M*A*S*H (TV Series) Yankee Doodle Doctor (1972) User Reviews

Harbinger of Episodes To Come

[DKosty123 · 9/10 · 4 June 2009]

This is a solid episode with an opening scene of a film crew filming General Clayton introducing a propaganda film about the 4077th Mash unit. The film crew then hits camp but after Hawkeye & Trapper find out what narration Frank is doing for the film being made, they take matters into their own hands, literally.

There is a funny farce film that is put together with Hawkeye playing Yankee Doodle Doctor, a slow motion imitation of Groucho Marx, & Trapper doing an impression of Harpo Marx. Their final cut is shown to the entire unit. At the end of the film they make is an excellent dramatic moment with Hawkeye explaining what is really going on at the 4077. This is one of the many moments in this series where drama gets mixed with the comedy to a positive effect.

This show is considered a classic by MASH fans.

The Propaganda Machine Meets the Marx Brothers

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 21 February 2015]

This is a very satisfying episode. A military filmmaker comes to the MASH unit to do a propaganda film to show the brave men and women working on casualties of the Korean War. It is simplistic and jingoistic. The director is a self-centered lech who is a yes man for the Army. He has Frank doing the voice over with an insipid script. It paints the doctors and nurses as red, white, and blue volunteers who put aside their careers to be here. While some of this was true, most were conscripted for a war the proved very little. Hawkeye and Trapper decide they have had enough and decide to destroy the film. The director moves on but the guys get the technical guys to stay behind and shoot a more "honest" portrayal of what they do, with a huge dose of comedy thrown in for good measure. As is often the case, there is a true moral message here, as the film shows. See this one.

War, what is it good for

[safenoe · 8/10 · 7 March 2024]

Ed Flanders, who later appeared in the underrated St. Elsewhere, appears in Yankee Doodle Doctor as Lt. Dwayne Bricker. As many of the imdb user reviews have stated, the ending kind of foreshadowed the serious approach that M*A*S*H would take, rather than being a full-on comedy. On reflection, it's hard to imagine the serious stage of M*A*S*H featuring Trapper John, Colonel Blake and Frank Burns.

Anyway, I think I've seen every M*A*S*H episode at least once, and I'm enjoying also listening to the M*A*S*H Matters podcast hosted by superfan Ryan Maxwell and Jeff Maxwell, who played Igor in this fine series.

Brave young doctors and nurses, some volunteers, others volunteered...

[Little-Mikey · 10/10 · 30 December 2009]

If time allows only enough time to watch only one episode of MASH, this episode would have to be the one to see. It is the all time best.

A movie crew shows up at the 4077 to film a propaganda movie titles "Yankee Doodle Doctor" about the brave young volunteers who are serving in harm's way for the free world. In other words, it is way over the top.

Hawkeye, adding that he volunteered while under the porch trying to puncture his ear drum, was less than impressed and decided that the film must go! So, enlisting the help of his side kick and partner in crime, Trapper John and roping in Corporal "Radar" O'Reilly, the three merely substitute the propaganda film with a version of their own.

Their film version is absolutely hilarious, done in the tradition of the Marx Brothers. With Hawkeye, as Groucho, Trapper John as Harpo and "Radar" O'Reilly as the patient, the film is worth its price in laughter, which is of course worth more than gold.

This episode is a "must see" for both MASH fans and those with only a passing interest.

The one where Hawkeye and Trapper make a movie

[jarrodmcdonald-1 · 6 March 2023]

There a lot of hijinks in this one. Henry finds out that Brigadier General Clayton (Herb Voland) is undertaking the task of making a documentary about mobile hospitals, and he's chosen the 4077th as the site for some filming. A lieutenant named Bricker (Ed Flanders) is directing the effort, and lest he choose Major Burns as the star of the film, Hawkeye volunteers with Trapper by his side. The film is supposed to be a glorified wartime propaganda piece, which doesn't sit well with Hawkeye or Trapper who consider the war a wasteful thing.

The scene where Bricker meets the men inside the Swamp is punctuated by some silly same-sex humor. We have Hawkeye and Trapper dancing with each other, and Hawkeye admitting he took Frank's razor, apparently to shave his legs. One can only imagine how these scenes would play out if Klinger was included. Oh, I should mention that this is the first episode where Frank is now sharing quarters with Hawkeye and Trapper.

The bulk of the story involves Hawkeye and Trapper trying to undermine Bricker's film. Once they find out what Clayton and Bricker are intending, to drum up support for the war back home, they expose the footage to light rendering it unusable. Then they tell Henry they will make their own little documentary with comic elements.

In the comic version, Hawkeye helps a patient played by Radar, while dressed as Groucho Marx and Trapper is dressed as Harpo. Their movie is screened for the whole camp after it's completed, with Clayton in attendance. Interestingly, it is in black-and-white, so we cut from shots of them in color watching the film, to shots of the film itself in black-and-white. After the comedy bits finish, Hawkeye delivers a sobering monologue at the end with an actual patient. He talks about the reality of battle and patching up soldiers.

Of course, this is not what Clayton had in mind. But he seems to enjoy the production as much as everyone else. We are told that Clayton will re-edit it, presumably to insert more of the propaganda he had originally planned to include, so Hawkeye and Trapper won't exactly get away with their scheme. But maybe they've all reached a compromise on what the war is really about.

The first glimpse of what's to come

[dominik-81717 · 9/10 · 14 September 2023]

This is the first episode in which M*A*S*H does what it does best. That being serious topics. For the most part, this episode is pretty lighthearted, a camera crew and a director come to the camp and want to shoot a documentary, Hawkeye and Trapper expose the film because they don't like the portrayal of the work they do. Then they shoot their own version.

They later watch their production in the mess tent and it's a goofy, silly comedy movie, like you'd expect from Hawkeye and Trapper. Also quick side note, Alan Aldas Groucho Marx impression is spot on.

But then we get to the last scene of the film. Hawkeye sits in front of a patient and explains to the camera that the man has a 50/50 chance of survival and they can't do anything now except for wait. He then leaves the room, uttering the in the community now iconic words: "Not a very happy ending for a movie. But then no war's a movie."

While only a very short moment, this is the first time the show got serious and it would become known for its handling of serious topic, so this is an important milestone for the show.

Very Good Episode

[Cuppajoe2go · 10/10 · 24 January 2022]

It's already been mentioned what a great episode this is (very few skunks, if any!) but Alan Alda is hilariously brilliant as Groucho Marx and highly recommended!