Farewell, Harry Morgan

[filkertom]

Time was, when you said "Potter," you didn't mean Harry.

Although you did.

Or -- okay, it's not that complicated. Harry Morgan, one of America's finest character actors, passed away this morning at the age of 96. He was in a heck of a lot of movies and TV shows, and he was excellent in all of them -- The Ox-Box Incident, the judge in Inherit the Wind, Joe Friday's partner Bill Gannon on Dragnet. Heck, I remember an episode of The Partridge Family where he played a man trying to defraud them by pleading whiplash from a rear-end collission.

Without question, though, he's best known as Col. Sherman T. Potter from M*A*S*H (and AfterM*A*S*H).

For years, M*A*S*H was the best show on television by an order of magnitude, and the chemistry of the cast had a lot to do with that. But sometimes that chemistry changed. MacLean Stevenson's Col. Henry Blake was a good doctor thrust into a command situation; Larry Linville's Maj. Frank Burns was a bad doctor, someone who never should have been allowed near command or medicine, but he was conniving and ambitious (hah! Slytherin).

But when Stevenson left the show, Col. Potter came in and changed everything.

He was all military all the time... except that he understood the enlisted men. He valued results over protocol. And he valued life most of all. He was a great doctor, right up there with Hawkeye and B.J. and Winchester. He didn't run the tightest ship of all time, because he knew where to leave things loose -- and, heck, it was under his command that Klinger, of all people, became true regular army.

Such chemistry.

And we loved him, and we loved his wife Mildred and his horse Sophie, and he was the best commander you could possibly have for a mobile army surgical hospital, and I'm tearing up thinking about it because he was so damn good and I loved that show.

Rest well, Mr. Morgan, and thank you for the many years of fine performances. And for making us love an old Army doctor.

Comments

[catalana.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's a shame - he was fabulous in so many roles. Thank you for the lovely remembrance of him.

[cainle-bean.livejournal.com]

*sigh* It is SUCH a shame we are losing all of these wonderful actors. Few in the business today have such talent and depth. I did LOVE him in Mash, Dragnet, and all of his guest roles I have seen.

[cathain.livejournal.com]

Much ado was made about the fact that Morgan was arrested for domestic violence in 1997. What isn't known is that, at the time, he was 82 years old and in the beginning stages of Alzheimer's disease.
Many people think that dementia in the elderly is just memory loss. It isn't. Early dementia is frequently characterized by loss of inhibitions, impulsiveness and extreme irritability. Some never lose the irritability. I have seen people with dementia that could no longer speak but could still walk and would rather hit someone than look at them. They would wander around aimlessly and if approached by staff or family would lash out swinging. This hurts family members and some of them would tell me, "Please don't blame Mom (or Dad). This isn't her. When I was a kid she would have given you the shirt off her back."
Henry Morgan was married for 45 years to his first wife and there was never a peep about this kind of behavior from him. He underwent a six month court mandated domestic violence counseling program. I doubt it did him much good.
Most people think there "is no excuse" for domestic violence but in this case there is. You simply cannot blame someone for the fact that they have actual, physical changes in their brain. Dementia is a terminal illness. It's hard to blame someone for being in the process of dying.

[morpheus0013.livejournal.com]

I remember when the domestic violence charge hit the news and I was stunned and upset. My father, who is very good at Teachable Momets and who wasa social worker before he became head of the Welfare Department, sat me down and explained to me that this is actually common among elderly couples, and that it isn't always some nefarious, abusive, horrible situation. Sometimes it's dementia-related, or sometimes you have a spouse who is the caretaker who is also suffering and ill and slowing down and all the things that can come along with old age, and they hit a breaking point and there's a smack or a yank and that while it's not necessarily RIGHT, it's understandable.

I've never forgotten that. And it's something I've been able to transpose onto virtually every other aspect of my life: respect for what happens to people when they reach their limit, when they're overwhelmed.

[ladystarblade.livejournal.com]

I grew up an Army brat a stone's throw from base, so I grew up with and loving MASH. If only we all could have superiors/bosses/supervisors as awesome as Potter. And all because Harry Morgan was so awesome at it. I have more than a few memories of watching Dragnet with my dad as well.

RIP, Harry, and the Swamp raises a martini in your honor.

[bayushisan.livejournal.com]

I remember watching MASH with my mom and dad. I always loved Morgan's character, he seemed like a good guy and the kind of person you wanted to work for.

Rest well good sir.

[ericcoleman]

But wasn't he really at his best as Major General Bartford Hamilton Steele?

I'll bet you

[sffilk.livejournal.com]

a lot of people won't remember that particular role, or how truncated that episode was shown in repeats over the years.

[stone-bitch.livejournal.com]

I love how complex Harry played Col. Potter . He knew he had a job to do, an insane alyssum to run and still managed to show that, deep down, he was a sensitive soul who didn't feel things lightly. I think it was merely a reflection of a remarkable actor and an all around decent human being.

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

Harry Morgan also played Gen. Stilton in The Cat From Outer Space (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cat_from_Outer_Space)...kind of a silly Disney movie about...well, a talking Abyssinian cat, from outer space...but one cool little detail about it is that it starred both M*A*S*H Colonels; McLean Stevenson was also in it as a gambling, beer-drinking, cigar-smoking sports fanatic.

[morpheus0013.livejournal.com]

That movie's so much fun.

[annearchy.livejournal.com]

RIP Harry Morgan... he will definitely be missed. Col. Potter was one of my favorite TV characters.

In Memoriam: Harry Bratsberg Morgan, 1915-2011

[pingback-bot.livejournal.com]

User thatcrazycajun referenced to your post from In Memoriam: Harry Bratsberg Morgan, 1915-2011 (http://thatcrazycajun.livejournal.com/490039.html) saying: [...] work...but my old pal  beat me to the punch by saying it all and then some on his own LJ page [...]

[jerynn.livejournal.com]

*sniff* Carolinus is gone... I watched M*A*S*H as much as most, but wasn't really old enough to get it until the reruns. I will, however, always have that man's voice in my childhood mind as the old wizard from Flight of Dragons.

[bayushisan.livejournal.com]

I didn't think that many people remembered Flight of Dragons. I loved that movie and didn't realize that Mr. Morgan was Carolinus.

[morpheus0013.livejournal.com]

I literally cannot remember life with M*A*S*H. My father is the only person I know who loves that show more than I do, and that's only because he's older and he gets the privilege of loving it more: he's the one who began watching it with me when I was a baby.

96 is a good run, but I'm still sad to see him go. Best in what comes after, Mr. Morgan. <3

[ashkitty.livejournal.com]

I'm really sad to hear that. He, and M*A*S*H, were amazing.

[purpleranger.livejournal.com]

He also starred in the short-lived Blacke's Magic with Hal Linden.

[danceswithlife]

I remember that! I enjoyed it, as I recall.

[ebenbrooks.livejournal.com]

That is very sad. Col. Potter was truly a class act. Mr. Morgan will be missed greatly.

[dandelion-diva.livejournal.com]

I first saw him in MASH, but really love him in Dragnet. He was one of the greats.

Too much swoop on the T...

[nimitzbrood.livejournal.com]

He will be missed. :-(

[saganth.livejournal.com]

Don't forget his role as the short-tempered father-figure to Dan Akroyd's "young" Joe Friday, Captain Gannon in the film Dragnet. He spent the much of his appearances in the film being angry, and then turns all warm and fuzzy when he return's Friday's badge. "You're gonna need this. I didn't have the heart to turn it in."

[johno.livejournal.com]

I was aware of Harry Morgan before he joined the cast of M*A*S*H was where he had a huge impact on me.

Some of that impact didn't land till years later.

The series finale "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" is amazing in so many ways.

Then I joined the Military. Where a certain multi-time a day activity would often be just just a formality.

Harry Morgan in his role as Lt Col Potter showed in a very important way what it was to be a true military person.

Hawkeye & BJ's farewell to Potter was striking and moving. Taking a daily activity and making it a sign of respect and honor.


Harry Morgan, I salute you!

[danceswithlife]

I also remember Charles telling Col. Potter that he hoped he would be able to lead people as well as Potter had. One of my favorite moments from the last episode.

[laurel-potter.livejournal.com]

He grew up in Muskegeon, Michigan. Most of the famous people from Michigan are from the Detroit area, but he's one of us West Michiganians (alone with Gillian Anderson and James Earl Jones).

Heck, I remember an episode of The Partridge Family where he played a man trying to defraud them by pleading whiplash from a rear-end collission.

The second episode of the first season; Farrah Fawcett was on it, too, pre "Charlie's Angels".

[starmalachite.livejournal.com]

It's fitting that we learn of his passing on Pearl Harbor Day, since we know that Col. Potter served in WWII

[gridlockjoe.livejournal.com]

On the ABC radio news at 2:00 this afternoon, the newsreader announced "he was best known for playing Colonel Harry Potter".

[ravenclaw-eric.livejournal.com]

I'd follow a CO like Sherman Potter anywhere.

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

I always thought Col. Potter was supposed to be the show's stand-in for Harry S Truman - native of Hannibal MO, folksy, military, profane (well, as profane as you could be on CBS in the 70s, but I still love "Mule fritters!"), adored his wife - but still possessed of the iron spine that could stand up to Gen. MacArthur and make HIM back down.

M*A*S*H was the show that taught me that beloved characters could be replaced and you could like their replacements as well or better.

[danceswithlife]

I wish they would release a DVD of AfterMASH.

When I gave up my cable service three years ago I bought the entire series on DVD as my consolation prize. I think I've watched the entire thing once a year since then.

In the early 80's I once made my therapist frown with disapproval when I told her I needed to leave therapy a few minutes early so I could be home in time to watch Rader's final episode (no VCRs then). Ultimately I think MASH was more therapeutic for me than that therapist was.