If there was one film that managed to capture the zeitgeist, it was the black war comedy mash (1970) by director Robert Altman. Although it took place in 1951, at the time of the Korean War, it was crystal clear that with mash the war in Vietnam as well as militarism was ridiculed. The film was a typical product of the liberal West Coast, where a new generation of filmmakers took over in Hollywood.
With a cast of young dogs—Donald Sutherland, Elliott Gould, Tom Skerritt—the often frantic fortunes of the field hospital came to life at Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH). Under the motto: humor keeps us going in this horrific war. The female lead was for Sally Kellerman, who died on February 24, 2022 in Los Angeles.
This jazz singer and actress has appeared in 157 films and TV series, but her name remains associated with the character of Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan from Mash. Sally Kellerman received an Oscar nomination—her only one for her role as the pedantic head nurse who becomes more sympathetic as the story progresses.
Yet we can place her in the list of up-and-coming actresses such as Jane Fonda, Cybill Shepherd and Diane Keaton. Although it did not always go smoothly, as she noted in her autobiography Read My Lips: Stories of a Hollywood Life (2013). ‘I was that fat insecure girl and after Mash everyone suddenly told me how good I was. And I thought, okay. Awesome. I’ve mastered that acting now, time to get my music career on track. In retrospect, not the smartest step of my career. Actually, I failed to capitalize on Mash’s success.”
She was born on June 2, 1937 in Long Beach, California, the daughter of a piano teacher and top executive at Shell. Already in high school her talent for singing and dancing was noticed during the musicals, and she got some bit parts in TV series and the theater. To pay for her acting lessons, she worked as a waitress at the Chez Paulette coffee shop on Hollywood’s Sunset Strip. Coincidentally also the favorite hangout of actors like Jack Nicholson, Steve McQueen, Marlon Brando and Warren Beatty. Handy contacts, who helped her find her way within the film industry.
Robert Altman offered her a role in the musical after Mash Nashville (1975), which she declined due to her own musical plans. She did join Altman’s star ensemble in the Hollywood satire The Player (1992), and starred in the fashion film Pret-a-Porter (1994). As a singer she eventually only made two albums which were not very successful. Sally Kellerman was 84 years old.