Frank Burns' bride remains a total mystery to M*A*S*H fans

Jeanne Schulherr came out of nowhere when she stepped into Frank Burns' wedding video on M*A*S*H, and then she disappeared forever. Who was she?

Near the end of the M*A*S*H episode "There Is Nothing Like a Nurse," everybody but Frank and Margaret gather around to watch what they soon discover is Frank’s wedding video.

Everyone chuckles as Frank’s bride walks up the aisle, her mouth remaining fixed in a frown, even when she joins Frank, whose plastered wedding day grin also looks more like a grimace.

Throughout the series we’d heard plenty of talk about Frank’s wife, so this reveal was a long time coming for fans of the show.

The moment arrived in the third season, after dozens of episodes watching Frank fool around with Margaret, proving himself fiercely and Frank-ly unloyal to the bride featured in this video.

Playing Frank’s unenviable bride Louise Burns is an actor named Jeanne Schulherr whose face we were excited to finally see but whose backstory remains a mystery to M*A*S*H fans.

Who really was Frank’s bride?

There’s a good chance we will never know. 

Schulherr only ever appeared on M*A*S*H in her short career. Before she became Frank’s bride, she played an anesthetist in an episode called "O.R." and her final appearance, in an episode called "Big Mac," was so insignificant, she was uncredited as a nurse.

All over the internet, M*A*S*H fan blogs still puzzle over who Schulherr was, how she got cast in this major-minor M*A*S*H role and what happened to her after the show ended.

Unfortunately, like the collapse of Frank’s affair with Margaret, Schulherr’s career ended abruptly, not even speaking a single line on M*A*S*H, the only show she ever appeared on.

It makes us wonder if perhaps she was related to someone on the cast and crew and stepped in when needed because she was available.

A funny Reddit thread shows how far some fans are willing to go to pose theories on the mysterious actor. In it, the original poster asked, "Captain Sloan and Louise Burns, are they the same person?"

You might remember Captain Sloan from the second season episode "The Incubator." With glasses and a similar face shape to Louise, their resemblance is rather striking:

The actor playing Captain Sloan was named Eldon Quick, though, so if there is a relation to Schulherr, it cannot be deduced from their names.

The Reddit thread wasn’t worried about the actors, though, instead posing a joking theory about how Captain Sloan was posing as Frank’s frowning bride, while working as an agent going deeply undercover.

"Given that the actor, Eldon Quick, appeared as both Captain Sloan in Seasons 2 and 3 and then as Captain Pratt in Season 4, it's not unlikely that he was a CIA/CID/Army Intelligence agent like Flagg, and was in deep cover as Louise Burns to figure out if Frank was as jingo-ultra American imperialist as he claimed to be," wrote commenter NeutroBlaster96. "And we know gender norms mean nothing to those types since Flagg was a showgirl in Vegas at the Sands for six weeks."

Another commenter responded quipping, "Does that make Klinger the ultimate intelligence agent?"

Although this goofy Reddit thread gets us no closer to knowing who Frank’s bride really was, it does show that to some M*A*S*H fans, Jeanne Schulherr, who never became a star, instead has become an enigma.

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49 Comments

Zip 36 months ago
The Capt. Sloan theory is funny, though I don't buy it.

I remember the end of the episode when Frank makes exactly the same faces and gestures as he did in the home movie to the camera after Margaret tells him that she'll drive(now breaking the fourth wall). I thought it was kinda stupid to do that, but still funny.
WilliamJorns 37 months ago
ME-TV, you need to do your homework. That was not a home video; those didn't exist back then in the early 1950's. That was a home movie.
Six of one, half a dozen of another.
Probably was the old 8mm Bell & Howell (silent, no sound) movie camera. Polaroid and Kodak were the popular still camera model companies, Polaroid pics came out after a minute inside developing. Kodak you had to take to Walgreens or other places where they had professional film developers and the equipment.
Pacificsun 37 months ago
My hunch there's no publicity around the character is because it's a guy posing as a gal. No worries, that's not the point. Just that the 80's weren't quite as broad minded. But the sense of humor behind MASH's creative juices probably put the last laugh out there for the public's curiosity. I think it was the writer/producer's way of giving Frank the ultimate jab in the ribs, and in a way, made his affair more understandable, than him simply being a cad.
JHP Pacificsun 37 months ago
get what you mean - but males have dressed up iii drag way before that - you had monty python and even the 3 stooges did it - so many and I think the article hit it on the head that he was her
JHP Pacificsun 37 months ago
one of my fav eps - so so funny:)

its on my DVR until the box crashes
DylanSelf 37 months ago
"Watch the cake sue for malpractice when Frank cuts into it."
Patsy 37 months ago
There was 5 episode of Frank's wedding reel.
tootsieg 37 months ago
Very interesting and the MeTV viewers are good detectives.
AgingDisgracefully 37 months ago
Don't confuse Mrs. B with the Jewish girl Frank claimed was, "...warm for his form."
JosephScarbrough 37 months ago
There were a number of scripts written during the first season that were never produced aside from the infamous "Hawkeye on the Double," one of which was called "Father Hawkeye Knows Best," in which Louise Burns visits the 4077th with their Indiana Congressman in tow, and the camp does its best to hide Frank's affair with Margaret from her - even going so far as to make it seem like it's Radar she's romantically involved with, and having Hawkeye pretend to be the camp Chaplain who's going to marry them. After all was said and done, the end of the script revealed that as the chopper was leaving with Louise and the Congressman that THEY were having an affair behind Frank's back all this time.
Lily JosephScarbrough 36 months ago
So at least some of that got recycled for 'Are You Now Margaret?'
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JHP 37 months ago
you bet a bullseye! Edward Winter is one of my fav bit-actors - I miss him:(
37 months ago
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JHP 37 months ago
10-4:)

he was so so great as Col Flagg - or the Italian Usher - his role was always to me a bright spot in the show
37 months ago
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JHP 37 months ago
you are 100% correct
"what about her?" (capt Pak) "shes my wife"
Alex21 37 months ago
Flagg was great. When Margaret goes missing (off base to deliver a baby), Flagg shows up with an over-the-top rescue plan (commandos, off-shore bombardment, etc.) Hawkeye says sarcastically: "Why don't you just drop an atomic bomb?" Flagg waves him off and says: "Hey. Don't try to make friends with me, pal."
mjjg 37 months ago
i tried to look her up in IMDB and the only credit was M*A*S*H. very strange. no bio either
texasluva mjjg 37 months ago
Yes. No bio. No information as to her life in general. Only a possible FB page I found below. Which also does not give much info as to her life, marriage, children, possible cities she has lived in or lives in today. Could be one Jeanne Schulherr Forbes. I found the High School I believe she graduated from (1966). This might be her FB page. Then again I am not even 50% sure. https://m.facebook.com/jeanne.forbes?id=1232029069&_rdr

Some do not want their info on the internet. Also in the other episodes her face is covered with a surgical mask. FB has a pic but I am still not sure it is her. There are probably 100 times more about you and I on the net then about her.
mjjg1163 texasluva 37 months ago
Thanks for the information. and your right there are some people like the late actress Greta Garbo who wanted to be alone.
MrsPhilHarris 37 months ago
Fun story. I wonder if it is Eldon Quick. 🤔
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texasluva MrsPhilHarris 37 months ago
Don't forget your watch
JHP MrsPhilHarris 37 months ago
I think the facial expression says it all

" you hold your end up around here you get your temp taken"
texasluva 37 months ago
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WordsmithWorks 37 months ago
Always liked the M*A*S*H* episodes that featured home movies (Radar, Frank, Henry and BJ). It felt like you were getting another dimension to the character.
LoveMETV22 37 months ago
Interesting story and different spin with the Reddit commentaries. Well there were a few good M*A*S*H clips anyways.
texasluva LoveMETV22 37 months ago

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JHP LoveMETV22 37 months ago
here is capt Pak - R.O.K

here is father mulcahy G.O.D - I could watch the "chosen people" at least 3 times a week and laugh so hard - "cheese and crackers!!!"
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37 months ago
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JHP 37 months ago
10-4 I understand or if you are german - verstehen
Zip 36 months ago
And the sun. It gives her the herpes.
JHP 36 months ago
and I think pretzels lay on her chest and she gets sick from eating too many chocolates
texasluva 37 months ago
I have done some research. I am not totally convinced this is her. Face book page. https://www.facebook.com/jeanne.forbes
She is or was Jeanne Schulherr Forbes. I did verify that she went to Fort Hunt High School (class of 1966) I found the school register and she indeed went there. Also studied at Old Dominion University. There is not much info as to where she lived or what she does other then what is on that FB page. It does show a cousin and friends. Only a guess.
MrsPhilHarris texasluva 37 months ago
Good detective work Texasluva. 🔎
cperrynaples 37 months ago
My theory: Eldon Quick became a transgender and Jeanne Shullerr was his alter ego...LOL!
cperrynaples 37 months ago
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JHP Wilbur88 37 months ago
who would ever thought the guy waving a flag at the olys would turn out....oh well

in the words of the Beatles "let it be"

OR in the words of the bible " do not judge lest ye be judged" (and am NOT white religious)
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