For 11 seasons, M*A*S*H entertained audiences with its remarkable blend of comedy, drama and substance. Set during the Korean War, the series centered around a team of doctors and support staff stationed at a hospital in Uijeongbu, South Korea. But beyond being a medical show, it offered meaningful commentary on the human cost of war through its memorable misfits and their numerous hijinks.
Chief among them was Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger, the unit’s company clerk whose desperate attempts to feign insanity and earn a Section 8 discharge manifested the most outrageous moments on the show. The character was played brilliantly by Jamie Farr. Initially brought in for just a single episode during Season 1, Farr was a trailblazer who became a mainstay and brought much-needed laughter as TV’s first male character to cross-dress so frequently.
Klinger’s outfits were always a delight to watch. They were also a means to normalize alternate forms of self-expression during an era that was rigid about gender roles and appearances. His ensembles became the stuff of legend and cemented Klinger as an iconic character on M*A*S*H. It only serves him right that we look back on his collection of costumes and pick out top 10 favorites. Here we go.
10 The Kimono
Season 3, Episode 21 – “Big Mac”
For this outfit, Klinger donned a magnificent black and crimson kimono embroidered with patches of white motifs all over. He took care to style his hair in an elaborate updo and channeled that Old Hollywood glamor by infusing it with Eastern flair. In the kimono and sandals, Klinger was the portrait of poise.
Which contrasts the premise of the episode. Big Mac centers around General Douglas MacArthur scheduling an inspection of the 4077th after surgical units showcase outstanding performance, probably the best in all of Korea. The camp is showing urgency in its preparations; Henry is bursting with joy and Spalding is writing a song for the occasion.
Klinger, amidst it all, tries to insert his Section 8 act and interferes with rehearsals. The contrast of Klinger enjoying himself in traditional fashion while the others were growing restless was a fun juxtaposition.
9 Red Evening Gown
Season 3, Episode 3 – “Officer of the Day”
For a more glamorous look, Klinger chose to wear a floor-length red evening gown with a decent neck line and an impressive fall. He even accessorized the nines with some jewels, a feather in the hair, a little white purse and a white jacket with a red rose attached to it. With his dark hair set in soft curls and face painted in makeup, Klinger looked like he jumped right out of Hollywood’s Golden Age.
The episode, Officer for the Day, saw Frank naming Hawkeye the Officer for the Day while Henry was away in Seoul and Burns and Houlihan were in charge. If you are a fan of the show, you’re also aware that the 4077th is no stranger to chaos. Hawkeye tries to deal with it and avoid confrontation with Col. Flagg. Klinger gets reprimanded by Frank an the beginning of the episode for wearing nail polish, earrings and high heels. Following which, he gets dressed as a nun and tries to sneak off to Seoul.
8 Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz
Season 7, Episode 9 – “Major Ego”
Channeling everyone’s favorite plucky heroine, Klinger also dressed up as Dorothy in M*A*S*H once. He donned a classic blue checkered gingham dress and let a basket covered with a cloth rest on his arms. He even added authentic touches like the slippers and pigtails tied up with bows. Klinger was the spitting image of innocence as he grinned and spoke to Charles.
Speaking of Charles, Major Ego was more about him than Klinger. The episode saw his surgical skills get to his head after he successfully revived a patient by massaging their heart. Stars and Stripes, hearing of this, sends a journalist named Captain Tom Greenleigh to interview him. Charles is over the moon as he prepares to ambush Greenleigh with his life story. But it turns out, the reporter is more interested in making moves on Margaret, which enrages Charlie and he decides to take Klinger to Tokyo for the story instead.
7 The Immolation Outfit
Season 5, Episode 15 – “The Most Unforgettable Characters”
Leave it to Klinger to find inspiration in self-immolation and use it to his benefit for a latest Section 8 ploy. For this controversial choice, he wears a traditional Eastern garb, all embroidered and sequined with buttons tucking him in from the front. He even wears a cylindrical cap with ruby stones and no crown to go with the outfit, looking equal parts insane and hilarious.
The look is one of Klinger’s most underrated ones, and it is seen in The Most Unforgettable Characters, an episode that follows the show’s “letter home” format and is filled with narrations from various characters, including Margaret and Radar. Klinger, on the other hand, is trying to capture a few P.O.W.s in the hope that it will help his early discharge, later pouring gasoline on himself and threatening to strike a match.
6 The Hang Glider Outfit
Season 2, Episode 8 – “The Trial of Henry Blake”
Taking flight in style, Klinger even equipped himself with the most unexpected (albeit unsurprising) attire in M*A*S*H. He wore a long blue jacket cinched at the waist with a matching belt and wrapped a scarf around his neck. His goggles set on his head. Klinger, in authentic Klinger fashion, completed the look with fuzzy pink slippers, making the rest of the characters turn heads.
The Trial of Henry Blake, as the title suggests, saw Henry being put on the spot after Frank and Margaret filed charges against him. When he’s called to stand trial at the HQ, many of his inconsistencies and proofs of failed leadership are read out. One of the points concerns Klinger, who went AWOL and tries to use a hang glider to whisk him away and past Korea’s borders. Klinger’s getup paired with the episode’s comedic madness and themes of freedom made it stand out.
5 Carmen Miranda
Season 3, Episode 24 – “Abyssinia, Henry”
Bursting with color and energy, Klinger brought a much-needed levity to an emotional episode of M*A*S*H by strutting in a bejeweled silver dress with red fur lining. On his head, he wore a turban-like cloth, which was festooned with artificial fruits like grapes, peaches, berries and bananas. He wore big hoop earrings and three beaded necklaces. He was the living embodiment of excess.
Abyssinia, Henry was one of the show’s most beloved episodes because it marked McLean Stevenson’s departure from the series. For the goodbye, Klinger dazzled as the exotic Carmen Miranda; his outfit was pageant-y and designed specifically for the occasion, but he had no time to zip up so Henry did it for him. Even in the time of sadness and dramatic shift, Klinger’s outfit reminded fans that the show was still about comedy.
4 The Statue of Liberty
Season 3, Episode 21 – “Big Mac”
Wrapped in fabric and foam to resemble the iconic lady, Klinger proudly dressed up as The Statue of Liberty in an episode of M*A*S*H that was anyway loaded with iconic outfits. His face was particularly prominent as he wore a green-gray silk robe, which hung off of his armor-like attire. He even wore a similar crown and had a mini torch raised high, his one-man welcome parade commanding attention and respect.
Big Mac saw the arrival of the General of the Army, Douglas MacArthur, with the intention of inspecting the 4077th unit and its operational activities. Henry, who insisted Klinger be sent away for three days to Tokyo, was met with rebellion. On his way to the camp, the General barely looks up but takes a minute to salute Klinger’s Lady Liberty on the road to his destination.
3 Scarlett O’Hara
Season 7, Episode 9 – “Major Ego”
Klinger has drawn inspiration from Hollywood several times throughout the series. But in this episode, we see him dress up as leading heroines from both classics, Gone with the Wind and The Wizard of Oz. He does not stop there; Klinger shows up as an elegant Southern belle in a hoop-skirt lemon yellow gown with layers of petticoats rustling as he walks. A featured fan paired with a lightweight straw hat and a hand purse completed the look.
The outfit was a part of Klinger’s multiple Section 8 antics in the episode, Major Ego. One would think that he was struggling with the pranks but Klinger embraced Bette Davis’ spirit from Beyond the Forest and O’Hara’s iconic yellow dress and brought smiles, urging us to ponder how war either ages us or inspires us to cling to our fading youth.
2 Cleopatra
Season 8, Episode 25 – “April Fools”
One of Klinger’s most elaborate outfits is that of the Queen of ancient Egypt. As Cleopatra, he draped himself in a shiny and iridescent golden fabric and accessorized with exaggerated jewelry like gold chains, bracelets and cuffs. He even wore two silver cones on his chest to resemble the ever-so-graceful Cleopatra.
The look was crucial to the episode April Fools, which sees Klinger informing Potter about a surprising visit from Colonel Daniel Webster Tucker. The entire time Tucker is at the camp, Klinger behaves – he keeps secrets and acts as the perfect G.I. – and hopes it will earn him a Section 8. One morning, however, Tucker finds Klinger dressed as Cleopatra and is mortified, thinking “the only good man here” has been broken by the 4077th.
1 The First
Season 1, Episode 4 – “Chief Surgeon Who?”
Klinger’s debut episode on M*A*S*H is a memorable one because it acts as a pioneer to his character’s overall presence on the show. A little more subdued than the rest, the look sees Klinger don a normal-looking WAC uniform, with a shirt and a jacket as he patrolled in the night. But he’d paired it with a knee-length skirt, a hat and a pretty pair of silver heels. A rifle completed his ensemble.
An early episode, “Chief Surgeon Who?” was originally meant to be Jamie Farr’s last appearance in the series. But fans loved his character so much that he was brought back in the second season and turned into a series regular thereafter. Farr describes the experience by saying he “was brought in for a one-day’s work and stayed on for 11 years.”
