I mean film as in not video tape--not as in theatrical. (Remember M*A*S*H was a left-wing show that never mentioned KIm II Sung --the North Korean leader and starter of the entire Korean War! See my other postings.) There was a first season ep where Sorel Booke played a general entering a tent and almost everyone playing cards stood to salute. Even Trapper. Some thought Trap (given his sarcastic stances) was only mocking doing the salute. It is impossible to tell from the scene if he was or was not mocking a salute. He stood up quickly--I think more so than the others but still. This joke if it was a joke was not that well-photographed or well-directed as Trap's salute does not reach out and grab you like joke. I know a few things about how they film TV shows and movies but not everything. I do not exactly understand how they film a joke so it jumps out at you as a viewer.

Neither did director Penelope Spheeris who directed the film 'The Beverly Hillbillies' in the early 1990's. The jokes were filmed like every other part of the movie and critic Leonard Maltin knocked the film for it.

Back to M*A*S*H. I cannot be sure the scene was photographed right because like the saying pretty much goes: "if you don't know what someone is trying to do you don't know if they are doing it right or not".