Allan Arbus (1918-2013)

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Allan Arbus, whose portrayal of psychiatrist Sidney Freedman made him an honorary member of the main cast of M*A*S*H despite only appearing in 12 episodes, passed away on Friday (April 19th) at the age of 95. Arbus made his first appearance in the Season Two episode “Radar’s Report,” where his character was named Milton. Asked to give a Section 8 evaluation of Klinger, Freedman determines he’s a transvestite and a homosexual, a diagnosis Klinger refuses to sign off on.

Allan Arbus in Radar's Report (1973)

Allan Arbus in “Radar’s Report” (1973)

In his next appearance (“Deal Me Out”), the character had been renamed Sidney and was friendly enough with members of the 4077th to be invited to a poker game with Hawkeye, Trapper, Henry, Klinger and Captain Pak (played by Pat Morita). He helped talk down a violent patient (played by John Ritter). His third appearance (“O.R.”) saw him deliver the famous line “Ladies and Gentlemen, take my advice: pull down your pants, and slide on the ice.”

The Season Five episode “Dear Sigmund,” one of two Arbus appeared in that season, was a “letter episode” in which Sidney wrote to Sigmund Freud in an attempt to work through some professional difficulties. It was a showcase for Arbus, allowing him to step to the forefront. A number of times over the course of the series Sidney was brought in to help Hawkeye deal with some deep emotional issues: “Hawk’s Nightmare,” “Bless You Hawkeye” and of course “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen.”

With the exception of Season One, Arbus made at least one appearance per season. Here’s a complete list of the episodes he appeared in:

“Radar’s Report” (02×03, September 29th, 1973)
“Deal Me Out” (02×13, December 8th, 1973)
“O.R.” (03×05, October 8th, 1974)
“Quo Vadis, Captain Chandler” (04×09, November 7th, 1975)
“Dear Sigmund” (05×07, November 9th, 1976)
“Hawk’s Nightmare” (05×13, December 21st, 1976)
“War of Nerves” (06×04, October 11th, 1977)
“The Billfold Syndrome” (07×05, October 16th, 1978)
“Goodbye, Cruel World” (08×21, February 11th, 1980)
“Bless You Hawkeye” (09×17, March 16th, 1981)
“Pressure Points” (10×15, February 15th, 1982)
“Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen” (11×16, February 28th, 1983)

Arbus came to acting late in life. According to the Internet Movie Database, aside from an uncredited role in a 1961 film, his first acting credits came in 1969 when he was 51. Prior to acting, Arbus was a photographer. Some of his early acting. After M*A*S*H ended, Arbus co-starred in a CBS sitcom called The Four Seasons, created by Alan Alda, that lasted just 13 episodes (you read more about the show at Television Obscurities).

Allan Arbus, from the M*A*S*H 30th Anniversary Reunion Special

Allan Arbus, from the M*A*S*H 30th Anniversary Reunion Special

His last acting role was a December 2000 episode of HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm. In May 2002, Arbus joined the surviving cast and producers for the “M*A*S*H 30th Anniversary Reunion Special” broadcast on FOX. He was one of a number of M*A*S*H veterans on hand to collect the Impact Award for M*A*S*H at the Seventh Annual TV Land Awards in April 2009.

Obituaries can be found at The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times and Variety.

20 Replies to “Allan Arbus (1918-2013)”

  1. I honestly was skeptical about this at first, because I know there’s been a troll over at the BCA forums who pops up every few months for the past couple of years or so to say he died when he didn’t, so it’s sad that it had to happen for real this time. 😐

  2. Did anyone ever see the biopic about Arbus’ photographer wife, Diane, starring Nicole Kidman? That is seriously one of THE most freaky-deaky, acid-trippy, creepiest movies I have ever seen… granted, I didn’t see it in its entirety, but that that I HAVE seen of it was just… oy…

  3. Sidney — minus Arbus — had a sort-of-but-not-really final “appearance” in a 2nd season “AfterMASH” episode called “Dear Sidney”, in which Sherman Potter is writing a letter to him but we never see Sid. Potter mentions that Sidney had taken a job at some college back in the northeast (…can’t remember the specifics).

    I know Sidney was also mentioned in a few other “M*A*S*H” episodes in which he didn’t actually appear. Anyone want to try contributing to a list of those?

      1. Nope, Potter’s letter in the debut episode was to Klinger. You can watch that one on YouTube, as many have. The “Dear Sidney” episode from the 2nd season was the one, sole consistently really good episode of the 2nd season. The Col. Flagg episode was even better, but lost points for a really pointless and unentertaining B story that took away from the time that could’ve been devoted to Flagg. Okay, I’m getting off topic here….

        Interesting to do the math and realize that Sidney only appeared in about 5 percent of the entire “M*A*S*H” series.

  4. There was the one where Hawkeye had the patient who couldn’t move – and Sidney “appeared” via telephone only – he instructed Hawkeye what to do. Frank’s famous line “Margaret… I was wrong!”. Can’t remember the name of the episode.

  5. His appearences have always been added-value to the show. There was a unique feeling for the episodes Arbus stared in, something you could have never got else. Rest In Peace!

  6. I loved alan arbus. If not for him sidny would have been nothing! 95 wow. U deserve the rest alan but will be missed

  7. Dear Sidney (or Sigmund or Allan or Toe-MAY-toe Toe-MAH-toe)
    Yea, as know YOU know, name stuff not matter much, just get on The Bus (arrrrr)

    I Am writing this to you cause You Are the one who could help with something just ran into the other day – MASHy Web Site with a LOT of Great Stuff and done with Great Style … and will do this (here/now) as ‘stream of conscience’ so no worry about poetical phrasing or sentence punctuationals … and do hope you can/will translate to/for anyone else who may find/read this (but no let them know what we’re up to, ok? ty) … your favorite MASH TV Network, MeTV, just last night finished up the merry go round cycle (again) of your Mobile Surgical Hospitable TV Series and earlier tonight they re-started (again) with Episode One, and curious if the Show Cycle will go on and on and on and on … ad infinitum? (dot dot dot) … do know will be a few weeks before you show up again on The Show (and tell Klinger we all love his/her outfit, and let ’em know that Jungle of Blackboards still Rocks Around the Clock) … and if ok, gotta a question for you, but you don’t need to answer, no want you to go back to a time/place when/where you maybe wish you ‘never were’ – yea, Army Photographer Duty in Burma during WW2 … learned about it at your wiki …

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allan_Arbus

    … but what they not detail, and not able to (easy) find out … were you ever ‘In The Chit’ ??? … deep or shallow or etc ??? … know you did ‘Photo Shoot’ those who were ‘In There’ (salute) … and gotta feeling you did get ‘close nuff’ to Experience ‘It’ … and ‘That’ is something MASH puts into ‘Cinematic Focus’ (too clearly at times, grrrrr) … on and on, but know/feel/see The Real Authentic Veracity you exhibit on MASH, along with couple of others …

    https://outsider.com/news/entertainment/mash-only-two-cast-members-actually-served-us-army-south-korea/

    (SALUTE)

    … and one more thing (ty columbo) before wrap this up (for now) … gotta give a special hug and ring kiss (genuflect) to your ‘other half’ from back when …

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diane_Arbus

    … dunno (again, duh) how/what/etc you/her and youse twos ‘photo works’ yin/yang’d together, but know is some kinda hubby/wife thing that (maybe) you two could not ‘dissect’ yourselfs (?) … DO know (fersure) that her Work(s) are VERY Especial and easy finds on Internet, including Documentarys (et al) … also (and mentioned by someone on MASHy Web Site) … she got Tributed by that Aussy Lassy in …

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fur_(film)

    … and Very (VERY) sorry for ‘The Way’ (tao) her finale played out (no smile)

    … oh kay, lemme get outta here (for now) … get back again (soon ’nuff)

    … in meantime … busy with pants adjust for a slide (winky brrrrrrrr)

    (domo arigato)

    1. To re-phrase …

      Appears my earlier post here was “unapproved”

      Is there specific reason why it was “unapproved” ?

      Would you please share that information with me ?

      … thank you, BC

      1. Any comment that includes URL links to other websites is automatically held for approval to keep people from spamming the comments.

  8. Ahhhh, ty for reply/clarification
    Yes, wise thing to do with all the funny biz on Internet
    (and another ‘good thing’ example of your ‘site set up’, etc)

    Hope ‘the trigger’ was ‘outsider link’ (?) … mea culpa on ‘that’, was looking for info on any MASH’ers who may have ‘served/done time/etc’, found the site via quicky googley and in my haste used it without any previous ‘usage/visits/etc’ … maybe their info is ‘valid’ (or maybe not?) but again, my bad for blindly going down that ‘path’ (and pointing others in same direction)

    BUT … hope Wikipedia gets ‘Free Pass’ (?)

    They (and few others, VERY few) are What/How Internet ‘Stuff’ can/should be ‘done’

    And hope no need to ‘explain’ (if have ‘eyes’ should easy ‘see’, wink)

    Another is archive dot org (WINK)

    (and ‘this place’ too, eh ? … smile)

    Now, please excuse me, gotta go do some stuff with Sidney and Hawkeye

    Yea, them chickens are always hungry (clucky cluck)

    … laters (and again, tyvm)

    -30-

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