Max has a few MASH questions.
Did the sets at the Malibu site have INTERIORS that were used in filming, or were all interior shots in the swamp, mess tent, etc, filmed on the soundstage?
All of the interiors were shot on Stage 9 at 20th Century Fox. We only shot the exterior scenes we couldn’t film on the stage. At the most, only a third of an episode was shot at “the ranch” (our Malibu location).
We also couldn't get a helicopter into the stage. We weren't MISS SAIGON.
I’m sure I mentioned this, but of the four years I was associated with the show I went out to the ranch a grand total of once. Too much writing to do back at the studio. Although, when I was out there it was a 1000 degrees so I didn't feel all that deprived.
On the DVDs, all of the episodes have titles, but the titles don't appear anywhere on the actual films in either the opening or closing credits. (This is the case with other shows as well.) Why didn't the episode titles appear in the, uhhh, titles? (If I recall correctly, they WERE used in TV listings back then…)
The decision not to put the titles on the screen was made by Gene Reynolds and Larry Gelbart at the start of the series run. It’s a decision I agreed with. Sometimes the title can give away surprises in the episodes.
Of course when we came up with the titles we had no idea the series would someday be available to buy or rent, or that info on each episode would be available on your various screens.
I'm learning French, so with a few episodes, I've switched the language track to French and put on English captions. Even with the little French I understand, I can tell that the dialogue is NOT a straight translation. Do you have any sense how "close" it was to the original? Did translators work at all with the writers or producers in creating foreign language versions of the show or were they pretty much on their own?
Once we turned over the finished episode to CBS for original airing we had absolutely nothing to do with it. No say on translations, no say on closed captions, and no say on further editing for syndication. It’s the hack-job editing that always stuck in my craw and why I was so happy that the full episodes are now available on various platforms. Suddenly the stories make sense again!
And finally, Brian asks:
You and/or David Isaacs have run many shows. Which writers adapted to your voice the quickest?
Not that these names are household words, but I would have to say Robin Schiff, Mike & Linda Teverbaugh, Ken Estin, Tom Straw, Dan Staley & Rob Long, and Larry Balmagia.
Unfortunately, that ability does none of them any good today.
What’s your Friday Question?
from By Ken Levine
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