Most of the M*A*S*H press photos I have in the collection are posed cast photos, individual actor photos, or scenes from episodes. This press photo from 1976 is unique in that it features a collage of scenes from various episodes of M*A*S*H and highlights each of the main characters in the series. Instead of showing the full cast standing together in the Officers’ Club or by the sign post, this photo shows cut outs of scenes from various episodes. Unfortunately, this press photo is missing its full release date companion sheet, so I do not know the month this release came out in 1976, but there might be a way to narrow it down!
Press photos were released with a companion sheet containing the release date and a description of the photo. The organization that receive the press photo would often tape or glue that release to the back. Unfortunately, part of the paper companion to this press photo is missing, so I don’t have the full release date. But there are a few clues that help us narrow down a possible date. A number of the scenes presented in this collage are from season four, and since Larry Linville is still in the photos, that does narrow it down to either seasons four or five. But the description of the collage does have one major piece of information that narrows down the season this photo collage is advertising. The full release states:
“The humor and horror that are part of life in a mobile Army surgical hospital during war also coexist in the multi-award-winning series “M*A*S*H,” broadcast Tuesdays (9:00-9:30 PM, ET) on the CBS Television Network. Harry Morgan (on horseback) portrays Colonel Potter, who commands varied personalities, including surgeons B.J. Hunnicutt (Mike Farrell, left) and Hawkeye (Alan Alda), seen in the foreground, both in surgery and at ease; Corp. Klinger (Jamie Farr, top right), who will try on anything to get out of the Army; and, center, a helmeted Radar (Gary Burghoff), nurse Hot Lips (Loretta Swit) and Maj. Frank Burns (Larry Linville).”
Since, the press release states that M*A*S*H was broadcast on “Tuesdays,” it can only be for season five. That fits with the cast presented on this release since Jamie Farr was made a permanent cast member in season four. But it does not explain the absence of William Christopher since he was made a full time cast member in season five. Was this collage released before Christopher’s promotion as a full cast member was announced? Sometimes the objects in the M*A*S*H collection include little mysteries, but using context clues, I can typically narrow down photos or press releases to a general time frame. In this case, this collage photo appears to be an early release used for the promotion of season five. But we can tell from the back of the photo that it was used again in 1983 around the time of the finale. It was common for publications to pull photos from their archives and reuse them for stories. I have examples of M*A*S*H photos that were used multiple times over a decade! And that was great for the publication, Fox, and CBS because the publication already had the photos on file, and the network got the publicity.
The M*A*S*H Historian 