tvPalaver: Happy Anniversary, Frank

Because I'm too lazy to walk the three and a half feet to the Webster's dictionary on my shelf, I tend to look up words on answers.com.  One side benefit is I learn random facts on their home page under Today's Highlights.  (I also go there constantly, because, though I am a good speller, there are always a few words in a post that I am unsure of.  Take "home page," above -- one word or two?  (Answers.com says two.)  I do more proofreading and fact-checking than the New York Times on a front page investigative piece.  Very impressive.  Or ridiculous. But I digress.)

Today's highlight is that it's the 35th anniversary of the television premier of M*A*S*H.  M*A*S*H is one of those shows I loved when it was on, and then watched in reruns, and then thought I never need to see again. But recently my youngest brother, who's a very good mimic, imitated Frank "Ferret Face" Burns in the following exchange (much funnier if you picture Frank's, or, even better, my brother's, delivery):

Margaret:  They love you, Frank.
Frank:       It was their hatred that fooled me.

I looked up the quote, and came upon this compilation of M*A*S*H quotes, including a whole page involving Frank.  My favorites are:

Frank: It was one of those days that, more than most, reminds us that war, no matter how much we may enjoy it, is no strawberry festival.

And a whole series along these lines:

Hawkeye:  Hello, Frank.
Trapper:    Hi Frank.
Frank:       A lot you care.

Hawkeye:  Hi, Frank.
Frank:       That's what you think.

Trapper:   Bye, Frank.
Frank:      That was totally uncalled for!

Larry Linville, who played Frank, died in 2000.  But he's still making me laugh.

Comments

[mysterywriter]

I wish I could only think of Larry Linville in M*A*S*H, but I can't quite get the two episodes of The Love Boat out of my head in which he played an uptight widower with children who falls in love with the irrepressible Charo (!).

[Dubliner]

"Hard cheese!" My favorite Frank Burns expletive.

[ColumbusBedhead]

I recently got the first few seasons on DVD from the library....well worth watching. And MANY laughs from the "compilation of M*A*S*H quotes" page. I always remember someone on television saying what a nice, well-liked guy Larry was in real life....