Happy Birthday Alan Alda!
1936: A Star Is Born
Today seventy-eight years ago Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo was born in New York City. An actor's son, Alda debuted on Broadway in 1966. He'd already started acting in film, but it was his role as Hawkeye Pierce in the TV series "M*A*S*H" (1972-1983) that made him an icon.
Since "M*A*S*H" Alda has become known as a writer and director as well as an actor, a career direction that started with "M*A*S*H." Alda is credited with changing the direction of the show as its run progressed, making it less a traditional service comedy and more serious and engaged with social and political issues.
Alda talks about all of this in this excerpt from an interview hosted by WTVJ's Joe Abrell for the station's magazine show, "Montage." "M*A*S*H" was still on the air -- still a few seasons away from its record-breaking final episode -- when this interview hit air.
This video and audio is copyrighted/owned by the Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Florida Moving Image Archives.
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