Being a big MASH fan, in which he plays Radar O`Reilly, I felt it worth a second read as first time around I felt it a strange and rather `glass-half-empty` type of book, but having left it some time, the second read wasn`t too inspiring either.
It`s obvious that GB has had a life of mixed fortunes, and his reasons for his ultimate departure from MASH are slightly different for those given over the years by other cast members, etc, but there was no doubt that he was a superb actor.
His dialogue timing with both Harry Morgan and McLean Stevenson, where he predicts what the other person is about to say, and says it half-a-second before, was done through learning the others` scripts and delivering with perfect timing.
I can kind of see why the book wasn`t picked up by publishers in a rush, but it`s now back in the bookcase - for future reading again no doubt.
The final episode really focusses on the madness of war, in this case the Korean war, and the final scenes - where the characters all leave for home - still has an impact.
I`m not the fastest reader, as it isn`t that often I sit down (or if I do, that I don`t fall asleep!), but really looking forward to going through this scene by scene.
The copy I have is one that was given to one of the `dressers` on the crew, and contains notes relevant to dressing continuity written on to the script. The original scripts are held more or less by collectors with deep pockets, but this is still something special to me.
I also have scripts in book-form of the brilliant Dad`s Army, Frasier and the Marx Brothers, all of which I love. Just don`t have the time to sit and read them!
