M*A*S*H (MASH) s10e06 Episode Script

Okay! Okay! Listen up! Mail call! - Get 'em while they're hot! - What's the story with the newspapers? Yeah, I ain't seen a Wall Street Journal for two weeks.
Nothing's changed.
There's still no second-class mail.
Don't start up with me again.
Snow and sleet is one thing kneeing the mailman is a federal offense.
Hold your water, folks.
There's no reason to kill the messenger.
He's been calling all over trying to track down those periodicals.
Besides, this is nothing.
Back in W.
W.
I I went 19 Saturdays without an Evening Post.
- Thank you, sir.
That story never fails to move me.
- So what's the poop? - The only lead so far is that all second-class mail to South Korea might have been sent to South Dakota.
Leesman.
Look, we're all suffering from this.
For me, the worst of it is that Li'I Abner was just about to pop the question to Daisy Mae.
For all I know, they're already post-nuptializing in the honeymoon suite - of the Dogpatch Hilton.
- Papazian! Mercer, Foytack, Margolese.
- Oh, Major Winchester, package for you, sir.
- Huh? Ah! Klinger, your timing is perfect.
- What's in there, sir? - Ah-ah-ah.
Curiosity killed the clerk.
Moran.
Potter.
- Sounds like those macaroons the missus promised you, sir.
Thank goodness they're not rerouting the vittles.
If only these were fortune cookies - we'd have something to read too.
- Yarborough! - Charles! - Morning, Hunnicutt.
Trust you slept well.
I'm not finished yet, so stop slurping and snapping your newspaper.
Newspaper? Great! We're back on the army's paper route again.
I'll finally get last month's issue of Nude Volleyball.
Any minute now, I'll see Brunhilda come bouncing in here.
Put your libido on hold, Pierce.
I'm afraid your second-class mail is still stacked up over no-man's-land.
- How come you got a newspaper? - Because the Boston Globe does not travel second class.
I have a week's worth sent from home parcel post by my sister Honoria along with other necessities of life.
- A week's worth? - Imagine, Beej.
Little us actually tent mates with a great humanitarian with newspapers to share.
He's more than a humanitarian, he's a saint.
He's more than a saint, he's a fast reader.
I got the sports section.
- I want the crossword puzzle.
- Gentlemen! - Hey, hey, hey! - Or should I say "children"? When, and only when, I have finished this entire newspaper you may have it.
That should be in about an hour two.
That's fine.
It'll probably take us that long to read all these others over here.
No one will touch any newspaper until I have read it first page to last and I read one, and only one, per day.
- Charles - What is this, the Korean newspaper torture? You can read one a day.
Just let us read these others first.
Gentlemen, tea and an un-thumbed newspaper are among the few remnants of civilization that enable me to face the day here in hell's outhouse.
I refuse to give them up simply because you suddenly find yourselves with nothing to read.
You have a choice, one per day or none per day.
- Oh, great! - I suppose we'll have to scrub before we read them.
That'd be ludicrous.
All I ask is that this remain our secret.
We don't want to be disturbed by hordes of little readers.
You will excuse me.
I have an appointment with Joseph Alsop.
Attention all personnel.
Triage in the compound.
We have the finalists in the shrapnel-catching contest.
Sorry, Charles, we'll have to interrupt your newspaper for some late-breaking bones.
- Well.
- Emergency.
! Over here.
Another North Korean.
Bad chest wound.
Hi, there! I hope the fact that I'm on the side that shot you won't strain our doctor-patient relationship.
Good morning, Doctor and Mrs.
America and all the ships at sea.
Dateline, Dogpatch.
Highly placed sources at "I" Corps have learned that Li'I Abner and Daisy Mae have tied the knot! Rats.
I've missed the wedding of the century.
Well, come on, Klinger.
Fill us in.
It's seems Li'I Abner vowed he would only get married if his ideal, Fearless Fosdick, would do it first.
What, pray tell, is a "Fearless Fosdick"? Everybody knows he's the gumshoe with the ventilated head, doofus.
- And you call yourself well-read? - Well, anyway Fearless got married, so, naturally, Li'I Abner did too but the next day it turned out that Fosdick's marriage was a dream.
Unfortunately, for Li'I Abner, it was real.
- Oh, no.
- I'm sure it's for the best.
That Daisy Mae is a woman of quality.
I'll bet she even had her feet shined for the wedding.
Did your highly placed sources tell you where our lousy newspapers are? Sorry, folks, there's no news tonight.
But fear not.
For your reading enjoyment I'm hot on the trail of a complete unabridged library of army manuals.
Okay.
It's okay.
It's nothing.
Believe me.
If I don't get something to read soon, I'll go crazy.
Now, Major, in times of stress we have to, you know, tough it out.
Beej, have you noticed how really well Charles is bearing up under the strain? - Isn't he amazing? He doesn't make an issue.
- So relaxed.
- He's really showing us what he's made of.
- Gentlemen, I suggest that both of you tend to your knitting.
- Do you read me? - Uh, retraction.
Not you.
Ha! Father! Imagine running into you sitting here reading my paper.
Oh, yes.
I was walking by and, to my surprise - I saw it lying there on your bunk.
- L Couldn't resist catching up on the news.
- I hope you don't mind.
- Mind? No Mind? Why on earth should I mind? Perhaps you'd be more comfortable inside.
- Light's better.
- Oh, no.
It's such a lovely day.
That's why I came outside.
Say, how did you get hold of this? The paper? L-I received some fish.
It was wrapped up in this.
Why don't you come inside, Father? I'll make you some tea.
Oh, well, that would be lovely.
Father! Where did you get that newspaper? - Could I have the fashion section? - Well, actually it belongs to Major Winchester, but I'm sure he wouldn't mind parting with it.
Would you, Major? It's funny, you know? It doesn't even smell fishy.
Well, lookee here.
! It's been so long, I wouldn't swear to it but that looks a lot like a newspaper! - It's Major Winchester's.
- He was kind enough to ask us in to browse through it.
Well, mighty Samaritan of you, Winchester.
- Don't mind helpin' myself to the funnies.
- Here.
- Ho! Ha! - Hey, look at this! A newspaper! Hey! Where'd they get a newspaper? Hey, give me the classifieds! I need a job.
Let me see Louella Parsons.
Enough.
That's enough! Enough! This is my newspaper.
I will not have it passed around like a bottle of cheap wine.
Major! Surely, if you're fortunate enough to have a newspaper you're not going to withhold it from these people.
Yeah! All right.
! All Since you've asked so nicely, I suppose we have to compromise.
When, and only when, I have read each day's paper - Each? - Each? How many papers do you have? Fess up, Major.
Are you hoarding newsprint? Just how many of these "fish wrappers" are there? Well, wouldn't you know.
As luck would have it I have one, two maybe seven.
- Seven! - Seven newspapers? You creep! I am so glad you are all here.
I was just about to announce my "Share the Newspaper" crusade.
All I ask is the right of first perusal.
After I have read each day's paper I will then make it available to the general public.
One day, one paper Doesn't that seem a tidy arrangement? Well, that seems fair enough.
Okay, folks.
I guess the tar-and-featherin' party is over.
You all go on about your business and I'll see to it that each and every one of you gets an eyeful.
- Yeah, well, I just hope so.
- Don't worry.
You will.
And here we have Private Kim, our foreign exchange prisoner.
- Aigo.
! Aigo.
! - Okay.
Okay.
Take it easy.
- Where does he think he's going? - "Aigo" is Korean for "Ouch.
" Unfortunately, it's a common word heard every day around the war.
Give him his morphine.
It's in the medicine cabinet.
We hide it behind the Wildroot Cream Oil.
So what do you think? Should I ask her to the prom? Well, with that kind of attitude, no wonder you can't get a date.
- Just take it easy.
In a couple of days, you'll be fine.
Keep that up, you'll stay home New Year's too.
Doctor, I'm Lieutenant Yook.
My men and I are here to guard our prisoners.
Oh! Good.
Just in the nick of time.
Keep your eye on that one.
This morning, he almost sat up.
They will stay here until they are well enough to move, then we take them to prison camp.
I guess it beats staying in the hot city all summer.
- Where can I find your commanding officer? - Probably in the Mess Tent.
You can't miss it It's big, green, smells like New Jersey.
Hey, hey, hey.
! The butt stops here.
Hey! - You're not authorized to use - Stay out of this - or this is gonna be your lunch! - Here, sit down, Major.
- May I get you something cool to drink? - Turn this on.
- Okay.
Action.
- Huh? Attention, all vermin! That's giving you the benefit of the doubt.
I have just discovered the untimely disappearance of my May 5 issue of the Boston Globe which has obviously been pilfered by some member of the pernicious race of lowlife which infests this pig mire.
Furthermore, I consider no one in this camp Above suspicion with the possible exception of that 80% of you who are incapable of reading the English language.
Thus, I retract my previous magnanimous offer and none of you cretins will lay one, slimy paw on any of my papers until the missing issue is returned! Thank you.
Thank you.
Can I have some, uh Help yourself to some breakfast before we lowlifes steal it all! Hell hath no fury like pernicious vermin scorned.
Charles, you just put a whole shoe store in your mouth.
Winchester, just a hunch Will Rogers never met you, did he? Doctor I was just wondering when the prisoners will be well enough to travel.
What's the rush? You'll get your fists on them soon enough.
The one with the stomach wound, he does not look good to me.
Yeah, well, that's a funny side effect with people who have holes in their bellies - they tend not to look too good.
- But he seem Look, as long as your prisoner is my patient any medical information concerning him is none of your damned business.
That patient is in more danger than you know.
What are you talking about? His kidneys, they are not strong.
- How do you know? - When he was a small boy, he was very sick.
He is my brother.
- He's your brother? - My real name is also Kim.
We grew up in the North, in Pyongyang.
My father, he knew war was coming, so he sent me to live in the South.
Why wouldn't your father want to keep the whole family together? He did not know which side would win or which side would lose.
By placing a son on each side he knew one of us would be on the side of victory and would be able to carry on the family name.
A 50-50 chance of survival.
One way to hedge your bet.
I do not know if any have survived but my brother.
He is the first one I have seen in almost two years.
- You mean you haven't even talked to him yet? - No.
That is not possible.
If I am seen talking to him, it may appear to my lieutenant that I am a spy sent by the North.
And if other prisoners see my brother talking to me they will think he is a traitor and kill him in prison camp.
Can't even talk to your own brother.
I would tell you none of this except I must be sure he is taken care of.
Why didn't your brother tell me about his condition? He does not trust you.
In the North, we are taught to hate all Americans.
I beg you not to reveal this to anyone.
No, I won't tell anybody.
I promise.
I must go.
I've already put my brother in too much danger.
Hey! Hey! What are you Hey! Come on! Oh! Hey! A brother's biggest problem ought to be who Dad liked best.
- Uh-huh.
- I mean, can you imagine being in the same room with your own brother and you can't even say, "Hi! How've you been? By the way, is the rest of the family still alive?" Look, before you get any idea about getting in the middle of this Don't.
- Why not? - Because there's a good chance you might get them both shot.
When I come to you for advice, why do you always give me logic? Whoo.
! How are you? Well, well! News travels fast.
Charles, you didn't tell me you were in the paper.
- Is that the missing one? - No.
It's yesterday's.
This prank is obviously the work of mindless boobs and I will get you and Pierce for this! As ashamed as I am to admit it, Charles, we're innocent.
Ha! Then who is responsible for this? You can narrow it down to anybody after yesterday's blistering radio editorial.
Pig mire residents have feelings too, ya know.
Given the nature of the wrong done to me I felt that the rhetoric fit the crime.
All I know is, if I had a rope dealership around here, I'd be a millionaire.
Charles, why don't you get back on the P.
A - which, in this case, stands for "Public Apology.
" - For what possible purpose? Well, you just might get your robe and newspaper back.
Ha! Firstly, eh, I don't need a robe.
I bought a lovely kimono in Tokyo for my sister Honoria.
Secondly, The newspaper is no longer the issue.
Revenge is the issue.
Charles, I'm warning you, bury the hatchet before they use it to chop you to bits.
Never! I did not fire the first shot in this news war but, rest assured, I shall fire the last! It is 3.
00 a.
m.
And time to play your favorite game show "Tit for Tat.
" Given thejuvenile behavior of all you bad little boys and girls I just know you're all going to enjoy the following selection.
Knock that off!.
Shut that off!.
How much longer is this gonna go on? Don't worry about it, Hawk.
It'll all blow over after they kill him.
You guys were lucky to be on sedatives you didn't have to hear the blues in the night.
I guess.
I don't know.
You know, you don't have to worry about the food.
Believe me, if it was poisoned it would taste much better.
Oh! You look very Japanese, Major.
Do you speak the language? Of course not.
Oh! - Hunnicutt.
- Hmm? Oh, Charles.
Somebody was here for you but I made darn sure they didn't touch one of your newspapers.
I'll get you I will get you all for this if I have to steal a B-29! I don't know, but it shouldn't be too hard to find a man who's trying to hide a B-29 under his kimono.
Maybe we should put our tents in a circle.
This must come to an end.
Vengeance is best left to the Lord.
Besides, I can't get into my tent for all of Winchester's belongings.
Don't worry about it, Father you're being martyred for a good cause.
Well, you can laugh, but there's no place to kneel in there.
You can come to my place, Father.
Before you take that tent for a spin, Major, read this! If you'd have just gotten off your big vendetta and moved on to your next day's paper you'd have saved us all a lot of aggravation! Col Um.
Ow.
Attention, people, and that's an order.
I've had it up to my baby blues with all of ya.
Not only am I putting the "Whoa, Nelly," on this tomfoolery I'm demanding an official apology from the person who started it in the first place.
! I didn't start I didn't st Yeah.
Well, uh It would seem that I have made an unfortunate although completely understandable, error.
Uh, it seems that the May 5 issue of The Boston Globe which I logically assumed to have been stolen was, in fact, not delivered that day to certain areas due to a wildcat trucker strike.
I hope you all find that as wry and amusing as I do.
Well, since we're all anxious to forget this harmless little incident and return to our normal routine I guess that's all there is to say.
Now may I please have my clothing back? Now, seeing as how we've all been chomping at the bit for the news I'm just gonna take a page from that Fiorello fellow.
Now, then, here's Li'I Abner.
In the first picture, we see Ab and a beautiful Daisy Mae in her bridal outfit shorts, halter and a veil as she finally gets to utter those immortal words she's been waiting so long to say, "I does.
" Moving on to the second picture, we got Major, close your robe.
! No, no, no.
Nothing to worry about.
This won't even tickle.
It's okay.
Doctors, come quickly! There's something wrong here! - What's the matter? What is it? - He's bleeding into his belly.
- We better get him to O.
R.
Right now.
- Gurney! He's gonna need a lot of blood.
Better be the right type.
You! You know your blood type? - Blood type "A".
- Perfect.
Cross match 'em to make sure.
- You may have one less prisoner to take in.
- Come with me, please.
Okay, let's get that needle in right away.
- I do not understand.
The needle isn't - Shh! Lie quietly.
We don't wanna disturb the neighbors.
Talk to your brother.
Tell him he's fine and anything else you wanna tell him.
Thank you, Doctor.
Unless you need something else, sir, I'll be leaving.
I'm fine, thank you, Igor and thank you for keeping the Mess Tent open for me.
After that heartfelt apology, Major, what else could I do? Hey, Igor, what's this doing here? Search me.
Boy! Some people think this is just a parking lot.