Actor Larry Linville Dies
11:23 PM ET 04/10/00
NEW YORK (AP) _ Larry Linville, best known for his portrayal of
the power-hungry and neurotic Maj. Frank Burns on the CBS
television show ``M A S H,'' died Monday at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. He was 60.
Linville suffered from cancer and had a lung removed in 1998
after a malignant tumor was discovered. Longtime manager Barry M.
Greenberg of Los Angeles said Linville was hospitalized Sunday and
died of complications of pneumonia.
Linville was a native of Ojai, Calif., and had been living in
New York.
``He was wonderfully refreshing and irreverent but always a very
talented and professional guy,'' Greenberg said. ``He took this
cancer thing better than anybody I've ever seen.''
Linville was part of a breakout cast that made ``M A S H'' one
of the longest-running shows on television. He starred with Alan
Alda, Gary Burghoff and Wayne Rogers as part of an ensemble that
launched the show in 1972, on the heels of the hit movie of the
same name.
The show, at times with comedy, at times with stark political
commentary, detailed life at the 4077th Mobil Army Surgical
Hospital, where Linville was a whiny, military stickler smitten
with the head nurse.
Much of the show's early action revolved around the antics of
tent-mates Burns, Hawkeye Pierce (played by Alda) and Trapper John
McIntyre (Rogers). But the show also took on serious topics of war
and bloodshed, often seemingly more relevant to the Vietnam War
than the conflict in Korea.
Linville left ``M A S H'' after the fifth season. He went on to
guest star on numerous television series and had roles in ``Grandpa
Goes to Washington,'' ``Checking In'' and ``Paper Dolls.''
Linville is survived by his wife, Deborah Linville.
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