I totally agree with other MASH fans on this board who have talked about how frustrating it is that the Frank Burns char
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tohu — 17 years ago(July 16, 2008 06:39 PM)
But the point is that every other character in the show develops over the years - just as people do (especially in wartime). Hotlips becomes much softer, Pierce goes through his psychological problems and becomes much less confident and more serious, Klinger becomes more accepting of his place in the army, Radar becomes more mature, etc. Even Winchester - who starts off as a smarter, more sophisticated version of Frank - becomes much more multi-dimensional by the end of the show's run.
To have Frank as a one-dimensional 'cartoon' character was fine in the movie, and even in the first season when they didn't expect it to be such a long-running show. But as the seasons went by I still say he should have been allowed to develop, as the others were.
Anyway. I spose we can analyse these things too much.
"Maybe I should go alone"
- Quint, Jaws.
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CousinLumpy — 17 years ago(August 29, 2008 03:08 PM)
In all fairness, some people are just jerks. As many people have pointed out, Frank did have his tender moments. But I've known people who could be compared on some level to Frank Burns. (One of them works in the office next to me.) Granted, they all have levels, but they just never really come out because that bitter, resentful person is so much closer to the surface.
I think the biggest issue with Frank was that you had learned to hate him (and love it!) for so long 5b4that trying to make him more sympathetic would almost undermine everything that had come before.
But another "human Frank" moment I would point to is "Margaret's Wedding" at almost the very end. Everybody sees Margaret and Donald P. off in the chopper. After the chopper flies away and the crowd disperses, Frank (standing alone on the chopper pad) stands there for a few seconds and just says "Goodbye, Margaret." Even though it's Frank, it almost breaks your heart! -
kdf31 — 17 years ago(February 04, 2009 05:01 PM)
As many people have pointed out, Frank did have his tender moments.
He did. He wasn't completely heartless. Remember the Korean boy that Trapper was going to adopt and Margaret and Frank lose track of the kid?
Later the kid wandered off into a land mine. Margaret screams out for the kid to stay where he is, and Frank also screams out in Korean for the kid to stay put
He definately cared about the kid and when the boys mother shows up, the camera panned out to Trapper and Frank did give Trapper a look of concern.
There were tiny, small fleeting moments when Frank was shown to care. He just always cared about himself and his money the MOST!
Great character, probably my favorite. -
themolemenprophecies — 17 years ago(December 19, 2008 08:52 AM)
I recently saw an episode in which Hawkeye and Trapper filed a report that a South Korean village had been shelled by friendly fire. They initially tried to get Frank in on it, but he shrugged off their requests.
The army didn't want the word of the shelling to get out, so they disappeared the evidence that Hawkeye and Trapper submitted, and eventually threatened their careers and freedom. Then Frank and Houlihan stepped in, revealing they had kept their own evidence (X-rays, shrapnel pieces, etc) and forced the army to admit they had shelled the village and release the vice grip they were putting on Hawkeye and Trapper. -
TorontoJediMaster — 17 years ago(March 20, 2009 08:58 PM)
Well, it's hard to compare Burns to Winchester. From the start, Winchester was set up to be a much more worthy adversary to Hawkeye. He was portrayed as a truly brilliant surgeon from the start (so Hawkeye couldn't criticize him on that front) who was simply egotistical. As well, he was clever enough to fight back when pranked (the conclusion of his introductory episode shows this, when he moves the snake -which Hawkeye and BJ had placed in his bed- to Hawkeye's bed).
Larry Linville's real genius was that he was able to make Burns such a delightful weasel. He was such a stupid and venal character that you couldn't wait for him to fail.
Of course, there were instances where you saw glimpses of his humanity show through. I think the best one was the one where Margaret got engaged. That's where he has his minibreakdown and "captures" a Korean family and their ox, believing they're enemy spies. When he's wound up enough to pull his carbine of Hawkeye, BJ and Potter, Radar defuses the situation by putting a call through to Burns' mother. Burns gets on the phone and says that he had this friend who wasn't really his friend. This friend only pretended to like himthe way his father used t1c84o. In the office, Potter -who's listening in to Burns' talk on Radar's phone says Frank is crying now.
So, you got the impression that Frank was more a victim of really lousy programming than anything else. At the end of that episode is when Frank gets his shot in at Margaret by saying some youth would be nice for a change.
Larry Linville himself said that he left the role when his contract expired because a) he'd taken the character as far as he could. And b) it really wasn't so funny to portray Burns anymore. As he said, without Margaret as his ally, Burns was really pathetic as he was an obviously disturbed man without anyone to talk to. As well, this man was still operating on patients. -
tohu — 17 years ago(March 21, 2009 03:32 AM)
Larry Linville himself said that he left the role when his contract expired because a) he'd taken the character as far as he could. And b) it really wasn't so funny to portray Burns anymore. As he said, without Margaret as his ally, Burns was really pathetic as he was an obviously disturbed man without anyone to talk to.
That is so true - it's obvious now watching the re-runs. But it shows a great deal of insight and awareness by LL himself that he realised it and accepted the obvious consequences of leaving the show. For any actor to give up a guaranteed wage is always a brave thing to do.
It's go good that he left and allowed us to remember Frank in his prime, as well as giving us the opportunity to meet Winchester. (though I can't help wondering sometimes how those 2 would have gotten along together!! same with Blake/Potter and Trapper/BJ!))
"Maybe I should go alone"
- Quint, Jaws.
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briwdou — 16 years ago(September 01, 2009 07:47 AM)
There was a scene in in the episode were Houlahan announces her engaement were Radar comes into the scrub room and announces he had gotten some medicine from the black marked.
Frank comes in and says
"Black Market? Regular Price? Good job Coproal you just might have saved a few lives". -
DarthBill — 15 years ago(July 11, 2010 07:52 PM)
Every couple of episodes there'd be a hint that deep down Frank would have actually liked to have been friends with the Swampmen (Hawkeye, Trapper, later BJ, as they were unofficially known) but he couldn't because they didn't like him. Then you had the wedding footage indicating what a cold, sterile home life Frank probably had as well as the "she only pretended to like me like Dad did." which suggests that Frank was basically a very lonely man who had never had any really healthy friendships or relationships, and his neurotic behavior was the consequence. Every now and then you would feel a little sorry for the guy, but in the end, as anyone who's seen the season six premiere "Fade In, Fade Out" knows, Frank ultimately got the last laugh - discharged, sent home & promoted to Lt. Colonel. In a sense, Frank's parting shot at Hawkeye.
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tgibbs279 — 15 years ago(December 08, 2010 07:24 PM)
I've been watching some first season episodes lately, and while Frank and Hot Lips are the "villains," it is interesting how Frank is NOT always dismissed as a bad doctor.
Someone has already mentioned the line describing Frank as a "fair but competent surgeon." There's another early episode where Henry tells Hawkeye to get off Frank's back, saying Frank is "a good surgeon, and we need him" or words to that effect. But he definitely says "good surgeon."
What's more, Frank is portrayed as a very efficient, hard-working person in areas that have nothing to do with medicine. On the numerous occasions when he acts as temporary camp commander, he seems very organized and enthused. Granted, he's TOO gung-ho and impractical but it certainly shows5b4 he's not a complete buffoon. He's efficient but misguided.
That's why I don't like his instant descent into complete buffoonery in season five, after Hot Lips gets engaged. Suddenly, he's an absolute imbecile who can't do ANYTHING right. At times, it's just pathetic. There's an episode where he organizes a boxing match between Zale and Klinger, and he ends up getting punched by both of them. He falls to the ground as everyone including Hot Lips laughs at him. It's the moment that made me say, they've gone too far with the Frank Burns character.
I'm glad they didn't turn him into Hawkeye, but they went too far in making him a buffoon. There are different types of idiots. Some idiots drift through life, doing some things right, while still managing to be idiotic overall. That can be funny. But someone who's always wrong in every way and always a laughing stock to everyone? That's more pathetic than funny. -
JJC-3 — 14 years ago(September 29, 2011 10:13 AM)
I agree with "Tgibbs2000" the Frank Burns character went through a painful regression in that last season. I still tear up at the scene when he is talking to his mom (probably in the end his only true confidant) after Margaret has ditched him.
Truly Larry's best moment on the show. LL was the consumate pro, taking on a role where he knew the character would be hated and reviled and did a fantastic job of playing that role, the mark of a top notch actor.
But in the end as it has been stated Frank gets a promotion and sent back to the USA and in the end Margaret's "marriage" to Lt. Col. Donald Penobscot disintegrates into a disaster leading Margaret to wistfully long for Frank Burns. Truly a fitting revenge if you will for Frank!!!!!!!!!! -
TorontoJediMaster — 14 years ago(November 08, 2011 03:00 PM)
I got the idea Frank had never been given or shown any real love or affection in his life. Hence, he embraces being an Army officer because his rank gives him automatic respect (in theory).
I think Frank just wanted to be loved more than anything else. But, due to his upbringing he didn't have interpersonal skills to engender affection.
If Larry Linville had returned for Season 6, I wonder if a plot point might have been Margaret's marriage falling apart and her starting to genuinely develop feelings for Frank. -
uhf001 — 10 years ago(May 08, 2015 09:42 AM)
Linville said in an interview that he felt it would be absurd to transform his character into a Hawkeye like humanitarian.
I would conjecture that the shows creative staff, including Alda would of probably allowed him to mature his part. I mean they did support Loretta Switt when she continually destroyed "Hotlips". This left Linville without his partner in crime and thus killed his characters beingAlthough I still enjoyed the later seasons, I do have to say that the show was so much more fun in the first 3. A lot less self righteous whining and sticking more loyal to the book. -
snepts — 9 years ago(February 13, 2017 07:33 PM)
Heck, I just saw the 4th ep of the first season, and Burns spends the whole time complaining about Hawkeye being chief surgeon, then at the very end he humbly asks Pierce to help him with a resection. It was meant to show Burns could get over things. But maybe it was so early, they never bothered to acknowledge this side of him later, or not enough.
Plus they show Radar drinking brandy and smoking a cigar, haha.
I'm not a woman much less Deanna Durbin, but the old-time glam-shot appeals to me.