M*A*S*H
OPENING CREDIT SEQUENCES
Season-1 1972-73 SEASON
1 - PILOT EPISODE VERSION
This
extended credit sequence was used only in the Pilot and contains
footage and a
theme recording unique to this episode. Obviously Radar, Hawkeye and
Trapper are
clearly visible... but if you look closely you
can spot George Morgan as Father Mulcahy and I think even Spearchucker.
Surprisingly Hotlips, Frank and Henry are nowhere to be
seen. The distracting
laugh track is used once (but can be easily skipped on the DVD) and
Hawkeye is even given a line: "This
guy's got a rapid pulse...he's in shock...get him down there we'll work
on him first thing...let's go". This has to be one of
the most elaborate
TV openings ever filmed, and I'm guessing they used the shoot to get
stock footage for future episodes. Most
current reruns (which are edited for
time) use the common Season 1 credit sequence instead of this...so
unless
someone's running "Uncut" M*A*S*H, the only way to see this is on DVD.
SEASON
1 - MAIN VERSION
The
definitive
edit from which all following versions will derive, there are three
shots
here that were not used in the Pilot Episode version: (1) The overhead
shot
of the camp (with Alda's, Rogers' and Stevenson's names). (2)
The nurses running towards the camera. (3) The soldiers
running up the staircase (a similar but different shot was used in the
pilot).
SEASON
1 - ALTERNATE MUSIC VERSION Used
in
a couple of Season 1 episodes, this is a more upbeat arrangement of
"Suicide is Painless" and is similar to the Season 6 closing theme music
(I'll get to the closing themes one of these days). My guess is that
since the series was
struggling ratings-wise its first year, the network wanted a
"happier" theme to better indicate that the show was indeed a comedy.