Although my first successful attempt at obtaining an autograph of a MASH star came in the latter part of 1985, my very first attempt occurred during my third grade year – and my first brief go-around at collecting autographs through the mail. Lorreta Swit was probably the second or third celebrity I attempted to write to. It seemed like a moderately successful attempt at the time, but in fact she only sent a small color postcard-sized photo with a preprinted signature on the back.
In truth, MASH has never been one of my favorite shows, although I acquired a fondness for it more recently after collecting the entire series on DVD. It did, however, provide me with some extrememly warm and nostalgic memories when it became the very first television program that my Dad and I ever recorded on January 15, 1979. So excited was I that I stayed home from school and watched this episode of MASH (The Price) along with the episode of WKRP in Cincinnati that aired right after it that fateful night.
During my Christmas 1985 autograph initiative, at which time I was using S.A.S.E’s and often sending along a photo to be signed, I wrote to Harry Morgan on December 11, 1985 and enclosed a nice cast photo of the last incarnation of MASH characters. He signed it and returned it quickly on December 23 of the same year and added an additional signed photos and signed two notecards – a nice Christmas gift indeed. (It still wasn’t the closest arrival to Christmas as my non-Scarecrow Ray Bolger signed photo came the next day on Christmas Eve).
The additional photo signed by Harry Morgan from 1985 – “To Bud”
For a dozen years, this photo lied dormant in my collection – when I finally decided to try to get this cast photo as completely signed as possible. I was receiving a magazine called Autograph Collector during the late 1990’s and they often featured good information on who were willing and generous signers through the mail. Based on some of this information, I made a go-around with my cast photo which turned out to be quite successful. Knowing that both Alan Alda and David Ogden Stiers were horrible signers through the mail, I bypassed even attempting to write them, lest I should lose my photo.
Along with the cast photo, many of the celebs also signed additional photos that I sent along…and in some cases, supplied yet an additional photo of their own. Not a bad haul for one of the most popular sit-coms of all time.
Additional photo I sent to Jamie Farr, October 1997
Additional photo sent to Mike F*rrell, October 1997
BJ also added an additional recent photo
Photo I sent to William Christopher April 1998
Loretta Swit sent me this legitimately signed photo in the Summer of 1998
Harry Morgan signs more of my photos in the Summer of 1998
Signed by Harry Morgan and Jamie Farr
Photo from a one-year anniversary of AfterMASH signed by all three principles
Autographs of 1985 will continue…
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