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From: Steve Pennington
Date: September 1, 2019
Subject: Ironies of MASH
Tippi Hedron literally started the nail salon growth from her sponsorship of many of the refugees. It is an interesting story.
SLP
From: Marc Yablonka
Date: September 1, 2019
Subject: Ironies of MASH
Nancy,
If you subscribe to Direct TV, the Sundance Channel (557) runs M*A*S*H marathons on weekends. It's worthwhile noting that M*A*S*H helped launch the American acting career of Vietnamese actress Kieu Chinh ("Joy Luck Club", "Hamburger Hill", "The Children of An Loc", "Last Flight Out", etc.), who played Mr. Alda's sometime Asian love interest on the show. While a well known actress and TV personality in Vietnam, she was literally on the last flight out of Saigon before it fell and became a stateless person the moment that plane left Tan Son Nhut. She somehow ended up in Toronto, where she worked cleaning chicken coops for a living. She'd reached out for help to her co-star in a film that was shot in Thailand (because it was not allowed to be filmed in Vietnam) called "Operation CIA", Burt Reynolds, and to William Holden, whom she'd interviewed on her TV show when he was in country. Neither would lift a finger for her. Actress Tippi Hedren, whom she'd also interviewed on her TV show, came to her rescue though, got her to the States, put her up, fed and clothed her. I could be wrong, but I believe that her role on M*A*S*H marked her American debut. It was my honor to interview Chinh for Stars and Stripes several years ago.
Marc
From: Marc Yablonka
Date: September 1, 2019
Subject: Ironies of MASH
FYI: M*A*S*H has come up previously in the AFVN group, but I thought the following link might still be of interest, especially to Hollywood enthusiasts. I know two people who were in Vietnam--one an Army doc who happens to be my internist, the other a friend who was the writer/photographer for the American Red Cross, `68-`70 in Vietnam--who were approached by the producers of M*A*S*H for anecdotal material of their time in country. Both of them saw their stories woven into episodes:
FYI: M*A*S*H has come up previously in the AFVN group, but I thought the following link might still be of interest, especially to Hollywood enthusiasts. I know two people who were in Vietnam--one an Army doc who happens to be my internist, the other a friend who was the writer/photographer for the American Red Cross, `68-`70 in Vietnam--who were approached by the producers of M*A*S*H for anecdotal material of their time in country. Both of them saw their stories woven into episodes:
From: Nancy Smoyer
Date: September 1, 2019
Subject: Ironies of MASH
Marc,
Sometimes it's best not to know what goes on behind the curtain. Here's my take on what M*A*S*H means to me. I wrote it 15 or so years ago and it still holds true.
Nancy
M*A*S*H
In the 25 or so years that M*A*S*H has been on TV, I've watched it in various places at various times. One of the most memorable was when I worked for a local TV station here in Fairbanks. M*A*S*H was shown at a time when we did a live broadcast weekly, so we taped it, and every Friday afternoon after work, we'd drink beer, eat popcorn and watch the episode. Then for several years it was shown at 5:30, so I'd come home from work and relax as I watched it. Another time was one of the winters I spent in DC during the past few years. I had a late schedule, working until 10:00 pm or so, then I'd come home, eat dinner, and go to bed a couple of hours later. Two consecutive episodes of M*A*S*H were shown at midnight which I'd watch before I went to sleep.
I don't think I've seen a "new" show (one I haven't seen at least once and usually 4-5 times) in 10-15 years, but I still watch. It's like visiting with old friends, people I've known for years who have seen me through the good times and bad times, who are consistently interesting. And it's a piece of Vietnam. It has just started again here, at 7:30, and I feel like my friends are back.
From: Nancy Smoyer
Date: September 1, 2019
Subject: Ironies of MASH
As I understand it, maybe from you guys, the nail salon business was started by what's-her-name wife of ???? to give girls a trade to keep them from having to resort to prostitution. Hence, many of the nail salons, like here in Fairbanks, are staffed by Vietnamese. Good for Tippi and bad for the male "heroes."
Nancy
From: Marc Yablonka
Date: September 1, 2019
Subject: Ironies of MASH
Agreed. And somewhat related, here in California, 80% of the donut shops are owned by Cambodians. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that they own most of them in other states as well.
Ironies of MASH
September 2019
From: Nancy Smoyer
Date: September 1, 2019
Subject: Ironies of MASH
Marc,
We get MASH here and I've TIVOed many so I'm not lacking, fortunately. I still watch them at night, especially when I can't sleep.
I'm quite sure I know who the woman is you talk about--a beautiful and talented woman.
Nancy