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Remembering Roy Goldman
Roy Goldman, who played a character named Roy Goldman on M*A*S*H, passed away almost exactly a year ago on September 1st, 2009. Late last week, Jeff Maxwell (who played Igor Straminsky) posted a message to the alt.tv.mash newsgroup explaining that he only just recently learned of Goldman’s death. Maxwell called Goldman “one of the funniest, nicest people on the planet” and noted that Goldman was “actually responsible for nicknaming me Igor on the set. The name stuck and ended up being written in as Private Igor.” A few days later, Maxwell posted a message from one of Goldman’s sons revealing that Goldman has passed away on September 1st, 2009 of cancer. Goldman is survived by his wife and two sons.
Although only credited — as Roy, Roy Goldman, Bartender, Orderly Corpsman and M.P. — in 21 episodes, Roy Goldman appeared in countless others. He was one of several recurring characters that, while not at the same level as Igor, Rizzo or Nurse Kellye, helped make the 4077th feel like a family. I believe his first appearance, uncredited, was in “Sticky Wicket” when he helped carry a crate containing a kitchen sink into the tent where Hawkeye was confined. His first credited role was in “The Trial of Henry Blake,” where he played an M.P. guarding Hawkeye and Trapper.
In “Adam’s Ribs,” the character of Goldman worked alongside Igor serving the liver that led to Hawkeye’s famous food revolt. In “The Red/White Blues,” Goldman developed anemia (as did Klinger) revealing that Caucasians of Mediterranean descent were also susceptible to anemia after taking primaquine; previously, it was believed only those of African descent were at risk of becoming anemic from the drug, according to text shown on screen at the end of the episode. And during the farewell dinner scene in “Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen,” Goldman revealed that he didn’t know what he was going to do now that the Korean War was over (I believe his scene was cut in syndication).
According to his Internet Movie Database profile, Goldman made only one additional acting role after M*A*S*H ended, in a movie called To Be or Not to Be, released in December of 1983. In February of 2008, he attended the ceremony at the newly restored M*A*S*H site at Malibu Creek State Park, marking the 25th anniversary of the end of M*A*S*H. He can be seen briefly in the following YouTube video (posted by snrhiker) at the 6:43 mark:
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I read about this just last week, and it’s really sad, because even though Roy Goldman seldom had any actual speaking lines, he DID have a rather strong presence on the show just the same. Speaking of which, there’s a bit cut from syndication where he and Igor banter over Radar modeling the Korean bridal gown in “Ping Pong” (5×17)
IGOR: Hi honey, I’m home!
RADAR: Cut it out!
GOLDMAN: You know he hates it when you call him honey in front of strangers.
IGOR: (Immitation) Lishten shweet-haht, whaddya doin’ afta the war?
I think he appeared even earlier than “Sticky Wicket”, IRC, he was the corpsman in “Dear Dad, Again” (1×18) who saw Hawkeye naked in the Mess Tent, and dropped his tray, prompting others to look up and see him naked.
Also, although always uncredited, Roy Goldman was also a background prisoner on Hogan’s Heroes, as well as an African American actor who also made some background appearances in the first few episodes of M*A*S*H as a corpsman like “Requiem for a Lightweight” (1×03) and “Chief Surgeon Who?” (1×04).
I had not heard that Roy Goldman had passed away. I agree with Big Daddy O’Reilly that he had a strong presence in M*A*S*H. I am unsure how many episodes he was in, but I would imagine he was in the show almost as much as Kellye Nakahara.