“MAS*H” featured a number of mementos such as Radar’s Teddy Bear. But one of the stars wished they could have something from their childhood. And it’s kind of creepy.
Can you guess what Alan Alda longed for as an adult?
If you guessed stuffed beloved family pet, then you are today’s winner of the Outsider trivia show. In an interview with the Financial Times, Alda discussed saying goodbye to his beloved dog. While many people admittedly believe death is not the end, many also find taxidermy inherently creepy. Even the “M*A*S*H” star admitted his wish might turn some heads.
“The stuffed carcass of my beloved dog from childhood,” Alda said. He even wrote a book on the matter during his career. The actor said he thought a picture of the dog would have made a good cover for his autobiography. “I wrote about him in my first book, ‘Never Have Your Dog Stuffed: And Other Things I’ve Learned.’ The theme of the book is learning to let go of the past. So I don’t really want his taxidermic self, but I could have put him on the cover of the book. It might have been creepy — but in a poignant way.
‘M*A*S*H’ Mementos In a Time Capsule
In a decidedly less creepy fashion, “M*A*S*H” ended with a reflection the past as well. During the second to last episode, the characters paid tribute to the 4077th and the deceased soldiers with a time capsule. On the show, it gave the characters time to reflect on the Korean War and those who lost their lives. It also gave the cast a moment to reflect on cast members who left in previous seasons.
For instance, the characters put Radar’s Teddy Bear into the capsule. Gary Burghoff played the character for eight seasons on the show. He was also the only actor to feature in the original movie as well. The characters also put in a helicopter fan belt and fishing lure to commemorate Henry Blake as well. Blake was a main character during the first three seasons. But “M*A*S*H” killed him off during the heartbreaking season three finale.
Other items included in the episode were boxing gloves, a bottle of cognac, and a little black dress as well. The show used the time capsule as an excuse to revisit the past and get sentimental. But in real life, the cast also wanted to leave a time capsule as well.
They filled their’s with memorabilla from “M*A*S*H.”
So where is the time capsule now? Is it currently waiting for future audiences to open up? Unfortunately no. A construction worker opened the show’s capsule just a few weeks later. It was less than a fitting end for a cool idea from the cast. But at least it wasn’t a stuffed dog corpse.
