Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Harry Morgan, "Col. Potter" on MASH passes...

From today's NY Times:

Harry Morgan, the prolific character actor best known for playing the acerbic but kindly Colonel Potter in the long-running television series �M*A*S*H,� died Wednesday morning at his home in Los Angeles. He was 96. His son Charles confirmed his death.

In more than 100 movies, Mr. Morgan played Western bad guys, characters with names like Rocky and Shorty, loyal sidekicks, judges, sheriffs, soldiers, thugs and police chiefs.

On television, he played Officer Bill Gannon with a phlegmatic but light touch to Jack Webb�s always-by-the-book Sgt. Joe Friday in the updated �Dragnet,� from 1967 to 1970. He starred as Pete Porter, a harried husband, in the situation comedy �Pete and Gladys� (1960-62), reprising a role he had played on �December Bride� (1954-59). He was also a regular on �The Richard Boone Show� (1963-64), �Kentucky Jones� (1964-65), �The D.A.� (1971-72), �Hec Ramsey� (1972-74) and �Blacke�s Magic� (1986).But to many fans he was first and foremost Col. Sherman T. Potter, commander of the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital unit in Korea. With a wry smile, flat voice and sharp humor, Mr. Morgan played Colonel Potter from 1975 to 1983, when �M*A*S*H� went off the air. He replaced McLean Stevenson, who had quit the series, moving into the role on the strength of his performance as a crazed major general in an early episode.

In an interview for the Archive of American Television, Mr. Morgan said of his �M*A*S*H� character: �He was firm. He was a good officer and he had a good sense of humor. I think it�s the best part I ever had.� Colonel Potter�s office had several personal touches. The picture on his desk was of Mr. Morgan�s wife, Eileen Detchon. To relax, the colonel liked to paint and look after his horse, Sophie � a sort of inside joke, since the real Harry Morgan raised quarter horses on a ranch in Santa Rosa. Sophie, to whom Colonel Potter says goodbye in the final episode, was Mr. Morgan�s own horse.

I always liked him, especially in MASH.
He lived to a ripe old age.

RIP, Mr. Morgan.

One of my favorite character actors. I'll always remember him for his part in The Shootist.

Brian.

Great actor and one of my favorite . Loved Dragnet .

Sorry to hear that. He was a great actor. It's interesting that he was in an episode of MASH, before he replaced Stevenson as Cmdr.

west michigan boy went to muskegon high school.great actor.

I can remember him from December Bride as a little kid. I loved Pete and Gladys. He will always be Col. Potter though. May God bless this good man.

I always enjoyed the M*A*S*H* shows with "Hawkeye", "B.J." and, of course, good ol' Harry Morgan, aka "Sherman T. Potter, Colonel, U.S. Army Medical Corps".

Ol' "Sherm" knew every general officer by his first name and called in a great many "favors" he'd earned from his friends, the generals.

I still watch the re-runs of M*A*S*H* whenever I find them on TV... it was a great show and I truly enjoyed it... and I'll miss Harry Morgan.

Loved him in MASH. RIP.

What a bummer..always loved him.

Morgan, born in 1915 dies at age 96 (pneumonia). Jack Webb, born in 1920 dies at age 62 (heart attack).

I will miss the colonel. He was fun to watch and a good horse man. RIP

I always enjoyed watching him both on M*A*S*H and in movies. R.I.P.

Mr. Harry Morgan was a great actor. I especially loved him in MASH. May the good man RIP.


maddog

I thought that he did a heck of a job as Colonel Potter ("Not Pot Ash, Potter!" "You put a little too much swoop in the T.") As mentioned above, he showed up in an earlier episode as General Steele (three e's, not all in a row), who was crazier than a tschithouse rat. I am shocked that we're into the second page and everything has been about Harry Morgan's ability as an actor and no one has deemed it necessary to prove their credentials as a red-blooded American by shouting down M.A.S.H. as a tool of the commies. Maybe in the other thread.

Different thread , same theme as yesterday. Who's the next guy we have to out as a communist to prove our patriotism?

I hope my intent is not being misread. MY aim is to diffuse the Campfire tradition of bad-mouthing every entertainer that comes up by ridiculing the process before it occurs.

I loved MASH. When I was a little kid, I would stay up late and watch MASH after the 10:00 news was over with my grandfather. That was the highlight of my day. It was great.
Col Potter was funny and stern and loved his horse. Wasn't her name sophie? Or was that his wife?lol! Either way that was a pretty horse.
My favorite was how he had to put up with Clinger in dresses and how funny it was to watch him yell at him to get in uniform and kept denying his section 8 (if I recall).

Will be missed. Think i'll watch MASH tonight for the good times.

Kique