MovieChat Forums > M*A*S*H (1972) Discussion > Potter's disdain for Winchester

Potter's disdain for Winchester

posted 8 years ago by alanjobe
32 replies | jump to latest

I think it's odd that Potter actually treated Burns better than he did Winchester. I don't think he cared for either but he sure didn't hide his contempt for Winchester.

And you can't really say it was due to Winchester's disrespect for Potter because no one in the camp showed very much respect for Potter. Winchester did recognize and understand Potter's rank and military authority.

The one time Potter stood up for Charles was when Hawkeye caused him to lose his trousers in the OR. But in the final episode, Potter admits to Hawkeye that he really wanted to laugh, so his anger at Hawk was all an act.

I think Potter was somewhat jealous of Winchester's abilities and wealth. It seemed to annoy him that Charles had things much easier than most.

[–] revolver95 8 years ago

I don't think it had anything to do with jealousy. Winchester was pompous and hard to like. He was a jerk. Also, he often complained about being at the front line. Potter has a long history in the army. Seeing people whine or act they are too good to get their hands dirty was an insult to what Potter believed in. Burns was at least obedient.

[–] alanjobe 8 years ago

It's a good thing Potter's buddies Hawkeye and BJ never complained. They were so pro-Army and followed all of Potter's orders and never did anything that caused trouble or undermined his authority.

End sarcasm.

[–] revolver95 8 years ago

Alanjobe, I get your sarcasm. There were several times Potter told Hawkeye to quiet down when he got on a rant. Also, neither he nor BJ acted like they were to good to saving the lives of wounded soldiers. They wished they were not win a war zone, but they never said they wanted to be in a better hospital, treating a better class of people.

[–] revolver95 8 years ago

Alanjobe, I get your sarcasm. There were several times Potter told Hawkeye to quiet down when he got on a rant. Also, neither he nor BJ acted like they were to good to saving the lives of wounded soldiers. They wished they were not in a war zone, but they never said they wanted to be in a better hospital, treating a better class of people.

[–] ExplorerDS6789 8 years ago

Winchester was less agreeable and didn't immediately back down like Burns would.

[–] koala_t_98 8 years ago

I disagree with you about the others not showing much respect for Potter. It wasn't Potter they were disrespecting, but the military system in general. On the whole, I believe that most of the people in that camp had a lot of respect for Potter himself.

[–] alanjobe 8 years ago

You're probably right but Hawkeye running off to go to the peace talks was disrespecting Potter because that action should've gotten Pierce court martialed and Potter in deep trouble.

[–] crockett_john 8 years ago

Colonel Potter essentially condoned all of Hawkeye's willful disregard of orders, regulations, and tradition. He even backed Hawkeye up when he kept an able-bodied Marine out of combat.

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I blame autocorrect.

You may all go to hell, and I will go to Texas.

[–] crypticanomaly73 8 years ago

I think it was personal, Potter had probably been screwed over and annoyed by men like Winchester many times and now he has one who is under him so it's payback.

Burns was also wealthy but not pompous, so not as much of a trigger for Potter.

Sometimes a movie or tv show plot is so stupid that only the stupid can understand it.

[–] wordsatplaytoday 8 years ago

And look at the paintings Pots did.

The ones of Hawk and I think he did Radar, were flattering.
The one of Winchester was not.

Damn, I'm good.

[–] crockett_john 8 years ago

I think you're right about the portraits. He does everyone in a good light, including Klinger as a discus thrower and Father Mulcahy looking saintly. He paints Hawkeye with his feet up on his desk. He even paints his own thumb like it should be worthy of a portrait of its own, but he paints Winchester yelling and looking angry.

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I blame autocorrect.

You may all go to hell, and I will go to Texas.

[–] wordsatplaytoday 8 years ago

He paints Hawkeye with his feet up on his desk.

He did?
Only one I'm aware of is the one where Hawk built that stupid ass lame small tower out of tongue depressors.

And that was a pointless episode. Yet another one that makes Hawk look greater than he really is when all he did was a project a kindergartner would have done.

Looking it up, I found his paintings here. And no, Harry Morgan did not paint them.

http://www.mash4077tv.com/features/prop_spotlight_potters_paintings/

And of course Hawk gets painted the most out of everyone else. 3 times.

Damn, I'm good.

[–] alanjobe 8 years ago

Another example is in the episode where Charles realizes he was almost shot in the head by a bullet and struggles to understand what it means to die.

Boy, if this had been Hawkeye, Dr Sydney would've been called in and everyone would've been sympathetic and comforting - especially Potter. But Charles is supposed to just snap out of it.

[–] knight523-383-350235 8 years ago

I think Potter put up with Hawkeyes crap because of 1. his surgical prowess, 2. He was more down-to-earth than Charles, who's only saving grace in Potter's eyes was his surgical talent.

Don't think that Potter didn't have disdain for Frank,..who Potter referred to as "A mental Pygmy"

[–] revolver95 8 years ago

Potter told Hawkeye to shut up plenty of times. He also realized that he was blowing off steam. Potter put an end to the bathtub Hawkeye had, called him stupid for moving out of the Swamp, and forced bathed him. Hawkeye could be a nuisance, but when he became a problem, Potter took charge. I think Winchester was louder than Hawk, that's why he got yelled at more.

[–] jakubmike 8 years ago

his surgical prowess,

Yest but winchester was far superior surgeon to Hawkeye, that is not even debatable. In terms of skills Winchester really leaves them all in dust.
I liked him, yes he was smug, yes he was a snob. But this was not a pose, he really was rich, classy, had great upbringing and was a deamon with the scalpel. Is it really being stuck up if you actually are better then everybody else?

[–] elephuntingun 8 years ago

Just as in real life some people just grate you the wrong way for unexplainable reasons.

Winchester was arrogant and an intentional jerk though.

Whereas Burns was insecure and just plain stupid and couldn't help himself from being a jerk.

http://tinyurl.com/9-simple-easy-guacamole-recip

[–] bbnj62 8 years ago

I think the difference was Burns was an incompetent moron. Winchester was a brilliant surgeon. It's easier to understand and even forgive an idiot than someone who is so capable but an arrogant ass

[–] poem 8 years ago

Actually since Burns managed to get through university he couldnt have been that much of an actual moron, even if his skill in medicine and love for the craft was far behind other doctors, only being in for the fame and money.

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A gentleman will not insult me, and no man not a gentleman can insult me.

[–] BiffGG 8 years ago

He was not that big an incompetent or he would have been transferred to a less critical assignment. I did some reading about Korean War army doctors and it was normal to have doctors with lesser skills learn techniques to be more versatile in the field. Frank most likely never had the formal training and education that Pierce and MacIntyre had in surgical techniques. Frank was most likely maxed out for something he had to learn on the fly never mind practice it under battle conditions.

[–] brunhilda2013 8 years ago

Of course he had skill in medicine and surgery. The writers just never showed that, only negative stuff. Frank was one of only four surgeons and the unit had a 98% survival rate. How could the unit have boasted that if he'd been as incompetant as they made him out to be?

[–] Doug-Oh 8 years ago

That's a good point.

[–] randbanks 8 years ago

Like others, I don't think it was disdain. It was mostly due to the fact that Winchester's ego was too much to take at times. Also remember in episodes like "Potter's Retirement", Winchester blamed Potter for his being there.

Charles also blamed Potter for destroying his own career.

Charles also made sure everyone, and I mean everyone, knew how good a surgeon he was and how much better he was than the others.

For all their bluster, anti-Army rants, and all, Hawkeye and BJ never blamed Potter or disrespected him the way that Charles often did. While Hawkeye did think he was a great surgeon he wasn't anywhere close to Charles flaunting it to others. Yes, Hawkeye had an ego, but he didn't seem to show it nearly as brashly as Charles did.

These, combined, probably led Potter to the seeming disdain for Charles.

In the end, though, Charles did say something very very nice to Potter in G.F.A.

Destroying an empire to win a war is no victory and ending a battle to save an empire is no defeat

[–] iamtherealbg 8 years ago

Hawkeye called him a superior STURGEON! He was the biggest lox in Korea.

[–] RoIn100 8 years ago

"In the end, though, Charles did say something very very nice to Potter in G.F.A. "

He did and I think it was quite sincere.

Charles' sense of self importance and his pomposity mellowed as the show when on. Whereas Frank was always the target of practical jokes, Charles could more than hold is own in that department and by the end of the series the character had (like Margaret) that blowing off a little steam and loosening up one's rigidity made life a little more bearable in such an unpleasant environment.