RIP Robert Clary

[HanSenSE]

Last surviving member of the cast of "Hogan's Heroes," he himself spent 31 months in Buchenwald. His parents were gassed. Also played in "Young and Restless" and the spinoff "Bold and Beautiful."

Robert Clary Dead: ‘Hogan’s Heroes’ Actor Was 96 – The Hollywood Reporter

 

[da man]

Robert Le Claire.

 

[maumann]

LeBeau? Sgt. Schultz sees nothing! Nothing!

RIP.

 

[micropolitan guy]

I suppose there is some level of irony that Clary, whose family was wiped out by the Nazis, made his living on a show that portrayed the Nazis as buffoons.

 

[Slacker]

Clary was great. RIP, what a life he led.

Loved it on "Hogan's Heroes" when Sgt. Schultz would look down at LeBeau and mutter something like, "To the cooler with you, cockroach." Because he knew NOTHING! about LeBeau, except that he knew the little squeak was so much smarter than him. And yet he couldn't figure that out, too.

Not to steal Clary's thunder, either, but Schultz (John Banner) was the perfect dope on that show. Every single character, whether regular, recurring or a one-shot, could play off Schultz for big laughs at any time. But LeBeau and Schultz went at each other enough that their onscreen chemistry together strengthened both roles in that show, even in a five-second confrontation in an episode. They both knew their characters so well.

 

[rtse11]

There is an episode where Carter portrays Hitler. In one scene Carter as Hitler is given a Nazi salute by the other prisoners, including LeBeau. Clary does the salute with his fingers crossed.

 

[LanceyHoward]

I suppose there is some level of irony that Clary, whose family was wiped out by the Nazis, made his living on a show that portrayed the Nazis as buffoons.

That is true of several other cast members also.

Lon Askin, who played General Burkhalter, was an Austrian Jew and fled the Vienna in 1940. Both his parents were murdered in a concentration camp.

John Banner, who played Schultz, was also an Austrian Jew. When Hitler invaded Austria he was with an acting company in Switzerland and made his way to the United States.

Werner Klemperer, who played Klink, emigrated with his parents from Germany in 1933. His father was Jewish. I don't think the family emigrated because of the Nazi's. His father had been hired as the Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. But I am not sure.

 

[maumann]

That is true of several other cast members also.

Lon Askin, who played General Burkhalter, was an Austrian Jew and fled the Vienna in 1940. Both his parents were murdered in a concentration camp.

John Banner, who played Schultz, was also an Austrian Jew. When Hitler invaded Austria he was with an acting company in Switzerland and made his way to the United States.

Werner Klemperer, who played Klink, emigrated with his parents from Germany in 1933. His father was Jewish. I don't think the family emigrated because of the Nazi's. His father had been hired as the Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. But I am not sure.

Klemperer actually joined the military as a performer and was stationed at Pearl Harbor following the attack, entertaining U.S. troops in the Pacific.

It was a show that definitely couldn't be made now. In retrospect, I'm not sure how it got green-lighted even back 20 years just after the Holocaust (other than the play/movie Stalag 17). Klemperer was a operatic baritone and stated he'd only take the role if Klink was portrayed as a bumbling idiot who never succeeded.

But as a kid, we found it hilarious. We'd argue during lunch and recess which shows were better: Batman, Addam's Family, Munsters or Hogan's Heroes.

 

[Jake from State Farm]

It was so strange to see him years later on The Young & the Restless

 

[OscarMadison]

Seems like a lot of smart people on a show that was dumb like a fox. One thing they knew was evil people who crave power and attention hate to be laughed at.

 

[LanceyHoward]

But as a kid, we found it hilarious. We'd argue during lunch and recess which shows were better: Batman, Addam's Family, Munsters or Hogan's Heroes.

What about Gilligan's Island? In the late 60's televisions tations started replacing local children's shows such as The Old Rebel, which I watched in Greensboro, with reruns. My favorite was Hogan's Heros because the I thought the characters such as Schultz, LeBeau, Carter and Newkirk were really well developed.

 

[Jake from State Farm]

“Klink, how would you like to be stationed on the Russian front?”

 

[Jake from State Farm]

It was a show that definitely couldn't be made now. But as a kid, we found it hilarious. We'd argue during lunch and recess which shows were better: Batman, Addam's Family, Munsters or Hogan's Heroes.

How about the sales pitch for a show like F Troop?
“Well, there really isn’t a hero. There’s a bumbling commander but the stars are the second and third in command, who run a merchandising business with the local Indian tribe.”

 

[maumann]

How about the sales pitch for a show like F Troop?
“Well, there really isn’t a hero. There’s a bumbling commander but the stars are the second and third in command, who run a merchandising business with the local Indian tribe.”

That show was stupid, even for an 8-year-old. :)

 

[maumann]

Actually, my favorite show was Get Smart. But I wish I had been about five years older to understand a lot of the parody more than just enjoying the physical comedy. We had a teacher in junior high who was the spitting image of **** Gautier. We used to call him "Hymie."

 

[Starman]

Klemperer actually joined the military as a performer and was stationed at Pearl Harbor following the attack, entertaining U.S. troops in the Pacific.

It was a show that definitely couldn't be made now. In retrospect, I'm not sure how it got green-lighted even back 20 years just after the Holocaust (other than the play/movie Stalag 17). Klemperer was a operatic baritone and stated he'd only take the role if Klink was portrayed as a bumbling idiot who never succeeded.

But as a kid, we found it hilarious. We'd argue during lunch and recess which shows were better: Batman, Addam's Family, Munsters or Hogan's Heroes.

Oh, I think it could be made now, but there'd have to be no doubt Hogan and his crew are out to KILL Nazis, not just mess around with them.

Actually I think it could work if it was revealed the Stalag 13 guys, Klink and Schultz, were actually deep cover Allied agents who were helping the Hogan gang. And it turns out Schultz is actually a world class military genius running strategy for the whole team.

 

[Jake from State Farm]

Actually, my favorite show was Get Smart. But I wish I had been about five years older to understand a lot of the parody more than just enjoying the physical comedy. We had a teacher in junior high who was the spitting image of **** Gautier. We used to call him "Hymie."

 

[Jake from State Farm]

Back in the 90s the Detroit Film Theatre, which is associated with the Detroit Institute of Arts, presented An Evening with Rocky and Bullwinkle
The program included the entire Whatsomatta U storyline, with Peabody & Sherman, Aesop’s Fables, Fractured Fairy Tales and Tennessee Tuxedo filling out the card
The place was packed

 

[OscarMadison]

Actually, my favorite show was Get Smart. But I wish I had been about five years older to understand a lot of the parody more than just enjoying the physical comedy. We had a teacher in junior high who was the spitting image of **** Gautier. We used to call him "Hymie."

Loved Get Smart as a kid. My parents were crazy about the secret agent shows and James Bond, so it was on at our house. One of my fellow Brownies got in trouble for putting her little sister under an antique cloche in an effort to create a cone of silence.

 

[maumann]

Sixty years later, that prop never fails to make me laugh. Gwen and I activate "the cone of silence" when we're discussing something the other's not supposed to hear.

And I'm almost certain my affection for dumb puns and plays on words can be directly attributed to a combination of Jay Ward and Bob Clampett (Beany and Cecil). And The Alvin Show. (I still do a Clyde Crashcup voice sometimes when I'm fixing things. "Leonardo, hand me that hammer!")