Thalidomide became an over-the-counter drug in Germany around 1960 and could be bought without a prescription. Shortly after the drug was sold, in Germany, between 5,000 and 7,000 infants were born with phocomelia. Merely 40% of these children survived.
Actress Sally Kellerman portrayed her in the Robert Altman film adaptation (where the character was renamed O'Houlihan; however, like many of the M*A*S*H* characters, Hot Lips is probably best known from the television series, where her part was played by Loretta Swit.
One of the favorite pastimes of characters Hawkeye Pierce and Trapper John in the MASH sitcom was tormenting Major Frank Burns, with whom the army physicians shared a tent. The MASH character Frank Burns was played by Larry Linville before he was written-off the show in 1977, according to IMDb. Linville died, sadly, of complications due to pneumonia contracted after cancer surgery in 2000. After his time working in Hollywood, Wayne Rogers became a successful money manager. The MASH Trapper John actor was said to be a common guest on the Fox News investment show Cashinâ In. Wayne Rogers received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2005.