# Embarassingly obvious question about M\*A\*S\*H **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarassingly-obvious-question-about-m-a-s-h/760253 **Category:** Cafe Society **Created:** [July 18, 2016, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarassingly-obvious-question-about-m-a-s-h/760253 "2016-07-18T21:07:25Z") **Posts on this page:** 1 **Showing post:** 29
### Author: ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher) #### Post date: [July 19, 2016, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarassingly-obvious-question-about-m-a-s-h/760253/29 "2016-07-19T18:31:30Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > Okay, there was the original novel, the film, the TV series, and the series of books that followed the original book. > > The film pretty much followed the book. There were some omissions but that’s standard whenever a book is is reduced to a 90 minute film. > > The TV series started out based on the novel/film but went off on many tangents. Many characters from the novel never appeared. And many new characters were created. Much of the series and some of the book were inspired by the memories of Lt. Dale Drake and his wife Cathy (née McDonough). The two met while at the 8055[sup]th[/sup] with Hornberger. Cathy was a nurse and Dale an anesthesiologist, and the inspiration for “Ugly John” Black. According to Drake, Trapper John was based on Jim Dickson, a surgeon with a penchant for wearing a parka and nursing a beer when not on duty. Head Nurse Ruth Dixon at least partly inspired “Hot Lips”. Max Klinger may have spawned from one of the stories the pair related to co-creator Gene Reynolds, that of an otherwise shy and straight-laced doctor named Hall [who dressed up one Halloween as Marilyn Monroe](https://www.awesomestories.com/images/user/1b41937cdb.jpg). --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarassingly-obvious-question-about-m-a-s-h/760253)._