M*A*S*H

‘M*A*S*H’ Creator Gene Reynolds Directed Legendary Episodes of ‘The Andy Griffith Show’ and ‘Leave it to Beaver’

Did you know that M*A*S*H creator Gene Reynolds had a hand in directing episodes from other legendary television shows?

Most fans of classic television remember Reynolds as one of the lead developers and producers of the war comedy-drama series M*A*S*H. The popular show was on the air from 1972 until 1983 and Reynolds was a key part of all 120 episodes. But where was he and what was he doing prior to shooting episodes of M*A*S*H?

After returning home from serving in World War II, Reynolds got right back into the acting industry. However, he quickly became frustrated with not being able to land some of the big-time roles that he wanted.

So rather than sit back and be down on himself, Reynolds turned to directing and producing. But before he became well-known for the creation of M*A*S*H, he also had a hand in The Andy Griffith Show, Leave It to Beaver, and My Three Sons.

Gene Reynolds directed some pretty legendary episodes of The Andy Griffith Show. These include “Mayberry on Record”, “Andy the Marriage Counselor”, and “Alcohol and Old Lace”. As for Leave It to Beaver, he shot three episodes as well. Those were “Beaver’s Accordion”, “Beaver’s Big Contest”, and “Beaver Becomes a Hero”.

‘M*A*S*H’ Creator Won Numerous Awards During His Career

It is safe to say that Gene Reynolds was one of the most successful directors and producers of his time. Unfortunately, however, the M*A*S*H creator passed away in 2020. In doing so, he leaves behind a legacy of greatness behind the camera.

Meanwhile, that greatness led to all kinds of awards for Gene Reynolds and other cast members of the show. Reynolds alone won Emmy Awards, Director’s Guild of America awards, and a Writers Guild of America award. Further, his work on M*A*S*H received many of its own accolades. The late director once told the Archive of American Television that when he was directing, he was always looking to add a little “humanity.”

“In directing, I’m always looking for the little human touch,” Reynolds explained. “Something that is real. It could be very, very small. It could be a hand on the shoulder. It could be just an extra lingering look on somebody you care about and so forth, for just a fraction. It could be a reaction from somebody… I’m looking for humanity, really. And that goes with comedy or drama.”

For all of the latest on M*A*S*H and other classic television shows, keep reading right here on Outsider.

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