M*A*S*H (movie)

M*A*S*H is a 1970 American black comedy war movie directed by Robert Altman and written by Ring Lardner Jr. It is based on Richard Hooker's 1968 novel MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors. The movie's score was composed by Johnny Mandel.

The movie is about a unit of medical personnel stationed at a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) during the Korean War. It stars Donald Sutherland, Tom Skerritt and Elliott Gould, with Sally Kellerman, Robert Duvall, René Auberjonois, Gary Burghoff, Roger Bowen, Michael Murphy and Fred Williamson.

Although M*A*S*H was based during the Korean War, the movie was set in the Vietnam War.[1]

It was released on January 25, 1970 to strong positive reviews. The movie has an 86% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 50 reviews.[2] Critic Roger Ebert gave the movie four out of four stars.[3]

The movie went on to receive five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and won for Best Adapted Screenplay. In 1996, M*A*S*H was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. The Academy Film Archive preserved M*A*S*H in 2000.[4]

The movie inspired the television series M*A*S*H, which ran from 1972 to 1983. Gary Burghoff, who played Radar O'Reilly, was the only actor who appeared on both movie and television show.

It is also the #56 movie on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies list and #7 on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs list.

References

  1. ↑ The Entertainment Weekly Guide to the Greatest Movies Ever Made. New York: Warner Books. 1996. p. 49.
  2. ↑ "M*A*S*H (1970)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  3. ↑ Ebert, Roger. "M*A*S*H," Chicago Sun-Times (Jan. 1, 1970).
  4. ↑ "Preserved Projects". Academy Film Archive.