Posted on Dec 12, 2015
Did you know M.A.S.H.'s 'Colonel Potter' Harry Morgan died 4 years ago this month at age 96 ? Anyone in RP remember him?
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He and others from this show gave Americans military comedy and views to help deal with the harsh reality of the Korean war and touched on many topics such as PTSD/other mental illnesses, disabilities, US Politics as well as anti-war sentiments, just to touch a few. He is definitely missed...
Dec 7th 2011
"Prolific character actor Harry Morgan, who appeared in more than 100 films but was best known for his role as Colonel Sherman Potter in the popular television series MASH, has died at his Los Angeles home aged 96. (Dec 7th 2011)
A representative for his son, producer Christopher Morgan, confirmed the actor's death.
In 1980 Morgan won an Emmy for his work on the anti-war comedy series MASH playing the upstanding commanding officer of a US Army surgical hospital during the Korean War.
Morgan appeared in MASH from 1975 to 1983.
He also appeared as Officer Bill Gannon on television crime series Dragnet from 1967 to 1970, alongside Jack Webb.
Morgan's ability to play a variety of roles - dramatic and comedic - made him an actor in demand for half a century. He starred in about a dozen US TV series, starting in the 1950s, and appeared in movies with some of Hollywood's biggest stars.
He appeared in The Ox-Bow Incident in 1943 with Henry Fonda, High Noon in 1952 with Gary Cooper, The Glenn Miller Story in 1954 with Jimmy Stewart and Inherit The Wind in 1960 with Spencer Tracy.
But it was his role on MASH, the long-running series on the CBS network, that earned him his most fame.
The series was adapted from the successful 1970 feature film of the same name, presenting an anti-war theme at the same time the United States was extricating itself from the Vietnam War.
Morgan was not one of the original cast members.
The TV series began in 1972 but his first appearance came in a guest-starring role during its third season.
He later signed on as a full-time cast member in 1975 after actor McLean Stevenson, who had played the fictional unit's commanding officer, left the show.
Morgan was born Harry Bratsberg in Detroit in 1915 and worked on stage before making his way to Hollywood.
He was married twice and had four children with his first wife, Eileen, who died in 1985 after the pair had been together 45 years.
One son, Daniel, died in 1989.
He is survived by three other sons, eight grandchildren and his second wife, Barbara Bushman."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-12-08/mash-star-harry-morgan-dies/3719248
Dec 7th 2011
"Prolific character actor Harry Morgan, who appeared in more than 100 films but was best known for his role as Colonel Sherman Potter in the popular television series MASH, has died at his Los Angeles home aged 96. (Dec 7th 2011)
A representative for his son, producer Christopher Morgan, confirmed the actor's death.
In 1980 Morgan won an Emmy for his work on the anti-war comedy series MASH playing the upstanding commanding officer of a US Army surgical hospital during the Korean War.
Morgan appeared in MASH from 1975 to 1983.
He also appeared as Officer Bill Gannon on television crime series Dragnet from 1967 to 1970, alongside Jack Webb.
Morgan's ability to play a variety of roles - dramatic and comedic - made him an actor in demand for half a century. He starred in about a dozen US TV series, starting in the 1950s, and appeared in movies with some of Hollywood's biggest stars.
He appeared in The Ox-Bow Incident in 1943 with Henry Fonda, High Noon in 1952 with Gary Cooper, The Glenn Miller Story in 1954 with Jimmy Stewart and Inherit The Wind in 1960 with Spencer Tracy.
But it was his role on MASH, the long-running series on the CBS network, that earned him his most fame.
The series was adapted from the successful 1970 feature film of the same name, presenting an anti-war theme at the same time the United States was extricating itself from the Vietnam War.
Morgan was not one of the original cast members.
The TV series began in 1972 but his first appearance came in a guest-starring role during its third season.
He later signed on as a full-time cast member in 1975 after actor McLean Stevenson, who had played the fictional unit's commanding officer, left the show.
Morgan was born Harry Bratsberg in Detroit in 1915 and worked on stage before making his way to Hollywood.
He was married twice and had four children with his first wife, Eileen, who died in 1985 after the pair had been together 45 years.
One son, Daniel, died in 1989.
He is survived by three other sons, eight grandchildren and his second wife, Barbara Bushman."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-12-08/mash-star-harry-morgan-dies/3719248
TV
Celebrities
Death
Army
Edited 9 y ago
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 14
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Great Actor I might be revealing my age but I remember him from a much earlier police show but loved him on Mash as I loved the entire crew and storyline of Mash. Not that it shows. My First Born's Name "William Christopher" more commonly know as Father Mulcahy.
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
Watched William Christopher hosting the Thanksgiving Parade or Christmas Parade one year and heard him talk about being related to Paul Revere which is a riot since my family is related to William Dawes who rode with Paul Revere on that famous night.
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Enough time, no one seems to want to play or knows the answer. Actually, Harry Morgan, when he first became an actor, was known as Henry Morgan. Not a major difference, but I read years ago that the name change to Harry was precipitated by Henry finding out there was a person of some notoriety of that day, and he wanted to avoid any confusion with his small, but growing fan base. By whatever name he was called, he was a very fine gentleman and a great character actor. We're lucky his movies and TV shows remain. They will bring much entertainment to new generations long after we're gone.
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SCPO Carl Wayne Boss
SCPO (Join to see) - Actors and actresses changing their names isn't all that unusual... Many managers recommend names changes if they don't think their clients name is memorable or they believed there might be some off putting social implication in their original name... even John Wayne changed his name... he was Marion Robert Morrison at birth in Winterset, Iowa (population 2,956), born in an 860 square foot house his parents rented. This big man started as a "big baby"... his birth weight was a hefty 13 lbs!
Young Marion Morrison was Christened "Duke" by Fireman in his home town after the Morrison family's dog who used to chase Fire Engines. The "Duke" moniker became a life long nickname which he preferred to Marion. He later took on the name "John Wayne" as a screen name in the early days of his film career, but still preferred to be called "Duke" or "Morrison" in day to day life.
Mr. Bratsberg took on the name Harry Morgan at the behest of his Hollywood Managers, because of some stigma, real or imagined, due to his Jewish sounding name.
I remember him very well, in his parts in Dragnet and MASH and several of his Movies.
There are many other name change examples but I don't want to detract any further from "Colonel Potter's" fame, Personally I would have dearly loved to work with/for an Officer like Potter. Unfortunately I did work for an Officer that was like the male Major (I call him Dr. Dolt) that played one of the Doctor's in the Mash series. I have several seasons worth of the series on DVD and enjoy them even yet. I'm not sure who is the biggest Hoot... Radar, Klinger, Maj. Hoolihan or the "duce of Dr's" Honeycutt and Company!
Long live Colonel Potter and his crew and MASH reruns!
Young Marion Morrison was Christened "Duke" by Fireman in his home town after the Morrison family's dog who used to chase Fire Engines. The "Duke" moniker became a life long nickname which he preferred to Marion. He later took on the name "John Wayne" as a screen name in the early days of his film career, but still preferred to be called "Duke" or "Morrison" in day to day life.
Mr. Bratsberg took on the name Harry Morgan at the behest of his Hollywood Managers, because of some stigma, real or imagined, due to his Jewish sounding name.
I remember him very well, in his parts in Dragnet and MASH and several of his Movies.
There are many other name change examples but I don't want to detract any further from "Colonel Potter's" fame, Personally I would have dearly loved to work with/for an Officer like Potter. Unfortunately I did work for an Officer that was like the male Major (I call him Dr. Dolt) that played one of the Doctor's in the Mash series. I have several seasons worth of the series on DVD and enjoy them even yet. I'm not sure who is the biggest Hoot... Radar, Klinger, Maj. Hoolihan or the "duce of Dr's" Honeycutt and Company!
Long live Colonel Potter and his crew and MASH reruns!
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I'll miss him for sure. He was born Harry Bratsberg. His name was changed when he got into acting because he was either Jewish or his name sounded Jewish. That was the practice at the time. He did over 100 films and was a character actor in numerous television shows. We tend to remember him only for MASH and Dragnet. I never saw him roll through Motion Picture Hospital when I worked there as a kid. He was known to be in good health and a very decent guy. Patients there always spoke well of him.
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