David Ogden Stiers Passes Away at 75(Dr. Charles Emmerson Winchester III Of M*A*S*H)

[roadman]

https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/03/enter...ies/index.html

I loved his character on MASH, it was a breath of fresh air after the character of Frank Burns left.

He was 75 and died of bladder cancer.

He was also played a prosecuting lawyer in the Perry Mason movies, was the voice of Cogsworth the Clock in Beauty and the Beast and Jungle 2 Jungle movie. I am sure he played more voices and was in more movies too. Great actor.

Some of his quotes I remember:

I do one thing at a time, I do it very well, and then I move on.

Col. Potter, I've talked to everyone in this camp, which, quite frankly, is a first for me.

I've heard snappier comebacks from a bowl of Rice Krispies.

This one I couldn't remember word for word, but was brilliant:

.but know this. You can cut me off from the civilized world. You can incarcerate me with two moronic cellmates. You can torture me with your thrice daily swill, but you cannot break the spirit of a Winchester. My voice shall be heard from this wilderness and I shall be delivered from this fetid an festering sewer.

[JayBee74]

Re: David Ogden Stiers Passes Away at 75(Dr. Charles Emmerson Winchester III Of M*A*S

I loved his character on MASH, it was a breath of fresh air after the character of Frank Burns left.

Frank had value on the show but was a cartoon. He was also no match for Hawkeye/ Trapper or Hawkeye/Hunnicutt. I agree that Winchester was a much better character than Burns.

[LambertandHam]

Re: David Ogden Stiers Passes Away at 75(Dr. Charles Emmerson Winchester III Of M*A*S

Loved him as Charles on M*A*S*H. Sadly not many of the original cast left. Just Alan Alda, Loretta Swift, Mike Farrel, Jamie Farr and Gary Burghoff.

[daflyboys]

Re: David Ogden Stiers Passes Away at 75(Dr. Charles Emmerson Winchester III Of M*A*S

I was more of a fan of the "original" cast, although Frank Burns' depiction on the TV show had little to do with his movie counterpart. Perhaps the network thought the movie character as too disturbed with all the religiosity to make it welcomed into everyone's home. I preferred Trapper John much more than BJ Honeycutt. Give me Col. Blake over Col. Potter. But when David Ogden Stiers came on the scene he was a good blend. I could see a character like his making a presence in the original movie.

[JayBee74]

Re: David Ogden Stiers Passes Away at 75(Dr. Charles Emmerson Winchester III Of M*A*S

I preferred Trapper John much more than BJ Honeycutt. Give me Col. Blake over Col. Potter.

I still get a kick out of both Mclean Stevenson (Blake) and Wayne Rogers (Trapper John) departing because of Alan Alda's Hawkeye character getting most of the focus. It was a star-making turn for both of them but their egos got in the way. MASH actually took a ratings hit in the first season without the two but never looked back after that.

[jfsolo]

Re: David Ogden Stiers Passes Away at 75(Dr. Charles Emmerson Winchester III Of M*A*S

Obviously it's all a matter of interpretation, but MASH was when TV grew up IMO, and started to become a medium that commentated on the whole spectrum of American life. For me, when the newer cast members arrived that was when the show really came into it's own in terms of storytelling, but of course YMMV.

[daflyboys]

Re: David Ogden Stiers Passes Away at 75(Dr. Charles Emmerson Winchester III Of M*A*S

MASH actually took a ratings hit in the first season without the two but never looked back after that.

Obviously it's all a matter of interpretation, but MASH was when TV grew up IMO, and started to become a medium that commentated on the whole spectrum of American life. For me, when the newer cast members arrived that was when the show really came into it's own in terms of storytelling, but of course YMMV.

Yes, and it certainly was unique at the time. Sure there had been other war oriented series, but not from this perspective with political and social commentary. I guess I just like the earlier characters only somewhat capturing what was in the original movie which, let's face it, was an undercover Vietnam War protest movie.