M*A*S*H (1970)

M*A*S*H (1970)
Director: Robert Altman
== Plot Synopsis ==
The staff of a Korean War field hospital use humor and high jinks to keep their sanity in the face of the horror of war.
== Male Deaths ==
* Unknown Actor [Dead Patient]
== Female Deaths ==
* None
== Trivia ==
# During filming, Donald Sutherland and Elliott Gould became so frustrated with the directorial style of Robert Altman (who often had his actors talk over each other at the same time, to simulate real-life conversation) that they went to the head of production to demand he be fired. They were concerned that the movie would end up as a mess, and a movie disaster at the box office might ruin their careers. They were told by the studio head not to worry, that the movie would only be seen at a few drive-ins across the country, and that hardly anyone would ever see it. Gould later confessed the complaint to Altman, which kept them in good humor with each other, and allowed Gould to be cast in other Altman films.
# Fourteen other film directors passed on directing this movie before it was offered to Robert Altman. Among those considered were Stanley Kubrick and Mike Nichols.
# One of the first films to be released on VHS and Beta for home video, along with The Sound of Music (1965) and Patton (1970).
# Tom Skerritt recalled that the dialogue was about 80% improvised. In order to create a different kind of atmosphere, Robert Altman cast some of the parts from improvisational clubs who had no previous movie or TV experience.
# The fourteen-year-old son of director Robert Altman, Mike, wrote the lyrics to the theme song "Suicide is Painless". Because of its inclusion in the subsequent television series, he continued to get residuals throughout its run and syndication. His father was paid $75,000 for directing, but his son eventually made about $2 million in song royalties, with payments continuing, from first syndication through the present day/2020, as M*A*S*H (1972) continues in syndication around the world.
# The operating scenes were almost cut out due to their graphic nature. However, two women who were visiting the set told the producers that the operating scenes were what made the movie, and should be kept in.
Category:1970 Films
Category:Films directed by Robert Altman
Category:American Films
Category:Black Comedy
Category:Comedy
Category:War
Category:Films based on novels
Category:Films by 20th Century Fox
Category:Academy Award Nominees
Category:Academy Award Winners
Category:BAFTA Award Nominees
Category:BAFTA Award Winners
Category:Cannes Film Festival Award Nominees
Category:Cannes Film Festival Award Winners
Category:Golden Globe Nominees
Category:Golden Globe Winners
Category:Grammy Award Nominees
Category:New York Film Critics Circle Award Nominees
Category:Writers Guild of America Award Nominees
Category:Writers Guild of America Award Winners
Category:Best Picture Nominees
Category:Palme d'Or Nominees
Category:Palme d'Or Winners
Category:Rated R