5 O’Clock Charlie
Encyclopedia
5 O’Clock Charlie was the 26th episode of the M*A*S*H television series, and second of season two. The episode aired on September 22, 1973.
n bomber pilot. Every day at 5:00 he flies overhead and attempts to hit the depot with a single hand-thrown bomb. The pilot, nicknamed "5 O'Clock Charlie," has been so reliably unsuccessful that the denizens of the 4077th have begun a betting pool based on how far away from the target his bomb will land. Only Frank and Margaret regard "Charlie" as a serious threat. Frank requests an anti-aircraft gun, and Brigadier General Crandall Clayton (Herb Voland
) comes to the camp to assess the situation. Clayton, who has placed the ammo dump near the hospital so that the enemy will leave it alone (a tactic he says he learned from the Germans), is initially skeptical of the need for a gun; on the next raid, though, Charlie destroys not the ammo dump but Gen. Clayton's jeep. He agrees to send the gun, and Frank takes charge of it.
Hawkeye and Trapper argue that the presence of the anti-aircraft gun will attract more competent bombers, noting that "fire draws fire," but Frank is more interested in drilling his "platoon" of three Korean soldiers. Eventually, Hawkeye, Trapper and Cardozo (Corey Fischer
) conclude that the problem is not the gun, but the ammo dump. They dye sheets and place them on the ammo dump to help Charlie find his target. When Charlie makes his next pass, Hawkeye and Trapper confuse Frank's men into aiming the gun directly at the ammo dump. Charlie misses his target yet again, but when Frank orders his troops to fire the gun, they hit the ammo dump, destroying it.
The character of "5 O'Clock Charlie" returns in the Season 3 episode There Is Nothing Like a Nurse. In this episode, the nursing staff is evacuated based on intelligence that points to an air-based attack on the 4077. In the end 5 O'Clock Charlie flies overhead, dropping propaganda leaflets.
Plot
For six weeks, an ammunition depot near the camp has been the target of a punctual but inept North KoreaNorth Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
n bomber pilot. Every day at 5:00 he flies overhead and attempts to hit the depot with a single hand-thrown bomb. The pilot, nicknamed "5 O'Clock Charlie," has been so reliably unsuccessful that the denizens of the 4077th have begun a betting pool based on how far away from the target his bomb will land. Only Frank and Margaret regard "Charlie" as a serious threat. Frank requests an anti-aircraft gun, and Brigadier General Crandall Clayton (Herb Voland
Herb Voland
Herb Voland , who also performed under his full name Herbert Voland, was an American actor, best known for his role as General Brandon Clayton on the hit CBS-TV show M*A*S*H from 1972 to 1973.-Career:...
) comes to the camp to assess the situation. Clayton, who has placed the ammo dump near the hospital so that the enemy will leave it alone (a tactic he says he learned from the Germans), is initially skeptical of the need for a gun; on the next raid, though, Charlie destroys not the ammo dump but Gen. Clayton's jeep. He agrees to send the gun, and Frank takes charge of it.
Hawkeye and Trapper argue that the presence of the anti-aircraft gun will attract more competent bombers, noting that "fire draws fire," but Frank is more interested in drilling his "platoon" of three Korean soldiers. Eventually, Hawkeye, Trapper and Cardozo (Corey Fischer
Corey Fischer
Corey Fischer , born in 1945 in Los Angeles, received a BA in French and Theatre Arts from UCLA. In the mid-sixties he worked in Los Angeles in improvisational theatre, notably with The Committee, and went on to work in film and television...
) conclude that the problem is not the gun, but the ammo dump. They dye sheets and place them on the ammo dump to help Charlie find his target. When Charlie makes his next pass, Hawkeye and Trapper confuse Frank's men into aiming the gun directly at the ammo dump. Charlie misses his target yet again, but when Frank orders his troops to fire the gun, they hit the ammo dump, destroying it.
Production
A Ryan PT-22 painted with North Korean markings was used for Charlie's plane. The plane used was owned by Don Burkett, who kept the plane in a hangar at Long Beach Airport. The production team painted over the plane's orange and white starburst pattern with special paint to resemble the North Korean markings. Burkett himself actually flew the plane from the front seat, as the pilot who was assigned to do the flying had never flown a plane of this type before. If you look closely, you can see something in the front cockpit which was Don hunched down when the cameras were rolling. Enough film was taken during the one day of flying they were able to piece together two episodes featuring the plane and its inept pilot. An article in the October, 1972 edition of Private Pilot magazine featured Don's experience doing the show. The magazine's cover has a picture of what the plane looked like when it wasn't "in costume".The character of "5 O'Clock Charlie" returns in the Season 3 episode There Is Nothing Like a Nurse. In this episode, the nursing staff is evacuated based on intelligence that points to an air-based attack on the 4077. In the end 5 O'Clock Charlie flies overhead, dropping propaganda leaflets.