M*A*S*H

Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen - S11-E16

Other mistake: How did Hawkeye Pierce, a surgeon, know how to drive a tank? It is nothing like driving a car and takes skills, training and experience that a surgeon simply would not have. He wouldn't even be able to start the engine.

M*A*S*H mistake picture

The Longjohn Flap - S1-E19

Other mistake: When Frank's with Margaret in her tent and she tells him that she thinks they should reevaluate their friendship, there's a Life Magazine lying on her bed which is dated over 15 years in the future ― August 25, 1967, with "The other war in Vietnam" written on its cover.

Super Grover

M*A*S*H mistake picture

I Hate a Mystery - S1-E10

Other mistake: When Henry gives Leslie the gift he says, "I sent to Tokyo for this... A Sato Tanaka double-cammed reel with jeweled escarpment," and we can see on different sides of the box there's green tape hiding its brand name, "Penn," though we can still make out the "Beachmaster 155" name.

Super Grover

Dear Dad, Again - S1-E18

Other mistake: Near the end of the episode Hawkeye is finishing his letter to his father. He writes "kiss mom and sis", but later in the series we find out that his mother died when he was a kid and he doesn't have any siblings.

Sonja Marie

Pilot - S1-E1

Other mistake: When Hawkeye has Lt. Dish draw the winner of the raffle, he turns the bottom of the glass towards the crowd - meaning they would be able to see Lt. Dish pick the raffle ticket that has been taped to the bottom of the glass, just like the audience does.

Doc

5 O'Clock Charlie - S2-E2

Other mistake: During this episode, Trapper and Hawkeye keep switching Frank's pistol with other things. When Frank's training his South Korean platoon, Trapper, Hawkeye, and Radar show up all decked out, and while Hawkeye's telling Frank that using the anti-aircraft gun on the compound will draw enemy planes, etc., there's a pistol in Frank's holster. When Frank turns around, we see that Trapper's right arm is bent over his fly swatter the entire time until he steps away from Frank, and when Frank draws from the holster what he believes is the pistol, he pulls out a plunger, and although it's funny, Trapper never actually had the opportunity to switch the pistol with the plunger, nor did Hawkeye or Radar.

Super Grover

M*A*S*H mistake picture

Depressing News - S9-E12

Other mistake: When Alan Alda and Mike Farrell are walking into frame in the scene where Hawkeye and BJ discover the huge shipment of tongue depressors, Alda's feet are visible for about two seconds and he has bright blue early '80s shoes on.

Good-Bye Radar: Part 2 - S8-E5

Other mistake: When Potter enters the Swamp, his rank insignia is placed wrongly, with the feet of the eagle pointing to the front of the collar. The feet should point toward the shoulder side of the collar, as they are the next time we see Potter.

Movie Nut

The Price of Tomato Juice - S4-E15

Other mistake: Actor Jeff Maxwell plays Private Igor Straminsky, however when Maj. Burns is in line and asks for his name, he replies "Maxwell" and Burns in turn repeats the name "Maxwell", instead of "Straminsky."

Bishop73

Show generally

Other mistake: Across the show, several times doctors looking at an x-ray picture say things like, "Looks like he swallowed a whole junkyard" or "His belly is full of shrapnel." In fact, shrapnel, being metal fragments, should show up as clear white spots on the x-ray pictures, but none of that is visible in any of the x-rays shown throughout the show.

Springtime - S3-E6

Other mistake: While Radar is measuring the camp, he says that last year they had 2,986 square feet, but this year they have 2,863 square feet. The square root of 2,863 is about 53.5, so unless the camp is 53 feet by 53 feet (!) his numbers are WAY off. (00:16:15)

Sometimes You Hear the Bullet - S1-E17

Other mistake: Wendel, afraid of being shipped home, is trying to escape from the MASH by hot-wiring a Jeep. Despite just having had an appendectomy, he is leaning forward and to the right from a sitting position, which would have to put pressure directly on the incision, yet when discovered by Hawkeye, he easily and without discomfort sits up straight. Aside from him still being at the MASH, we know the surgery is recent because, just a little later, he winces and complains after making a very small movement.

The Army-Navy Game - S1-E20

Other mistake: During the game, when the second bomb goes off, the whole building is shaking and things are falling all around but the drinks on the table do not move at all.

Mad Dogs and Servicemen - S3-E13

Other mistake: Hawkeye, Henry and Trapper are playing scrabble. The board is in an illegal state - in the lower right corner 'it', 'jot', 'joy' 'yearn' and 'in' are not connected to the rest of the words. Since the others call Hawkeye on his non-existant word, I'm assuming they're playing properly. (00:15:35)

jle

Comrades in Arms: Part 2 - S6-E13

Other mistake: During the surgery, after Hawkeye and Margaret reach the 8063rd, Margaret is explaining the procedure. She says that they are using a new vascular clamp designed at the 4077th. It appears that this is the clamp designed and built three episodes later in episode 16 "Patent 4077."

daved

Upvote valid corrections to help move entries into the corrections section.

Suggested correction: This isn't a mistake, especially since we don't see it hanging back up in another continuous shot.

Bishop73

Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen - S11-E16

Other mistake: How did Hawkeye Pierce, a surgeon, know how to drive a tank? It is nothing like driving a car and takes skills, training and experience that a surgeon simply would not have. He wouldn't even be able to start the engine.

More mistakes in M*A*S*H

Sometimes You Hear the Bullet - S1-E17

Henry Blake: All I know is what they taught me at command school. There are certain rules about a war, and rule number one is that young men die. And rule number two is that doctors can't change rule number one.

More quotes from M*A*S*H

Abyssinia, Henry - S3-E24

Trivia: There were no American planes shot down over the Sea of Japan during the Korean conflict. It is rumoured that producer/director Larry Gelbart knew that, but wrote Henry Blake's death scene as he was very unhappy with the way Mclean Stevenson had left the show, and was determined to make it clear that there was no way he would be coming back.

More trivia for M*A*S*H

Dear Dad - S1-E12

Question: A number of times it is mentioned that the outfit is unarmed, yet several times, Frank has a rifle, or a pistol, and once Klinger had a grenade, and the guards and Klinger, while on sentry duty, has a rifle. Was this standard, or is this a mistake?

Answer: Even an Army field hospital would have SOME weapons for self-defense if the enemy attacked. What's meant is that it's not a combat outfit, and therefore wouldn't have enough weapons to actually attack anyone. (It's also mentioned a few times that the Officer of the Watch is supposed to carry a pistol at all times, but Hawkeye refuses to do it when he's in charge and Colonels Blake and Potter don't enforce the rule).

Captain Defenestrator

Answer: The Geneva Convention allows even doctors to carry a sidearm to be used in their self defense or the defense of their patients, however it is rare to do so.

stiiggy

Answer: As an old medical unit staffer, my experience is that med units have combat units assigned to defend them. Usually it was marines.

Answer: My old doctor (now deceased) served in Korea during the War. He was required to carry a sidearm anytime he was not in the hospital.

More questions & answers from M*A*S*H