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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    Sidney Freedman For twelve M*A*S*H episodes from 1973 through the series finale in 1983, actor Allan Arbus created one of the great recurring character roles in television history. Arbus, who played the psychiatrist Major Sidney Freedman, passed away recently due to complications of congestive heart failure. He was 95.

    Anytime I am flipping around the TV channels and come across a M*A*S*H episode with Arbus, I stop and watch it because I know it is something special. Arbus’ portrayal of Major Sidney Theodore Freedman provided part of the heart and soul of the series. The psychiatrist even allowed the long-running heart of M*A*S*H, Alan Alda as Hawkeye Pierce, to digress into troubled waters while Dr. Freeman assumed the role of providing some sanity in insane circumstances.

    Arbus, whose first wife was photographer Diane Arbus, went on to other TV and movie roles. But he was so good as Dr. Freedman, that Alan Alda claimed that he had assumed that Arbus had psychiatric training. While Arbus did not have such training, he had served in the Army as a photographer. When Arbus first appeared during the second season of the series, Dr. Freedman’s first name was “Milton,” but in subsequent appearances his name was changed to Sydney, possibly in a nod to the initials of Sigmund Freud.

    Reportedly, Arbus was offered a more regular role after Gary Burghoff (Radar O’Reilly) left the series, but he preferred his occasional appearances. Yet he still managed to make a memorable impact on the show with only twelve appearances. Below is a collection of some clips of Arbus on M*A*S*H (and a summaries of his episodes are available here).

    On the final episode “Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen,” after caring for a troubled Hawkeye, Dr. Freedman exited by repeating advice he had earlier given to the members of the 4077th: “Ladies and gentlemen, take my advice, pull down your pants and slide on the ice.” Remembering Arbus and his passing today, it is still good advice in our insane world to take a moment to enjoy the good things in life. Thank you Dr. Freedman.

    What is your favorite episode of M*A*S*H with Allan Arbus? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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