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?

2015-12-12T14:08:17-05:00

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

MASH's 'Colonel Potter' dies aged 96

Emmy-winning actor Harry Morgan, best known for his role as Colonel Sherman Potter in MASH, has died aged 96.

Response by Capt Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 12 at 2015 2:18 PM

2015-12-12T14:18:07-05:00

He died in 2011 (Dec 7th)

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Dec 12 at 2015 2:36 PM

2015-12-12T14:36:43-05:00

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.

Response by Capt Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 12 at 2015 2:43 PM

2015-12-12T14:43:58-05:00

Sorry, I missed part of you original post. Guess I am too tired.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 12 at 2015 3:09 PM

2015-12-12T15:09:00-05:00

I think he came to Korea when the unit portrayed by the 4077 disbanded and I met the cast. Again I do not recall with 100% but I believe he came out to Korea...

Response by Capt Kelvin Sumlin made Dec 12 at 2015 3:18 PM

2015-12-12T15:18:22-05:00

Yep

Response by Capt Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 12 at 2015 4:28 PM

2015-12-12T16:28:52-05:00

Did you know that he was only 5' 4" tall ?

Response by SCPO Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 12 at 2015 5:55 PM

2015-12-12T17:55:37-05:00

When he first hit the big screen, what was his name then?

Response by TSgt Kenneth Ellis made Dec 12 at 2015 11:10 PM

2015-12-12T23:10:47-05:00

He was my favorite. I watch it on ME TV.

Response by SPC Suzanne Hernandez made Dec 12 at 2015 11:19 PM

2015-12-12T23:19:22-05:00

He was always one of my favorites.

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Dec 13 at 2015 1:30 AM

2015-12-13T01:30:44-05:00

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.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made May 19 at 2019 11:17 AM

2019-05-19T11:17:27-04:00

I loved COL Potter (Harry Morgan), RIP sir he was a much better CO on M.A.S.H. than the other guy with the fishing hat. There were civilian people, who knew nothing about the military, who used to ask me if being in the military was like M.A.S.H. I told them hell no, the real Army is nothing like M.A.S.H ....!

Response by SGT James Murphy made May 19 at 2019 3:39 PM

2019-05-19T15:39:56-04:00

Mash would have been my favorite show had it not been for Alan Alda!

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made May 19 at 2019 3:58 PM

2019-05-19T15:58:18-04:00

I remembered him is the 60's when he played a cowboy, and in some other older movies. Always like his acting.

Response by Ronald Rain made Jun 26 at 2021 10:09 PM

2021-06-26T22:09:01-04:00

I first saw him in 1958 when my older brother took me to my first movie, "The Highwayman", which came out in 1951, based on a poem by Alfred Noyes. He was "Tim", the ostler, who was in love with the innkeeper's daughter, who was in love with the Highwayman, a sort-of "Robin Hood". Used to see it on television occasionally, but destroyed in a Hollywood fire. I managed to download a copy before it completely disappeared. But, nobody was interested in preserving it. In the movie, he called the army in to catch the highwayman and they tied her up to a bed with a rifle nearby, which she managed to pull over to her quietly and, when she heard his horse coming, she pulled the trigger, "shattering her breast in the moonlight, and warned him with her death." Years after I first saw it, my English literature teacher came into the class and told us we were going to learn a classic poem today called "The Highwayman", and I raised my hand and said they had made it into a movie. He didn't know that.