M*A*S*Hish 13: “Major Teddy” by Larry Linville

In the December 24, 1984 issue of Newsweek, there is an article about the resurgence in the popularity of teddy bears. The article discusses the widespread appeal of teddy bears in the United States despite the increasingly widespread use of electronics. As the article discussed celebrities who had jumped into the teddy bear trend, it casually mentions that Larry Linville, of M*A*S*H fame, made and sold teddy bears in his sister-in-law’s teddy bear store. What?! I had to investigate for myself, and RJ at mash4077tv.com wrote about Linville’s side project making teddy bears in the early 1980s in a post from 2009. As an avid reader of the site, I must have missed that bit of news in 2009! So, I began looking for one of the teddy bears made by Linville. I acquired one in early 2024 when I added a hand made, and hand numbered, bear named “Major Teddy” to the M*A*S*H collection!

The Newsweek article is pretty vague about the details of Linville’s teddy bear hobby saying, “Larry Linville (M*A*S*H‘s Frank and “Paper Dolls’s” Grayson Carr) even makes teddy bears that are sold through his sister-in-law’s chain store, Bear ‘N Grin It. Linville’s childhood bear, Ignatz, was lost in a move—during his last divorce.” That’s all we get. An article from the Associated Press corroborated the story of Linville making teddy bears, but it does contradict the name of the store saying it is called “Grin ‘N Bear It” instead of “Bear ‘N Grin It.” I could see the name going either way, but I cannot find any information about the store beyond the two articles. RJ’s post includes a photo from an eBay listing of a bear made by Linville that looks very different from “Major Teddy,” so he must have made more than one design that was sold in the store.

“Major Teddy” is a very fitting bear to have been made by Linville since he portrayed Major Frank Burns in M*A*S*H. The bear itself is pretty cute with his olive drab body, legs, arms, and his leather boots. There is an American flag pin and military style buttons on his chest. He’s even wearing an olive drab hat! The bear is jointed, and is approximately 14 inches tall. This bear is missing one button and seems to missing the souls on his boots, but otherwise, he is in very good condition. The teddy bear has a few, important, identifying features that prove its authenticity. There is a tag sewn into the seam of the bear’s back with Larry Linville’s name. This version of “Major Teddy” also includes his original paper tag. The tag lists his name, the number in the edition of 100 bears, and each tag is signed by Linville. “Major Teddy” represents a unique period in Linville’s life and appears to honor his time on M*A*S*H.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about a version of Radar’s Teddy Bear that was sold in support of Paralyzed Veterans of America. That was a product licensed by Fox that benefited a charitable organization, and they were mass produced collectables. “Major Teddy” is a unique, hand-made object by an actor from M*A*S*H. It is probably one of the most “M*A*S*H-ish” items that I have ever written about! But that is why I had to get one of these teddy bears. The Newsweek article captured that, in the early 1980s, teddy bears were having a moment, and everyone was taking advantage of the craze and releasing limited editions. Linville had the connections with his sister-in-law’s bear shop, and capitalized on the opportunity. “Major Teddy” represents more than just a popular fad at the time, but he represents the personality and craftiness of Linville, and his connection with M*A*S*H. Linville has often been described by his co-stars as being kind, generous, and the complete opposite of his character, Frank Burns. I cannot think of a more fitting tribute to Linville than “Major Teddy.”