Mad Dogs and Servicemen was the 13th episode of Season 3 of the CBS-TV series M*A*S*H, also the 61st overall series episode. Written by Linda Bloodworth and Mary Kay Place, and directed by Hy Averback, it first aired on December 10, 1974.
Synopsis[]
Radar is bitten by a local dog, and the camp conducts a search to find the pooch so that Radar doesn't have to undergo a series of painful rabies vaccinations. Hawkeye defies Frank to take care of a GI who's suffering from a case of hysterical paralysis.
Full episode summary[]
Radar gets bitten by a stray dog which leaves a nasty scratch. Hawkeye becomes concerned when he learns Radar does not know where this dog is and tells him it could have given him rabies.
Wounded arrive and one of the patients, Corporal Travis, claims paralysis although he doesn't have a scratch on him. Defying Frank's order for Travis be shipped to Tokyo as a shell shock case, Hawkeye and Trapper admit him to Post Op and telephone Sidney Freedman. Sidney is too busy to come, so he tells Hawkeye to use a new therapy for soldiers with combat fatigue that the Major has used before. Reluctantly, Hawkeye agrees.
Hawkeye denies Travis use of a bedpan, which means he is soiling his sheets throughout the day. Margaret is not happy about this, but Hawkeye tells her Travis's legs work perfectly and he can use the latrine. Likewise, Hawkeye won't let Travis eat delivered food, insisting he walk to the mess tent for his meals. Hawkeye's actions and gruff tone of voice draw stares from the medical staff, but he's sure this is how Sidney would have handled it.
Radar and Henry have been combing the countryside looking for the dog, but with no luck. They check with Rosie (the character's M*A*S*H debut) who tells them some locals just made some “dog stew” out of a local mutt, but the dog had no tags, meaning it wasn't the pooch they are seeking. At a dead end, Henry tells Radar he'll have to start getting rabies shots until the dog is found.
As Radar starts his treatments, Travis is starting to make progress, for Frank finds him crawling to the mess tent. He complains to Henry, but Hawkeye and Trapper take this as a sign the therapy is working. They all agree Travis needs to open up about what caused his hysterical paralysis, so Trapper tries talking to him about Boston and the Red Sox. This approach works, for soon Travis reveals how an enemy tank attack killed many of his fellow soldiers. He admits the shock of the attack left him unable to move or fire his weapons, and he starts weeping after branding himself a coward.
As Henry gives all Radar's pet animals a clean bill of health, he notices the errant dog. Trapper and Henry chase the dog, then the dog chases Trapper and Henry. Henry finds the dog has no rabies and tells Radar he'll be OK.
Travis is OK, too – he walks into Henry's office to tell the medical staff he is fine. The doctors (minus Frank, who, with Margaret, was trying to get Travis shipped out as a psycho) congratulate the soldier and walk him over to the Mess Tent for coffee.
Later, Hawkeye and Trapper are surprised to find Frank reading a recent medical journal in the Swamp. Frank explains to Hawkeye and Trapper it's important to keep up to date with medical practices, before revealing the article he's reading is about how much to charge patients.
Research notes/Fun facts[]
- The episode title is derived from the song "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" by Noel Coward, which was first performed in 1931.
- First appearance of Rosie and her bar. Rosie is here played by Shizuko Hoshi (who would go on to play various characters in several later episodes). When Rosie next appeared, in Season 5's "Bug Out", she would be played by Frances Fong. (In that episode, a Korean madame is played by Eileen Saki, who would go on to play Rosie for the rest of the show's run.)
- Sidney Freedman is a major part of the plot, coaching Hawkeye over the phone and offering advice - but he does not appear (and is not heard) in this episode.
- Jeff Maxwell is credited as Igor, but unless he is a soldier walking in the deep background during the chase scene with the dog, Maxwell does not appear in this episode.
- Pinning an accurate date to this episode is difficult. Trapper and Travis' conversation about Ted Williams being very recently drafted into Korea dates this to May, 1952. (Trapper's comments about Williams previous season are absolutely accurate: Williams batted .318 in 1951.) Elsewhere, Rosie notes that "Ike" (i.e., General Dwight Eisenhower) has the Republican nomination sewn up; that would date the episode to sometime in mid-July, during or after the 1952 Republican convention held in Chicago. However, the favorite songs of letter-writer Wanda are "The Wayward Wind" by Gogi Grant, and "Pretty Thing, Diddy Wah Diddy" by Bo Diddley - which were released in 1956 and 1955, respectively. Also, Rosie mentions Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis were getting married. The two stars were married in a private ceremony on June 4, 1951.
- Rosie, talking to Henry and Radar, mentions Eisenhower getting the Republican nomination. Eisenhower would go on to defeat the Democratic candidate, Adlai Stevenson. Adlai and McLean Stevenson (Henry's actor) are real-life cousins. McLean even worked for Adlai's election campaign.
- This is the second time Hawkeye pulled rank; the first time was in "The Moose".
- Radar is 18 in this episode.
- Michael O'Keefe, who here plays Corporal Travis, would appear in the episode "War of Nerves" as a soldier named Tom. In that episode, Tom had been personally treated by Sidney Freedman; in this episode, Freedman advises Hawkeye on how to treat Corporal Travis over the phone.
- This was the point in Season 3 where the writers began developing Trapper's character more, as a way for Wayne Rogers to change his mind about leaving the series (he wanted to leave if they didn't flesh out Trapper's character and treat him more equal to Hawkeye).
- After Radar receives his first rabies injection, he has a reaction and is bedridden. There is a very sweet scene where he asks Margaret to read a personal letter to him. The audience is treated to a much softer and caring side of Margaret than we usually see (this scene is usually cut from syndicated airings).
Guest stars/Recurring cast[]
- Michael O'Keefe as Corporal Richard Travis
- Shizuko Hoshi as Rosie
- Bobbie Mitchell as Nurse Baker (character named in credits only)
- Arthur Song as Korean Man
- Jeff Maxwell as Igor Straminsky (credit only)
Uncredited extras:
- Kelleye Nakahara as Kellye (in Post Op, and at the volleyball game)
- Gwen Farrell (at the volleyball game)
- Roy Goldman (in Post Op, trying to serve Travis a meal)
- Patricia Stevens (in Post Op, at the bed next to Travis)