The Ward M. Canaday Center for Special Collections The University of Toledo

Finding Aid

Jamie Farr Scripts, 1954-1984

MSS-024

Size: 8.3 linear feet

Provenance: Jamie Farr donated the above scripts to the University of Toledo Libraries in five installments. The dates of these gifts were June 21, 1977; February 22, 1980; May 26, 1981; May 17, 1982 and September 23, 1984.

Access: Open

Related Collections: 

Collection Summary: Scripts of television and motion-picture productions in which Farr acted. Includes most of the "M*A*S*H" (1972-1983) scripts from all but the first season, all of the scripts from the spin-off series "After M*A*S*H" (1983-1984), and scripts of several motion pictures, most notably, The Blackboard Jungle.

Subjects: Ethnic Culture of Toledo, Music, Art, Drama, and Theatre; War, Soldiers, and Veterans

Processing Note: None

Copyright: Literary rights to the scripts in this collection are held by various parties. Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation owns the rights to "MASH" and "AfterMASH." The other scripts name the parties that held literary rights at the time of issuance. Researchers bear full legal responsibility for the acquisition to publish from any part of said collection per Title 17, United States Code.  The Ward M. Canaday Center for Special Collections may reserve the right to intervene as intermediary at its own discretion.

Completed by: Paul Gifford, June 1986; updated by Kimberly Brownlee, February 2012; February 2012; last updated: June, 2014

Introduction

This collection consists of scripts of television and motion-picture productions in which Jamie Farr acted. Foremost of these productions is the highly successful television comedy series "M*A*S*H" (henceforth "MASH") (1972-83). Farr's role in the series was that of Maxwell Q. Klinger, a gold-bricking corporal attached to a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean conflict. This collection contains most of the "MASH" scripts from all but the first season. There are also all the scripts from a further series: "AfterMASH" (1983-84) and scripts of several motion pictures, the most significant being "The Blackboard Jungle."

Biographical Sketch

Jamie Farr was born Jameel Farah in Toledo in 1934, son of Lebanese immigrant grocer Samuel Farah and his wife Jameelia. He graduated from Woodward High School in 1952. Shortly after, he moved to California, intending to find work as an actor Although he managed to act in small roles in "The Blackboard Jungle" (1954), "Three Violent People" (1956), and "No Time for Sergeants" (1956), he worked at various other kinds of jobs for many years after. He served in the U. S. Army in Korea. But, as often befalls the actor, unemployment was frequently his lot. Even after regular comic roles in television series in the late 1950s and 1960s on "The Red Skelton Show," "The Danny Kaye Show," and "F Troop," by the early 1970s, Farr had become discouraged with acting.

He was hired to play Corporal Klinger, a continuing, rather than regular, role, during the first season of "MASH." The show achieved popular success after its second season. For the show's third season, its producers gave Corporal Klinger a regular role, and Farr signed a contract. He was now a star. His role was essentially that of a clown---Klinger routinely wore dresses, hoping to get a "Section Eight" in order to return to Toledo and to Tony Packo's Cafe. His Toledo remarks endeared him to the residents of the often maligned, economically beleaguered city. As the seasons passed, "MASH's" writers expanded Klinger's single-joke role, but eventually exhausted ideas for scripts. Its last season was in 1982-83. "MASH" still enjoyed popular success, nevertheless; and its last show in 1983, captured an audience larger than any previous television show.

Farr was in the cast of an unsuccessful sequel to "MASH," "AfterMASH," which appeared during the 1983-84 season. In 1983, the University of Toledo conferred an honorary Ph. D. degree upon Jamie Farr. He, his wife and their two children live in Bell Canyon, California.

 

Scope and Content Note

The largest series in this collection---and the one which will probably attract the attention of most researchers---is the group of "MASH" scripts. Lacking the scripts of the production's first season, about half of those of its second season, and about a third of those of its third and fourth seasons, the set of "MASH" scripts is thereafter virtually complete. The series of scripts of the one-season production "AfterMASH" appears to be complete as well. Each script carries the date of its publication and bears the designation "final," "revised final," or "2nd revised final" Included with each script is a shooting schedule and daily call sheets for the particular production.

The other scripts in the collection include a proposed and presumably unsolicited "MASH" script; feature-length motion-picture scripts---"The Blackboard Jungle" (1954), "Three Violent People" (originally titled "The Maverick"; 1954), "No Time for Sergeants" (1956), "Who's Minding the Mint?" (1966), "With Six You Get Eggroll" (1967; originally titled 'There's a Man in Mommy's Bed"), "Family Plot" (1973); two made-for-television features, "The Eagle Rock Rebels Ride Again" (1979-81), and "Murder Can Kill You" (1980); and a script for the 1982 Tournament of Roses parade.

Farr usually noted his lines by underscoring the name of his character and frequently the lines themselves. He wrote occasional changes in his lines. Occasionally he also wrote down stage directions. Apart from the revisions and annotations to his own lines, however, the scripts contain no further manuscript notations. Inserted, published revisions to the scripts do occur with regularity.

The call sheets included with each "MASH" and "AfterMASH" script and with the later motion-picture scripts were issued daily. They list the personnel and equipment needed for each day of production and the scenes to be filmed each day. The "MASH" and "AfterMASH" scripts also include shooting schedules. Each schedule plans the production with a sketch of stage locations, the scenes, dates, and cast needed for filming the different scenes.

Container List

Box	Folder	Series	Description
1		MASH	Scripts
	1		Divided We Stand	1973	30 July
	2		Radar's Report		1 August
	3		L.I.P. (Local Indigenous Personnel)		20 August
	4		Kim		31 August
	5		The Trial of Henry Blake		18 September
	6		Dear Dad...Three		24 September
	7		Dea1MeOut		25 October
	8		Officers Only		12 November
	9		For Want of a Boot...		26 November
	10		As You Were		14 December
	11		Crisis		26 December
				1974
	12		Mail Call		10 January
	13		Rainbow Bridge		8 May
	14		Springtime		16 May
	15		Payday		3 June
	16		O.R.		12 June
	17		Officer of the Day		17 June
	18		The General Flipped at Dawn		24 June
	19		There is Nothing Like a Nurse		15 July
	20		A Rich Rull Day		25 July
	21		Check-up		1 August
	22		Big Mac		7 Augustt
	23		Alcoholics Unanimous		26 August
	24		House Arrest		28 August
	25		Adam's Rib		29 August
	26		Aid Station		16 September
	27		White Gold		2 October
	28		Bombed		3 October
	29		Bulletin Board		25 October
	30		Abyssinia, Henry		28 October
				1975
	31		Change of Command		30 June
	32		It Happened One Night		3 July
	33		Dear Mildred		18 July
	34		Welcome to Korea		24 July
	35		The Late Captain Pierce		4 August
	36		Dear Peggy		18 August
	37		Hey, Doc		28 August
	38		The Kids		4 September
	39		Quo Vadis, Captain Chandler		22 September
	40		Soldier of the Month		2 October
	41		Dear Ma		8 October
	42		Deluge		14 October
	43		The Gun		21 October
	44		Mail Call Again		27 October
2		MASH	Scripts
	1		The Price of Tomato Juice	1975	31 October
	2		Some 38th Parallels		20 November
	3		Der Tag		26 November]
	4		The Novocaine Mutiny		3 December
	5		The More I See You		10 December
	6		The Interview		15 December
				1976
	7		Lt. Radar O'Reilly		25 June
	8		The General's Practitioner		28 June
	9		Ping Pong		29 June
	10		Bug Out		6 July
	11		Hawk's Nightmare		20 July
	12		Out of Sight, Out of Mind		29 July
	13		The Colonel's Horse		16 August
	14		The Abduction of Margaret		19 August
	15		The Nurses		27 August
	16		Dear Sigmund		3 September
	17		The Most Unforgettable Characters		10 September
	18		Hawkeye Get Your Gun		15 September
	19		Mulcahy's War		20 September
	20		Exorcism		5 October
	21		The Korean Surgeon		7 October
	22		Margaret's Marriage		14 October
	23		End Run		15 October
	24		Souvenirs		15 October
	25		Hanky Panky		16 November
	26		38 Across		26 November
	27		Hepatitis		9 December
	28		Movie Tonight		15 December
				1977
	29		Last Laugh		2 June
	30		Fade Out, Fade In		16 June
	31		Images		17 June
	32		Fallen Idol		5 July
	33		The Winchester Tapes		27 July
	34		The Light that Failed		18 August
	35		The Grim Reaper		1 September
	36		Tea and Empathy		2 September
	37		The MASH Olympics		16 September
	38		Change Day		19 September
	39		In Love and War		22 September
	40		Patent 4077		3 October
	41		The Smell of Music		11 October
	42		The Merchant of Korea		20 October
3		MASH	Scripts
	1		What's Up Doc	1977	7 November
	2		Potter's Retirement		16 November
	3		Mail Call Three		28 November
	4		Major Topper		8 December
	5		Your Hit Parade		19 December
	6		Temporary Duty		22 December
				1978
	7		Lil		27 June
	8		Peace on Us		17 July
	9		B.J. Papa San		21 July
	10		Commander Pierce		24 July
	11		Baby, It's Cold Outside		28 July
	12		The Billfold Syndrome		4 August
	13		They Call the Wind Korea		22 August 5
	14		Our Finest Hour		5 September
	15		None Like It Hot		11 September
	16		Out of Gas		15 September
	17		Major Ego		22 September
	18		Dear Comrade		29 September
	19		An Eye For a Tooth		2 October
	20		Point of View		18 October
	21		Preventive Medicine		23 October
	22		Dear Sis		25 October
	23		The Price		3 November
	24		Hot Lips is Back in Town		13 November
	25		Inga		15 November
	26		The Young and the Restless		27 November
	27		Ain't Love Grand		1 December
	28		Cave		8 December
	29		The Party		18 December
				1979
	30		Rally Round the Flag Boys		3 January
	31		A Night at Rosie's		10 January
	32		Guerrilla My Dreams		22 January
	33		Too Many Cooks		9 July
	34		Are You Now, Margaret?		13 July
	35		Period of Adjustment		16 July
	36		Private Finance		23 July
	37		Mr. & Mrs. Who?		9 August
	38		The Yalu Brick Road		17 August
	39		Life Time		24 August
	40		Nurse Doctor		28 August
	41		Good-bye Radar: Part One		10 September
	42		Good-bye Radar: Part Two		7 September
4		MASH	Scripts
	1		Dreams	1979	18 September
	2		Dear Uncle Abdul		9 October
	3		Captains Outrageous		23 October
	4		Stars and Stripes		29 October
	5		Heal Thyself		5 November
	6		Yessir, That's Our Baby		9 November
	7		Bottle Fatigue		13 November
	8		Morale Victory		26 November
	9		Old Soldiers		30 November
	10		Lend a Hand		13 December
	11		Good-bye, Cruel World		21 December
				1980
	12		April Fools		8 January
	13		War Co-Respondent		14 January
	14		Back Pay		18 January
	15		Letters		26 June
	16		No Sweat		2 July
	17		The Best of Enemies		7 July
	18		Cementing Relationships		14 July
	19		Tell It to the Marines		17 July
	20		A War For All Seasons		8 August
	21		That's Show Biz: part One		15 August
	22		That's Show Biz: Part Two		28 August
	23		Father's Day		29 August
	24		Your Retention, Please		12 September
	25		Taking the Fifth		17 October
	26		Death Takes a Holiday		3 November
	27		Depressing News		21 November
	28		Operation Friendship		5 December
	29		No Laughing Matter		12 December
	30		Oh, How We Danced		18 December
	31		Bottoms Up		30 December
				1981
	32		The Red/White Blues		21 January
	33		Bless You, Hawkeye		23 January
	34		The Life You Save		30 January
	35		Blood Brothers		27 February
	36		The Foresight Saga		16 March
	37		Identity Crisis		18 March
	38		Rumor At the Top		26 March
	39		Communication Breakdown		1 October
	40		Give 'Em Hell Hawkeye		9 October
	41		The Tooth Shall Set You Free		16 October
	42		Wheelers and Dealers		19 October
	43		Snap Judgment		2 November
	44		Snappier Judgment		3 November
	45		Twas the Day After Christmas		6 November
	46		Follies of the Living--Concerns of the Dead		20 November
5		MASH	Scripts
	1		Blood and Guts	1981	27 November
	2		Birthday Girls		1 December
	3		A Holy Mess		14 December
				1982
	4		Where There's a Will There's a War		11 January
	5		Pressure Points		12 January
	6		Promotion commotion		15 January
	7		Heroes		3 February
	8		Sons and Bowlers		10 February
	9		Picture This		12 February
	10		Who Knew?		24 February
	11		That Darn Kid		8 March
	12		The Moon is Not Blue		17 March
	13		Hey Look Me Over		22 March
	14		Foreign Affairs		2 April
	15		Settling Debts		5 April
	16		The Joker Is Wild		19 April
	17		U.N. the Night and the Music		8 November
	18		Strange Bedfellows		19 November
	19		Say No More		30 November
	20		As Time Goes By		20 December
	21		Give and Take		22 December
			Good-by, Farewell and Amen		3 September
	22		Original Copy
	23		Photocopy
		AfterMASH	scripts
	24		Thanksgiving of '53	1983	11 July
	25		Night Shift		12 July
	26		Snap, crackle, Plop		12 July
	27		September of '53		25 July
	28		Together Again		4 August
	29		Klinger vs. Klinger		11 August
	30		Staph Inspection		22 August