S8.E19

Morale Victory

Episode aired Jan 28, 1980
TV-PG
24m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

David Ogden Stiers and James Stephens in M.A.S.H. (1972)

While Hawkeye and BJ struggle as morale officers of the disgruntled camp, Winchester tries to help a patient whose pianist career seems ruined due to a crippled hand.While Hawkeye and BJ struggle as morale officers of the disgruntled camp, Winchester tries to help a patient whose pianist career seems ruined due to a crippled hand.While Hawkeye and BJ struggle as morale officers of the disgruntled camp, Winchester tries to help a patient whose pianist career seems ruined due to a crippled hand.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

8.3/10

605

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

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9:57

Storyline

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Trivia
The piano music furnished to and played by Pvt. Sheridan is "Piano Concerto for the Left Hand in D major", composed by Maurice Ravel between 1929-30. The story of the piece's creation as told by Maj. Winchester (David Ogden Stiers) is all true.

Goofs
When David is playing the piano at the end, he is sitting in the wheelchair with his left side toward the piano (playing with his left hand). From the sound, the piece he is playing makes use of the piano pedals, specifically the damper, but the way he is sitting would make it impossible for him to get his uninjured right leg to the damper pedal to use it.

Quotes
Major Charles Winchester: Don't you see? Your hand may be stilled; but your gift *cannot* be silenced if you refuse to *let* it be.
Private David Sheridan: Gift? You keep talking about this damn gift. I *had* a gift, and I exchanged it for some mortar fragments, remember?
Major Charles Winchester: Wrong! Because the gift does not lie in your hands.
[David huffs in frustration]
Major Charles Winchester: *I* have hands, David. Hands that can make a scalpel sing! More than anything in my life... I wanted to play. But I do not have the gift! I can play the notes; but I cannot make the *music*. You've performed Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Chopin! Even if you never do so again, you've already known a joy that I will never know as long as I live! Because the true gift is in your head, and in your heart, and in your soul. Now you can shut it off forever, or you can find new ways to share your gift with the world - through the baton, the classroom, the pen. As to these works, they're for you! Because you and the piano will always be as one.

Connections
Features Six destins (1942)

Soundtracks
Hold Tight, Hold Tight (Want Some Seafood, Mama)
(uncredited)
Written by Jerry Brandow, Buddy G. DeSylva, Edward Robinson, Willie Spottswood and Leonard Ware
Portion sung by Alan Alda

User reviews6

Featured review

9/10

Charles Finally Shows Compassion

One of the better episodes. As the camp watches a movie (which has been shown numerous times), Hawkeye and B.J. express their disdain for the lack of enjoyment in the camp. This incites others to complain. The boys soon wish they had kept their mouths shut when Potter makes them morale officers. Of course, they haven't a clue what to do, but soon everyone is pushing them to do their jobs. The second plot involves Charles, who has done masterful surgery on a young soldier, saving his legs and his life. The sad thing is he has also a hand injury which ill affect some of his motor skills. To most, this wouldn't be a problem, but this guy is a Julliard grad and a concert pianist. He becomes angry and depressed and Charles can't console him. Back at the morale department, PIerce and Hunnicutt come up with the idea of having a beach party. It's one of those episodes where the factors come to a sweet conclusion without being too maudlin.