“Gary Burghoff’s Secret Revealed: 5 Scenes Where Radar’s Left Hand Wasn’t Hidden on ‘MAS*H’”

Gary Burghoff AKA Radar from ‘MAS*H’ Always Kept His Left Hand Out of View – Five Times We Could See It

Actor Gary Burghoff rose to prominence in the classic television series “MAS*H” as the shy Corporal Walter Eugene “Radar” O’Reilly.
Burghoff attempted to hide his left hand from view for the duration of the popular program.
He rarely displayed his left hand on film, and he gave an explanation for why.

A slew of notable and adored characters were first introduced to the public in the hit sitcom “MAS*H” of 1972. These included the witty yet sympathetic Captain Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce and his charming companion, Captain B.J. Hunnicutt. Nearly all of the characters remained in the fans’ memories.

Corporal Walter Eugene “Radar” O’Reilly, the company clerk for the 4077 MASH unit, was one of the characters that frequently appeared but was easily ignored by his military counterparts because of his anxious demeanor. Fans noticed Radar, even though many base employees tended to take his efforts for granted.

The renowned actor Gary Burghoff played Radar from the TV show’s premiere in 1972 until its seventh season, which debuted in 1979. While fans begged for more of the modest clerk, Burghoff said he had to take a break from the program in order to combat burnout and mend his personal connections.

Burghoff’s Personal Identity and “MAS*H’s” Influence

While Burghoff relished the position of Radar, the role grew more and more demanding. The actor said that it quickly become tiresome to try to distance himself from his role in the eyes of the general public. He also mentioned how much he hated being ogled by the masses:

I admit it—I’m cute. Adorable, adorable, adorable! I was always the smallest child on the street, so I was always cute. I detest cuteness.

Everyone knew Burghoff from years of stage and television work, so they all perceived him as a sweet, short, shy guy. Yet after years of being despised, both literally and figuratively, Burghoff became weary of the image that countless strangers had so readily attached to him.

The actor defended his height in an attempt to counter the perception of him as a lovely tiny fellow. 5 feet 6 inches isn’t abnormally short, as he correctly pointed out, and if he had ever met Mickey Rooney or Arte Johnson, he would have seen the tops of their heads. Still, the character endured.

Fortunately for all of his admirers, Burghoff followed his acting ambitions despite having a disability.

Burghoff’s fellow cast members loved him, even if he wasn’t sure how others saw him. Before departing “MAS*H,” director Charles Dubin recalled working with Burghoff and remarked on how kind and amiable Burghoff was to everyone on the production. But there was another part of Burghoff that undermined his self-worth.

Burghoff was born with brachydactyly, a congenital condition related to Poland Syndrome. The actor had been affected by the deformity since he was a tiny child, and as a result, three of his fingers on his left hand were considerably smaller than the rest of his digits. The performer said:

Naturally, this flaw had an impact on me as a child. I guess I realized at a young age that my impairment would make me unique and exceptional.”

Fortunately for all of his admirers, Burghoff followed his acting ambitions despite having a disability. However, despite becoming a fan favorite on one of the most recognizable TV shows in American history, his concerns regarding his stocky build and thick fingers persisted.

During his tenure on “MAS*H,” Burghoff made an effort to conceal his left hand from view. Even though the actor occasionally had to use both hands, he would frequently arrange himself such that the camera could only show one side of his body. He would also typically gesture with his right hand when the situation called for it.

In one of the first episodes, Radar was first shown to the public standing in a wide space, with his signature cap and a grayish shirt. The camera zoomed momentarily over the actor’s two hands carrying a football as he turned to face the sky and heard helicopters approaching before anyone else.

Radar and the new commander shared a scene where they first met when Colonel Sherman T. Potter joined the show, replacing the adored Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake. Burghoff opened a box with both hands, and the camera focused on his upper torso while he did so, as Colonel Potter left the room to use the restroom.

Burghoff was seen using both hands on the camera in yet another notorious moment. Radar performs his customary morning salute with a bugle during a routine ceremony led by the despicable Major Frank Burns. In a humorous turn of events, Burns commands one of the men to shoot off the ceremonial canon.

As the cannonball swings straight toward Radar, he gets the short end of the stick, of course, as his instrument is knocked clean out of his hands. In the following moments, Burghoff stomps and balls his fists in a gesture of fury as he turns to face the camera. Here, for a split second, both of his hands are visible.

The writers showcased Radar’s softer side when he caressed Babette, his pet guinea pig, in a later episode. Radar, of course, stood with his left hand beneath his right, but before he could get the words out, Father John Mulcahy beckoned for him. Burghoff closed the Babette and his hands were visible once again.

Burghoff publicly displayed his left hand in one of the sequences as part of a different joke the program ran. Two other military troops were seen walking away from the camera at the beginning of the sequence as Radar crossed a gravel road. A moment later, a man on Radar’s left raised his hand in salute, after the man on his right.

As required by military protocol, Radar, being the amiable person he was, raised his right hand in answer to the initial salute. The swift second salute caught Radar off stride, so much so that he raised his left hand as well, giving a double salute. He scowled and slowly lowered his hands in one of Burghoff’s trademark expressions of bewilderment.