RIP Bill Christopher

[D'Snowth]

2016 just had to claim another soul, this time, Father Mulcahy from M*A*S*H.

And the irony is that another M*A*S*H castmember, Wayne Rogers, died last year on New Year's Eve. But then again, there's also the eeriness surrounding McLean Stevenson (TV Henry Blake) and Roger Bowen (movie Henry Blake) dying on the same day of the same cause - the event was so eerie that they changed the date of death one day later for Roger Bowen just to make it seem less spooky.

Well, hopefully the good father will bring some jocularity to our Heavenly Father.

 

[JimAndFrank]

It's rather ironic that I had just spent the last week catching up on M*A*S*H (got the boxset for Christmas) and remembering just how much I adore Father Mulcahy.

Alan Alda said this on Twitter-
'His pals from #MASH miss Bill powerfully. His kind strength, his grace and gentle humor weren't acted. They were Bill.'

I wholeheartedly agree.Couldn't have said it better myself. May Bill rest in Peace

 

[D'Snowth]

You know what I always found fascinating? Father Mulcahy may not have been the kind of major, plot-driving character that Hawkeye and Trapper or B.J. were, but he was always made up for it by being a very complex character: there were times where he felt like he was completely useless in a camp where his spiritual guidance wasn't needed among a staff of nutty surgeons . . . but then there were other times when he actually did feel useful and important to the point where he felt like the camp depended on him and his spiritual comfort, and even felt he deserved a promotion in one episode.

He even consulted with real priests to understand how to portray Mulcahy as realistically yet endearingly as possible, and I think he did a fine job.

Aside from Mulcahy, one of my favorite moments of his was when he and Jamie Farr appeared in a Doris Day movie as the leaders of a hippy motorcycle gang:

 

[fuzzygobo]

I liked the way Father Mulcahy had a common touch. He drank and played poker with the others (even courted the Black Market to get badly-needed supplies for the camp, or his orphans). He went into combat to see what soldiers went through. Once he even decked a soldier. That right cross from his boxing days came in handy.
Father Mulcahy was definitely someone you wanted in your corner.
The only bone of contention (Bill agreed), with the scriptwriters, there were a few episodes Mulcahy could've handled instead of bringing in Sidnetpy Friedman. But that's small potatoes.

 

[fuzzygobo]

You know what I always found fascinating? Father Mulcahy may not have been the kind of major, plot-driving character that Hawkeye and Trapper or B.J. were, but he was always made up for it by being a very complex character: there were times where he felt like he was completely useless in a camp where his spiritual guidance wasn't needed among a staff of nutty surgeons . . . but then there were other times when he actually did feel useful and important to the point where he felt like the camp depended on him and his spiritual comfort, and even felt he deserved a promotion in one episode.

He even consulted with real priests to understand how to portray Mulcahy as realistically yet endearingly as possible, and I think he did a fine job.

Aside from Mulcahy, one of my favorite moments of his was when he and Jamie Farr appeared in a Doris Day movie as the leaders of a hippy motorcycle gang:

Allen Melvin (Magilla Gorilla) as the police chief. Far out! 8)