| Cardinal Reardon | |
|---|---|
 Ray Middleton as Cardinal Reardon in the M*A*S*H episode titled "Blood Brothers" in Season 9. | |
| M*A*S*H character | |
| Vital information | |
| Job/Role in Unit: | Catholic Dioscese Priest and visting dignitary |
| Home: | Not mentioned |
| Hair Color: | Grey |
| Eye Color: | Green |
| Height: | 6'5" |
| Weight: | 240 lbs. |
| Family/Personal Information | |
| Born: | Not Mentioned |
| Birthplace: | ???? |
| Nationality/Race: | American/Caucasian |
| Spouse(s): | None |
| Appearances | |
| First appeared in: | "Blood Brothers" (Season 9) |
| Last appeared in: | N/A |
| Appeared on/or in: | M*A*S*H in guest appearance |
| Played by: | Ray Middleton |
Cardinal Reardon, a visting dignitary, appears in the M*A*S*H episode show's in Season 9 titled, "Blood Brothers". The part of Cardinal Reardon is played by late veteran stage/film/TV actor Ray Middleton.
About the Cardinal's visit to the 4077th
When Father Mulcahy tries to prepare himself and the camp for a visit from Cardinal Reardon, a VIP to both the Army and the Catholic Church, he becomes worried that the Cardinal will get a bad impression of the camp, so, to appease Mulcahy, Col. Potter decides to close down the Officers Club and declare Rosie's Bar, the offbase GI hangout, off limits during the Cardinal's visit; however, when the Cardinal arrives early, meaning, that very evening, he is not exactly given a good first impression, as he, Potter, and Mulcahy catch several enlisted men, which include Cpl. Goldman, Rizzo and others playing a game of craps! To save face, Mulcahy tries to persuade Cardinal Reardon not to go to the Officers' Club, which he wished to visit first, by telling him that it was closed! When that plan is foiled by a drunken Igor, who's normally the bartender and another GI pass out in front of them after coming out of the club, the Cardinal asks "I assume that the Officers' Club has now re-opened...!?"
A distraught Father Mulcahy, despondent over the bad impression, gets pulled away from preparing his Sunday sermon by Hawkeye, who had to tell a young soldier, Pvt. Gary Sturgis (played by Patrick Swayze) why he can't donate blood to his wounded buddy because he was diagnosed with leukemia and needed consoling after telling him, as well as advice on how to persuade Sturgis to agree to a trip to Tokyo General to get treatment, he shows up at the tent service in bathrobe, unprepared.
Anyways, when Mulcahy explains the reason why he was unprepared, he delivers a bang-up impromtu message about one man (himself) who was so obsessed with impressing another man (the Cardinal) that he forgot the meaning of selflessness and started lashing out at others when he thought the recognition he sought was threatened, and a second man (Sturgis) who out of his selflessness, was willing to help a friend in need at his own expense in showing the true meaning of charity in facing the possibilty of the loss of his life. After the unrehearsed sermon, a very-impressed Cardinal Reardon, who was to deliver a sermon after Mulchay, proudly says to him, "If I do say so, Father, you're a tough act to follow!"