Category: Television

Loudon Wainwright III Was on M*A*S*H?

Singer-songwriter Loudin Wainwright III brought his singing and acting talents to the third season of the TV series M*A*S*H.

Loudin Wainwright III Unrequited

Singer-songwriter Loudin Wainwright III has had a diverse career while creating a catalog of outstanding albums and songs. The Grammy-award winning artist’s early claim to fame was a 1972 novelty song, “Dead Skunk (in the Middle of the Road).” He was a musical guest during the inaugural season of Saturday Night Live in 1975. Through the years, Wainwright, once hailed as one of the “new Dylans,” has appeared in a number of TV shows and movies. But perhaps his most interesting recurring role was as Captain Calvin Spalding in three episodes of the third season of M*A*S*H during 1974-1975.

Wainwright brought his musical talents to the character of Spalding, a singing surgeon. During his appearances, he played guitar and sang, as in the opening of the episode below, where he sings “Oh Tokyo” and “North Korea Blues.”

Below, Wainwright plays some additional songs in an episode from November 1974. Wayne Rogers (as Trapper John) and Alan Alda (as Hawkeye Pierce) join in on the first song. Then, in perhaps his best performance from the show, Wainwright illustrates how the camp is missing the nurses who were evacuated due to an approaching enemy.

Interestingly, Wainwright’s character name, “Captain Spalding,” referenced a famous Groucho Marx character Captain Jeffrey T. Spaulding in the 1930 movie Animal Crackers. In the movie, Marx’s character had the theme song, “Hooray for Captain Spaulding,” which Marx often used throughout his career. During the run of M*A*S*H, there were several Groucho references and Alda even donned a Groucho Marx costume in the episode “Yankee Doodle Doctor.”

What Happened to M*A*S*H’s Captain Spalding?

M*A*S*H creator Larry Gelbart brought Loudin Wainwright III to the show originally. Gelbert was a fan of Wainwright’s music and wanted to try adding his musical element to the show. Gelbert even wanted to use Wainwright more than they did during that third season. But due to the tight shooting schedules for the series, they were not able to make room for more Wainwright appearances.

During his short time on the series and three episodes (“Rainbow Bridge,” “There Is Nothing Like a Nurse,” and “Big Mac”), though, Wainwright wrote and performed several songs. They included “North Korea Blues,” “Unrequited to the Nth Degree,” “I Wonder if They Miss Us,” “Five Gold Stars,” and “Big Mac Is Coming.”

As for Captain Spalding, who we did see briefly as a surgeon in his final appearance, the series never explained his disappearance. Unlike many iconic characters of the show who had their own exits, Calvin Spalding and his guitar just seemed to disappear from the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital” in Uijeongbu, South Korea. Maybe he got transferred to another unit or got to go back home. Or maybe he ended up in Outer Mongolia playing basketball with Chuck Cunningham. But at least for a little while, he was part of one of the biggest shows on television.

As for Loudin Wainwright III, he continued making music and acting, and also is the father of musicians Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright, and Lucy Wainwright Roche. The clip below features his final appearance on M*A*S*H, where he is asked to write a song for a visit by General Douglas MacArthur. The episode ends with Wainwright singing a part of his song to a disappointed camp (after MacArthur drove through camp without stopping). It was the last we would see of Calvin Spalding.

What is your favorite non-major character from M*A*S*H? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    • Did You Know that Mr. Shorofsky from “Fame” Wrote the Music for “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”?

    Albert Hague, recognizable for his role in the original “Fame” movie and the 1980s TV series, also wrote the music for the beloved Christmas classic, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!”

    If you were around in the 1980s, you likely remember the movie Fame (1980), which also became a TV series that ran from 1982 until 1987. One of the actors in Fame had earlier found success writing music for a beloved Christmas animated special, Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

    Albert Hague as Mr. Shorofsky

    The movie Fame was later remade in 2009, but both the 1980’s version of the movie and of the series featured the character of Benjamin Shorofsky. Mr. Shorofsky was a teacher with more traditional ideas of music who sometimes butted heads with the more “hip” students. The actor who played Mr. Shorofsky, Albert Hague, was also an established musician in his own right. He wrote music for several Broadway musicals, even winning the Best Score Tony Award in 1959 for Bob Fosse’s musical Redhead.  But his music that you most likely recognize is what he wrote for the Christmas 1966 animated special, Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

    In this scene from the original movie, Mr. Shorofsky debates about the future of music with Bruno (Lee Curreri), a student at the New York City High School for the Performing Arts.

    Below is a scene from the second season of the Fame TV series. In it, Hague, as Shorosfsky, sings “Did I Ever Really Live?” as the same student, Bruno, again played by Lee Curreri, looks on.

    Hague had earlier written the music for the popular song.

    Music for The Grinch

    As for Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, Hague is credited with composing the music for the 1966 special, long before his work on Fame. While songs like “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” feature lyrics by Dr. Seuss, the music comes from Hague. In the special, that song is performed by Thurl Ravenscroft.

    And Hague also wrote the music for the featured song “Welcome Christmas.” The Who’s perform the song in the special.

    Hague was born in Berlin, Germany on October 13, 1920 as part of a Jewish family. As Hitler rose to power, Hague moved to America, earning a music scholarship at the University of Cincinnati. After graduating in 1942, he served in the United States Army’s special service during World War II.

    During his music career Hague often collaborated with his wife, Renee Orin. She passed away in 2000, and Hague followed her on November 12, 2001.

    The next time you enjoy How the Grinch Stole Christmas, say a little thanks to Mr. Shorofsky.

    Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Gospel Medley With Dolly Parton, Donna Summer, Tom Jones, and Mac Davis

    In the 1970s, singer-songwriter-actor Mac Davis showed off his talents on “The Mac Davis Show,” which once brought together Donna Summer, Dolly Parton, and Tom Jones.

    I was sad to see that singer-songwriter Mac Davis recently passed away. In addition to writing memorable songs such as “In the Ghetto” and “Baby Don’t Get Hooked On Me,” Davis was one of those personalities who seemed everywhere in the 1970s. He even hosted his own variety show, The Mac Davis Show.

    Davis often appeared on television and in movies, such as North Dallas Forty (1979) and The Sting II (1983). His bubbly personality combined with this multiple talents made him a part of American’s lives during the 1970s, along with similar multi-talented singer-songwriters like John Denver and Paul Williams.

    Davis was born in Lubbock, Texas on January 21, 1942. His first popular successes came as a songwriter for artists like Elvis Presley (“A Little Less Conversation” and “In the Ghetto”) and Bobby Goldsboro (“Watching Scotty Grow“).

    Many of us fell for his charms during the run of his own NBC variety show, The Mac Davis Show, from 1974-1976. The 1970s were also a time of wonderful variety shows hosted by such stars as Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash, The Hudson Brothers, Tony Orlando and Dawn, and Sonny and/or Cher.

    These shows often had magic moments of a type we would not see on television again, although perhaps we get them sometimes with the Internet. One such unusual moment occurred on The Mac Davis Show. Davis joined the unlikely grouping of Dolly Parton, Donna Summer, and Tom Jones singing a medley of gospel songs such as “I’ll Fly Away.”

    Although the four are all extremely talented, something about the performance does not quite click with their different styles and voices. But that makes it all the more awesome to watch. Check it out.

    What is your favorite memory of Mac Davis? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    When Dean and Jerry Reunited on the MDA Labor Day Telethon

    In 1976, Frank Sinatra brought Dean Martin to the MDA Labor Day Telethon for a brief reunion between Martin and Jerry Lewis.

    Dean Martin Jerry Lewis MDA

    Many of us who grew up in the 1960s and 1970s have fond memories of the MDA Labor Day Telethon that raised money for the good cause of the  the Muscular Dystrophy Association. During a time when many television stations signed off at midnight, the telethon was unusual. For Labor Day Weekend, host Jerry Lewis and various guests entertained us throughout the night. There were many memorable moments, perhaps none more than that time on September 5, 1976, when Dean Martin surprised his former performing partner Lewis.

    Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin had teamed up in 1946, when according to Lewis, he had approached Martin with the question, “You workin’?” They worked together in movies, nightclubs, radio and TV and were extremely successful.

    But then the partnership ended when the two split up ten years later on July 24, 1956 after their final nightclub performance. Various theories abound about the reasons for the split, ranging from jealously to an argument about an upcoming movie to just being tired of working together. They had been so successful, many fans dreamed for them to team up again.

    There would be no more Martin and Lewis movies, although director Peter Bogdanovich in the early 1980s tried to put together a film in which they both would appear. But we did get to see them together in 1976 on our televisions thanks to Frank Sinatra.

    In 1976, Sinatra was appearing live at the MDA Labor Day Telethon instead of remotely, as he had done since 1953. And he decided to bring along his friend Dean Martin to surprise Lewis. Nobody really knows why Sinatra concocted the scheme, although he told others what he said on the telethon. It was just time for Lewis and Martin to be together again. Others have also noted that Sinatra loved a good prank too.

    The reunion was a stealth operation. Frank slipped Martin into the dressing room of Lewis’ co-host Ed McMahon. Few people knew about the plan beyond those enlisted to help. Jerry’s 30-year-old son, the pop singer Gary Lewis, was helping his dad at the telethon and happened to catch a glimpse of Dean Martin backstage. Gary wondered what was going on, but decided to keep his mouth shut.

    And then when Sinatra went on stage with Lewis, he said he had brought a friend along. The look of surprise on Lewis’s face was real.

    The hug between the two feels real too. Then, Lewis fumbles for something to say, realizing that people around the world are watching. After a few expressions of surprise, he brilliantly calls back to the old encounter between the two giants: “You workin’?”

    Contrary to legend, it was not really the first time Martin and Lewis had seen each other in twenty years. But it was an unexpected and memorable public reunion for the two legends.

    After the telethon, there would be a few more brief public encounters between the two men. Lewis went to the funeral of Martin’s son , and he surprised Martin on Martin’s 72nd birthday. By most accounts, the two men genuinely loved each other. But some reason — egos, old grudges, bad timing, or something else — kept the two men from being close friends again in their later years.

    We all have people we once were close to and who now we never see. I will sometimes have a passing thought about someone who once was a major figure in my life and wonder why we no longer talk. Maybe there was no reason or maybe there was a slight that no longer seems so important. Most people have those past connections. That is why we all feel a kinship with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. It is why seeing them together at the MDA Telethon is so touching.

    For that moment, we can imagine that the two friends will once again share their lives and be close friends. They will work together or maybe just have dinner once a week. But life is not a fairy tale. Sometimes it just has to be enough that two people still have that love even if they cannot be together. And if we get a brief encounter years later, we will have to settle for that bitter sweet moment that reminds us of what we once had.

    Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Gary Lewis and Jerry Lewis Together

    Jerry Lewis Gary Lewis

    Gary Lewis & the Playboys recorded some memorable hits in the 1960s, such as “This Diamond Ring” and “Everybody Loves a Clown.” I always knew the songs, but for a long time I did not know that Gary Lewis was the son of the great Jerry Lewis. And that the two talents once hosted an episode of the NBC variety series Hullabaloo together.

    In the episode, which you may watch below, Gary and Jerry open with the Beatles song Help! And then Jerry introduces his son to sing “Everybody Loves a Clown,” while playing a little prank on the younger Lewis.

    The episode also features Joannie Sommers, Barry Maguire (“Eve of Destruction”), and Paul Revere and the Raiders (watch for Goldie Hawn appearing as a dancer behind them). Check out the episode from September 20, 1965 for an entertaining glimpse back at the humor and music of the 1960s. And don’t miss the train wreck of a musical medley with all of the guests, including Jerry Lewis singing 1960s songs, Gary Lewis on a Bob Dylan song, and Maguire somehow making “Hang On Sloopy” sound angry.

    Unfortunately, the father and son did not remain as close as they appeared on the TV show. The two men later became estranged (with Jerry Lewis disinheriting Gary and his brothers).

    As for Gary, although his band features different members than from their heyday, Gary Lewis & the Playboys still tour. Check out the band’s website.

    Leave your two cents in the comments.

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