The Most Commonly Repeated Story About Henry Blake's MASH Death Is A Lie
While it's commonly stated that the cast of MASH had no idea about Henry Blake's death until the scene was filmed, this isn't true. MASH saw many actors exit during its early series, and none had the raw shock of McLean Stevenson's Blake dying en route back to America. Stevenson was unhappy being part of an ensemble and left after being offered a lucrative contract with NBC. Instead of giving Blake a happy ending, showrunner Larry Gelbart decided killing the character off would be far more impactful.
CBS hated this idea and (rightfully) feared a viewer backlash, but the shock death of Blake on MASH has become a landmark television moment. Audiences simply weren't ready for Radar (Gary Burghoff) to announce Blake's demise in the finale of "Abyssia, Henry," and it turns out the news came as a total surprise to Stevenson too. As scripted, the 4077TH's commanding officer got on a plane and went home, so the reveal of a final page where Blake's death was confirmed came as a blow; the actor later left the set instead of going to a planned wrap party.
MASH's Cast Knew About Henry Blake's MASH Death Before The Scene Was Shot
The ensemble was given the final page right before filming
There's a misconception that MASH's cast had zero clue about Blake's death and only learned the truth during the scene but this isn't totally accurate. Again, the script handed out simply ended with Blake going back to the States, as Gelbart withheld the episode's tag scene. It was only after the episode "wrapped" that Gelbart gathered the cast and handed out the final page so they had time to prepare. It turns out they didn't have much to say, with Gary Burghoff and Larry Linville thinking it was a great idea, though according to Gelbart (via Laughing Matters/Snopes):
Mac [Stevenson], who had stayed to watch the filming of what he knew was his last M*A*S*H, was speechless. But that doesn't begin to say it.
There was only supposed to be one take of Radar announcing Blake's death to the 4077TH. The first take was said to be "unbelievably touching" but a technical error forced the crew to do another take, which appears in the final edit. CBS and 20th Century Fox also weren't on board with Blake dying and told Gelbart that if the audience response was really bad, this tag would be cut from later broadcasts. Apparently, at least one re-airing did drop the scene, but it has remained on all subsequent airings.
Alan Alda Was The Only MASH Actor Who Knew Of Blake's Demise
Alda had become the show's de facto star
While the vast majority of MASH's cast had no clue of Blake's ending, Gelbart made one exception. The show may have started as an ensemble, but it soon became clear that Alan Alda was the breakout star as Hawkeye. He was also taking more of a creative hand behind the scenes, including writing and directing several episodes. Gelbart thus decided it was best to give Alda advance warning about Blake's fate, and the actor kept the secret until the rest of the cast was informed.
"Abyssinia, Henry" marked a major turning point for the series too, as the finale also marked the final appearance by Wayne Rogers' Trapper. With Alda's guiding influence, MASH took a pronounced turn into comedy-drama terrority. It was still a sitcom, but it blended drama and tragedy into storylines more openly. Alda agreed that Blake's death was the right call, as it underlined the fact that even good men die in a warzone. MASH was always an anti-war series at heart, and Blake's tragic end made this very clear.
A Goof Made Blake's MASH Death More Emotional
While the cast knew about Blake's fate, the crew did not
Gelbart at least gave his actors some time to prepare for the final scene, even though the shock still reads on their faces. Gelbart may have told them, but he kept the crew and extras in the dark about what would happen in the scene. The showrunner was very impressed with their stricken responses to Radar's message, feeling it added immensely to the scene. However, a background actor accidentally dropping a tool during the second take put a perfect button on the ending, according to Gelbart.
After Gary finished reading his message, there was a hushed silence on the set as B.J.'s camera panned the stricken faces of the cast, and then someone off-camera accidentally let a surgical instrument drop to the floor. It was perfect, that clattering, hollow sound, filling a palpable void in a way that no words could.
This goof made the final version, with the jarring cling adding to the devastation of the scene. In the aftermath of MASH's season 3 finale, CBS and Gelbart received over 1,000 letters of complaint, but time has proven their decision right. It added real dramatic weight to the series, which - perhaps tellingly - never again attempted to kill off a major character.
Every Actor Who Left MASH | Role | Exit Season |
|---|---|---|
George Morgan | Father Mulcahy | Season 1 |
McLean Stevenson | Col. Henry Blake | Season 3 |
Wayne Rogers | Trapper John | Season 3 |
Larry Linville | Frank Burns | Season 5 |
Gary Burghoff | Radar O'Reilly | Season 8 |
It also marked one of the first big deaths in a network TV series, and since it was long before spoiler culture or the internet, viewers experienced the full emotion of the scene. Sadly, Stevenson came to regret his MASH exit in the years that followed, especially after his solo sitcoms failed to connect; even so, he couldn't have asked for a more emotional departure from a show.
Source: Laughing Matters: On Writing Mash, Tootsie, Oh, God!, and a Few Other Funny Things/Snopes
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