THAT FAMOUS GOODBYE SCENE WAS ACTUALLY A DESPERATE CRY FOR SURVIVAL
Long after the convention center lights had dimmed and the endless crowds of devoted fans had finally gone home, two old friends sat alone in a quiet,…
THE DAY WE SURVIVED THE HEAT BY DROPPING OUR PANTS
I was a guest on a podcast recently, hosted by a wonderfully talented younger actor. He leaned into the microphone with an earnest look on his face…
THE SCENE THAT BROKE THE KINDEST MAN ON TELEVISION
Long after the autograph tables were folded up and the crowds had gone home, two old friends sat in a quiet hotel lobby. Loretta Swit and Mike…
THE SECRET BENEATH THE MAS*H OPERATING TABLE
I was sitting in a studio a few weeks ago, recording a conversation for a television history podcast. The host was asking some incredibly thoughtful questions about the…
MIKE FARRELL AND JAMIE FARR: THE LAUGHTER THAT HID A HEARTBREAK
It was supposed to be a celebration. A moment for old friends to clink glasses and remember the powdered eggs, the sweltering heat of Malibu, and the…
THE HILARIOUS SECRET BENEATH THE MAS*H OPERATING TABLE
I was sitting on a panel stage at a fan convention, looking at a sea of familiar faces. A young woman stepped up to the audience microphone…
THEY CRIED TEARS OF JOY DURING THE GOODBYE… BUT LORETTA SWIT KNEW BETTER.
It started with an old photograph someone unearthed during a small, quiet dinner in Malibu. Loretta Swit was sitting across from Mike Farrell, the coastal breeze humming just…
WE ALL THOUGHT IT WAS JUST ANOTHER PROP… UNTIL LORETTA SWIT CRIED.
The studio lights were blinding, but the air inside Stage 9 was freezing. It was late 1977, and the cast of MAS*H was deep into filming the sixth…
THE OUTTAKE THAT MADE THE SET SILENT… BUT LORETTA SWIT KEPT CRYING.
It was supposed to be just another late-night shoot on the Fox Ranch in Malibu, with the California chill cutting through the canvas tents. Loretta Swit stood by…
THE SCENE FILMED AT MIDNIGHT THAT FORCED THE CAST TO STOP LAUGHING.
It was past midnight on Malibu Creek State Park Ranch, and the temperature had plummeted so low that everyone could see their breath. The cameras were still rigged,…