Larry Gelbart Dead at 81 Page 2

I didn't recognise the name but 57 episodes of M*A*S*H? Wow. RIP.

I've not seen it with a laughter track - sounds a horrible idea. I think it was the first comedy I saw with such a dark side and probably my favourite theme tune of all time.

Shame, as with most protests, it made no difference to future pointless wars.

But I'm sure it must have helped some people in some small way who'd suffered during that time and it informed without being preachy as well as being entertaining. Not many of those shows about are there?

I loved how Alan Alda said he performed sitting down as much as possible - that's my kind of lazy.

Jx

and Blame it on Rio. Haven't seen that in years but was fun as I remember!

Quote: Jane P @ September 13 2009, 9:39 AM BST

and Blame it on Rio. Haven't seen that in years but was fun as I remember!

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When I was a kid I caught Blame It On Rio late one night on the box. It was the first time I had seen a (very brief, it has to be said) full-frontal nude on TV. (Yes, it was a woman.) This encounter lead me on into a fascinating field of research...

She was pretty tasty IIRC. Caine was lucky bugger.

Indeed she was. What was her name...?

EDIT: Ah... Michelle Johnson

and a young demi moore plays the daughter of michael caine's character

Oh yeah, forgotten about that.

Quote: peter gazzard @ September 13 2009, 4:07 PM BST

and a young demi moore plays the daughter of michael caine's character

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Demi Moore had been cast to play Lucy Lane in Supergirl, but left the project to do Blame It On Rio, which was a much better film.

EDIT: Larry Gelbart. M*A*S*H great, but he was also partly responsible for the horrible, terrible, awful remake of Bedazzled with Brendan Fraser and Liz Hurley. Yet he also co-wrote the screenplay for The Wrong Box, which was faultless (at least it was when I watched it at age 12).

I imagine the Bedazzled job was hack work for him. He was likely called in to try and rescue the script. Paid work, nothing wrong with that particularly. (At least he had nothing to do with remake of The Wicker Man - which would have been totally unforgiveable.)

Quote: Tim Walker @ September 14 2009, 1:17 PM BST

I imagine the Bedazzled job was hack work for him. He was likely called in to try and rescue the script. Paid work, nothing wrong with that particularly. (At least he had nothing to do with remake of The Wicker Man - which would have been totally unforgiveable.)

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I'm not often given to straying off topic, but I didn't even bother to watch the remake of The Wicker Man. Impossible to better a classic. Christopher Lee refused to have anything to do with it. I almost watched it because of Nick Cage. Does it have any redeeming features?

M*A*S*H is the greatest US sitcom for me.
I've always watched it with laughter track, it never bothered me. I even own all the DVDs, and they all have an option to watch it with laughter track off - I never do. Incidentally, I never miss it in operating hall scenes (which originally are without laugh track).

The first season is pretty subpar, though - some of the worst episodes are there. After Radar left, it jumped the shark, although there are some great episodes there as well.

Frank Burns got old pretty quickly, he always stayed the same annoying himself - I much prefer Charles as much worthier opponent to Hawkeye/B.J.

Quote: Kenneth @ September 14 2009, 1:28 PM BST

I'm not often given to straying off topic, but I didn't even bother to watch the remake of The Wicker Man. Impossible to better a classic. Christopher Lee refused to have anything to do with it. I almost watched it because of Nick Cage. Does it have any redeeming features?

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I couldn't bring myself to watch more than the trailer. I listened to Dr Mark Kermode's review on BBC Five Live. If anyone was in a position to comment on the remake it was this man (a massive knowledgeable Wicker Man fan and film critic). It was a genuine "everyone involved in the making of this film should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves" on his part. (To be fair, he's always objective about movies and liked the director's previous work.)

Did you know that Anthony Shaffer wrote a sequel to The Wicker Man? Don't know the details but apparently Sergeant Howey is somehow in it.

Quote: Tim Walker @ September 14 2009, 1:48 PM BST

Did you know that Anthony Shaffer wrote a sequel to The Wicker Man? Don't know the details but apparently Sergeant Howey is somehow in it.

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I was not aware of that. Getting back on topic, Robin Hardy has written and is now making (on location in Scotland) a sort-of sequel called The Wicker Tree, with Christopher Lee apparently to have a bit part.

That may well be it then.

Did you know that Radar's Teddy Bear now belongs to Big Bird, from Sesame Street?

Quote: catskillz @ September 15 2009, 3:12 AM BST

Did you know that Radar's Teddy Bear now belongs to Big Bird, from Sesame Street?

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think its in the Smithsonian

My favourite MASH episode Adam's Ribs is from the Gelbart era