The Longjohn Flap

Episode aired Feb 18, 1973
TV-PG
25m

IMDb RATING

8.2/10

827

YOUR RATING

Alan Alda, Wayne Rogers, and McLean Stevenson in M*A*S*H (1972)

Comedy Drama War

A cold snap has everybody trying to get their hands on Hawkeye's thermal underwear.A cold snap has everybody trying to get their hands on Hawkeye's thermal underwear.A cold snap has everybody trying to get their hands on Hawkeye's thermal underwear.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

8.2/10

827

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Trivia
The first MASH episode written by Alan Alda

Goofs
Radar has no problem here eating leg of lamb with mint jelly, but in S3E14 "Private Charles Lamb" he is so upset over a lamb being served up for a Greek Easter feast that he sends it home to save it. In that case however, the lamb was still alive, not already cooked and garnished.

Quotes
Major Franklin Marion Burns: I'm reducing you to Corporal.
The Cook: Are you busting me?
Major Franklin Marion Burns: Yes, and with a corresponding reduction in pay, of course.
The Cook: My invalid wife is dependent on my sending her a few dollars every month, sir.
Major Franklin Marion Burns: Is this the same wife you had when you poisoned me?
The Cook: Yes, sir.
Major Franklin Marion Burns: As I remember, I couldn't punish you then because your wife had just died.
The Cook: Oh, she got better.

Connections
References The Mummy (1932)

Soundtracks
In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening
(uncredited)
Music by Hoagy Carmichael
Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
Sung by Alan Alda

User reviews5

Featured review

9/10

Among the funniest MASH episodes

In the biting cold of Korea, Pierce receives Long Johns from home. Due to a lack of warm clothing in the unit, this soon becomes a much treasured and coveted item. He loses it to kindness, radar wins it in poker, it then moves on to the camp chef in exchange for a lamb chop and so on, resulting in hilarious twists and turns on its route, pun intended.

This is one of the first episodes that showcases what would become recurring themes in MASH - of the biting cold in Korea, the ineptitude of Army supplies (they send the MASH 4077 a full stock of summer shorts in winter, which Henry sends his "heartfelt appreciation for, but..." and the evergreen character of Klinger (Jamie Farr).