M*A*S*H Movie Review 1970

Hilarious, irreverent, and well-cast black comedy about a group of surgeons and nurses at a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in Korea. The horror of war is set in counterpoint to their need to create havoc with episodic late-night parties, practical jokes, and sexual antics. An all-out anti-war festival, highlighted by scenes that starkly uncover the chaos and irony of war, and establish Altman's influential style. Watch for real-life football players Fran Tarkenton, Ben Davidson, and Buck Buchanan in the game. Loosely adapted from the novel by the pseudonymous Richard Hooker (Dr. H. Richard Hornberger and William Heinz). Subsequent hit TV series moved even further from the source novel.

Distribution

Fox Home Entertainment, PO Box 900, Beverly Hills, CA 90213, Phone: (310)369-3900, Toll-free: 888-223-4FOX, Fax: (310)369-5811, URL: http://www.foxmovies.com/index1.html, Remarks: Also known as Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 116 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Comedy Drama, Military: Army, Korean War, Anti-War War Movies, Doctors & Nurses, Suicide, Top Grossing Films of 1970, Military Comedy, 4 Bones

Screenplay

Ring Lardner

Cast

Franz Gottlieb, Donald Sutherland, Elliott Gould, Tom Skerritt, Sally Kellerman, JoAnn Pflug, Robert Duvall, Rene Auberjonois, Roger Bowen, Gary Burghoff, Fred Williamson, John Schuck, Bud Cort, G(eorge) Wood, David Arkin, Michael Murphy, Indus Arthur, Ken Prymus, Bobby Troup, Kim Atwood, Timothy Brown

Cinematography

Harold E. Stine

Director

Robert Altman

Music

Johnny Mandel

Other

Sal Viscuso

Producer

20th Century-Fox, Aspen, Ingo Preminger

Awards

Oscars 1970: Adapt. Screenplay; AFI 1998: Top 100; Cannes 1970: Film; Golden Globes 1971: Film--Mus./Comedy, Natl. Film Reg. 1996;; Natl. Soc. Film Critics 1970: Film; Writers Guild 1970: Adapt. Screenplay.