Who is (was) Ronny Graham?

[Thomas A. Enger (295-7621)]

My wife has gotten tired of hearing me say, "But who is Ronny
Graham and what did he do?" while the M*A*S*H credits are running.
The name of Ronny Graham appeared as "story consultant" in the
credits for many M*A*S*H eposodes. Just what did he do to merit
this? What is a story consultant?

I remember a summer replacement variety show or something featuring
him. A gentleman with a neatly trimmed beard, as I recall. It seems
to me he introduced a family member or two on "his" show as well.
The variety show only lasted a few weeks.

Tom2

[Harry Johnson]

en...@VNET.IBM.COM (Thomas A. Enger (295-7621)) wrote:

> My wife has gotten tired of hearing me say, "But who is Ronny
> Graham and what did he do?" while the M*A*S*H credits are running.
> The name of Ronny Graham appeared as "story consultant" in the
> credits for many M*A*S*H eposodes. Just what did he do to merit
> this? What is a story consultant?

Generally a story consultant is a script fixer. They may not
do enough to warrant teleplay credit, but there input is there. Also,
on many shows, they, along with the creator of the show, put together
the bible.

In Ronnie Graham's case he was also a guest on the show at
least once. I seem to recall them have to get a blood donation from
him and he fainted instantly.

Harry

[MrQuixote]

Ronny Graham is a comedy writer/actor whose career began in the mid
fifties. The first credit the Writers Guild has listed for him is the
screenplay "New Faces" in 1954.
Among his more recent credits, is shared writing credit on the Mel Brooks'
films "Spaceballs" and "To Be or Not to Be", for which he received a
Writers Guild Award nomination.

He did a Smothers Brothers special in 1989...and is credited with several
MASH episodes.

If you really want to get the whole list of credits, call the Writers
Guild Credits Dept at 213 782-4528 and ask them. They'll pull it up on
computer. If they ask who's calling (or why), tell them you're doing a
thesis on comedy writers.

Ronny also has appeared on camera in many productions.

MH

[Tom2]

Thanks for the information. I wasn't aware of his background or
the awards. But my real question is: What did Ronny Graham *do* to
be credited as the "story consultant" for so many M*A*S*H episodes.

Maybe I just missed the interview in which he was mentioned. For
all the times Graham was in the credits, and for all the shows and
interviews about the making of M*A*S*H in which cast and writers told
how they worked, I never once heard anyone say anything like, "Twice
a week, Ronny would come over and fix up the story for us." You'd
think someone at least once would have acknowledged his existence.

Purely hypothetical:: Ronny Graham secured the television rights
to the story of M*A*S*H but was unable to get the project going or
never got around to trying. He sold his rights to story along with
any work he had already done -- possibly to Larry Gelbart -- for the
title of and weekly payment as "story consultant."

In article <51a2gi$s...@newsbf02.news.aol.com>,
on 12 Sep 1996 18:23:14 -0400,

MrQuixote <mrqu...@aol.com> writes:
> Ronny Graham is a comedy writer/actor whose career began in the
> mid fifties. The first credit the Writers Guild has listed for
> him is the screenplay "New Faces" in 1954.
> Among his more recent credits, is shared writing credit on the Mel
> Brooks' films "Spaceballs" and "To Be or Not to Be", for which he
> received a Writers Guild Award nomination.
>
> He did a Smothers Brothers special in 1989...and is credited with
> several MASH episodes.
>

> MH

[Rosebud356]

In article <51a2gi$s...@newsbf02.news.aol.com>, mrqu...@aol.com
(MrQuixote) writes:

>Subject: Re: Who is (was) Ronny Graham?
>From: mrqu...@aol.com (MrQuixote)
>Date: 12 Sep 1996 18:23:14 -0400

>
>Ronny Graham is a comedy writer/actor whose career began in the mid
>fifties. The first credit the Writers Guild has listed for him is the
>screenplay "New Faces" in 1954.
>Among his more recent credits, is shared writing credit on the Mel
Brooks'
>films "Spaceballs" and "To Be or Not to Be", for which he received a
>Writers Guild Award nomination.
>
>He did a Smothers Brothers special in 1989...and is credited with several
>MASH episodes.
>

>If you really want to get the whole list of credits, call the Writers
>Guild Credits Dept at 213 782-4528 and ask them. They'll pull it up on
>computer. If they ask who's calling (or why), tell them you're doing a
>thesis on comedy writers.
>
>Ronny also has appeared on camera in many productions.
>
>

He was also "Mr. Dirt" in Mobile commercials in the late 60's/early 70's.

No matter what other wonderous things he may have done, he'll also be Mr.
Dirt to me :)

Rosebud :)

[CATSPE]

As I recall, besides being a contributing writer (or whatever he was) to
the show, he appeared in the "Your Hit Parade" episode, where Radar plays
DJ, as a drunken potential blood donor with a fear of needles.
Matt Crowder
Sigma Phi Epsilon '96
Illinois Lambda
Northwestern University
cat...@aol.com

[pett...@sbcglobal.net]

That's right - excellent recall Matt. I was on the set for Ronny's acting appearance in the "Your Hit Parade" episode. I was impressed - he was very believable!

[Wiseguy]

pett...@sbcglobal.net wrote in
news:3250b551-e5ca-4e1e...@googlegroups.com:

I remember seeing him several times on sitcoms and variety shows in the
1970s. By the time his name appeared in the M*A*S*H credits I already knew
who he was.

[HALB...@msn.com]

On Tuesday, September 10, 1996 at 3:00:00 AM UTC-4, Thomas A. Enger (295-7621) wrote:
> My wife has gotten tired of hearing me say, "But who is Ronny
> Graham and what did he do?" while the M*A*S*H credits are running.
> The name of Ronny Graham appeared as "story consultant" in the
> credits for many M*A*S*H eposodes. Just what did he do to merit
> this? What is a story consultant?
>

> I remember a summer replacement variety show or something featuring
> him. A gentleman with a neatly trimmed beard, as I recall. It seems
> to me he introduced a family member or two on "his" show as well.
> The variety show only lasted a few weeks.
>
> Tom2

I remember Alan Alda recalling a story on Ronny Graham's contributions. It seemed they had a great sketch where they could not find an ending for. It was Where Hawkeye and B.J. were in the swamp and B.J. was pranking Winchester. For a month he had given him a uniform with a wide waist to make him think he was losing weight and convinced him to eat heavily to gain it back. After a month he switched it to a uniform with a narrow waist to think that he put on weight to convince him to diet and exercise. But they didn't know how to end it. Ronny wrote the last two lines to end the sketch perfectly. HAWKEYE: So, what's next with him? B.J.: Starting tomorrow,(PAUSE) he gets taller.