Hogan's Heroes FAQ (not recently modified, sorry)

[Cameron Kaiser]

** I haven't updated this in a few months, so I have a few changes to make,
but I'll repost it for the benefit of athh's new readers. If you have
already submitted corrections, please DON'T submit them again :-) **

"ACHTUNG!" -- THE HOGAN'S HEROES OFFICIAL FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS DOCUMENT
(mostly by default)

The FAQ-In-Progress is (C)1998-9 Cameron Kaiser. Permission granted to
distribute in any way, shape, or form, as long as all quotations are cited, it
is not distributed for monetary gain or other profit to the distributor, no
additions are made without the permission of the Author, and this copyright
message is not tampered with or deleted. All rights reserved.

CHANGES FROM THE LAST EDITION

* Minor cast bio updates.

INTRODUCTION TO THE TV SHOW

Unless you are a product of the American public school system, doubtless you
remember or at least know about World War II and the unspeakable horrors that
happened during those dark years from 1939 to 1945, particularly in Europe.
Unbelievably, a startlingly popular comedy wormed its way from this historical
tragedy, becoming one of the late 1960's most popular comedies and ensuring
a reputation worldwide, even in Germany.

"Would you believe that World War II was funny? I don't think many would.
However, when viewing 'Hogan's Heroes' once a week, as the majority of the
nation does, they sure present a convincing case. But then, what can you
expect when so many nuts are gathered in one concentration camp? They even
make the guards seem like nice guys!" -- Richard Oliver, on the TV show, from
the cast LP "Hogan's Heroes Sing The Best of World War II"

What proceeded from the fertile minds of creators Bernard Fein and Albert
Ruddy was no less than an audacious and extremely refreshing look at a period
in Europe long associated with darkness and misery. While some, and probably
justifiably so, condemned the show for trivializing the Holocaust and making
the Third Reich more out to be lovable dopes than the murderous horde portrayed
in most WW2 movies, the large majority of the nation warmed to the devilish
spirit of a ragtag bunch of POWs who had managed to convert their prison into
a mockery of Nazi Germany, baldly leading acts of sabotage and guile in such
a manner as to cause maximum embarrassment for their iron-skulled captors.

The show ran for six seasons from 1965 to 1971 pulling fantastic Nielsens.
Hogan's Heroes was such an unmitigated success on American television that it
rapidly moved to the international circuit, where it became, perplexingly
enough, a smash hit on German television as "Ein Kaefig voller Helden" (A
Cage Full of Heroes) -- although, to be sure, it has been rather significantly
revised (see OVERSEAS). The show appears in reruns and syndication worldwide.
With its charming characterization, truly creative plots and extremely unique
setting that despite the years passing never seems to grow *too* old to watch
again, Hogan's Heroes is verifiably a television classic.

SERIES PREMISE/CHARACTERS

Hogan's is based around the adventures of Stalag 13, a nondescript POW camp
set in the vicinity of a fictional German town Hammelburg (not the real town,
but rather near Duesseldorf) during the early 1940s (the pilot says 1942). Led
by Col. Robert Hogan, US Army Air Corps, a smooth talker with a fast mind and,
with the ladies, a fast hand, the Heroes ran an underground sabotage and
search and rescue unit literally under their captors' noses through an
elaborate and fantastic network of underground tunnels, portals and stations.

Hogan's band is wide and varied. We have Corporal LeBeau, ardent Frenchman and
excellent cook; Sergeant Carter, the dimwitted but friendly pyrotechnician,
always ready with his chemistry set; Corporal Newkirk, magician, sometime
thief and forger -- but a right cockney English RAF man for all that; and
Sergeant Kinchloe, Hogan's right hand man and radio operator. (Kinch was
replaced by Baker in the final year of the series.)

On the other side, Hogan manages to creatively bully and demean the clueless
Colonel Klink, the camp commandant, easily manipulated and always full of
his overblown perception of himself; and his soft-hearted and very suggestible
chief guard, Sergeant Schultz, who can be gently persuaded with a little
cash, maybe a candy bar, and, of course, a big helping of LeBeau's strudel.
Klink's immediate superior, General Burkhalter, would like nothing better than
to have Klink removed, except that in order to keep themselves in business the
Heroes have to make sure that Klink never leaves -- so they ensure that he
has a perfect record of no successful escapes from Stalag 13. Of course, all
the goings on around Stalag 13 attracts no small amount of attention, and in
particular the interest of one Gestapo Major Hochstetter, who despite all his
best efforts can never uncover Hogan's little secret.

In between Hogan stealing kisses from Klink's secretaries Helga and (later)
Hilda, the Heroes lead raids on nearby war plants, help fellow prisoners from
other camps to escape with the help of a submarine secretly offshore, transmit
messages to and from the Allied High Command and the Underground, keep Klink
out of trouble from the Luftwaffe brass' Russian Front campaign (as well as
Burkhalter's desperate widowed sister Gertrude) and do everything in their
power to confound and demoralize the German war effort. In the process, they
meet a rogue's gallery of other spies, including the daffy English commando
RAF Col. Crittendon, the desultory Italian Major Bonacelli, beautiful and
strong-willed French Resistance member Tiger, gruff veterinarian and
Underground sympathizer Schnitzer, and, last but not least, the sultry and not
entirely effective White Russian spy Marya.

CAST
presented in order of show credits

First, a summary, and then the full biographies follow:

Bob Crane ............... Col. Robert Hogan
Werner Klemperer ........ Col. Wilhelm Klink
John Banner ............. Sgt. Hans Schultz
Robert Clary ............ Corporal Louis LeBeau
Richard Dawson .......... Corporal Peter Newkirk
Ivan Dixon .............. Sgt. James Kinchloe (1965-1970)
Larry Hovis ............. Sergeant Andrew Carter
Kenneth Washington ...... Sgt. Richard Baker (1970-1971)

Cynthia Lynn ............ Helga (1965-1966)
Sigrid Valdis ........... Hilda (1966-1970)
Leon Askin .............. General Albert Burkhalter
Howard Caine ............ Maj. Wolfgang Hochstetter (1967-1971)

Bob Crane (Col. Robert Hogan), born 13 July 1928, was as colourful off the
screen as he was on it. Born in Waterbury, Connecticut, Crane had a number
of varied jobs, running from disk jockey to game-show stooge. During his
stint at Los Angeles radio station KNX in the 1960s, Crane got himself in
deep water when he played a sound of someone coughing over a cigarette
commercial. Presumably the sponsor was not amused. Crane spent some time on
the Donna Reed Show as "Dr. David Kelsey" (1963-1965), which flowed right into
his role as Hogan, and the fame the successful series brought him enabled Crane
to guest-star on several other shows, including The Smothers Brothers Comedy
Hour and The John Gary Show. Crane was also married to "Heroes" co-star Sigrid
Valdis ("Hilda"), a marriage that exposed Crane's darker nature. In their
divorce papers, Valdis cited that Crane would not take their son for treatment
after he broke his arm, and that he was a devotee of amateur porno flicks, some
of which he starred in. Crane's death was violent and sudden. On 29 June 1978,
police found Crane beaten and strangled in his Scottsdale, Arizona hotel room.
At the time, Crane had been performing in a cheap theatrical production at
the Windmill Dinner Theatre. Crane's face had nearly been beaten off, possibly
by a crowbar or some sort of tripod, and a video cable had been wrapped around
his neck. Police also discovered some 50 amateur porn movies in the room, most
of them featuring Crane and various women he worked with, including
prostitutes. Crane's associate, John Carpenter, was suspected of the crime,
allegedly because Crane withheld Carpenter's supply of women, but the case has
never been resolved, even after DNA evidence found in the 1990's reopened the
file. Crane is buried at Oakwood Memorial Park in Chatsworth, California.

** The murder of Bob Crane is an issue of its own, and therefore has a special
place in this FAQ. Read on.

Werner Klemperer (Col. Wilhelm Klink) was born in Koeln, Germany on 20 March
1920 as the son of renowned conductor Otto Klemperer. Contrary to the way
Klink plays fiddle, the younger Klemperer is a very accomplished musician,
conducting the Buffalo (New York) Orchestra after emigrating to the United
States when the Nazi party came to power. Ironically, and like so many of the
European actors who played the Nazis on "Heroes", Klemperer has Jewish
background but because of his accent found himself playing prominent Nazis in
docudramas and movies (appearing with John Banner ("Schultz") in 1961 as Adolf
Eichmann in "Operation Eichmann"). Klemperer was initially wary of the role
as Wilhelm Klink, informing the producers that if Klink's schemes succeeded
in any one episode, he would leave the series; his stance lightened somewhat
after he was informed the show was a comedy. Klemperer also appeared in
"The Wicked Dreams of Paula Schultz" (!) (1968), with Bob Crane and John
Banner, "Judgement at Nuremberg" (1961) and "Escape from East Berlin" (1964),
and also apparently had a role in the famous black comedy "Dr. Strangelove".
More recently, Klemperer has appeared on "Politically Incorrect" and "Law
and Order", and has been heard as host for a PBS classical music radio show.

John Banner (Sgt. Hans Schultz) was probably the single most popular actor on
the show. Born in Wien (Vienna), Austria 28 January 1910, Banner was another
"Heroes" actor of Jewish descent who fled Europe when Hitler loomed on the
horizon. Despite the unassuming role, Banner was a distinguished actor,
studying classical theatre at the famous Burgschauspielschule (roughly,
School of Theatre and Plays) in his home country. Banner's first US role was as
-- you guessed it -- a Nazi in WWII propaganda film "Seven Miles From
Alcatraz" (1942), and played opposite Werner Klemperer as war criminal Rudolf
Hess in "Operation Eichmann" (1961), as well as with Bob Crane and Klemperer
in the totally coincidentally (?) named flop movie "The Wicked Dreams of
Paula Schultz" (1968). Schultz wasn't the only sergeant role Banner played;
he also appeared in "36 Hours" (1964), directed by Charles Seaton. Of course,
he was in the German army. After "Heroes" ended, Banner continued briefly in
television as Dean Jones' goofy Uncle Latzi in the CBS sitcom "The Chicago
Teddy Bears" (1971) which ran only for a few episodes. Banner died of abdominal
hemorrhage, no doubt compounded by his considerable weight, on his birthday,
1973.

Robert Clary (Cpl. Louis LeBeau), born Robert Widerman in Paris 1 March 1926,
was another persecuted actor of Jewish descent to find his way to Stalag 13
(Clary actually spent time in a concentration camp). Becoming a singing star
in France after the war ended, Clary was invited to appear on the Ed Wynn
Show in 1950 to promote his English recording of "Johnny Get Your Girl" (1949).
Since Clary was still learning English, his skit roles were largely in French.
Clary's resume consists not only of his cooking experience (Clary was in fact
educated as a chef, not as an actor, so Schultz really was getting a good
thing :-), but also a lot of soap operas ("Robert LeClair" in Days of Our Lives
from 1972-73, 75-80 and 81-83; and "The Bold and the Beautiful" during the
1990s). Clary also appeared in several movies, including "A New Kind of Love"
(1963), "Thief of Damascus" (1952), "The Hindenburg" (1975) and "Remembrance of
Love" (TV, 1982). Clary has recently resumed his recording career, having
made two new CDs within the last year. To order them, follow this link:
http://members.aol.com/hogansfan/books.htm

Richard Dawson (Cpl. Peter Newkirk), forever doomed to be the host of Family
Feud, was born in Hampshire, England, on 20 November 1932. At one time married
to English actress Diana Dors, Dawson's role as Newkirk was actually not the
highlight of his career. After "Heroes", Dawson became MC for "Masquerade
Party" (1974-75) and then "Family Feud" (1976-85, 94-95), the role for which
he will be forever associated. Dawson in fact did a fantastic parody of himself
as scummy gameshow host Damon Killian in 1987's Schwarzenegger vehicle "The
Running Man", and had TV appearances on "Laugh-In" (1971-73), "The New Dick
Van Dyke Show" (1973-74) and in the TV feature "How to Pick Up Girls!" (1978).
Dawson picked up an apparently well-deserved reputation as a jerk; for example,
Monty Hall was quoted as saying "he has an ego that's gone wild. He goes out,
he does his W.C. Fields number. The camera is rolling. They have to edit
it all out. That's arrogance." as quoted in TV Guide 21 January 1984, which
further notes he "refused to be interviewed for this article unless he could be
guaranteed his picture would be on the cover. Not with his colleagues [ Pat
Sajak, Monty Hall, Bob Barker, Jack Barry, Bill Cullen and Wink Martindale were
on the cover ], but alone."

Ivan Dixon (Sgt. James Kinchloe) was noted as one of the first black actors
to star as a regular in an American TV show (along with his contemporary,
Greg Morris, on Bruce Geller's Mission: Impossible). Born in New York City 6
April 1931, Dixon had formidable acting credits even before appearing as
Kinchloe, including "A Raisin In The Sun" with Ruby Dee and Sidney Poitier
(1961) as Asagai, Jim in "Porgy and Bess" (1959), and Duff in the acclaimed
drama "Nothing But a Man" (1964). Dixon left "Heroes" in 1970 before its final
season and his character was replaced with Sgt. Baker (Kenneth Washington).
After the series, Dixon continued to appear in various film productions, like
"Clay Pigeon" (1961) and "Fer-de-Lance" (1974), and in TV movie showings in
"Amerika" (1987) and "Perry Mason: The Case of the Shooting Star" (1986).
Dixon, however, became better known as a director, which he has announced
publicly he wishes to focus on.

Larry Hovis (Sgt. Andrew Carter), born 20 February 1936 in Wapito, Washington,
wasn't even supposed to be a permanent member of the cast. In the B&W pilot,
Hovis appears as a guest star under an apparently temporary basis, and even
has writing credits. Nevertheless, the part stuck, but it wasn't Hovis' first
appearance in the military (Larry in "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.", 1964). Better
known as a writer and producer, Hovis wrote for early episodes of "Laugh-In"
(appearing as a regular in 1968 and 1971-72), and appeared as a panelist in
"The Liar's Club" (1976-78) which he also produced. Hovis also made several
stage appearances, most notably as "Melvin P. Thorpe", crusading moral
killjoy, in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas during the 1970s. Hovis is
now a drama professor at Southwest Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas,
after his 1992 ouster as producer from FOX's "Totally Hidden Video" over
charges that some sequences were rigged, not candid.

Kenneth Washington (Sgt. Richard Baker) continued Hogan's removal of the colour
barrier after the departure of Ivan Dixon. Washington, a relatively obscure
actor, had occasional guest starring roles during the 1960s and 1970s ("Star
Trek", "The Rockford Files", "I Dream of Jeannie"), appeared in "Westworld"
(1973) as a programmer, and appeared most recently in the TV movie "J. Edgar
Hoover" (1987) as James Crawford.

GUEST STARS
in order of frequency of appearance

While listed here as guest stars, the distinction is hazy because most were
practically regulars. However, as they were not shown in the opening
credits, they are listed here separately.

Leon Askin (Gen. Albert Burkhalter) made so many appearances on the show
that he ought to have been made a regular. Born Lion Aschkenazy in Wien,
Austria in 1907, Askin, an ethnic and practicing Jew, fled to the US in 1940.
Askin's parents did not make the trip with him; they were one of the
Holocaust casualties. Nevertheless, the character of the exasperated Burkhalter
became indelibly liked with Askin, despite the fact that he starred in over
70 other films during his venerable career, among them "Young Frankenstein"
(1974) and "One, Two, Three" (1961). Askin returned to Austria in 1994, where
he lives in a retirement home and continues with various stage and movie
projects.

Sigrid Valdis (Hilda), the stage name for actress Patti Olsen, was a series
regular from second season on, but always seemed to appear in the guest star
listing. Valdis was born in 1941, and was married to Bob Crane, as mentioned
in Crane's biography. The role of Hilda was Valdis' only well-known feature,
as she stopped appearing in films and in fact entirely quit the acting
business after her work on Hogan's Heroes. This was no doubt affected by the
circumstances surrounding her marriage to Crane.

Howard Caine (Major Wolfgang Hochstetter) was born Howard Cohen 2 January 1926
in Nashville, Tennessee. Like costars Klemperer, Askin and Clary, Caine was
also Jewish. At the age of thirteen, he moved with his family to New York City
where he began to study acting, going on to become a master of some 32 foreign
and American accents. After a brief hiatus in the Navy during the Second World
War, he graduated summa cum laude from Columbia University and was featured
most prominently as "Mr. Applegate" in Damn Yankees after Ray Walston left.
Naturally, the irascible Hochstetter was Caine's most enduring role. Caine was
also noted as a musician and was featured in many San Diego and Southern
California-area venues as a folk guitarist, winning nearly thirty trophies for
banjo and fiddle. Caine died 28 December 1993.

Cynthia Lynn (Helga) appeared in the first season, but made occasional
guest star appearances after that. Lynn also appeared in "Mission: Impossible"
as a guest star, and in the feature film "Bedtime Story" (1964) as Frieda.

OTHER GUEST STARS OF NOTE

Bernard Fox (Col. Crittendon) played the role of the daffy RAF twit to
perfection in his four appearences on the show. Born in the 1920s, Fox got his
start in UK sitcoms, most notably "Three Live Wires" (1961) with Michael
Medwin, and later appearing as Dr. Bombay in "Bewitched". Fox also made
feature film "vocal appearances" in "The Rescuers" (as the Chairmouse) and
its Australian sequel, "The Rescuers Down Under" (both Disney animated films).
Fox most recently appeared on "Murder, She Wrote" and also in "Titanic" as
Col. Archibald Gracie.

Nita Talbot (Marya), born 30 August 1930 in New York, played the only
recurring Russian character on the show (not an unexpected omission given the
series' lack of real historical emphasis). Talbot appeared as a guest star in
other shows, including "Perry Mason" and "Apartment 4-D", and more recently in
"The Scarecrow and Mrs. King", but worked up quite a reputation for herself
as a horror film star ("Puppet Master II" and "Amityville 1992", most
recently).

Arlene Martel (Tiger) appeared in other contemporary series, including
"Mannix", "Mission: Impossible", "Star Trek", "The Monkees", "I Dream of
Jeannie" and "Perry Mason", all as guest stars. Tiger was her only major
recurring role in television, but Martel continues to appear in productions,
most recently in "Everyone Says I Love You" (1996). Martel is sometimes
credited as Arline Sax.

Kathleen Freeman (Gertrude Linkmeier), born 17 February 1919, played Klink's
thwarted love interest in at least three episodes as Burkhalter's unwillingly
widowed sister in perpetual denial. Freeman's career didn't start until she
was over 40, but her star power continued steadily in numerous guest star
roles ("I Dream of Jeannie", "Cannon") and even today in contemporary series
("Married ... With Children", "Roseanne") and feature films ("Hercules" and
"Blues Brothers 2000").

Walter Janovitz (Schnitzer) was a common minor star on the show, appearing
even in the very first episode and even through the sixth and final year of
the series. Sometimes credited as Walter Janowitz, his most recent appearance
was a minor role in "Jekyll and Hyde Together Again" (1982), but he was
most noted for his role on Hogan's.

Jon Cedar, the hapless stooge Corporal Langenscheidt (although Cedar did
appear in other roles, Allied and Nazi; one memorable one was his appearance
as underground leader and female impersonator Oskar Danzig in "That's No
Lady, That's My Spy" [6th season]), played minor dope to Schultz's big dope
over the show's entire run. Cedar is well-known as a TV actor, appearing
most recently in the TV miniseries "Asteroid" (1997) as General Smith.

Hans Conried (the first Major Bonacelli), born Frank Foster Conried 15
April 1917 in Baltimore, Maryland, studied at Columbia University and played
many classical roles in the theatre, as well as being well known as a guest
star during the '60s and '70s and starring in some 70 feature films from 1929
to 1980. He died 5 January 1982. Interestingly, Conried was not the person
the role was intended for; in the second appearance of Bonacelli, Conried was
replaced by the role's original intendant, Vito Scotti. Scotti, born 26 January
1918 in San Francisco, was another prolific television and movie star with
nearly 50 films to his credit (most recently "Get Shorty" [1995]). Scotti died
5 June 1996.

Some frequent and now very well known guest stars also include Gavin McCloud
(as a Nazi general), Felice Orlandi (usually as a rebel in the underground),
James B. Sikking ("Hercules"), Harold Gould (another general), John Hoyt
(almost always a Nazi general as well), Victoria Carroll (usually as an
underground agent), Alan Oppenheimer (excelled at haughty types, both Nazi and
Allied "Major Buckles"), John Crawford (Gestapo or SS), Ulla Stromstedt (German
femme fatale), Marj Dusay (femme fatale, usually underground but did play
Nazi once), Henry Corden ("The Blue Baron", as well as other roles), Paul
Lambert (always Nazi [except once], usually Gestapo, sometimes ranking
Luftwaffe), and Dave Morick (usually Nazi guard types).

EPISODES LIST

* First episode: "The Informer", 15 September 1965
* Last episode: "Rockets or Romance", 4 April 1971

Full list follows [ complete annotations to follow ], with air date and
notable guest stars.

Season One (1965-6)

9/17 #1-The Informer (Noam Pitlik, Leon Askin) -- see THE PILOT
9/24 #2-Hold That Tiger
10/1 #3-Commandant of the Year
10/8 #4-The Late Inspector General
10/15 #5-The Flight of the Valkyrie (Bernard Fox)
10/22 #6-The Prisoner's Prisoner
10/29 #7-German Bridge Is Falling Down
11/5 #8-Movies Are Your Best Escape
11/12 #9-Go Light on the Heavy Water
11/19 #10-Top Hat, White Tie and Bomb Sight (Sigrid Valdis first appearance)
11/26 #11-Happiness Is a Warm Sergeant
12/3 #12-The Scientist (Maurice Marsac)
12/10 #13-Hogan's Hofbrau
12/17 #14-Oil for the Lamps of Hogan (Leon Askin)
12/24 #15-Reservations Are Required
12/31 #16-Anchors Aweigh, Men of Stalag 13
1/7/66 #17-Happy Birthday, Adolf (Howard Caine first appearance)
1/14 #18-The Gold Rush
1/21 #19-Hello, Zolle
1/28 #20-It Takes a Thief ... Sometimes
2/4 #21-The Great Impersonation
2/11 #22-The Pizza Parlor (Hans Conried)
2/25 #23-The 43rd, A Moving Story
3/4 #24-How to Cook a German Goose by Radar
3/11 #25-Psychic Commandant
3/18 #26-The Prince From the Phone Company (Ivan Dixon dual role)
3/25 #27-The Safe Cracker Suite
4/1 #28-I Look Better in Basic Black
4/8 #29-The Assassin
4/15 #30-Cupid Comes to Stalag 13 (Kathleen Freeman)
4/22 #31-The Flame Grows Higher
4/29 #32-Request Permission to Escape

Season Two (1966-7)

9/16 #33-Hogan Gives a Birthday Party (James Gregory)
9/23 #34-The Schultz Brigade
9/30 #35-Diamonds in the Rough (Paul Lambert)
10/7 #36-Operation Briefcase
10/14 #37-The Battle of Stalag 13
10/21 #38-The Rise and Fall of Sergeant Schultz
10/28 #39-Hogan's Springs
11/4 #40-A Klink, a Bomb and a Short Fuse
11/11 #41-Tanks for the Memory
11/18 #42-The Tiger Hunt - Part 1 (Arlene Martel)
11/25 #43-The Tiger Hunt - Part 2
12/2 #44-Will the Real Adolf Please Stand Up
12/9 #45-Don't Forget to Write
12/16 #46-The General Swap
12/23 #47-Information Please
12/30 #48-Art for Hogan's Sake
1/6/67 #49-Klink's Rocket (Harold Gould)
1/13 #50-The Great Brinksmeyer Robbery
1/20 #51-Praise the Fuehrer and Pass the Ammunition
1/27 #52-Hogan and the Lady Doctor (Ruta Lee)
2/3 #53-The Swing Shift (Hal Smith)
2/10 #54-Heil Klink (John Banner dual role, Howard Caine [first time as
Hochstetter])
2/17 #55-Killer Klink
2/24 #56-Everyone Has a Brother-In-Law
3/3 #57-Reverend Commandant Klink (Felice Orlandi)
3/10 #58-The Most Escape-Proof Prison Camp I've Ever Escaped From
3/17 #59-The Tower
3/24 #60-Colonel Klink's Secret Weapon (James B. Sikking)
3/31 #61-The Top Secret Top Coat
4/7 #62-The Reluctant Target

Season Three (1967-8)

9/9 #63-The Crittendon Plan (Bernard Fox)
9/16 #64-Some of Their Planes Are Missing (Leon Askin)
9/23 #65-D-Day at Stalag 13 (John Hoyt, Harold Gould)
9/30 #66-Sergeant Schultz Meets Mata Hari
10/7 #67-Funny Thing Happened on the Way to London
10/14 #68-Casanova Klink (Kathleen Freeman)
10/21 #69-How to Win Friends and Influence Nazis (Karl Swenson)
10/28 #70-Nights in Shining Armor (Felice Orlandi)
11/4 #71-Hot Money (Jon Cedar)
11/11 #72-Drums Along the Dusseldorf
11/18 #73-Is General Hammerschlag Burning? (Paul Lambert, Barbara McNair)
11/25 #74-One in Every Crowd
12/2 #75-A Russian Is Coming
12/9 #76-Evening of the Generals
12/16 #77-Everybody Loves a Snowman (Howard Caine)
12/23 #78-The Hostage (Nita Talbot)
12/30 #79-Carter Turns Traitor (Antoinette Bower)
1/6/68 #80-Two Nazis for the Price of One
1/13 #81-Is There a Doctor in the House?
1/20 #82-Hogan, Go Home (Bernard Fox)
1/27 #83-Sticky Wicket Newkirk (Ulla Stromstedt)
2/3 #84-War Takes a Holiday (Frank Marth, Howard Caine)
2/10 #85-Duel of Honor (Antoinette Bower)
2/17 #86-Axis Annie
2/24 #87-What Time Does the Balloon Go Up?
3/2 #88-LeBeau and the Little Old Lady
3/9 #89-How to Escape From a Prison Camp Without Really Trying
3/16 #90-The Collector General (Gavin McCleod)
3/23 #91-The Ultimate Weapon
3/30 #92-Monkey Business

Season Four (1968-9)

9/28 #93-Clearance Sale at the Black Market
10/5 #94-Klink vs. the Gonculator
10/12 #95-How to Catch a Papa Bear (Alan Oppenheimer)
10/19 #96-Hogan's Trucking Service ... We Deliver the Factory to You (Bernard
Fox)
10/26 #97-To the Gestapo With Love
11/2 #98-Man's Best Friend Is Not His Dog
11/9 #99-Never Play Cards With Strangers
11/16 #100-Color the Luftwaffe Red
11/23 #101-Guess Who Came to Dinner?
11/30 #102-No Names Please (Howard Caine)
12/7 #103-Bad Day in Berlin
12/14 #104-Will the Blue Baron Strike Again? (Henry Corden)
12/21 #105-Will the Real Colonel Klink Please Stand Against the Wall?
12/28 #106-Man in a Box (Howard Caine, John Crawford [unbilled])
1/4/69 #107-The Missing Klink (Leon Askin, Howard Caine)
1/11 #108-Who Stole My Copy of Mein Kampf? (Ruta Lee, Alan Oppenheimer)
1/18 #109-Operation Hannibal
1/25 #110-My Favorite Prisoner (Marj Dusay, Howard Caine, John Orchard)
2/1 #111-Watch the Trains Go By (Kathleen Freeman)
2/8 #112-Klink's Old Flame
2/15 #113-Up in Klink's Room (Henry Corden)
2/22 #114-The Witness (Nita Talbot, Gavin McCleod, Larry D. Mann, Howard Caine)
3/1 #115-The Purchasing Plan
3/8 #116-The Big Dish (Paul Lambert)
3/15 #117-The Return of Major Bonacelli (Vito Scotti)
3/22 #118-Happy Birthday, Dear Hogan

Season Five (1969-70)

9/26 #119-Hogan Goes Hollywood (Alan Oppenheimer, Leon Askin)
10/3 #120-The Well
10/10 #121-The Klink Commandos
10/17 #122-The Gasoline War (Marianna Hill)
10/24 #123-Unfair Exchange (Kathleen Freeman)
10/31 #124-The Commandant Dies at Dawn
11/7 #125-Bombsight
11/14 #126-The Big Picture
11/21 #127-The Big Gamble
11/28 #128-The Defector
12/5 #129-The Empty Parachute
12/12 #130-The Antique (Leon Askin)
12/19 #131-Is There a Traitor in the House?
12/26 #132-At Last--Schultz Knows Something
1/2/70 #133-How's the Weather?
1/9 #134-Gowns by Yvette
1/16 #135-Get Fit or Go Fight
1/23 #136-Fat Hermann, Go Home (Nita Talbot)
1/30 #137-The Softer They Fall
2/13 #138-One Army at a Time (Dave Morick)
2/20 #139-Standing Room Only (Noam Pitlik)
2/27 #140-Six Lessons From Madame LaGrange (Howard Caine, Marlyn Mason, Leon
Askin)
3/6 #141-The Sergeant's Analyst (Leon Askin)
3/13 #142-The Merry Widow (Marj Dusay)
3/20 #143-Crittendon's Commandos (Bernard Fox)
3/27 #144-Klink's Escape

Season Six (1970-1)

9/20 #145-Cuisine a la Stalag 13 (John Hoyt)
9/27 #146-The Experts (Noam Pitlik, Barbara Babcock)
10/4 #147-Klink's Masterpiece (Victoria Carroll)
10/11 #148-Lady Chitterly's Lover, Part 1 (Harold Gould, Anne Rogers,
Howard Caine, Bernard Fox dual role)
10/18 #149-Lady Chitterly's Lover, Part 2
10/25 #150-The Gestapo Takeover
11/1 #151-Commandant Schultz (Leon Askin)
11/8 #152-Eight O'Clock and All Is Well (Monte Markham)
11/15 #153-The Big Record
11/22 #154-It's Dynamite (Howard Caine)
11/29 #155-Operation Tiger (Frank Marth, Arlene Martel)
12/6 #156-The Big Broadcast (Howard Caine, John Crawford)
12/13 #157-The Gypsy
12/20 #158-The Dropouts
12/27 #159-Easy Come, Easy Go (George Gaynes, Paul Lambert, Leon Askin)
1/10/71 #160-The Meister Spy (Alan Bergmann, Oscar Beregi, Dave Morick)
1/17 #161-That's No Lady, That's My Spy (Jon Cedar)
1/24 #162-To Russia Without Love (Nita Talbot, Henry Corden)
1/31 #163-Klink for the Defense (Sandy Kenyon, Howard Caine, Leon Askin)
2/7 #164-The Kamikazes Are Coming
2/21 #165-Commandant Gertrude (Kathleen Freeman, Lee Bergere)
2/28 #166-Look at the Pretty Snowflakes
3/7 #167-Hogan's Double Life (John Hoyt, Malachi Throne)
4/4 #168-Rockets or Romance (Marlyn Mason)

WATCHING IT ON TV

TV Land regularly airs Hogan's heroes at 8pm PST/11pm EST weekdays, and also
at other varying times. For the most current schedule, please see your cable
listings for time and channel, or visit

http://www.tvland.com/

The German version ("Ein Kaefig voller Helden") airs on Kabel 1. For current
showtimes see

http://www.tvtoday.de/
http://www.cps.unizar.es/~josean/tv/

How about local listings, anybody?

WATCHING IT ON VIDEO

Hogan's Heroes is readily available in 4 episode sets from Columbia House reTV
(with S/H, approximately US$25 per tape). Quality is excellent. You may order
your subscription from

http://www.columbiahouse.com/

CBS/FOX Video has also released four? two-episode sets of Hogan's which can
be purchased from your local video store. They retail for US$19.95.

THE BIG QUESTION LIST

* What of the Hogan's Heroes movie?

Considering the treatment shows like "The Avengers" and "Mission: Impossible"
have taken from their uneven film conversions, Hogan's fans should be
grateful that the movie appears stalled. Paramount, which had had ideas of
converting Hogan's to the silver screen, originally talked to actor Mel
Gibson and his Icon Productions company (run with associate Bruce Davey)
to produce and star (presumably as Col. Hogan) in the movie, but
Gibson eventually declined. A feature had been considered by rival studio
Warner Bros. using a script by screenwriter Peter Doyle, but Warners' option
lapsed, leaving the project to Paramount.

* Why did Ivan Dixon leave the show?

No one knows for sure, and the people who would know (i.e. Bing Crosby
Productions and Mr. Dixon himself) haven't said anything. It is the opinion
of this writer that the role of Kinchloe didn't offer Dixon the depth in
roles he expected. Certainly his contemporary Greg Morris on "Mission:
Impossible" was more integral to the plot (indeed essential), while the
character of Kinchloe was significantly more disposable. Whatever the
reasoning, the breakup appears to have been amicable.

* What's Kinch's name, really?

Kinchloe was always rendered "James" in the scripts, but actress Barbara
McNair in "Is General Hammerslag Burning?" apparently by mistake used Dixon's
real name during a take -- and it was never edited out, hence the confusion.

* Hey, where's all the black and white episodes?

Believe it or not, only the pilot was filmed in black-and-white. All the
future episodes, from #2 on, are all colour. TV Land is airing the complete
set, and the "missing B&W episodes" are no doubt a result of easily deluded
people watching colour shows on a B&W set. :-)

* I saw Howard Caine on the show, and he wasn't a Gestapo agent!

Yes, Caine made several appearances in the show before assuming his role
as everyone's favourite slavering thug, his first in episode 17. Don't worry,
he was always a Nazi in some form. Specifically, his roles were Major Keitel
(Luftwaffe) and Colonel Feldkamp (Gestapo).

* What's Tiger's real name?

The actress is Arlene Martel, but Tiger's real name is Marie Louise Monet.
(Accent on the o, but this is a 7-bit FAQ. :-)

* Isn't this show suspiciously like "Stalag 17"?

The producers of "Stalag 17", the Billy Wilder drama, thought so too, and
sued the producers of Hogan's. Admittedly, the similarities are obvious, and
most egregious of them all is Schultz, who (except for a slight personality
adjustment) made the translation virtually intact, 300 pounds and all. The
movie is highly recommended, especially Otto Preminger as a much more menacing
Kommandant Klink and a young Peter Graves in one of his first feature roles.

Eva Seifert adds:
"Except that the lawsuit was dropped and nothing came of it. The ones who
should have sued were the writers of an NBC pilot about an Italian POW camp.
The writers of HH freely admitted they used the idea. HH had been originally
set in a prison." In fact, the character of Major Bonacelli may have originated
from that same prison show (that, by the way, never did air); Vito Scotti, the
original Bonacelli (who played him in his second outing) appeared in it.

* Did John Banner really weigh 300 pounds?

Again, pure speculation, but some sources put his weight at well into the
300 pound range. Or, to quote Kinchloe who had to take his measurements, "This
is going to have to continued on the next tape measure!"

* Why was Cynthia Lynn replaced? I thought she was good!

A straw poll of guys on a.t.h-h agree with you (of course we're evaluating
her acting abilities! :-). Seriously, this is another unanswered question,
especially since Lynn made occasional guest star appearances after her
departure. Reports circulate that Crane may have had a relationship with Lynn
as well, and this may have lead to her leaving the show, but Eva Seifert says
that Lynn "denied that there was anything between her and Crane. Though she
admits her then husband didn't like her working as an actress. Sigrid [Valdis]
was pretty much targeted by Crane as Helga's replacement after her first
appearance on the show in Top Hat, White Tie, etc. Though I don't know
if Hilda would have shown up if Cynthia didn't leave. Brenda [Scott Royce] kind
of implies that Crane wanted Sigrid in and Cynthia out."

* Was Carter really a lieutenant in the pilot?

Yes. Evidently he must have offended the administration. See THE PILOT.

* Did Newkirk really impersonate Churchhill?

Yes, for a fake radio broadcast. Newkirk also "played" various Nazis, mostly
generic Luftwaffe (but he did get to be "Hitler"'s [Carter] personal
assistant in front of a horrified Alan Bergmann and also impersonated Himmler).
Kinchloe also did Hitler, but only Carter got to wear the mustache (Carter
for his part generally ended up as either bombastic types (Von Schlumm in
"Lady Chitterley's Lover") or dopes, playing to character). Even Hogan did a
few voices. Only LeBeau, no doubt for realism (ha!) reasons, never did any
voice impressions.

* Hogan's sure liked the dual role plots!

They must have, because they did at least three, where Bernard Fox, Ivan Dixon
and John Banner got to play dual roles. The most notable is by far Fox's, in
the second of the series' two two-part episodes ("Lady Chitterley's Lover")
where he plays both the addled Crittendon and the equally addled Lord
Chitterley ("Beastwy bowr, being a fascist!") opposite one baffled Harold
Gould.

Note: don't confuse the episodes where Carter is playing someone else, for
example, as dual role. These episodes specifically refer to those where one
of the actors is actually playing not only his/her regular character, but
also a separate, unrelated one, simultaneously.

* Was the set really used for a porn movie?

Yes (not one of Bob Crane's, thank goodness). The movie was "Ilsa: She Wolf
of the SS" (1974), one of the notorious "Ilsa" series, starring porn queen
Dyanne Thomas as a sex-crazed camp commandant. Filmed in the mid-late '70s,
the three movies became cult favourites in the underground movie scene and
were banned in the United Kingdom because of the subject matter.

* Does the set still exist?

Sadly, no. Archbishop Dave indicates that the set is destroyed by the end
of "She Wolf", above (well, *I* haven't watched it :-); whether this is just
a special effect or the set really burning is unclear, but the fact is that
the Hogan's set is no longer on the Paramount lot. Paramount is not noted for
keeping things around long; the "Star Trek: Next Generation" bridge was very
quickly sold and hustled off the studio premises when that series folded.

* Where can I get a Hogan's Heroes theme for my Windows desktop?

According to Joxette:
"Go to http://www.themez.com/ . [They] have a whole HH theme for Windows,
although using the swastika for the 'My Computer' icon was freaking me out so I
changed it. The Recycle Bin is cute though, and so is the working icon."

* What's Frau Linkmeier's husband's name? Did he ever return?

Otto, and no. Unfortunately for Klink.

THE MURDER OF BOB CRANE

** WARNING: This section is a little graphic, so the squeamish are gently
** instructed to skip a few pages forward at this point.

This is a topic of some lurid fascination, and has been given its own section
because of this dubious distinction.

The morbidly curious are referred to "The Murder of Bob Crane" (Robert
Graysmith, author), now out of print but possibly available in remaindered
bookshops and as of this writing from Barnes and Noble. Another, more
bombastic description of the incident appears in Zone Production's "Psycho
Killers Celebrity Stalker Special" #1.

Crane's death is also explored in an A&E Investigative Reports special, which
included photographs from the crime scene and even some clips from Crane's
infamous movie archives (strategically clipped and blurred for television).
This special is re-run at sporadic intervals; Investigative Reports normally
airs 10pm PST on A&E. Check your cable listings for times in your area and
local channel. E! has its own spin on the sordid tale in "Bob Crane True
Hollywood Stories". Check your cable listings for time and channel.

As was stated in Crane's bio entry, he was found dead in his hotel room,
beaten and strangled. Police suspected companion John Carpenter of the crime,
but found inadequate evidence to convict, even when new evidence came to
the fore in the 1990s.

A review of the evidence:

* A bloody tripod and a video cable were the apparent weapons. The theory is
based on the observation that there were two cameras, but only one tripod
between them.

* The pattern of blood splattered on the walls in Crane's hotel room indicated
that Crane had been struck at an angle difficult for a woman to do, so the
murderer was most likely male. (It also shows that Crane was probably dead
after he was beaten with the tripod. Why he was also strangled is uncertain.)

* Blood found in Carpenter's rented car matched Crane's blood type. However, it
matched neither Carpenter's nor the previous rentor of the vehicle's.

* Crane and Carpenter were known to have had a stormy fight shortly before (a
day or so). Breaking off the friendship would mean that Carpenter would no
longer have access to Crane's women. Videotaped sexual encounters show
Carpenter, Crane and various women engaged in threesomes, so Carpenter's
link to Crane's kinky habits is verifiable.

* Carpenter was reported in Crane's apartment building the day the body was
discovered.

* Carpenter was known to have called Crane's son, Bob Crane Jr., a day or so
before. Crane, Jr. considered the phone call unusual because Carpenter only
called him when looking for Crane, Sr.

* Body fluids at the scene (specifically semen) point to Carpenter. This was
part of the evidence cited when the case was resurrected.

It is worth noting here that the case is used as an example murder at the FBI
Academy, and while Carpenter can't be tried again (double jeopardy), Carpenter
was "found guilty" in academic analysis. More specifically, according to
Archbishop Dave, "he was acquitted of the murder. He had never been tried,
because the Scottsdale Police didn't have enough evidence for a District
Attorney to feel comfortable taking it to trial. Finally, some DA tried
the case and of course, they couldn't pin Carpenter. So it's officially
still open and ... Carpenter can't be retried."

The wife angle (i.e. that Valdis killed Crane) is generally considered a long
shot. First, it doesn't look like she would have been capable of the blow
required to kill Crane with the tripod (the angle, and then the force required)
being a woman of only small to medium build. Second, while her alibi is not
really air-tight, she was not in a convenient position to murder him either.
There are some apocryphal reports of a blond woman at the scene (reported
in A&E's special) but they are not well-investigated.

It is now very much in doubt whether the truth about Carpenter's involvement
will ever emerge. Carpenter died 4 September 1998 at the age of 70, officially
of a heart attack; Carpenter's wife was quoted as saying that the endless
accusations over the incident caused his poor health. Whether Carpenter
really was a guilty man plagued by a throbbing conscience, or just an innocent
person chased by undeserved infamy, the sordid incident of Bob Crane's murder
will probably never be officially resolved.

The squeamish may rejoin now.

HOGAN'S STUFF

Here's documented sightings of various items of Heroes memorabilia. Please
report your own sightings!

I reported this sighting, now in my possession:

"'Hogan's Heroes (Robert Clary/Richard Dawson/Ivan Dixon/Larry Hovis) Sing
the Best of World War II' (Cast LP Recording)

Arranged and Conducted by Jerry Fielding - Producer: Dave Pell - Engineer:
Lanky Linstrot - Art Direction: Woody Woodward

Side 1: Hogans' Heroes March [with the words] -- Hogan's Heroes | Shoo Shoo
Baby -- Ivan Dixon | Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree -- Robert Clary | Praise
the Lord and Pass the Ammunition -- Ivan Dixon and the Heroes | This Is The
Army Mr. Jones [see episode 27, "The Safecracker Suite" for when this was
performed on the show, minus Dixon] -- Hogan's Heroes

Side 2: Nightingale Sang In Berkley Square -- Richard Dawson, Larry Hovis |
Lili Marlene -- Larry Hovis | The Last Time I Saw Paris -- Robert Clary |
Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year -- Larry Hovis | This Is Worth Fighting
For -- Richard Dawson

Liner Notes by Richard Oliver -- Recorded in "visual sound STEREO" (SUS 5137/
monaural SUM 1137 -- Sunset Records, A Product of Liberty Records, Los Angeles,
California."

I reported in another post:

"Was shopping in the local Target (Dayton Hudson for you East Coast types) and
what should I find but Hogan's Heroes boxer shorts!

The shorts are a bilious aqua, yellow and purplybrown arranged in a
camoflage pattern with a staggered pattern of barbed wire and the words
"Hogan's Heroes (tm)" in white overlaid on it. The waistband is white with
Hogan's Heroes embroidered in black into the elastic.

The tag has a photo of a sixth-season episode (not sure which but Ivan
Dixon isn't in it; it's Kenneth Washington); on the reverse:

"War is hell-especially when you're a clueless POW camp commandant like
Colonel Klink.

"Klink thinks he's got his prisoners under control. Little does he know that
American pilot Robert Hogan and his crack crew have set up a top secret
outpost right under Klink's nose. Firing off a non stop string of one liners
from behind enemy lines, There's [sic] no escaping the laughs!"

The tag lists the cast, incorrectly spelling Robert Clary as "Clay", and
billing Kenneth Washington as James Kinchloe; it does correctly note that
the series lasted six seasons, 1965-71, 168 episodes of which one was b/w.
The shorts are made by Morts Shorts, a division of Harry Boxer Inc. If you
want to get info, their address is harry...@aol.com."

The next load of information comes courtesy of Archbishop Dave's "Big List
of Hogan's Heroes Collectibles", which you can read yourself at
http://www.ulink.net/~archbishop/Hogan/biglist.html

There is another Hogan's related LP, this time of Bob Crane the drummer (see
episode 166 "Look At The Pretty Snowflakes" if you doubt his abilities). The
name is "Bob 'Col. Hogan' Crane: His Drums and Orchestra Play The Funny Side
of TV Themes from Television's Great Comedy Shows". Published by Columbia's
Epic label, Dave got it for a steal (US$15, signed by Klemperer, with a card
signed by Cynthia Lynn!) but his guess is it would be worth around US$100 (VF)
or as much as US$150 if sealed or M/NM.

Hogan's also spun off a comic-book series by Dell for a total of nine issues
(the ninth, however, was a reissue of the first). The books were published,
in order, June, September and December 1966; March, April, May, July and
September 1967; and the final issue October 1969. The final issue retailed
for 15 cents US (original cover price); all other 12 cents. These occasionally
appear on eBay. Most issues would be, according to the Overstreet price guide,
worth around US$30-$50 in "good" to "very good" condition.

Hogan's also appears in MAD Magazine #108, if you're one of those collectors.
Thanks to Max Schulte.

Various Hogan's toys include a board game ("Bluff Out" by Transogram), a model
jeep by CraftMaster, and an entire series of playtoys (Signal Sender, Army men,
Peri-Peeper, and Klink's staff car by RoadStars).

The Hogan's trading cards come in two kinds: first, the conventional Fleer
set (1965; 66 cards), running around US$6-12 apiece, wax pack around US$200
and unopened packs as high as US$450. A complete set can run upwards of
US$700 (!). The other set is from TV's Coolest Classics (Dave says it's "not
a very good set"); the promo cards, not included, naturally, run from US$2-7
and include one of Schultz as Santa Claus. The Fleer cards are somewhat
better known, with a B&W front and the Hogan's logo in red and a caption on
the bottom (card #1 is a picture of Col. Hogan with the caption, "Lose a
tank, Col. Klink?"). Card numbers are printed inside stylised red helmets in
the top red corner of the front, while the backs can be fit together to
form a large B&W poster. Thanks to "Jim The Genius" for the information on
these rare and valuable items.

Other items: a Hogan's lunch box by Aladdin (up to US$275 in NM or M condition
-- seen selling for close to US$300 on eBay); a Hogan notepad (and a Schultz
one also?). Scripts and prints do exist; photocopies can be had fairly
cheaply and 16mm prints can probably be had for somewhere in the US$30 range,
Dave surmises.

OVERSEAS

Hogan's picked up a following even outside the States.

As mentioned, Hogan's showed in Germany, but when first shown "in the 70's (I
think!), it failed miserably. This version which is a hit has been rather
broadly revised. According to some German friends, Klink and Schultz have been
given the German equivalent of hick accents - Swabian accents - granted to get
a laugh regardless of what comes out of their mouths. The dialogue and
sometimes the plots have been changed. One ep talked about dropping condoms on
London, not bombs. Newkirk has a stutter and Klink's been giving an unseen
housekeeper who is apparently good for a few laughs. My friend sent me several
eps from the German revision which I haven't seen yet. However given that my
German is pretty well nonexistant, I'm not sure how much of it I'll be able to
follow. Plot wise, I've got most of the eps pretty well memorized so that
won't matter. The bottom line is that what the Germans see isn't what we saw."
(Eva Seifert) German viewers, however, place Klink as Saxonian (heavily!) and
Schultz as very deep Bavarian -- both characters very obviously typecast.

Markus Mehring adds that the show "might have suffered a bit if it wasn't
originally shown in conjunction with M.A.S.H. (which is just amazing, even
though (or maybe *because*) the german version is _not_ a SitCom, unlike
the original), but as both shows where shown (when they first aired over
here) more or less after each other, people became well aware of either
show."

Hitler is indeed substituted by Schnitzler often in the series, but not
for reasons of government censorship laws (a myth unfortunately perpetuated
by yours truly in earlier FAQ versions); it was just for extra laughs. The
dubbing in the show was another way of getting chuckles; Markus says it was
"plain silly (hence things like "Schnitzler" - they're trying to make it
artificially/extra funny). I guess they had to do it that way in order to
keep up with today's standards comedy-wise, especially Klink (who is a
hyperactive saxonian weirdo in german, more than in english) wouldn't have
worked any other way. And Schultz is _really_ an improvement, very nice
character. All other major characters work fine, nothing to complain. The
dubbing was done just recently, and this is a factor that makes it a bit
awkward here and there, namely when they're using phrases that you know
didn't exist or weren't popular in Germany until just a few (10 maybe)
years ago, belonging to modern culture and hence being totally misplaced in
a WW2-scenario (for the Germans: watch out for now popular and widely used
sentences and slang words originally created by the german comedian Otto
Waalkes, or things originating from the "Werner"-comics ("Boelkstoff" and
such))."

The copious historical errors in the show are of course agonisingly bad to
native Germans, but as Markus adds, "So what, it's supposed to be fun."

In Germany, the show was called "Ein Kaefig voller Helden", translated as
"A Cage Full of Heroes", and had the same dubbed voices as the characters in
M*A*S*H (Hogan's is the same as Hawkeye, Hochstetter as Major Winchester,
Carter as Radar and Kinchloe as Hunnicut). One mistake made is that in the
German version, Schultz, whose first name is Hans, is inadvertently referred
to as Georg rather frequently (Max Schulte's theory is this might be caused
by the common double name "Hans-Georg"). The German episode titles are listed
at

http://terek-nor.rz.uni-mannheim.de/~jacob/misc/hogan_german.html

The translations are frequently not at all related to the English titles.
Note that this page does not correctly divide the episodes up into seasons.

Currently, EKvH reruns appear weekdays on Kabel 1.

The Portuguese version in Brazil is called "Guerra, Sombra e Agua Fresca"
(War, Shadow and Fresh Water).

HOGAN'S HEROES GOOFS

Quite a bit of this comes very courtesy of Otto. See his Hogan's Heroes page at
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Set/6405/
Other goofs spied by Eva Seifert, Max Schulte and other sharp-eyed folks.

The show was never meant to be completely historically accurate, but Hogan's
tends to be particularly bad at it. (Fortunately, that's very funny too! :-)

* The German Cross on Hochstetter's uniform should be silver. Moreover, Gestapo
men never wore uniforms -- only the SS. In fairness, none of the non-regular
Gestapo agents, even up to the final one (Major Pruhst, played by Malachi
Throne), wore uniforms either; the decision was probably done to make
Hochstetter become more recognisable.

* Klink is supposedly undistinguished in combat, but his medals don't bear this
out, possessing a WWI Iron Cross (both first and second class) for bravery
and the WWII Eagle Spanges awarded to those who won the Iron Crosses again
in the second World War. He also carries the 1936 Pilot's Badge, and, in a
particularly pedantic goof, the Luftwaffe ground combat badge (not awarded
until late 1942 and then only to officers who participated in at least three
ground combat manoeuvres).

* Schultz has a lot of prop trouble himself. In addition to being a Master
Sergeant (not a regular Sergeant), or "Hauptfeldwebel", he may have toted an
American-made Krag rifle, not a German issue one, and wore the wrong helmet.
During WWII Germany made three types, the M-35 (Luftwaffe eagle on the left
and a national colour shield on the right), the M-40 (eagle decal only) and
the M-42 (rough finish and no decals by Fuehrer's order; all helmets then
issued also had to have the decals struck). Schultz has an M-42 style helmet
but the finish is smooth and both M-35 decals are on it. The other guards
also occasionally carried American-made rifles, even the SS, apparently;
most were also issued the M1 Thompson submachine gun instead of the proper
MP-40. (Max says: "Hollywood knows about as much about guns as my dog!")

* The prop department also couldn't tell the difference between cars. General
Burkhalter does not drive a Mercedes, but rather a 3-axle Maybach Zeppelin
(with a fake Mercedes hood ornament); the small trucks that appeared in the
show, usually as German transports or ambulances, are all American models;
and while Klink's staff car was the right nationality (a Mercedes 540 SS),
that particular model was at least ten years old by the time the show was
supposed to have taken place (the 540 SS dates from the early '30s).
Interestingly enough, Hitler had a 540 SSK.

* And of course, if the prop department couldn't do the cars right, what about
license plates? Most have the designation WH, which means Wehrmacht. Neither
the SS nor the Luftwaffe would be driving those.

* Geography was not their strong suit either. Hammelburg, Bavaria (where a real
Stalag, though not a Luftstalag, did exist [XIII C, liberated, retaken and
finally freed 6 April 1945; General Patton's son-in-law was held there]), is
approximately 150mi (250km) southeast of Duesseldorf, and about 215mi (360km)
southwest of Berlin. Even if we consider the show not to actually be in the
real city of Hammelburg, it still doesn't explain how the show had a sign
saying Duesseldorf 20km and Berlin 30km. (And the fictional Hammelburg is
clearly placed in the Duesseldorf vicinity anyway.)

Moreover, the show never explained how people got to their submarine
rendezvous and escaped out so easily. If the show really did take place in
Hammelburg, it would have been 225mi (380km) to Hamburg, the nearest harbour
(though too closely guarded) and about 250mi (420km) to the nearest open sea.
And, since the show was filmed in Culver City (near Hollywood), the scrub
and vegetation match Southern California's, complete with chaparral and
eucalyptus trees, not Germany's.

* There were only eight Luftstalags in Germany during WWII. As for the real
Stalags, there were at least fifty, but their numbering was inconsistent.
There was, for example, a Stalag XX A and B, but an Offlag 64. Moreover,
these only count the camps where American POWs were held.

* Newkirk's uniform wasn't RAF issue until the 1950s, but interestingly
enough, his uniform *was* correct in the pilot!

* The show often seems to treat the Waffen SS and Gestapo synonymously, which
is not the case. The Gestapo acted as the civilian underground police force,
arresting Jews and other proscribed ethnicities for the KZ's (say "Ka-Tsets")
as well as rounding up other political "undesirables". The SS, on the other
hand, were actually an army ("Waffen" should imply this) in uniform, and
directly acted on behalf of the Nazi party. Hochstetter wore an SS uniform,
and his, like all of them, bore Hitler's signature on the sleeve.

* The ranking on the show makes little sense. Carter (though a Lieutenant
in the pilot, of course), is an E-7 (Sergeant First Class), outranking
Kinchloe (E-6 Staff Sergeant) -- but Kinchloe is supposed to be second in
command! Worse, the RAF rank of Corporal is equivalent to 1st Sergeant
(E-8), so Newkirk outranks them both.

* Even more bizarre is that American uniforms were wrong (though mercifully
on none of the major characters)! Look closely at the extras -- many are
sometimes wearing "modern" (for 1966-71) Army garb, even Vietnam War-era
M65 jackets.

The show's QA department also had a few clinkers; on one episde producer-slash-
director Edward H. Feldman's name was printed "Feldmam" (still finding name),
and the opening music theme for another episode repeated the main theme twice,
destroying the musical timing for the first minute or so of the first act
("The Return of Major Bonacelli", #117).

THE PILOT

The pilot has a number of diversions from the original series, and is worth
examining on its own.

* Episode title: "The Informer". Air date 17 September 1965.

* Most obvious difference: it's B&W.

* Theme music: The pilot has a very obvious slap-bass-like bassline that was
not in the version composer Jerry Fielding created for the remaining
episodes. It is also slightly longer to accomodate the 'Germany 1942'
title that opens the pilot.

* Guest stars: Noam Pitlik (himself a common guest star later on the series)
as the German spy, Walter Janowitz in his first appearance as Schnitzler, and
Leon Askin and Cynthia Lynn in their standard series roles.

* Differences in the cast: Unlike later years, where the occasional appearance
of the oversexed Marya was the series' only nod to the Soviet Union's
participation in World War II (no doubt related to the Cold War upheavals of
the day), Hogan's was supposed to have a regular Russian as a P.O.W., named
Sam (Leonid Kinskey), although Hogan refers to him at least once as Vladimir.
Born 18 April 1903 in St. Petersburg, Russia and later emigrating to the
United States, Kinskey appeared in various movies throughout the '30s and
'40s, his appearance on Hogan's surprisingly his final in the acting
business. Most noted as Sasha in "Casablanca", Kinskey died 10 September
1998 at the age of 95.

* More cast differences: Carter was supposed to be a guest star only, and
further was listed as a lieutenant! Burkhalter was also promoted: the pilot
only gives him the rank of Colonel, the same as Klink, who is supposed to be
his subordinate.

* Klink has a wedding ring on (thanks K. F. Raizor). Too bad for Frau
Linkmeier had it stayed. So does Carter.

In the pilot, there is also at least one series regular German who knows what
the Heroes are up to: Klink's voluptuous secretary Helga, who moonlighted as
the prisoners' manicurist. Probably for plot reasons her (overt, anyway)
knowledge of Hogan's shenanigans was restricted during the series run, and she
never showed up in the tunnels again during the following episodes.

According to Brenda Scott Royce, there are several differences between the
pilot aired on TV Land and the Columbia House version. The TV Land version
has two additional "bits", one when Olsen is called back in and he refuses (he
has female company), and the second when Carter is being fitted by Vladimir
for his uniform (the Heroes announce Carter is their 499th).

PRODUCTION NOTES "UND ALLERLEI"

Filmed at Desilu Studios (now Paramount Studios), Hollywood, and then Cinema
General Studios.

Directors:
Bruce Bilson (II)
Robert Butler
Marc Daniels
Edward H. Feldman
Richard Kinon
Jerry London
Irving J. Moore
Howard Morris
Gene Reynolds
John Rich
Bob Sweeney (I)

Original music by:
Jerry Fielding
Fred Steiner

Produced by, at various times:
Albert S. Ruddy
Edward H. Feldman

Hogan's was nominated for two Emmys (1966 and 1967, both to Bob Crane for
Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Comedy
Series). Crane did not win either time.

RESOURCES

On-line, the best place to talk Hogan's is alt.tv.hogans-heroes. Pester your
ISP to carry this newsgroup now!

Brenda Scott Royce publishes a Hogan's Heroes fan newsletter. Either visit

http://members.aol.com/hogansfan/

for information, or to subscribe sight unseen, send US$16 check/MO to

The Hogan's Heroes Fan Club
P.O. Box 361285
Los Angeles, CA 90036 USA

Subscribers receive an episode guide, an 8x10 b&w cast photo, and quarterly
newsletters with interviews (in the past, Clary, Hovis and Bernard Fox). Back
issues are available for US$3 each, through the same address, shipping
included.

Ms. Royce also has written a book detailing the series. It is (as I write
this) on backorder at Amazon because *my* copy hasn't come. However, you can
find out more about it at

http://members.aol.com/hogansfan/books.htm

Eva Seifert, in addition to "doing a lot of talking" on the AOL-only Heroes
forum on America Online, also writes Heroes fan fiction titled "Theater of
War" (in multiple acts). Eva's address for inquiries is EMSe...@aol.com.
There are six books in her series, all the same price (US$7 to domestic buyers
and US$10 elsewhere). Eva also does a DS9 series, for the Trekkies in the
audience.

Various other fan fiction is maintained by Max Schulte (try

http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/2545/fanfic.htm

) and Jane Woods (among other WWII-era fiction) at

http://triad.simplenet.com/bunker/

Ms. Woods is reportedly looking for additional authors, so try your hand at
running a Stalag.

Melissa Mastoris also has various HH fanfic. Her address:

Melissa Mastoris
517 N. White Horse Pike #22
Somerdale, NJ 08083

"The Murder of Bob Crane", sadly remaindered, has appeared in small quantities
from associated dealers on

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/

from time to time. If you have the stomach for it, it is the definitive work,
if one finds such a dubious distinction noteworthy. :-)

LINKS

TV Land is still showing the series (let's hope they continue to do so).

http://www.tvland.com/

Buy the Columbia House videos. Ridiculously pricey, but high quality.

http://www.columbiahouse.com/

Brenda Scott Royce's excellent contributions to the HH fan world.

http://members.aol.com/hogansfan/

Otto has some pretty slick stuff on his GeoCities Hogan's page.

http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Set/6405/

Archbishop Dave has a more lurid angle on the whole Bob Crane thing, plus
a very complete memorabilia list.

http://www.ulink.net/~archbishop/Hogan/intro.html

Max Schulte has various links on his Hogan's page.

http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/2545/

Howard Caine has a webpage devoted to him.

http://www.flash.net/~actor/howard2.htm

A biographical movie is being made on Leon Askin's life.

http://www.austriaculture.net/Emigration_NY/askin.htm

The Church of John Banner will add, uh, nothing to your day.

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Meadows/1461/sh1.htm

CONTRIBUTORS

A very big thank you to Eva Seifert, who took the time to read the FAQ and
contribute tons of additional information and help clear up some embarrassing
inaccuracies. Thank you thank you!

Also, these people helped directly or otherwise contribute information to this
document. Thanks! E-mail addresses are not included because of spam bots,
but regular readers of a.t.h-h are starred so that you can contact them. In
no particular order:

(*) Brenda Scott Royce
(*) Willem Wessels
(*) Ed Jones
"Mike Brady"
(*) Joxette
Paramount's MTV Networks/Nick-At-Nite/TV Land
(*) Jaclyn Mussehl
(*) "Archbishop Dave ... Smith"
(*) Catherine (last name?)
(*) Scott T. Jones
(*) Jim 'The Genius'
(*) Joseph Neylon
(*) Max Schulte
K. F. Raizor
Markus Mehring
Nicolas Welte
Doug Franklin
Kenneth Ream
"twayne"
"swahili"
Leo (last name?)
Hudson Leighton
Eric O'Connor

"DISMISSED!"

--
Cameron Kaiser * cka...@stockholm.ptloma.edu * posting with a Commodore 128
-- supporting the Commodore 64 and 128: http://www.armory.com/~spectre/cwi/ --
personal page: http://calvin.ptloma.edu/~spectre/