Directed by Jackie Cooper Production code J324 | Written by Larry Gelbart Original air date March 25, 1973 | |
Episode no. Season 1
Episode 24 (24th overall) | ||
"Showtime" was the twenty-fourth (and final) episode of the first season of the American television series M*A*S*H. It originally aired on March 25, 1973.
Contents
Guest cast
Plot
As a USO stand-up comic and female singing trio (backed by a small band) performs at the 4077th, the performance is juxtaposed with clips containing the following: Henry's wife back home gives birth to a son and the camp's dentist receives his discharge papers and takes great pains to make sure he does not get injured before he sets off for home. Major Burns actually gets the upper hand over Hawkeye with three practical jokes. The first is when he sabotages the still, causing it to spray Hawkeye in the face with gin. The second involves the classic 'bucket-over-the-door' gag. The third and arguably craftier joke has Hawkeye attempting to use the shower, but is annoyed to learn that Frank has switched the showerheads to spray alternately whenever Pierce tries to use it. Hawkeye ultimately gets the last laugh when he arranges to have the officer's latrine tent collapse while Frank is in the middle of using it.
Structurally, this episode, not unlike the two in this season where Hawkeye writes his dad, lacks the conventional linear structure of most television programs. It uses moments from the USO show, styled like the ones hosted by Bob Hope, to make commentary and contrast the ugliness of war with the fluff of the performances in the show. A sequence showing Radar playing drums with the musical band demonstrates Gary Burghoff's drumming talents onscreen. It was Burghoff's idea for him to drum in this episode as it was to pay homage to his drumming idol Gene Krupa, who actually allowed the star to play on his drums.