M*A*S*H 9" figures by Woolworths

[namtab29]

as a M*A*S*H fan, i have an appreciation for the show's merch, even when most of it is pretty goofy (what, for example, is a kid supposed to do with a Klinger action figure?)

anyway, i came across these two, very Mego-like 8.5" inch M*A*S*H dolls:


...they even come with "push-button action" where Hot Lips swings a medical bag and Hawkeye a golf club.

these things are a fountain of weirdness--as far as i know, they just made these two characters(?), neither are dressed like they were on the show(??), and theyre copyrighted 1969, a full three years before the show came on the air, and even a year before the movie!--????

yet i love them.

rob!

[ABMAC]

Movies are copyrighted when they go into production, usually about a year before they're released.

I made a Hawkeye custom when I was in high school by modifying an Astronaut head with modeling clay. Oil-based clay ruins vinyl heads, by the way, which is why I had to replace my Astronaut in the early '90s.

[ShadowAvenger]

Klinger would raid Barbie's wardrobe and the kids that owned them would grow up to be on Springer.

[DocDrako]

My cousin Cliff had those. We never knew what to do with them since we never watched the show.

[The Toyroom]

I think I actually remember seeing those in the store...but I never was much of a MASH fan so they sat on the shelf.

[Captain]

....Errr.....I guess I should admit I have all of the Tri-Star 3 3/4" figures and vehicles....except for Klinger in a dress, and the massive playset. Handy to have a complete medical team to patch up my other 3 3/4" figures after a gruelling battle.

The large scale figures look interesting, but I never did see them in the stores. I imagine they came out wayyyyy before the 3 3/4" line?

(By the way....has anybody ever seen the playset?)

[namtab29]

i have almost all the Tri-Star 3 3/4" ones, too. i love the show that i like to pick up merch for it every now and then. ive seen the playset on ebay, but never complete and/or not really beat up so i've never picked it up.

i dont know when the 9" ones came out...theyre copyrighted 1969, which makes no sense. i understand ABMAC's point about stuff being copyrighted before the movie hits, but the movie was considered a low-budget, nearly "B" level picture, and for adults on top of that, so i cant imagine some toy company thinking there would ever be a market for MASH toys.

i've never been able to find out if there were other dolls for this line, but since ive never seen or even heard of other ones, i think this is it--which is even weirder.

rob!

[palitoy]

I used to know when these were made, the copyrights seem to reflect when the book rights were secured. In this case 1969, in the Apes case 1967.

They were definitely done for the TV series as the Doctor is an ersatz Alan Alda and I believe they were done mid to late seventies and exclusive to Woolworths. That's supposed to be OR scrubs they are wearing.

If I'm not mistaken, Durham made MASH merch originally, then Mego got the rights which they did nothing, then after Mego's demise Tri-Star released those figures. Those figures look like they had retained Howard Abrams to produce them.

[namtab29]

oh yeah, they were obviously done as TV show merch since, as Brain pointed out, Hawkeye looks like Alan Alda.

not only that, but Gary Burghoff and (in a small way) Wayne Rogers are both pictured on the card, so i'd say they were probably made around 1974-1975, in time for the show to be massively popular but before Mike Farrell replaced Rogers.

like i said before, in any case, i love 'em! i wish they had done more.

rob!

[The Sentry]

Well this is a line I am an expert on! I am a HUUUUUUUUUGE M*A*S*H* fan!

I even customized a Blake and a Trapper, Tristar released these in 81 I got em in 83'-84' about 4 months ago I got the playset (DAMN it's huge!)
My Helicopter is something to be desired though,

the line was based on the final series actors/actress

so instead of Blake, Trapper and Radar we got Winchester, Potter and Beej, the 3 3/4" line was spot-on with the liknesses but the largersized figs are something to be desired (When I got my Hawkeye I had to perform surgery on him right off the bat) the quality, the posability, and the plastic frankly SUCKS!

The line was not a big seller cause the avalibillity was so scarce.
The Kilinger in drag was considered one of "The top 10 most controversial toys in history"(number 1 was the Colonial Viper from the Mattel B-Star Galactica, you know the one that killed the kid with the little rocket?)
and proves to be the most expensive. One helluva line and I totally agree I would have loved to had Jack Scully figure and a Rosie's bar playset!

If anyone has any more questions about this line just ask I can proudly say I have everything this line offered. (Even the BLONDE Hawkeye figure complete with every vehicle jeep, ambulance, copter)

Just offering some assistance!

[ABMAC]

Much appreciated, Lee. I'd like to see pics of the playset if possible. It sounds like great fun.

[K]

WOW!!! I never knew these existed! How cool!

[namtab29]

did Tri-Star ever make large-size versions of the MASH line? ive seen some reference to them but never seen them for real.

did Woolworths or whoever do other 9" other than Hawkeye and Hot Lips?

i have the Klinger-in-drag figure. very, very odd.

rob!

[toys2cool]

yeah i've seen those on ebay,I had the smaller ones when i was a kid,but I have to admit I never liked the show,so all my Joes had fun capping these guys

[namtab29]

who patched up your Joes when they got wounded?

rob!