Robert Clary, last of the ‘Hogan’s Heroes’ stars, dies at 96

Platapus · 11-18-22, 04:21 PM

Robert Clary, a French-born survivor of Nazi concentration camps during World War II who played a feisty prisoner of war in the improbable 1960s sitcom “Hogan’s Heroes,” has died. He was 96.
Clary died Wednesday of natural causes at his home in the Los Angeles area, niece Brenda Hancock said Thursday.
“He never let those horrors defeat him," Hancock said of Clary's wartime experience as a youth. “He never let them take the joy out of his life. He tried to spread that joy to others through his singing and his dancing and his painting.”
When he recounted his life to students, he told them, “Don't ever hate,” Hancock said. “He didn't let hate overcome the beauty in this world.”
“Hogan’s Heroes,” in which Allied soldiers in a POW camp bested their clownish German army captors with espionage schemes, played the war strictly for laughs during its 1965-71 run. The 5-foot-1 Clary sported a beret and a sardonic smile as Cpl. Louis LeBeau.

Buddahaid · 11-18-22, 07:20 PM

R.I.P. Cpl. LeBeau. Another show brought to you by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez. Stalag 13 was part of the back forty lot of the old RKO film studio where Gone with the Wind was filmed.
https://retroweb.com/40acres_rko_later_years.html
https://retroweb.com/40acres_desilu_years.html

les green01 · 11-18-22, 08:40 PM

rip

August · 11-18-22, 09:01 PM

A5714 was his concentration camp number which was tattooed on his forearm. He got to look at it until he died. RIP.

Commander Wallace · 11-18-22, 10:45 PM

Rest in peace, Robert.

Jimbuna · 11-19-22, 06:17 AM

R I P Sir

Eichhörnchen · 11-19-22, 07:19 AM

So sad to hear of this. Perhaps my favourite TV show as a kid - maybe of all time

nikimcbee · 11-19-22, 12:32 PM

He was the last cast member still alive?

August · 11-19-22, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nikimcbee

He was the last cast member still alive?

Sadly yes.

HW3 · 11-19-22, 10:33 PM

I remember the show being quite controversial among the WWII veterans at the time it came out. I loved it myself.

Eichhörnchen · 11-20-22, 05:36 AM

^ I'm not surprised to hear that; our own wartime comedy 'Allo 'Allo, casting the Nazis as comic characters, ruffled feathers as recently as the 1980s when it came out

People maybe forget that one way the US and UK population coped with fear of Hitler and his gang was to make fun of them - no belittling of the armed forces was intended in either case, even if the two RAF escapers in the British show were portrayed as buffoons - it was affectionately done

(They are also disguised as Frenchmen in this)

Ostfriese · 11-20-22, 05:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nikimcbee

He was the last cast member still alive?

Of the original members yes. Kenneth Washington (who played Sgt. Richard Baker in Season 5) is still alive.

I always loved "Hogan's Heroes" (not shown on German TV before 1992), which in the German version is even more of a parody than in the original English version due to the translation.

Rest in Peace, Robert Clary.

Platapus · 11-20-22, 06:34 AM

Almost interesting Trivia: The original plot of the story was supposed to take place in a US prison. Hogan's Hoard was a group of criminals operating against the bumbling prison guards.

For obvious reasons, this plot did not fly well with the networks so the writers had to come up with a plot where the prisoners can be the good guys and the guards can be the bad comic foils.

Hence the POW plot.

Eichhörnchen · 11-20-22, 07:38 AM

It was such a great idea - one of the first (maybe even the first?) of what we now call situation comedies

11-18-22, 04:21 PM	#1
Platapus Fleet Admiral Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 19,361 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 0	Robert Clary, last of the ‘Hogan’s Heroes’ stars, dies at 96 Robert Clary, a French-born survivor of Nazi concentration camps during World War II who played a feisty prisoner of war in the improbable 1960s sitcom “Hogan’s Heroes,” has died. He was 96. Clary died Wednesday of natural causes at his home in the Los Angeles area, niece Brenda Hancock said Thursday. “He never let those horrors defeat him," Hancock said of Clary's wartime experience as a youth. “He never let them take the joy out of his life. He tried to spread that joy to others through his singing and his dancing and his painting.” When he recounted his life to students, he told them, “Don't ever hate,” Hancock said. “He didn't let hate overcome the beauty in this world.” “Hogan’s Heroes,” in which Allied soldiers in a POW camp bested their clownish German army captors with espionage schemes, played the war strictly for laughs during its 1965-71 run. The 5-foot-1 Clary sported a beret and a sardonic smile as Cpl. Louis LeBeau. __________________ abusus non tollit usum - A right should NOT be withheld from people on the basis that some tend to abuse that right.

11-18-22, 07:20 PM	#2
Buddahaid Shark above Space Chicken Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 9,319 Downloads: 162 Uploads: 0	R.I.P. Cpl. LeBeau. Another show brought to you by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez. Stalag 13 was part of the back forty lot of the old RKO film studio where Gone with the Wind was filmed. https://retroweb.com/40acres_rko_later_years.html https://retroweb.com/40acres_desilu_years.html __________________ "However vast the darkness, we must provide our own light." Stanley Kubrick "Tomorrow belongs to those who can hear it coming." David Bowie

11-18-22, 08:40 PM	#3
les green01 Seasoned Skipper Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Freeman Missouri Posts: 1,784 Downloads: 1405 Uploads: 0	rip __________________ I'll tell you what bravery really is. Bravery is just determination to do a job that you know has to be done. Audie Murphy

11-18-22, 09:01 PM	#4
August Wayfaring Stranger Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 23,197 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	A5714 was his concentration camp number which was tattooed on his forearm. He got to look at it until he died. RIP. __________________ Flanked by life and the funeral pyre. Putting on a show for you to see.

11-19-22, 06:17 AM	#6
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 190,473 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	R I P Sir __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!!

11-18-22, 10:45 PM	#5
Commander Wallace Navy Seal Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Under the sea in an Octupus garden in the shade Posts: 5,294 Downloads: 366 Uploads: 0	Rest in peace, Robert.

11-19-22, 07:19 AM	#7
Eichhörnchen Starte das Auto Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: The Fens Posts: 17,373 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	So sad to hear of this. Perhaps my favourite TV show as a kid - maybe of all time __________________

11-19-22, 12:32 PM	#8
nikimcbee Fleet Admiral Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Patroling the Slot. Posts: 17,952 Downloads: 90 Uploads: 0	He was the last cast member still alive? __________________

11-19-22, 10:33 PM	#10
HW3 Navy Seal Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Gresham Oregon Posts: 6,574 Downloads: 458 Uploads: 0	I remember the show being quite controversial among the WWII veterans at the time it came out. I loved it myself. __________________ "Some ships are designed to sink...others require our assistance." Nathan Zelk

11-20-22, 05:36 AM	#11
Eichhörnchen Starte das Auto Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: The Fens Posts: 17,373 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	^ I'm not surprised to hear that; our own wartime comedy 'Allo 'Allo, casting the Nazis as comic characters, ruffled feathers as recently as the 1980s when it came out People maybe forget that one way the US and UK population coped with fear of Hitler and his gang was to make fun of them - no belittling of the armed forces was intended in either case, even if the two RAF escapers in the British show were portrayed as buffoons - it was affectionately done (They are also disguised as Frenchmen in this) __________________

11-20-22, 06:34 AM	#13
Platapus Fleet Admiral Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 19,361 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 0	Almost interesting Trivia: The original plot of the story was supposed to take place in a US prison. Hogan's Hoard was a group of criminals operating against the bumbling prison guards. For obvious reasons, this plot did not fly well with the networks so the writers had to come up with a plot where the prisoners can be the good guys and the guards can be the bad comic foils. Hence the POW plot. __________________ abusus non tollit usum - A right should NOT be withheld from people on the basis that some tend to abuse that right.

11-20-22, 07:38 AM	#14
Eichhörnchen Starte das Auto Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: The Fens Posts: 17,373 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	It was such a great idea - one of the first (maybe even *the* first?) of what we now call situation comedies __________________