It is September, and that means the temperatures are going to start cooling off (or I hope so at least). September also meant it was time for the new season of network television to begin when M*A*S*H was in its original run. 2024 marks the 50th anniversary of season three of M*A*S*H, and I thought the most appropriate way to celebrate the kickoff of that anniversary was with the first episode of the season. “The General Flipped at Dawn” (03×01) is widely considered a fan favorite because it was well written, well acted, has some iconic moments, and featured a familiar face. Thankfully, I have a copy of the script for this episode, and the script in my collection is a special one.
The Script
The copy of the script in my collection is a “Final” draft dated June 13, 1974, and the episode aired on CBS on September 10, 1974. The episode was written by the team of Jim Fritzell and Everett Greenbaum, who are credited with writing 24 episodes from seasons three through six. The episode was directed by Larry Gelbart, which did not surprise me after rewatching it. There are parts of the episode that felt like Gelbart had a hand in crafting the scene. He was, of course, the co-creator of the series in addition to being a writer, director, and producer in the show’s first four seasons. Gelbart had a long career on television, film, and in the theater.
Unfortunately, this copy of the script does not feature any production documents. There are no Call Sheets, no Shooting Schedule, and no wardrobe documents. There aren’t any revised pages either, and this is likely why there are so many differences between this draft of the script and the final episode (more on that in the next section). While this script may not have the additional documents, all 35 pages of dialogue and on-screen instructions are here. Everything was written and planned for each scene. The actors of M*A*S*H have said many times that they did not ad-lib. They had a say if they wanted revisions, but they performed the scenes as written on the page.
This script is unique because it has a connection with Alan Alda. When the show was on the air, Alda and the stars of M*A*S*H were very popular. They were often asked to attend fundraising events, and/or contribute items that could be auctioned off for fundraisers. Alda would typically comply with these by providing signed copies of scripts and signed photos. He had an assistant who processed the requests, typed responses, and had him sign materials to send. That is where this script came from. It was sold at a celebrity auction on October 3, 1974. What is unique is that this script came with the original letter and signed photo that was also provided for the auction. The letter, dated September 17, 1974, apologizes for Alda being unable to attend, but he hoped that the provided script would help. What is interesting is that the script that was sent was for an episode that had aired only seven days prior to the letter being written. The winner of the auction in October would have been buying a script for an episode that had aired less than a month earlier. Alda would continue to provide scripts for fundraisers, but after the show ended, he could no longer send original scripts from the set, so he would send signed copies. This is a rare, original script sent by Alda during the show’s run.
Every script tells a unique story, and while this script may not have the production documents that offer a glimpse behind the scenes of M*A*S*H, and it illustrates the popularity of the show. Requests for the M*A*S*H stars’ time and objects from the show would have been great for fundraisers. Sadly, I was unable to find any newspaper articles about the results from this auction. Not having a city or state in which the auction took place makes that difficult as well, but I am curious what this script sold for in October 1974!
The Final Episode
After surgery, Hawkeye and Trapper are on their way back to The Swamp when they are told they are needed in Henry’s office for a staff meeting. They are all told that there are new regulations coming down from the new commanding general, Bartford Hamilton Steele. Gen. Steele is strictly by-the-book, and Henry has Radar read off some of the regulation changes, but they are interrupted by the arrival of wounded. In the O.R., Henry and Radar return to tell the group more details of Gen. Steele’s planned changes, and announces that he is coming to the 4077th for a week. They get the camp ready, and Gen. Steele arrives dramatically to the sound of a siren on his Jeep. It becomes clear that Steele is a little crazy when he demands that a used tongue depressor be sterilized, he believes Klinger is his wife, he believes that Hawkeye is a member of the press because he is out of uniform, and he demands that the 4077th move closer to the front. After finding a new location for the unit, Steele wants to use a helicopter to observe the move. However, Hawkeye sends a patient to Seoul, and the helicopter pilot leaves. Gen. Steele charges Hawkeye with insubordination and impersonating a civilian, but the quickly assembled “trial” quickly goes off the rails when he leaves the tent singing. The episode ends with the gang fining out that Gen. Steele was transferred back to the United States and promoted!
“The General Flipped at Dawn” is a classic M*A*S*H episode and perfectly illustrates the brilliance of the comedic writing and acting in the series. The episode is well balanced, and the comedy is well thought out. Harry Morgan‘s first appearance in M*A*S*H as Gen. Steele is classic, and he played the part so well. The character is distinctly different from Col. Sherman Potter, who he would play beginning in season four. He plays the “off his rocker” general with perfection. The writers defined Gen. Steele very quickly with his reactions and comments, and Morgan’s facial expressions add to it. By the end of the episode, we know quite a bit about the character, both good and bad. He was detached from reality as illustrated by the scene with the sniper and insistence on reusing a tongue depressor. His choice of song at the trial at the end of the episode tells us something else about Gen. Steele. The song “Mississippi Mud” was originally recorded in the 1920s and included derogatory racial terms which he used when he sung the song. However, at the end of the episode, Hawkeye and the gang at the 4077th sing the updated version of “Mississippi Mud” with the derogatory terms removed. This was clever writing defining the difference between Gen. Steele and Hawkeye without explicitly calling it out.
As I mentioned earlier, my copy of the script is a “Final” draft and does not include any revised pages. Because of this, there were quite a few differences between the script and the final episode. Those changes include (the page numbers below correspond with the photos above):
- Pages 2 – 3: The initial scene in Henry’s office was longer as written and included more dialogue from the group.
- Page 6: The scene in the O.R. when Hawkeye is operating is different as written in the script.
- Page 12: Radar was supposed to make the P.A. announcement about Gen. Steele’s impending arrival.
- Page 14: Gen. Steele was supposed to be dressed different than he was in the episode. In the script, he is described as wearing a tan, wool coat and ascot, but in the episode, he wears an ascot with his Army uniform instead. This would have been great because it would show that he didn’t follow the military dress code that he was enforcing!
- Page 16: The “kitchen is on fire again” joke was going to continue after Gen. Steele arrived with two enlisted men carrying a fire extinguisher to inspection.
- Page 18: When Gen. Steele was inspecting the troops, Trapper was originally supposed to be there.
- Page 27: In the scene in the Swamp before Henry and Frank join Gen. Steele to find a new site for the 4077th, Henry was originally in the full scene and not just at the end before they leave.
- Missing scene: There is one full scene missing from the script. The scene in The Swamp when Hawkeye is getting ready for his date and Radar gives him the cheese and saltines is not in this draft of the script.
The episode and this script are both favorites of mine. The script tells the story of how generous Alda was in donating items from M*A*S*H for various causes to help them fundraise. He sent M*A*S*H scripts out to organizations long after the series ended, but this one is unique because it is an original script and was sent while the show was still on the air. And then there’s the episode itself. It is the an example of M*A*S*H at its best. The writing and acting in the early seasons were incredible. The series evolved throughout the seasons, but the writing and acting talents are a through line that makes M*A*S*H one of the greatest series ever produced.
The M*A*S*H Historian 
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