Father Mulcahy

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M*A*S*H character

Father Mulcahy
Father John Patrick Francis Mulcahy
Rank Lieutenant, Captain
Gender Male
Hair color Red/later grayish blonde
Eye color Blue
Home city Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Film portrayer Rene Auberjonois
Television portrayer William Christopher (George Morgan for the pilot)
Spanish voice dubber Jorge Roig
First appearance M*A*S*H: A Novel About Three Army Doctors
Last appearance "Saturday's Heroes" (AfterMASH)

Father John Patrick Francis Mulcahy is a principal character from the film M*A*S*H, played by Rene Auberjonois, and the television series, played by William Christopher. He was played by George Morgan in the pilot episode of the television series, but the producers decided that a quirkier individual was needed for the role, and Christopher was cast in his place.

During the course of the television series, Father Mulcahy's name was changed from John Patrick Francis Mulcahy to Francis John Patrick Mulcahy (as he revealed in the series finale, saying his entire name to Klinger as a suggestion for baby names). Either form of the name is an attempt to reconcile his identification as "Father John P. Mulcahy" in the pilot episode with the name "Francis Mulcahy" established later on.

In the original film (as well as the Richard Hooker novel on which it is based), Mulcahy is familarly known by the nickname "Dago Red".

Contents

[edit] Characterization in the film

The character Father John Patrick 'Dago Red' Mulcahy in the film is a US Army chaplain assigned to the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War. Despite his position of respect, few of the worldly staff members take him seriously and regard him as a professor of empty religious rhetoric and meaningless morality.

Mulcahy does get one of the film's more memorable lines: When "Hot Lips" is wondering, in a very loud voice, how someone of such presumed low character as Hawkeye ever got into such an important position in the Army, Mulcahy looks up from his devotions with a wounded soldier and remarks, "He was drafted." When Radar places a hidden microphone inside her tent as she and Frank Burns make love, members of the camp listen in, and Mulcahy at first mistakes their conversation (and noises) for an episode of The Bickersons—then leaves abruptly when he realizes otherwise.

[edit] Characterization in the television series

In the television series, the character began in the same style, but evolved over the course of the series. For instance, Father Mulcahy initially had a difficult time helping in the operating room without being physically revolted at the blood and gore (he admitted later "I couldn't eat liver for a year," after watching surgery), but eventually proved an able assistant beyond his spiritual duties. When much of the camp came down with food poisoning after a Thanksgiving dinner, Mulcahy (who'd been away at Sister Theresa's orphanage) threw himself into orderly duties, laundry, and caring for everyone, saying, "I've never felt more useful!"

[edit] Family life

Mulcahy came from a rather large family who weren't close, from things he revealed throughout the series. Both his parents drank, and displayed their temper on occasion. About the only thing he and his father had in common was an interest in boxing, and his father took him to fights. Mulcahy had to share a bed with his brothers, and the only family member he spoke fondly of was his sister Catherine (who became a nun; members of the 4077th referred to her as "your sister, the Sister", when Mulcahy got mail from her). When given the chance to send greetings to his family during a filmed interview, Mulcahy simply waved to the camera and said "Hello", adding nothing.

[edit] Character evolution

Outside the surgery, the priest gradually gained the respect of the staff with his emerging courage and wisdom in the most difficult circumstances. This included when he had to perform an emergency tracheotomy (using a pocket knife and an eyedropper) while under enemy fire, and many times he provided critical advice to Hawkeye, and other members of the company. Hawkeye in turn consoled Mulcahy more than once, when his spirits were down, such as when he frustratedly punched a violently resisting patient (whom had struck Mulachy beforehand). Hawkeye told him then that if it weren't for Mulcahy's ongoing decency, "I think we'd all join hands and walk into a chopper (helicopter) blade."

His wisdom was evident when the unit found an abandoned Amerasian infant and Father Mulcahy, fully aware of how such children are mistreated in Korea, recommended she be surrendered to a reclusive monastic order which could work to eventually transfer her out of Korea. The others initially rejected that option, because of the monks' requirements of anonymity and no further contact with the child, but eventually ceded it was the only way when their repeated attempts to solicit assistance from other bodies were bluntly rebuffed.

[edit] A boxing priest

In addition, Mulcahy eventually revealed numerous practical skills like being a champion amateur boxer, as well as numerous connections needed for helping others, including black market contacts. He also took up running as a form of exercise; getting roped into racing against an Army Corps of Engineers champion, Mulcahy persuaded his opponent to throw the race, so the engineers would build a new roof for the orphanage. (He also paused at the finish line, refusing to cross unless the 4077th donated their winnings as well.)

By the later part of the series, Mulcahy came to be held in high esteem in the camp, as evidenced on one Christmas Eve occasion, where Hawkeye and the rest of the camp paid tribute to the chaplain with a Latin devotional hymn in his honor (Dona nobis pacem, "give us peace"). However, this respect did not extend beyond the camp, considering Mulcahy's long and frustrating struggle to gain a promotion. This took a personal appeal by Colonel Potter to the Chief of Chaplains at The Pentagon to achieve, after which Mulcahy remarked, "The meek may inherit the Earth, but it's the grumpy that get promoted."

[edit] Ministry

While the character was a devout Roman Catholic, Father Mulcahy would cheerfully minister to the needs of people of all faiths (including the Methodist wedding ceremony of Houlihan), though in one episode he said that he was intimidated by the Southern Baptist service. Performing Jewish duties in the series, he performed a bris in the absence of a Rabbi and also recited the Kaddish prayer over a dying Jewish soldier.

The television series did not present Mulcahy as a theological legalist; he did not criticize campmates about their personal moral habits, provided there was no harm to others. Instead, Mulcahy was portrayed as enjoying playing the piano (usually ragtime, although his skills weren't exactly astounding), drinking at the Officers Club, participating in camp raffles and betting pools, and playing the occasional game of poker (although he donated anything he won to the local orphanage).

In the series finale, Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen, during a mortar attack unselfishly he ran out to the POW cell and released them to the military guard, rather than leave them as "sitting ducks." During the attack, he was close to where one of the mortars landed and the resulting explosion caused him to lose most of his hearing. He begged B.J. Hunnicutt to keep the injury a secret. He elected to stay in Korea after the cease fire, to care for other deaf people.

[edit] After M*A*S*H

In the short lived spin-off series, After M*A*S*H, the priest decided to return to America, but suffered from depression and was drinking heavily. However, after his hearing was surgically corrected, he stopped drinking and joined Potter and Maxwell Q. Klinger at a veteran's hospital, as its chaplain.

[edit] Trivia

  • In the episode "Dear Sis", he expresses concern while writing a letter over his sister's (a Catholic nun) transfer to a church named after Saint Cecilia. There is, in fact, a real Saint Cecilia church in Fox Chase, Pennsylvania, only a few blocks away from the Philadelphia city limits, where Father Mulcahy is from.
  • In many episodes, Mulcahy is seen wearing a "Loyola" hoodie. William Christopher is a graduate of Loyola University of Chicago.
  • Father Mulcahy is, as many Catholic priests are, a huge fan of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team.
  • William Christopher was given a scripted speech at his audition, which he ignored, instead giving a rambling talk in a priestly voice. He won the role, on the condition that he would thereafter stick to the script.

[edit] Quotes

"This isn't one of my sermons; I expect you to listen."

"Remember what the good book says: Love thy neighbor or I'll punch your lights out!"

"As I lay me down to sleep a bag of peanuts at my feet, if I die before I wake give them to my brother Jake"

[edit] External links

 v • d • e M*A*S*H
Film: MASH
TV series: M*A*S*H | Trapper John, M.D. | AfterMASH | W*A*L*T*E*R
Characters:

Hawkeye Pierce | Trapper John McIntyre | Duke Forrest | B.J. Hunnicutt | Henry Blake | Sherman T. Potter | Frank Burns | Margaret Houlihan | Charles Winchester | Radar O'Reilly | Father Mulcahy | Maxwell Klinger | Igor Straminsky | Luther Rizzo | Sidney Freedman | Col. Flagg | Spearchucker Jones | Ugly John | Walter Koskiusko Waldowski | Ho-Jon | Nurse Bigelow | Lieutenant Dish | Donald Penobscot
Episodes: Season 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11
Books: M*A*S*H: A Novel About Three Army Doctors | M*A*S*H Goes to Maine
Related material: Guest stars | Differences between book, film and TV versions of M*A*S*H | Suicide Is Painless
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