RIP David Ogden Stiers

[US71]

David Ogden Stiers, better known as Major Charles Emerson Winchester III on M*A*S*H has passed away.

http://variety.com/2018/tv/news/david-ogden-stiers-dead-dies-mash-1202716860/

[roadman65]

Good Heavens.  Another TV icon.  Stiers also played on Star Trek TNG as Loxonna Troi's love interest.  He also played in the 1990's remake of Perry Mason as Michael Reston, the prosecutor taking Hamilton Burger's place from the original 1960's TV show.

[PHLBOS]

Such now only leaves Alda (Hawkeye), Farrell (B.J.), Swit (Hot Lips), Burghoff (Radar) & Farr (Klinger) as the only surviving main cast members of M*A*S*H.

[wanderer2575]

M*A*S*H was the first show on which I saw David Ogden Stiers.  For many years, until I saw him on other shows, I had no idea that Maj. Winchester's Boston accent was acted.

The Winchester character was great -- very complex.  He could berate you with words and even be a swindler (the "Change Day" episode where he offered to buy old Army scrip from locals for pennies on the dollar) but many episodes showed his caring side.  Stiers once said in an interview something to the effect that he did the "line count" at first but soon realized it was more important to see how the character evolved -- what did Winchester learn, what did he teach?

I also appreciate that Stiers' love of music (he was resident conductor of the Newport (OR) Symphony and guest-conducted dozens of orchestras around the world) was incorporated into the Winchester character -- indeed, it made for perhaps the moist poignant subplot of the M*A*S*H finale.

[kkt]

He was a great actor.  It would have been all too easy for Major Winchester to turn into a caricature like Frank Burns did.  But there was a lot of good too, that he didn't let show.  He never stopped dispising Hawkeye and BJ, even though at times there were decent to each other.

[roadman65]

He also embraced his music side in an episode of Wings, the sitcom on NBC that featured Tim Daly and Crystal Bernard working in an airport on Nantucket Island.  Stiers played the conductor of the Boston Symphony who hired Bernard's character, who operated the airports lunch counter as a cello player trying to get accepted in the industry.  However in the season finale of one year, she was involved in a plane crash with the entire cast of Wings that made her miss her break in the orchestra she wanted for years.   Like many sitcoms happy endings never occur as to keep the character reaching, and always losing is the purpose of the show, especially Wings.

[US71]

He was a great actor.  It would have been all too easy for Major Winchester to turn into a caricature like Frank Burns did.  But there was a lot of good too, that he didn't let show.  He never stopped dispising Hawkeye and BJ, even though at times there were decent to each other.

Winchester would have made Frank look like an rank amateur.  Didn't Charles show off some of his surgical skills to the other doctors, while the others brought him up to speed on "meatball surgery".  Frank would always be Frank, but Winchester would occasionally let his mask slip and offer a glimpse of his inner humanity

[PHLBOS]

I also appreciate that Stiers' love of music (he was resident conductor of the Newport (OR) Symphony and guest-conducted dozens of orchestras around the world) was incorporated into the Winchester character -- indeed, it made for perhaps the moist poignant subplot of the M*A*S*H finale.

Music used to be a refuge from this experience; now it will only serve as a reminder.

[roadman]

He was a great actor.  It would have been all too easy for Major Winchester to turn into a caricature like Frank Burns did.  But there was a lot of good too, that he didn't let show.  He never stopped dispising Hawkeye and BJ, even though at times there were decent to each other.

Winchester would have made Frank look like an rank amateur.  Didn't Charles show off some of his surgical skills to the other doctors, while the others brought him up to speed on "meatball surgery".  Frank would always be Frank, but Winchester would occasionally let his mask slip and offer a glimpse of his inner humanity

For me, one of the most poignant Major Winchester moments will always be the Christmas episode where he left the candy on the doorsteps of the Korean families, then later discovered they had sold it on the black market to purchase food.

And one of my favorite Major Winchester episodes was from his first season, when he tape-recorded a letter home.  Among other things, it was a nice homage to the Hawkeye "Dear Dad" episodes of the early years.

[PHLBOS]

And one of my favorite Major Winchester episodes was from his first season, when he tape-recorded a letter home.

Hawkeye (to B.J.): So tell me, what's next with him (Charles)?

B.J.: Starting tomorrow, he gets... taller.

[kkt]

He was a great actor.  It would have been all too easy for Major Winchester to turn into a caricature like Frank Burns did.  But there was a lot of good too, that he didn't let show.  He never stopped dispising Hawkeye and BJ, even though at times there were decent to each other.

Winchester would have made Frank look like an rank amateur.  Didn't Charles show off some of his surgical skills to the other doctors, while the others brought him up to speed on "meatball surgery".  Frank would always be Frank, but Winchester would occasionally let his mask slip and offer a glimpse of his inner humanity

At his arrival, Winchester wasn't worth all that much, operating on one patient while the other surgeons operated on three.  Technical skill, yes, but work too slowly and the others will die.  But he learned to operate more quickly, and his technical skill was better than any of them.

Another favorite:  Winchester keeping Hawkeye company when Hawkeye's dad was getting emergency surgery at home, cancer having been detected and Hawkeye's dad not telling Hawkeye anything about what to expect, and Hawkeye trying to get answers over radiotelephone and having a generally frustrating time.

[roadman65]

What I like is the fact that Winchester came to Mash as part of a poker payoff.  His character was something when he got there.  My favorite episode was when him and Klinger got lost in the Korean countryside that turned out to be over the hill from the 4077th.  Meanwhile Charles operated under primitive conditions unaware that over the hill was the ER where he could have used the usual conventional instruments.

[wanderer2575]

He was a great actor.  It would have been all too easy for Major Winchester to turn into a caricature like Frank Burns did.  But there was a lot of good too, that he didn't let show.  He never stopped dispising Hawkeye and BJ, even though at times there were decent to each other.

Winchester would have made Frank look like an rank amateur.  Didn't Charles show off some of his surgical skills to the other doctors, while the others brought him up to speed on "meatball surgery".  Frank would always be Frank, but Winchester would occasionally let his mask slip and offer a glimpse of his inner humanity

For me, one of the most poignant Major Winchester moments will always be the Christmas episode where he left the candy on the doorsteps of the Korean families, then later discovered they had sold it on the black market to purchase food.

"Death Takes a Holiday."  The most poignant moment of that episode was the scene with Winchester and Klinger, where Klinger lets on that he knows what happened and in a roundabout way expresses his admiration:

Winchester:  "And what, pray tell, is the catch of the day?"
Klinger:  "Oh, just one catch, Major."
Winchester:  "Uh-huh."
Klinger:  "The source of this Christmas dinner must remain anonymous.  It's an old family tradition."
Winchester whirls around, stares at Klinger for a moment, then very quietly --
Winchester:  "Thank you, Max."
Klinger:  "Merry Christmas, Charles."

I'll also mention that all the characters had at least one chance at being drunk, and Stiers' acting of a drunken Winchester beat everyone else by a mile.

[kkt]

I like to think that after the war was over and he went back to Boston, he got in touch with Donna the Red Cross nurse he "married" while on leave in 'Mr. and Mrs. Who?".  One could argue it's more likely he'd marry some society girl from Vassar, but maybe the war changed him enough to want someone who'd done work in medicine, and been somewhere besides comfortable parts of the USA and the European grand tour spots.

[roadman]

What I like is the fact that Winchester came to Mash as part of a poker payoff.  His character was something when he got there.  My favorite episode was when him and Klinger got lost in the Korean countryside that turned out to be over the hill from the 4077th.  Meanwhile Charles operated under primitive conditions unaware that over the hill was the ER where he could have used the usual conventional instruments.

It was actually a cribbage game where Winchester stripped the pants off of his CO (Col. Baldwin) that got him assigned to M*A*S*H.

Potter to Baldwin: "I'm desperate for a temporary surgeon.  Can you spare anyone?"

Baldwin:  "No, it's not possible."

Winchester (interrupting Baldwin):  "It seems I made a slight error.  You owe me six hundred forty two dollars and seventeen cents."

Baldwin to Potter:  "It's possible!"

[kkt]

Later, Winchester to Potter:  "You mean to tell me I'm stationed in this hellhole solely because I owe somebody six hundred and forty two dollars and seventeen cents??  That's ridiculous!"

Potter:  "Of course not.  You're here because I need you!"

(quotes are approximate and from memory)

[US71]

Later, Winchester to Potter:  "You mean to tell me I'm stationed in this hellhole solely because I owe somebody six hundred and forty two dollars and seventeen cents??  That's ridiculous!"

Potter:  "Of course not.  You're here because I need you!"

(quotes are approximate and from memory)

Col Sherman T Potter: tough and down to business when he had to be, but someone you could talk with for hours once business was done.

[ZLoth]

Stiers also was the voice of Kamaji and Cogsworth.

[PHLBOS]

It was actually a cribbage game where Winchester stripped the pants off of his CO (Col. Baldwin) that got him assigned to M*A*S*H.

Potter to Baldwin: "I'm desperate for a temporary surgeon.  Can you spare anyone?"

Baldwin:  "No, it's not possible."

Winchester (interrupting Baldwin):  "It seems I made a slight error.  You owe me six hundred forty two dollars and seventeen cents."

Baldwin to Potter:  "It's possible!"

Actually Baldwin isn't talking on the phone to Potter.  Earlier in that scene, he mentions "Oh yeah, that's Potter's outfit.  What do they want?"

It's not known nor revealed who Col. Baldwin was actually talking to over the phone.

[Takumi]

In a later season Baldwin then visited the 4077th and Winchester, in an attempt to get back into Baldwin's favor to return to Tokyo, feigned that Baldwin's cribbage skills had improved and got the debt back to zero.

[US71]

In a later season Baldwin then visited the 4077th and Winchester, in an attempt to get back into Baldwin's favor to return to Tokyo, feigned that Baldwin's cribbage skills had improved and got the debt back to zero.

Wasn't that the same episode where Winchester was supposed to falsely testify against Major Houlihan in exchange for returning home?

[PHLBOS]

In a later season Baldwin then visited the 4077th and Winchester, in an attempt to get back into Baldwin's favor to return to Tokyo, feigned that Baldwin's cribbage skills had improved and got the debt back to zero.

Wasn't that the same episode where Winchester was supposed to falsely testify against Major Houlihan in exchange for returning home?

Yes.  It's from Season 9's "No Laughing Matter".

[kkt]

In a later season Baldwin then visited the 4077th and Winchester, in an attempt to get back into Baldwin's favor to return to Tokyo, feigned that Baldwin's cribbage skills had improved and got the debt back to zero.

Wasn't that the same episode where Winchester was supposed to falsely testify against Major Houlihan in exchange for returning home?

Yes, but if I remember right it was to be in exchange for a return to Tokyo, not home.

[US71]

In a later season Baldwin then visited the 4077th and Winchester, in an attempt to get back into Baldwin's favor to return to Tokyo, feigned that Baldwin's cribbage skills had improved and got the debt back to zero.

Wasn't that the same episode where Winchester was supposed to falsely testify against Major Houlihan in exchange for returning home?

Yes, but if I remember right it was to be in exchange for a return to Tokyo, not home.

I remembered the gist of it with Charles taking a stand for Major Houlihan and admitting Baldwin attempted to coerce him. You don't see that very often in real life, anymore

[kkt]

I dunno.  I think Charles would have refused to lie about Maj. Houlihan anyway, even if they hadn't been working together.  The Winchesters and Emersons are big on personal honor.