"M*A*S*H" Adam's Ribs (1974)

Director:

Gene Reynolds

Writers:

Larry Gelbart (developed for television by) and
Laurence Marks (written by)
(more)

TV Series:

"M*A*S*H" (1972)

Original Air Date:

26 November 1974 (Season 3, Episode 11)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | War

Plot:

After literally being fed up with mess hall food, Hawkeye goes on a desperate quest to order barbecue spare ribs from his favorite restaurant, Adam's Ribs, at Dearborn Station in Chicago. |

Plot Keywords:

Barbecue | Mail Delivery | Throwing Food | Nurse | Doctor

Cast

Alan Alda	...	Captain Benjamin Franklin Pierce
Wayne Rogers	...	Captain John McIntyre
McLean Stevenson	...	Lt. Colonel Henry Blake
Larry Linville	...	Major Frank Burns (credit only)
Loretta Swit	...	Major Margaret Houlihan (credit only)
Gary Burghoff	...	Corporal Walter Eugene O'Reilly
Jamie Farr	...	Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger
Joseph Stern	...	Master Sgt. Tarola
Basil Hoffman	...	Major Pfiefer
Jeff Maxwell	...	Igor Straminsky
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Roy Goldman	...	Roy Goldman (uncredited)

Directed by
Gene Reynolds

Writing credits
Larry Gelbart		(developed for television by)
W.C. Heinz		uncredited
Richard Hooker		uncredited
Ring Lardner Jr.		uncredited
Laurence Marks		written by

Produced by
Larry Gelbart	....	producer
Burt Metcalfe	....	associate producer
Gene Reynolds	....	producer

Cinematography by
William K. Jurgensen		(director of photography) (as William Jurgensen)

Film Editing by
Fred W. Berger
Stanford Tischler

Art Direction by
Rodger Maus

Set Decoration by
Norman Rockett

Production Management
Ted Butcher	....	unit production manager
Mark Evans	....	production supervisor
Joseph Silver	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Leonard S. Smith Jr.	....	assistant director

Camera and Electrical Department
Al LaVerde	....	best boy grip
Michael D. O'Shea	....	camera operator

Music Department
Johnny Mandel	....	composer: theme
Lionel Newman	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Walter D. Dishell	....	medical advisor (as Walter D. Dishell M.D.)
Larry Gelbart	....	developed for television by

Cinematography by
Vilis Lapenieks

Art Department
Michael Casey	....	assistant property master
Kurt V. Hulett	....	property man (season 8)

Sound Department
William Hartman	....	sound editor
Don Isaacs	....	sound editor (as Don V. Isaacs)
Edward Rossi	....	supervising sound editor (as Ed Rossi)
Richard Sperber	....	sound editor

Stunts
Jean Coulter	....	stunts
Tom Elliott	....	stunts
Chuck Hicks	....	stunts
Pat Romano	....	stunts
Rick Sawaya	....	stunt performer

Camera and Electrical Department
Curtis Foster	....	rigging gaffer (1979-1980)
Dave Friedman	....	still photographer
Michael Hofstein	....	additional camera operator
Michael Hofstein	....	aerial director of photography
Jim Sellars	....	first assistant camera

Other crew
Rita Hudis	....	technical advisor: medical
Lee Sollenberger	....	animal handler

Production Companies

• 20th Century Fox Television

Distributors

• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1974) (USA) (TV) (original airing)

Runtime:

25 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Photophone Sound Recording)

Filming Locations:

Stage 9, 20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

20th Century Fox Television

Trivia:

The title has a biblical connotation since Eve came from Adams' Rib.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During Hawkeye's mess-tent rebellion, a patch of blue "sky" from the interior set can be seen in the upper-right-hand corner of the picture, as part of the tent has been pulled aside to accommodate the camera crew.

Quotes:

[about his uncle]
Klinger:He'd kill for me. He'd kill for you. For $100, he'd kill for anyone.

Movie Connections:

References Adam's Rib (1949)

Liver or fish, anyone?

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Ten straight days of eating the same food can grow monotonous and downright tedious to most men, and guys like Hawkeye and Trapper are no exception. On this particular day, Hawkeye decides he's had enough and absurdly puts into words that he cannot stand liver or fish. He's ready to grow gills from the ocean of fish he's eaten, and the river of liver makes it so he is only able to make love if he is smothered in onions. By the way, watch the expression on Alda's face as he delivers this line. I think he can't believe he's really saying those things. So, to further prove his point, more or less, he throws a tantrum in the mess tent, rallying everybody to join him in his plea for "something else", which they all start chanting. Henry Blake is furious with Pierce and makes it known by asking him to never do it again. They want real food, and Hawkeye suddenly thinks of the absolute perfect entrée: barbecue spare ribs. This notion is brought on spur-the-moment by Henry saying, "I don't find that such a rib-tickler, McIntyre." Hawkeye paints a lovely picture of scrumptious ribs that should make the audience's mouths water. This got me hooked on ribs, by the way. Aiding Hawkeye on his fool's quest for ribs, is Radar, more or less against his will. He manages to patch a call into Adam's Ribs, the utopia of rib joints, in Chicago and Hawkeye places a rather large take-out order. Jumbo ribs and a gallon of sauce. All is well, except he realizes he's forgotten one important side dish: coleslaw. Now that the ribs have been ordered, how to get them to Korea? They ask Klinger for help and not only does he refuse, due to Hawkeye's uprising stained his stole, but because he doesn't know anybody in Chicago. Trapper, however, suddenly remembers a one-night stand from the Windy City, and he somehow manages to convince her to pick up and ship the ribs. So, after acquiring his barbecue gold, you would think Hawkeye would invite everybody to bask in its sweetened glory. The people he got all riled up over wanting something else to eat. Nope, wrong. He only invites his close friends- Trapper, Henry, Radar and Klinger, I guess as compensation for enduring all his crap. Watch how Igor and Goldman slowly walk out, awaiting their invite, which does not come. No matter, before they can eat, wounded arrive, and so after the gallant effort, Hawkeye does not get to enjoy the fruits of his labor. Poetic justice.

"Adam's Ribs", it's not a bad episode, actually I kinda like it because of the way they present the ribs. M*A*S*H episodes about food always seem to make you hungry for the food. I know this one made me hungry for spare ribs, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Hawkeye is incredibly selfish here. He whines about the food, in fact, in almost every episode some dumb joke is made about the food. It's amazing how fickle the people at the 4077th really are. I mean, there's a war on (a point the later episodes drive home continually) and these guys get upset over the food. At least they get food, when some Koreans are probably starving; Hawkeye forgets the coleslaw. Big whoop, at least he's getting his ribs! Finally, Klinger's stole. Good God, people are dying in the war, and all that fool can worry about is his stupid ladies' getup. But anyway, it's not my favorite episode, the story is weak and the premise shows promise, but comes off as inferior. It's alright. If you're in the mood for ribs, order up some and watch this episode, knowing you can enjoy them but Hawkeye can't. Again, poetic justice!