. Played by McLean Stevenson, Blake was 4077's commanding officer during the groundbreaking dramedy's early years. While not as respected or capable as Col. Sherman Potter, Blake was a fair and good-hearted doctor who was liked by his subordinates despite his inadequacies. The news of his death was delivered by a stunned Radar O'Reilly to a busy operating room, making for one of the most iconic TV deaths.

McLean Stevenson won a Golden Globe in 1974 for his performance as Henry Blake on Mash.

Given the nature of Mash, injuries, deaths, and other tragedies were the norm. The medical show leaned on it frequently, with its best moments not shying away from these difficult topics. Balancing silly humor with the horrors of war is what made Mash one of the most popular shows ever.

The 1972 Korean war sitcom "M*A*S*H" has become one of the most beloved television shows of all time, but it's fascinating to watch just how the series evolves over the seasons. The series was based on Robert Altman's 1970 film of the same name, which was in turn based on the novel "Mash: A Novel About Three Army Doctors" by Richard Hooker, but it was a very different take on the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. Altman absolutely hated the series and Hooker hated Hawkeye (Alan Alda), but series creator Larry Gelbart really knew what he was doing, even if he was clearly figuring it out as he went along.

Many of the characters on the show are different versions of their movie counterparts, but a few characters were created just for the series, and the first one was Corporal Maxwell Klinger, played by Jamie Farr. Klinger was an orderly who...

The classic wartime sitcom "M*A*S*H" has since become one of the most beloved and important shows in television history, but when it was first being developed in the early 1970s, not everyone involved was sure it could work. Series star Alan Alda, who played Captain Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce, had some pretty serious initial concerns early on, though he eventually ended up being perhaps the most influential voice on the entire series, as he both wrote and directed episodes and was the only actor to appear in every episode. Though the show would undergo some pretty major cast changes and would even lose one of the series creators after the fourth season, Alda is sort of a guiding light throughout, the show's heart and soul and moral center.

Over the years, Alda has revealed some of his early hesitations regarding his starring role in "M*A*S*H," and most of it revolved around how war was depicted.

Margaret's return to the US in the Mash finale didn't fit her character. Loretta Swit disagreed with the writers' choice for Margaret's ending. Another issue with Margaret's character was her degrading nickname, "Hot Lips."

Many regard the Mash series finale as one of the greatest television finales of all time, but for Loretta Swit, her character's ending was unjustified, and she's right. Swit played Major Margaret J "Hot Lips" Houlihan in the war comedy-drama series throughout its 11 seasons and ultimately appeared in a total of 239 episodes. Margaret was the Head Nurse at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in South Korea during the Korean War. Swit's character underwent many developments over the course of the CBS show, up until the series finale, which is still the most-watched episode of a scripted show.

During the record-breaking Mash series finale, the characters, including Margaret, celebrated the end of the Korean War.

The classic wartime sitcom series "M*A*S*H" was entirely fictional, but it was often inspired by real people and events. Heck, Alan Alda, who starred as Captain Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce and also wrote, directed, and served as a consultant on the series, even served as an Army officer in Korea shortly after the war — though he was not in a medical unit. Not only that but Jamie Farr, who played the eccentric yet lovable Corporal Klinger, served during the Korean War and even wore his own dog tags on the show. Both of them helped bring some authenticity, but even then it was important for the series' head honchos to get a better understanding of the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (Mash) life, which meant visiting the United States Army's 8055th, still stationed in South Korea at the time.

In the DVD commentary for "M*A*S*H" (via the book "TV's M...

One of television's greatest cads is Army surgeon Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce, played by Alan Alda, on the classic sitcom series M*A*S*H. He's almost always hooking up with one nurse or another, but in one special episode, audiences got to see what happened when a woman truly captured his heart. In the season 4 episode "The More I See You," a nurse named Carlye ends up working in the Mash 4077 unit, and Hawkeye recognized her as the only woman (at that point) he had ever loved. She broke his heart and might even explain why he has such a negative view of marriage and even monogamy throughout the series, and their reunion is as chaotic as you might expect.

Carlye is played by actor Blythe Danner in the episode, and she's absolutely fantastic. She manages to feel totally at home in the world of "M*A*S*H...

Wild audition stories are a dime a dozen in Hollywood, but McLean Stevenson's "M*A*S*H" casting is one of the stranger bits of classic sitcom mythology. According to casting director Eddie Foy III (per MeTV), the actor who would go on to play beloved buffoon Colonel Henry Blake for three seasons of the long-running series first earned the part in an especially roundabout way. The casting department didn't simply have Stevenson audition but instead put him in an entirely different TV movie to get him on executive producer Gene Reynolds' radar.

"I remember McLean Stevenson, I got McLean to do [the series]," Foy recalled in an interview with the Archive of American Television. "In fact," he continued, "we snuck him in on a picture called 'Mr. and Mrs. Bo Jo Jones,' where he played an eccentric minister, and we showed it to Gene Reynolds. He said, 'I love the guy.

Sudden success is a hell of a drug. Be it entertainment, sports, or certain, shockingly competitive sectors of the healthcare industry, you can count on numerous fast risers to get high on their own supply and take an ego-fueled torch to their career.

Television actors are especially susceptible to these vain slip-ups, and it's easy to understand why. Before the advent of prestige TV, the small-screen medium was, particularly for young-ish performers, viewed as a potential springboard to big-screen stardom. Sometimes it works out. Chevy Chase bolted from "Saturday Night Live" midway through its second season and instantly became a movie star on the strength of his work in Colin Higgins' sporadically hilarious "Foul Play" (even though he's far from the funniest element of the film). And sometimes you're David Caruso, who quit "NYPD Blue" to topline a pair of 1995 flops in Barbet Schroder's "Kiss of Death" (underrated) and William Friedkin's "Jade".

Generally,...

On Monday, Jan. 1, M*A*S*H fans are invited to ring in the new year with M*A*S*H: The Comedy That Changed Television, a two-hour special airing on Fox and featuring new interviews with series vets Alan Alda (who played Capt. Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce), Loretta Swit (Maj. Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan), Gary Burghoff (Cpl. Walter “Radar” O’Reilly), Jamie Farr (Cpl./Sgt. Maxwell Q. “Max” Klinger) and Mike Farrell (Capt. B.J. Hunnicutt), as well as the late Wayne Rogers (Capt. “Trapper” John McIntyre) and William Christopher (Father Francis Mulcahy).

M*A*S*H executive producers Gene Reynolds and...

The M*A*S*H reunion special came together after years of planning and collaboration between the executive producers and the original cast members. The special includes interviews with the living cast members and archival interviews with those who have passed away. Despite facing challenges in selling the special to networks in the past, Fox finally decided to produce it, allowing the team to create a compilation of the best clips from the show's 251 episodes.

The executive producer behind the upcoming M*A*S*H reunion special, John Scheinfeld, explains how the event came together decades after the show ended. Beginning its TV run in 1972, the Korean War series lasted 11 seasons during its original run. M*A*S*H featured a leading cast of Alan Alda, Wayne Rogers, Loretta Swit, Jamie Far, William Christopher, and Harry Morgan.

Speaking with TVLine, Scheinfeld explains how the M*A*S*H special came together after years. Check out the full quote from...

When Larry Gelbart brought "M*A*S*H" to television, he had dauntingly spacious shoes to fill. Robert Altman's 1970 film, based on a novel by Richard Hooker, was a New Hollywood sensation that mined the Korean War (an obvious Vietnam substitute) for edgy, hard R-rated laughs. It was the third-highest-grossing movie of the year and racked up five Academy Award nominations (including one for Best Picture). Matching the quality of the film was challenging enough. The biggest problem facing Gelbart was retaining the ribald tone, a tall order considering network television's conservative content standards in the early 1970s.

Gelbart's solution was to sand down the sharp misogynistic edges of the characters and embrace a more humanistic gallows sense of humor. The small-screen version of the 4077th was certainly mischievous, but they weren't mean-spirited. They would've never pulled the humiliating shower prank on Hot Lips from the film. Yes, there were extreme personality clashes,...

In terms of actors, the sole link between Robert Altman's "M*A*S*H" and the long-running CBS sitcom is Gary Burghoff, who played the nerdy, childlike company clerk Eugene "Radar" O'Reilly. But while the series gradually became a less ribald and more humanistic take on characters, it retained some of the film's anarchic spirit by shooting on its still-standing locations at the Fox Ranch in Malibu Creek State Park. The TV crew made some minor alterations to the tents, but for the most part the show's exteriors were identical to the film's. All told, this was a minor flourish that was lost on most viewers, but for fans of Altman's movie, it was a nice gesture that linked the series to its considerably rowdier (and undeniably problematic) predecessor.

Using the 4077th's Malibu exteriors created a bit of a spatial disconnect when the series was assigned Stage 9 at 20th Century Fox Studios.

Several original cast members of the classic TV series M*A*S*H will reunite once again for an all-new television special.

Per TVLine, it was announced that a two-hour special reuniting M*A*S*H cast members while looking back at the hit show will air on Fox on Jan. 1, 2024. The special will include all-new interviews with Alan Alda (Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce) along with several other surviving cast members. That includes Mike Farrell (B.J. Hunnicutt), Gary Burghoff (Walter "Radar" O'Reilly), Jamie Farr (Maxwell Q. "Max" Klinger), and Loretta Swit (Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan). Executive producers Gene Reynolds and Burt Metcalfe will also be included.

Related New Frasier Reboot Clip Reveals Emotional Reunion From the Original Show A clip from the Frasier reboot's Christmas-themed season finale reunites the title character with an old friend from the original sitcom. Close

Fox is touting the special as a "definitive" look into the history of M*A*S*H.

M*A*S*H reunion happening after 40 years, titled "The Comedy That Changed Television," airing on January 1st on Fox. The show celebrates the iconic sitcom's achievements through interviews with surviving cast members and executive producers. Special pays tribute to deceased cast and crew through clips, archival interviews, and behind-the-scenes footage.

A M*A*S*H reunion is happening on Fox, with the network announcing that the original cast will get together after 40 years for what has been described as the “definitive” reflection on the beloved comedy-drama series. The reunion special, titled M*A*S*H: The Comedy That Changed Television, is now all set to air in the new year on January 1st, and promises to bring together Alan Alda, Gary Burghoff, Jamie Farr, and more (via TV Line).

“M*A*S*H is among the most iconic sitcoms in the annals of television history,” said Dan Harrison, Fox’s EVP of Program Planning & Content Strategy, in a statement.

A Mash reunion is confirmed 40 years after the war series ended. Alan Alda and other surviving cast members, as well as EPs Gene Reynolds and Burt Metcalfe, will team up for a special two-hour broadcast on Fox on January 1. The upcoming Mash reunion special will also feature never-before-seen BTS content.

The surviving Mash cast members are confirmed to come together for a special reunion. After 11 years on the air, the legendary war comedy wrapped up its run with the feature-length iconic finale, "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen," in 1983. Four decades since the public said goodbye to the 4077 Mash unit in South Korea, several of its best personnel are re-assembling for a special look back at the critically acclaimed series.

Per a new report from TV Line, Alan Alda, who played Captain Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce, and some of his most notable cohorts from the legendary show, Mash, will be reuniting in a...

Fox is kicking off the new year by celebrating one of television’s greatest ever shows. The network will air a two-hour special M*A*S*H: The Comedy That Changed Television on Monday, January 1, 2024 at 8/7c. In it, those who made M*A*S*H celebrate one of the most beloved, enduringly popular, often quoted and influential comedies ever created. The special about the television classic will feature new interviews with original cast members Alan Alda (Capt. Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce), Gary Burghoff (Cpl. Walter “Radar” O’Reilly), William Christopher (Father Francis Mulcahy), Jamie Farr (Cpl./Sgt. Maxwell Q. “Max” Klinger), Mike Farrell (Capt. B.J. Hunnicutt), Wayne Rogers (Capt. “Trapper” John McIntyre), and Loretta Swit (Maj. Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan) and series executive producers Gene Reynolds and Burt Metcalfe. These will reveal the creation and evolution of the show’s iconic characters as well as rare and never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage,...

Fox is ringing in the new year by turning back the clock four decades.

The network announced Wednesday that on Jan. 1 it will air M*A*S*H: The Comedy That Changed Television, a two-hour special featuring new interviews with surviving cast members Alan Alda (Capt. Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce), Gary Burghoff (Cpl. Walter “Radar” O’Reilly), Jamie Farr (Cpl./Sgt. Maxwell Q. “Max” Klinger), Mike Farrell (Capt. B.J. Hunnicutt) and Loretta Swit (Maj. Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan), as well as EPs Gene Reynolds and Burt Metcalfe.

More from TVLineJane Seymour Is Pitching a Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman RevivalMasked Singer's Sea Queen Revealed?...

Fox will celebrate Mash: The Comedy That Changed Television in a new two-hour special set to air Monday, January 1 at 8 pm on the network.

A definitive look at the 14-time Emmy-winning television classic, the special centers around new interviews with original cast members Alan Alda (Capt. Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce), Gary Burghoff (Cpl. Walter “Radar” O’Reilly), William Christopher (Father Francis Mulcahy), Jamie Farr (Cpl./Sgt. Maxwell Q. “Max” Klinger), Mike Farrell (Capt. B.J. Hunnicutt), Wayne Rogers (Capt. “Trapper” John McIntyre) and Loretta Swit (Maj. Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan) and series executive producers Gene Reynolds and Burt Metcalfe.

“In these intimate, highly personal remembrances, the creation and evolution of the show’s iconic characters are revealed, alongside rare and never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage, photos and stories,” according to Fox.

Writer/producer Larry Gelbart, as well as additional series stars Larry Linville (Maj. Frank Burns), Harry Morgan (Col. Sherman T. Potter), McLean Stevenson (Lt.

Once you've seen all of "M*A*S*H," it can be tough to rewatch some earlier season episodes. The Korean War-set sitcom was heartfelt and inspired from its first season to its last, but the earlier seasons also prominently featured some kinks the show would later work out. The worst of them? The initially one-note writing of Nurse Margaret Houlihan (Loretta Swit), whose nickname Hot Lips is a good indicator of how the show felt about her early on.

In the show's early days, Margaret alternated between appearing to be a shrill stick in the mud and an amorous "other woman" for sniveling jerk Frank Burns (Larry Linville). When she was subjected to sexual harassment at the hands of our heroes, she was the butt of the joke for taking it too personally, and audiences never got much sense of her inner self. As the series began establishing its...

For one of television history's most beloved sitcoms, "M*A*S*H" was always walking a tight line. Premiering in 1972, it would go on for 11 years, depicting with raunchy humor and deep pathos the plights of a mobile surgical hospital on the frontlines of the Korean War. Early on, the show adopted the anarchic, bawdy comedic sensibility of the books by Richard Hooker (pseudonym for H. Richard Hornberger) and their 1970 Robert Altman film adaptation. But as with most long-running television shows, things change.

"M*A*S*H" was only nominally about the Korean War. It was hardly concerned with period-accurate detail (as plenty of the hairstyles demonstrate) and characters like series lead Hawkeye (Alan Alda) felt entirely out of time to begin with. Hawkeye's sense of humor was like the Marx Brothers, only translated to the then-current war in Vietnam. Korea existed in dialogue and major plotlines, but the feelings the show evoked were directly in conversation with contemporaneous issues.

Where to Watch Powered by Mash's UK broadcast of the popular TV series removed the laugh track, which was a controversial element in the US version. The decision to remove the laugh track in the UK made the show better, as it allowed the audience to fully appreciate the comedy-drama's balance without unnecessary forced laughter. Over time, Mash shifted from comedy to more serious narratives, making the laugh track even more intrusive and out of place, so removing it was ultimately a smart move.

The UK's Mash broadcast iteration was better than its American counterpart because of one particular reason. Following a successful movie adaptation in 1970, Richard Hooker's 1968 novel Mash: A Novel About Three Army Doctors was eventually adapted into a TV series on CBS. Spearheaded by Alan Alda's Captain Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce, Mash premiered in 1972 and ran for 11 successful seasons until it wrapped up with a...

While CBS may have demanded changes to certain Mash storylines, there was only one script that they outright refused to produce. Mash arrived shortly after Robert Altman's hit dark comedy of the same name, which followed a medical unit during The Korean War. Given the amount of bad language, gore and other adult themes of the 1970 movie, the CBS TV adaptation naturally had to tone things down considerably. That said, Mash would still break ground regarding how it approached storytelling on television

The death of Henry Blake on Mash was a shocking moment, simply because TV shows at the time rarely - if ever - killed such important supporting players. Mash ditched the trademark sitcom laugh track during surgery scenes (and eventually entirely), and explored topics like Ptsd and trauma at a time when no other show did. Mash's showrunners clashed with CBS over the show's tone and...

Mash was used to several cast exits, but it also featured a subtle recasting early on its run. Premiering in 1972, the CBS war comedy went on to run for 11 brilliant seasons, only getting better as it went along. Set in the Korean War in the '50s, Mash centered on the 4077th mobile army surgical hospital and the personnel that ran it. While the show was essentially an ensemble, it eventually became clear that Alan Alda's Captain Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce was the anchor character of the series. However, Mash's success was only made possible by the string of supporting characters that he was surrounded by.

Despite its show's increasing popularity, Mash had a cast exodus early in its run. Original cast members such as McLean Stevenson as Henry Blake and Wayne Rogers as Trapper John McIntyre left the series for personal reasons. Eventually, Larry Linville's Frank Burns...

M*A*S*H always had a complicated relationship with its laugh track, and here's why it finally ditched it towards the end of its run. M*A*S*H was originally a novel by author Richard Hooker - based on his experiences as a doctor in the Korean War - before being adapted into an acclaimed Robert Altman movie. The M*A*S*H TV show started as more of a sitcom, focusing on the hijacks of Alan Alda's "Hawkeye" Pierce and Wayne Rogers' "Trapper." It later became a dramedy, dialing back the wackiness to explore the toll the war took on its characters, including their trauma and Ptsd.

M*A*S*H broke new ground for future shows and became one of the first sitcoms to challenge the laugh track. Considering the setting, showrunners Larry Gelbart and Gene Reynolds didn't want a laugh track at all, considering it inappropriate.

Burt Metcalfe, the revered TV producer who worked on all 11 seasons of “Mash,” died July 27 in Los Angeles. He was 87.

Metcalfe was an actor turned director-producer who was recruited to work on “Mash” by director Gene Reynolds, who launched the series adaptation of Robert Altman’s 1970 black comedy released by 20th Century Fox. Metcalfe started out as an associate producer and rose to showrunner for the show’s final six seasons. He also directed 31 episodes of the series’ 251 installments.

Reynolds, who was with “Mash” through the 1976-77 season before moving on to the helm of CBS’ “Lou Grant,” died at age 96 in February 2020.

The CBS series adaptation defied low expectations for movie adaptations and became pop culture touchstone of the 1970s and early ’80s. Set during the Korean War, Alan Alda starred as Col. Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce, a cynical surgeon with a heart of gold who helped run a mobile...

Burt Metcalfe, who produced, wrote and directed on all 11 seasons of “M*A*S*H,” has died. He was 87.

Metcalfe died Wednesday in Los Angeles of natural causes, according to Jan Jorden, his wife of 43 years told The Hollywood Reporter. Jorden is an actress who played a recurring role on the CBS hit comedy that ran from 1972-1983.

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Metcalfe was born in Saskatoon, Canada, moving to Los Angeles in 1949 to study theater at UCLA. He served in the Navy in 1956-1957.

He appeared in several TV shows, including the first season of “The Twilight Zone,” and played newlywed Buckley Dunston on TV’s “Father of the Bride.” His brief career as a casting director led him to work for Gene Reynolds, who was developing the “M*A*S*H” pilot at Fox.

He produced all but a...

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Burt Metcalfe, the onetime actor from Canada who served as a producer, director and writer on all 11 seasons of M*A*S*H, collecting 13 Emmy nominations along the way, has died. He was 87.

One of the show’s unsung heroes, Metcalfe died Wednesday in Los Angeles of natural causes, his wife of 43 years, actress Jan Jorden announced. (She had a recurring role as Nurse Baker on the series.)

Before he gave up full-time acting to work on the other side of the camera, Metcalfe played the surfer Lord Byron opposite Sandra Dee and James Darren in Gidget (1959), appeared on the first season of The Twilight Zone and starred on the 1961-62 CBS sitcom Father of the Bride.

Metcalfe was a producer on all but five of M*A*S*H‘s 256 episodes from 1972-83 and its showrunner for its last six seasons. He...

Throughout 2021, we will continue to update this In Memoriam photo gallery with major celebrity deaths from film, television, theater and music. The first major entertainment figures to be honored in the 2021 gallery are talk show host Larry King, Emmy and Tony winner Hal Holbrook, Oscar and Emmy winner Cloris Leachman, Emmy winners Peter Scolari, Cicely Tyson and Jessica Walter, Oscar champ Olympia Dukakis, Oscar/Tony/Emmy winner Christopher Plummer and legendary composer Stephen Sondheim, an Oscar, Tony and Grammy winner.

The previous year of 2020 suffered many losses, including:

Actors Chadwick Boseman, two-time Oscar winner Olivia de Havilland, Oscar champ Sean Connery and honorary Oscar recipient Kirk Douglas

TV legends Carl Reiner, Diana Rigg, Jim Lehrer, Hugh Downs, Gene Reynolds, Alex Trebek and Regis Philbin.

Grammy champs John Prine and Kenny Rogers, plus Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members Eddie Van Halen, Little Richard, Bill Withers and Neil Peart, plus...

Who will be included for the special “In Memoriam” segment for Sunday night’s Oscars 2021 ceremony? With last year’s Academy Awards happening over 14 months ago, it means an even larger number of film veterans have died. Producers will hopefully be offering a longer remembrance and not leaving out people for the sake of time.

Superstar actor Chadwick Boseman died late last summer and is a nominee as Best Actor for his role in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” Previous Oscar winners from acting categories show who will likely be honored include Sean Connery, Olivia de Havilland, Cloris Leachman and Christopher Plummer. Past acting nominees include Hal Holbrook, Ian Holm, Shirley Knight, George Segal, Cicely Tyson, Max von Sydow and Stuart Whitman.

SEE2021 Oscars presenters: Last year’s winners Renee Zellweger, Joaquin Phoenix, Laura Dern, Brad Pitt returning

Almost all of the near 100 people on the list below were Academy members.

Every year Hollywood looks to the Producers Guild Awards winner to forecast the Best Picture Oscar. That’s because in the 12 years since both groups expanded their top award list and adopted the preferential ballot, only three times have the winners not aligned — PGA winners “1917,” “La La Land” and “The Big Short” did not land Best Picture.

Those differences made sense, as in each case a smaller, lower-budget movie took home the Oscar over a movie of scale and scope. And as expected, this year’s Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of a Motion Picture went to Chloé Zhao’s magic-hour road trip “Nomadland,” as voted on by the guild’s 8,000 members. Searchlight’s frontrunner looms large in a field of small movies, as it keeps racking up wins on its way to multiple Oscars come April 25.

“We’re proud to have produced a film about community and what connects us,...

Every year Hollywood looks to the Producers Guild Awards winner to forecast the Best Picture Oscar. That’s because in the 12 years since both groups expanded their top award list and adopted the preferential ballot, only three times have the winners not aligned — PGA winners “1917,” “La La Land” and “The Big Short” did not land Best Picture.

Those differences made sense, as in each case a smaller, lower-budget movie took home the Oscar over a movie of scale and scope. And as expected, this year’s Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of a Motion Picture went to Chloé Zhao’s magic-hour road trip “Nomadland,” as voted on by the guild’s 8,000 members. Searchlight’s frontrunner looms large in a field of small movies, as it keeps racking up wins on its way to multiple Oscars come April 25.

“We’re proud to have produced a film about community and what connects us,...

The Producers Guild of America Awards awarded Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland” with their top prize, one of the key indicators for the Academy Awards, particularly the best picture category. Edging out its closest competitors including Emerald Fennell’s “Promising Young Woman,” Lee Isaac Chung’s “Minari” and Aaron Sorkin’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” this might just end any questions about whether or not the moving drama is running away with the Oscars’ big prize.

All the acceptance speeches were pre-recorded with “Nomadland” giving a more produced, glitzier presentation than what we’ve seen at other award shows.

It should be noted that last year’s “1917” from Sam Mendes lost the Oscar after wins from PGA and DGA to “Parasite,” which only had the coveted SAG cast ensemble prize under its belt. Coincidentally, “Nomadland” is not nominated at SAG in their top category, leaving an opening for...

The most glamorous movie about the Korean War experience lauds the bravery of Navy aviators while spelling out the downside of fighting an unpopular war. William Holden, Grace Kelly, Fredric March and Mickey Rooney turn in sharp performances, and Charles McGraw gets his best character part as a no-nonsense flight commander. Paramount’s special effects department outdid themselves on this one — the illusions are beautifully matched to the live-action filmmaking. Heaven help the good civilian soldier that finds himself asking how he ended up getting shot at in a ditch in some far-off foreign country.

The Bridges at Toko-Ri

Blu-ray

Viavision [Imprint] 30

1954 / Color / Open Matte flat 1:37 (should be 1:85 widescreen) / 102 min. / Street Date February 24, 2021 / Available from Viavision / 34.95

Starring: William Holden, Grace Kelly, Fredric March, Mickey Rooney, Robert Strauss, Charles McGraw, Keiko Awaji, Earl Holliman, Richard Shannon, Willis Bouchey, Teru Shimada, Dennis Weaver, Corey Allen, Gene Reynolds, Roger Pace.

Cinematography: Loyal Griggs...

It’s pretty scary to think that as late as 1940 both Washington and the American public were sharply divided over Nazi Germany. Poland had been overrun and France was about to fall, but MGM waited until June of that year to release this softened adaptation of a novel written as a warning to the world in 1937. Handsomely produced with MGM’s high-gloss production values, it’s remembered as a valiant and courageous anti-Nazi film. Its all-star cast reunited the potent romantic team of James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan for sentimental fireworks.

The Mortal Storm

Blu-ray

Warner Archive Collection

1940 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 100 min. / Street Date November 3, 2020 / available through the WBshop / 21.99

Starring: Margaret Sullavan, James Stewart, Robert Young, Frank Morgan, Robert Stack, Bonita Granville, Irene Rich, William T. Orr, Maria Ouspenskaya, Gene Reynolds, Russell Hicks, Esther Dale, Dan Dailey, Ward Bond, Rudolph Anders, Brad Dexter.

Cinematography: William H. Daniels

Film Editor:...

Many TV legends and contributors were included for the “In Memoriam” segment on Sunday’s Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony for ABC. But producers are always forced to omit some of the 100+ insiders who died since the last ceremony. Who was left out of the group that was honored?

With dozens of television veterans having died since last year’s mid-September ceremony, people certainly included were these six TV Academy Hall of Fame members:

Diahann Carroll

Leonard Goldberg (executive at 20th Century Fox and ABC; producer of “Charlie’s Angels” and more)

Jim Lehrer (anchor/reporter of “MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour)

Regis Philbin

Carl Reiner

Fred Silverman

SEECelebrity Deaths 2020: In Memoriam Gallery

Even though he wasn’t known for his TV work, blockbuster film actor Chadwick Boseman was featured in the final slot. NBA Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant was not mentioned, even though the event was being held in the Staples Center.

For Sunday’s Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony on ABC, producers will have the always difficult task of assembling a memoriam segment. Even though the event hosted by Jimmy Kimmel will be virtual, it’s a certainty they will include the popular “In Memoriam” on the show.

With over 100 television veterans having died since last year’s mid-September ceremony, those expected to be honored would include such TV legends and TV Academy Hall of Fame members:

Diahann Carroll

Leonard Goldberg (executive at 20th Century Fox and ABC; producer of “Charlie’s Angels” and more)

Jim Lehrer (anchor/reporter of “MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour)

Regis Philbin

Carl Reiner

Fred Silverman

SEECelebrity Deaths 2020: In Memoriam Gallery

Even though they weren’t known for their TV work, it’s very likely NBA Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant and blockbuster film actor Chadwick Boseman will be honored. Also among the dozens most likely included since they...

Emmy recognition for female directors was a long, long time coming. The playing field is a bit more level but has a long way to go. Eght of the 20 nominees for directing in the comedy series, drama series, and movie/limited series categories are women.

The first Emmy for outstanding directing was handed out in 1955 to Franklin Schaffner for the “Studio One” live drama “Twelve Angry Men” (he won an Oscar 15 years later for helming Best Picture champ “Patton”). It wasn’t until 30 years later that a woman director was even nominated in that category. Karen Arthur made history again when she won an Emmy for the “Heat” episode of CBS’ “Cagney & Lacey.” It was the only nomination and win for this prolific TV helmer.

The flood gates didn’t exactly open after Arthur’s win. More women were nominated in this category, but it took another decade for...

Ronald Schwary, who won an Oscar as the producer of Ordinary People and whose other major film successes include A Soldier’s Story, Absence of Malice, Scent of a Woman and Tootsie, has died. He was 76. He passed away Thursday in West Hollywood, according to his sons.

No cause of death was provided, but reports indicate Schwary had struggled with a rare neurological autonomic disorder.

Schwary was the producer on six Sydney Pollack-directed films: The Electric Horseman (1979) and Havana (1990), with Robert Redford; Absence of Malice (1981), starring Paul Newman; Best Picture nominee Tootsie (1982), with Dustin Hoffman; Sabrina (1995), featuring Harrison Ford, and Random Hearts (1999), also starring Ford.

Even though the films were nominated for Best Picture, Schwary did not receive a nomination for either Tootsie or Scent of a Woman or because he was not credited as “Producer.”

On Tootsie, there was a dispute between Columbia and the production regarding the number of credited producers.

Throughout 2020, we will continue to update this photo gallery with major celebrity deaths from film, television, theater and music.

The year has included the losses of honorary Oscar recipient Kirk Douglas, Oscar winner and NBA legend Kobe Bryant, Oscar-nominated writer and director Buck Henry, Oscar nominees Max von Sydow and Stuart Whitman, “Monty Python” co-founder Terry Jones, TV Hall of Fame journalist Jim Lehrer, Emmy winners John Karlen, James Lipton and Gene Reynolds, plus Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member and Rush drummer Neil Peart.

Our previous gallery from 2019 featured many names, including Oscar winner Andre Previn, Oscar nominees Doris Day, Diahann Carroll, Albert Finney, Peter Fonda, Robert Forster and John Singleton, Emmy winners Tim Conway and Rip Torn, Tony Awards champ Hal Prince, comedian and actor Bob Einstein, TV producer and writer John Falsey, actress Carol Channing, actress Katherine Helmond, actor Luke Perry, singer James Ingram and Daytime Emmy winner Kristoff St. John.

Throughout 2020, Gold Derby continues to update our photo gallery above with major celebrity deaths from film, television, theater and music. Tour through our pictures so far with the following 11 people currently featured:

Max von Sydow died on March 8 at age 90. The Swedish actor often worked with Ingmar Bergman, including in “The Seventh Seal,” “The Passion of Anna” and “Shame.” He received Oscar nominations for “Pelle the Conqueror” and “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” plus Emmy bids for “Red King, White Knight” and “Game of Thrones.”

SEEIngmar Bergman movies: 25 greatest films ranked worst to best

James Lipton, longtime host of “Inside the Actors Studio,” is dead at the age of 93 on March 2. He received 20 Emmy nominations for that Bravo program and won the award in 2013. He was also nominated in 1988 for an original song on a Bob Hope comedy special.

Actor Robert Conrad died on February 8 at age 84. He was the...

Gene Reynolds, who co-created the lauded TV series M*A*S*H that centered on an American medical team stationed in South Korea during the Korean War, has died. He was 96.

Reynolds died on Monday of heart failure at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, CNN reports. The news was confirmed in a statement from the Directors Guild of America. Reynolds served as the DGA’s president from 1993 to 1997.

“Gene’s influence on the modern Directors Guild of America was significant and lasting,” DGA President Thomas Schlamme said in a statement.

Gene Reynolds, “M*A*S*H” co-creator and former president of the Directors Guild of America, has died at the age of 96.

The news was confirmed in a pair of statements from DGA President Thomas Schlamme and former National Executive Director Jay D. Roth on Tuesday.

“Gene’s influence on the modern Directors Guild of America was significant and lasting,” said Schlamme. “During his two terms as President, he dedicated himself to making the Guild more inclusive — broadening the leadership base, encouraging younger members to take leadership positions, strengthening ties between feature directors, pushing the industry to do better on diversity and working to modify DGA agreements so that filmmakers with low budgets could benefit from DGA membership. Gene’s commitment to the Guild lasted long after his presidency ended, regularly attending Board and Western Directors Council meetings, and never hesitating to share his thoughts. He was passionate about this Guild,...

Gene Reynolds, a former child actor who went on to co-create M*A*S*H and Lou Grant and direct and/or produced multiple other series and was a two-term DGA president, died Monday at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank. He was 96.

Reynolds won six Emmys — from more than two dozen nominations — three DGA Awards and a WGA Award during a six-decade showbiz career that began as a preteen actor. He would continue with onscreen roles through the 1950s before segueing to producing and directing.

He got his start behind the camera writing the 1958-61 NBC Western Tales of Wells Fargo and soon began directing episodes of such enduring TV series as Leave It to Beaver, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Andy Griffith Show — co-starring a young Ron Howard — Father of the Bride, The Munsters and more than 70- half-hours of the long-running Fred MacMurray sitcom My Three Sons.

Six-time Emmy winner Gene Reynolds, known for his writing, directing and producing for the lauded socially conscious 1970s TV shows “M*A*S*H” and “Lou Grant,” died Monday in Burbank, Calif. He was 96.

Starting in 1993, Reynolds served four years as president of the Directors Guild of America, which confirmed his death.

Asked to produce a TV version of the 1970 antiwar black comedy “M*A*S*H,” about a team of surgeons in the Korean War, Reynolds sought out the creative like-mind of writer Larry Gelbart. Together, they created a funny yet socially astute series that was massively successful, running for 11 years and garnering many awards, including a Peabody in 1975 and Emmys for outstanding series (1974) and for an assortment of individual writing, acting and directing accomplishments.

Gene Reynolds, the prolific director, producer and writer who was a driving force behind such socially conscious television series as M*A*S*H, Lou Grant and Room 222, has died. He was 96.

Reynolds died Monday at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, the DGA announced.

Reynolds started out in Hollywood as a child actor at MGM in such movies as Boys Town (1938). He was nominated for 24 Emmy Awards, winning six times, and his series were known for looking at serious problems — without sacrificing warmth or humor.

Reynolds and Larry Gelbart created CBS' M*A*S*H, which was based on a novel by ...

Bill Hader, uh, made his mark last year when he won the Directors Guild of America Award for comedy series for helming the “Barry” pilot “Chapter One: Make Your Mark.” He’s back in the running again and is the overwhelming favorite to defend his title, which would make him the ninth person to win this award twice.

Hader has a commanding lead in our predictions with 31/10 odds for the breakout Season 2 episode “ronny/lily.” The next closest is the series finale of “Veep,” by David Mandel, at 39/10, followed by three episodes of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”: “Marvelous Radio” by Daniel Palladino, “It’s the Sixties, Man!” by Dan Attias, and “It’s Comedy or Cabbage” by Amy Sherman-Palladino.

The former “Saturday Night Live” star would join a two-time winners club that includes Andy Ackerman (“Seinfeld”), Hy Averback (“M*A*S*H”), Paul Bogart (“All in the Family”), Beth McCarthy-Miller,...

“It’s under the Big ‘W’!” A smart cop show goes all ‘Dragnet’ on a trio of criminal cases in the good old City of the Angels. To figure out who gunned down a top detective, rough tough FBI agent Broderick Crawford must get to the bottom of three separate dramas, each involving a beautiful woman. The producers know how to get attention for their show — the climactic shootout takes place under the Hollywood Sign.

Down 3 Dark Streets

Blu-ray

ClassicFlix

1954 / B&W / 1:75 widescreen / 86 min. / Street Date April 24, 2018 / 29.99

Starring: Broderick Crawford, Ruth Roman, Martha Hyer, Marisa Pavan, Max Showalter, Kenneth Tobey, Gene Reynolds, William Johnstone, Harlan Warde, Jay Adler, Claude Akins, Suzanne Alexander, Joe Bassett, Michael Fox, John Indrisano, Milton Parsons, Stafford Repp, William Schallert, Charles Tannen.

Cinematography: Joseph Biroc

Film Editor: Grant Whytock

Production Design: Edward (Ted) Haworth

Original Music: Paul Sawtell

Written by Bernard C. Schoenfeld, ‘The Gordons...

Keep up with the glitzy awards world with our weekly Awards Roundup column.

Awards

– The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television has announced that director Johnny Ma has won the Academy’s Best First Feature award, sponsored by Telefilm Canada, for his feature film, “Old Stone.” This award celebrates the outstanding debut of a first-time filmmaker. The film had its North American premiere at Tiff in the Discovery Programme and was awarded the City of Toronto Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film. The film can be pre-ordered on iTunes for viewing after April 7, 2017.

The Canadian Screen Awards will be broadcast live on CBC from Toronto’s Sony Centre for the Performing Arts on Sunday, March 12.

– Acclaimed screenwriter-director Richard Curtis has been named the recipient of the Writers Guild of America, West’s 2017 Valentine Davies Award in recognition of his humanitarian efforts, charitable initiatives and world service, which have achieved a...

Child actor Dickie Moore: 'Our Gang' member. Former child actor Dickie Moore dead at 89: Film career ranged from 'Our Gang' shorts to features opposite Marlene Dietrich and Gary Cooper 1930s child actor Dickie Moore, whose 100+ movie career ranged from Our Gang shorts to playing opposite the likes of Marlene Dietrich, Barbara Stanwyck, and Gary Cooper, died in Connecticut on Sept. 7, '15 – five days before his 90th birthday. So far, news reports haven't specified the cause of death. According to a 2013 Boston Phoenix article about Moore's wife, MGM musical star Jane Powell, he had been “suffering from arthritis and bouts of dementia.” Dickie Moore movies At the behest of a persistent family friend, combined with the fact that his father was out of a job, Dickie Moore (born on Sept. 12, 1925, in Los Angeles) made his film debut as an infant in Alan Crosland's 1927 costume drama The Beloved Rogue,...

Raymond Massey ca. 1940. Raymond Massey movies: From Lincoln to Boris Karloff Though hardly remembered today, the Toronto-born Raymond Massey was a top supporting player – and sometime lead – in both British and American movies from the early '30s all the way to the early '60s. During that period, Massey was featured in nearly 50 films. Turner Classic Movies generally selects the same old MGM / Rko / Warner Bros. stars for its annual “Summer Under the Stars” series. For that reason, it's great to see someone like Raymond Massey – who was with Warners in the '40s – be the focus of a whole day: Sat., Aug. 8, '15. (See TCM's Raymond Massey movie schedule further below.) Admittedly, despite his prestige – his stage credits included the title role in the short-lived 1931 Broadway production of Hamlet – the quality of Massey's performances varied wildly. Sometimes he could be quite effective; most of the time, however, he was an unabashed scenery chewer,...