Friday, March 31, 2017

Gary Burghoff: To M.A.S.H. And Back and Honey West

Radar.  Mention that simple two-syllable word and any dye-in-the-wool M.A.S.H. fan immediately knows of whom you speak.

Radar (Walter O’Reilly) as portrayed by actor Gary Burghoff, was the company clerk for the Korean War M.A.S.H. (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) seen in both the M.A.S.H. movie and TV series.

In fact, Gary was the only actor that appeared both in the movie and TV series.  He left the series after eight years to pursue other interests and because he was physically, mentally and spiritually worn out.

Gary slowly transformed the character of Radar from a snide, mischievous and somewhat lecherous Army clerk to an innocent, naive, clairvoyant, hometown boy who basically ran the camp.

While childlike Radar possessed a strong moral and trustworthy character, could be fiercely determined and often was the voice of reason in situations than often saw the worst of mankind.

In ‘Gary Burghoff: To M.A.S.H. And Back –My Life In Poems and Songs (That Nobody Else Wanted To Publish) Gary recounts his life from his early days in Wisconsin to his meteoric rise to stardom as one of TV’s most beloved characters.

Brutally honest and candid Gary details both the ups and downs of his personal life and career while maintaining a delightful humorous attitude.

Often touching and funny, the book, published by BearManor Media, offers an up-close-and-personal examination of the actor.

Few people realize how talented Mr. Burghoff really is.  Considered by many to be a modern Renaissance Man, Gary acts, is a musician, writer, artist, poet, songwriter, inventor, environmentalist and more.

The book makes for a delightful and eye-opening read that fans of both Gary and M.A.S.H. are sure to cherish.

Ahhh-Honey West.  I was a mere 12 years old when Honey West, starring Anne Francis premiered on TV. 

Her striking figure, lush blonde hair, birthmark and sultry eyes set my young heart to aflutter.  She was my first TV starlet crush.  There would be others, but Honey West was the first.

‘Honey West’ written by John C. Fredriksen, chronicles TV’s first liberated female.

 As a role model for modern women, Honey demonstrated that anything was possible for a female in a man’s world.

Smart, resourceful, fiercely independent and proficient with weapons, the martial arts and subterfuge, Honey West took on spies, bad guys and underworld scum.

Interviews with both cast and crew shed light on the making of the series and just how groundbreaking it was. 

Full episode descriptions are also provided sprinkled with interesting behind-the-scenes tidbits of information.


Laced with photos, the book brings back pleasant memories of the series that redefined women on TV.