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Alan Alda and Loretta Swit in M*A*S*H (1972)

Goofs

Deluge

M*A*S*H

Edit

Continuity

This episode is supposed the mark the day the Chinese intervened in the war, which was on 25 Oct 1950, about four months after the war had begun. This would have been when Henry Blake was still in command as Col Potter was still two years away from assuming command of the 4077th.
Colonel Potter takes command of the 4077th in September of 1952 while the newsreel reports General MacArthur returning to the United States, which occurred in April of '51.
A newsreel shows New York's ticker-tape parade welcoming MacArthur home. This happened in April 1951. Then Frank says he is glad that Communist China has gotten involved in the war. This, however, happened in October 1950, six months prior to MacArthur's return home.
During the jitterbugging part of the dance newsreel, the film is obviously speeded up at least twice as fast as the rest of of the newsreel.

Factual errors

Copper sulfate is used in treatment of white phosphorus burns, but it does not make the fluoresce. This is accomplished by the use of ultraviolet light. Copper sulfate turns white phosphorus black, making it easier to see on the surface of the skin.

Revealing mistakes

Klinger tells Radar to "stand back " before he pours water on a smoldering fire. If he was throwing water on such a fire, the only result would be a dousing of the fire, not a violent reaction like what happened when he threw alcohol on it, revealing that he knew what was about to happen.
In the shower scene, Col. Potter turns the water off when Maj. Houlihan enters. However, steam continues to rise.

Miscellaneous

When Col. Potter talks to Hot Lips in the shower as she turns you can see she is wearing a body suit.
In the scene where Hawkeye, BJ, and Father Mulcahy make sandwiches in the mess tent, a tiny beam of light, approximately the size of a laser pointer, shines on Hawkeye's forehead and then his right eye (as he moves his head to speak).
In the newsreel, President Truman is shown speaking at the University of Wyoming. This was May 9, 1950, before the Korean War began. In a previous episode "The Novocain Mutiny ", the date was given as November 1952.
Klinger and another soldier clean out the sink so that it can be used for a patient with phosphorus burns. While the sound of splashing can be heard the doctors come in and place the patient into the sink with his leg submerged in the same water they were using to clean with.

Anachronisms

One news clip stated the French were fighting in Viet Nam. At that time Viet Nam was still know as French Indochina and wasn't created until years later.
In several episodes "Phisohex" bottles are seen in the "scrub" area. Phisohex was a cleanser used for antibacterial cleansing as well as an anti acne regimen. The problem here is that the containers are obviously from the 70's, this type of dispenser did not/would not have existed in the 50's when the series took place, being made of polyethylene plastic.
BJ is seen removing disposable sterile latex surgical gloves; these were not developed until the 1960s.
Margaret pleads with the colonel to let the nurses stay, even if the Chinese capture the area. She claimed that she was born to serve and didn't know anything else. In "There is Nothing Like a Nurse," Margaret and the nurses left without any comment. In this show, she claimed things couldn't get any worse than they are. Yet, in previous shows she has repeatedly mentioned the danger of being raped by the enemy. This would arguably be a bit worse than rats in her sock drawer.

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