Hogan's Heroes: Difference between revisions

* [[Bob Crane]] as U.S. Colonel Robert E. Hogan, the senior ranking POW officer and the leader of the men in the POW camp. He uses his wit and ingenuity to commit sabotage and obtain military information. Crane was offered the role after appearing as "guy next door" types in television shows like ''[[The Dick Van Dyke Show]]'' and as a regular in ''[[The Donna Reed Show]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php?/archives/8625-CINEMA-RETRO-HOSTS-BOOK-EVENT-FOR-AUTHORS-ROBERT-CRANE-AND-CHRISTOPHER-FRYER.html |title=Cinema Retro Hosts Book Event for Authors Robert Crane and Christopher Fryer |website=Cinemaretro |date=May 8, 2015 |access-date=October 16, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite interview |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkocHRV6fCY |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/gkocHRV6fCY| archive-date=December 11, 2021 |url-status=live|title=Bob Crane Interview| date=August 4, 1972| publisher=[[WMVP|WCFL-AM]]| via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

* [[Werner Klemperer]] as German Colonel Wilhelm Klink, the commandant of the POW camp. He is completely unaware of Hogan's operation and is proud the camp has a perfect no-escape record under his command. In real life, Klemperer was from a Jewish family (his father was the orchestral conductor [[Otto Klemperer]]) and found the role to be a "double-edged sword"; his agent initially failed to tell him the role of Klink was intended to be comedic. Klemperer remarked, "I had one qualification when I took the job: if they ever wrote a segment whereby Colonel Klink would come out the hero, I would leave the show."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/12/08/arts/werner-klemperer-klink-in-hogan-s-heroes-dies-at-80.html |title=Werner Klemperer, Klink in 'Hogan's Heroes,' Dies at 80 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |last=Weinraub |first=Bernard |date=December 8, 2000 |access-date=October 13, 2018}}</ref>

* [[John Banner]] as German Sergeant Hans Schultz, the camp's first sergeant. He is a clumsy and inept, but extremely affable man who often gives out information to the prisoners for bribes, or simply by talking too much, without realizing he is giving away information. Hogan and his men frequently plot or perform their subversive activities in plain sight of Schultz, knowing he would never report them for fear of being punished or sent to fight at the Russian front for allowing such activity on his watch. He would often exit the scene with his catch phrase "I know (see, hear) nothing!" Banner was born to Jewish parents and was in fact a sergeant during World War II, but in the U.S. Army.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ex-Villain John Banner Turns 'Good Guy' |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/1005397/john_banner_interview/? |newspaper=[[Fresno Bee]] |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |first=Charles| last=Witbeck |page=15-TV |date=April 16, 1967}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1973/02/02/archives/john-banner-the-sgt-schultz-of-hogans-heroes-dies-at-63-on-stage-in.html |title=John Banner, the Sgt. Schultz Of 'Hogan's Heroes,' Dies at 63 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=February 2, 1973 |access-date=October 13, 2018}}</ref>

* [[Robert Clary]] as French Corporal Louis LeBeau, a gourmet chef, and patriotic Frenchman, frequently referred to as "the cockroach" by both Klink and Schultz. Clary was Jewish in real life and was deported to a [[Nazi concentration camps|Nazi concentration camp]], but survived by using his talent in singing and dancing in shows. Clary said in an interview with the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', "Singing, entertaining, and being in kind of good health at my age, that's why I survived. I was very immature and young and not really fully realizing what situation I was involved with&nbsp;... I don't know if I would have survived if I really knew that."<ref>{{cite news |title=Robert Clary a survivor in life and entertainment |first=Susan |last=King |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=March 24, 2013 |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-xpm-2013-mar-24-la-et-mn-classic-hollywood-robert-clary20130325-story.html}}</ref>

* [[Richard Dawson]] as RAF<ref>https://iavmuseum.org/hogans-heroes/</ref> Corporal Peter Newkirk, the group's [[Scam|con man]], magician, [[pickpocketing|pickpocket]], [[card sharp]], [[forger]], [[bookie]], tailor, [[lock picking|lock picker]], and [[safe cracker]]. He is a skilled tailor and is in charge of making uniforms for POWs impersonating German soldiers. Dawson's role as a military member in the film ''[[King Rat (film)|King Rat]]'' was reportedly the reason he landed a spot on ''Hogan's Heroes''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-06-04/hogans-heroes-star-dies/4049816 |title=Hogan's Heroes star Richard Dawson dies |work=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]] |date=June 3, 2012 |access-date=November 14, 2018| quote=His role as a military prisoner in the 1965 film King Rat led to TV's Hogan's Heroes, about a band of allied POWs in a German camp who were constantly fooling their captors.}}</ref>

* [[Ivan Dixon]] as U.S. Staff Sergeant James Kinchloe (seasons 1-5), the man responsible for contacting the underground by radio. Casting Dixon, or any African-American actor, as a positively shown supporting character was a major step for a television show in the mid-1960s.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/ivan-dixon-kinchloe-in-hogans-heroes-829237.html| title=Ivan Dixon: Kinchloe in 'Hogan's Heroes'| work=[[The Independent]]| location=London| last=Hayward| first=Anthony| date=May 16, 2008| access-date=October 16, 2018}}</ref> Dixon left the show prior to the final season and was replaced by Kenneth Washington as Sgt. Richard Baker, another African-American character but with a less prominent role.

* [[Larry Hovis]] as U.S. Technical Sergeant Andrew J. Carter, a bombardier who is an expert in chemistry, explosives, and demolitions. He makes explosive devices as needed. Hovis appeared in the pilot episode as a different character, but became a regular cast member when the show was picked up.

* [[Kenneth Washington]] as U.S. Sergeant Richard Baker (season 6). He assumed the duties of Sergeant Kinchloe after Ivan Dixon left the series. Upon the death of Robert Clary on November 16, 2022, Washington became the last surviving cast member of ''Hogan's Heroes''.<ref name="h">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7SUKAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA116|title=Hogan's Heroes: The Unofficial Companion|page=116|publisher=St. Martin's Press|first=Brenda|last=Royce|date=October 15, 1998|isbn=1580630316|via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref>