M*A*S*H – “Springtime”

M*A*S*H Season 3 DVD

Original Air Date: October 15, 1974
Starring: Alan Alda, Larry Linville, Greg Mabrey
Directed by: Don Weis

Cat Out of the Bag Alert!  This review contains spoilers for this episode!

Synopsis: An unusually pleasant spring day brings about some interesting happenings in the 4077; Radar (Gary Burghoff) falls for a nurse, Hawkeye (Alan Alda) saves the life of a Marine (Alex Karras) who shows his gratitude in unusual ways, and Klinger (Jamie Farr) gets an acceptance to his proposal from his girl back home.

Kitty Cameo: In one subplot of the episode a young soldier (Greg Mabrey) is brought in without dogtags.  The solider is suffering from PTSD and has found a stray tabby cat which he clings to desperately.  Hawkeye is brought in to try to talk to the soldier and he sits next to the lad, talking quietly to him.

M*A*S*H - Springtime soldier Greg Mabrey holding tabby cat Fluffy

Hawkeye asks the young soldier what his name is and Father Mulcahy (William Christopher) answers “Fluffy.”

M*A*S*H - Springtime Hawkeye Alan Alda talking to soldier Greg Mabrey holding tabby cat Fluffy

M*A*S*H - Springtime Hawkeye Alan Alda still talking to soldier Greg Mabrey holding tabby cat Fluffy

Later in the show, Hawkeye finds Major Burns (Larry Linville) threatening to take the cat from the soldier who is still clinging to it.

M*A*S*H - Springtime Major Burns Larry Linville talking to soldier Greg Mabrey holding tabby cat Fluffy

Hawkeye promises nothing will happen to the cat and convinces the soldier to give him the animal.  As Hawkeye hands the cat to a nurse the young man gets Hawkeye into a chokehold.  After the tension has ended the cat is not seen again in the episode.

M*A*S*H - Springtime Hawkeye Alan Alda asks soldier Greg Mabrey for tabby cat Fluffy

M*A*S*H - Springtime Hawkeye Alan Alda encourages soldier Greg Mabrey to give him tabby cat Fluffy

Final Mewsings: Don’t try to take a cat from someone who needs their love!

Many thanks to our good friend Melissa for spotting this television tabby for us!


Relevant Links:

IMDb logo  Amazon logo

To discuss this film and other cats in movies and on television, join us on
Facebook and Twitter.


Share this with your cat and movie loving friends!