60s Tv Weird Facts

What happened to the Stalag 13 camp set after Hogan’s Heroes was cancelled in 1971?

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A: It was blown up for a movie. Instead of dismantling the set, the studio left it standing until it was completely incinerated on camera for the 1974 exploitation film Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS.

 

Hogan’s Heroes is a classic 1960s television sitcom that follows the covert adventures of a resourceful crew of Allied prisoners who secretly operate an espionage and sabotage ring inside a German prisoner-of-war (POW) camp during World War II.

Years Active: 1965–1971 (6 seasons, 168 episodes)

Creators: Bernard Fein and Albert S. Ruddy

Main Cast: Bob Crane (Col. Robert E. Hogan), Werner Klemperer (Col. Wilhelm Klink), John Banner (Sgt. Hans Schultz), Robert Clary (Cpl. Louis LeBeau), Richard Dawson (Cpl. Peter Newkirk), Ivan Dixon (Sgt. James Kinchloe), and Larry Hovis (Sgt. Andrew Carter).

The Time-Traveling 1960s Cars Blooper:  Because the show was filmed on a Hollywood backlot in the 1960s rather than 1940s wartime Europe, a few modern elements slipped past the editors. In one specific scene where Hogan is using binoculars to scout out a German compound, several 1960s civilian cars can briefly be seen driving past in the background.

Which Hogan’s Heroes actor had a visible scar on his face from a real-life encounter with the Nazis?

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A: Leon Askin (General Burkhalter). As an Austrian Jew, Askin was brutally beaten by Nazi SA thugs before escaping to America, leaving a scar he carried throughout the show’s run.

 

Hogan’s Heroes is a classic 1960s television sitcom that follows the covert adventures of a resourceful crew of Allied prisoners who secretly operate an espionage and sabotage ring inside a German prisoner-of-war (POW) camp during World War II.

Years Active: 1965–1971 (6 seasons, 168 episodes)

Creators: Bernard Fein and Albert S. Ruddy

Main Cast: Bob Crane (Col. Robert E. Hogan), Werner Klemperer (Col. Wilhelm Klink), John Banner (Sgt. Hans Schultz), Robert Clary (Cpl. Louis LeBeau), Richard Dawson (Cpl. Peter Newkirk), Ivan Dixon (Sgt. James Kinchloe), and Larry Hovis (Sgt. Andrew Carter).

The Accidental Reverse Gear Break Blooper: During “Never Play Cards with Strangers,” Bob Crane (Hogan) was supposed to speed forward in a car. He accidentally shifted into reverse instead, forcing an extra playing a guard to clumsily jump out of the way while Crane smirked

What scandalous behind-the-scenes romance occurred during Hogan’s Heroes production?

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A: Bob Crane married the network’s “enemy” secretary. Crane divorced his wife of 20 years to marry Sigrid Valdis, the actress who played Colonel Klink’s blonde secretary, Hilda. They actually married on the Stalag 13 set.

 

Hogan’s Heroes is a classic 1960s television sitcom that follows the covert adventures of a resourceful crew of Allied prisoners who secretly operate an espionage and sabotage ring inside a German prisoner-of-war (POW) camp during World War II.

Years Active: 1965–1971 (6 seasons, 168 episodes)

Creators: Bernard Fein and Albert S. Ruddy

Main Cast: Bob Crane (Col. Robert E. Hogan), Werner Klemperer (Col. Wilhelm Klink), John Banner (Sgt. Hans Schultz), Robert Clary (Cpl. Louis LeBeau), Richard Dawson (Cpl. Peter Newkirk), Ivan Dixon (Sgt. James Kinchloe), and Larry Hovis (Sgt. Andrew Carter).

The Drifting Spotlight Reflection Blooper: In “Movies Are Your Best Escape,” a shiny, freshly polished Mercedes-Benz vehicle is brought into the camp. As the camera tracks past the vehicle, the chrome bumper reveals a clear reflection of a cameraman and his spotlight.

Where did the Hogan’s Heroes find massive, unexpected cult success decades after cancellation?

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A: Germany. In the 1990s, a German network completely re-dubbed the show, giving the characters absurd regional accents and turning the Nazi dialogue into total farce, making it a runaway late-night hit.

 

Hogan’s Heroes is a classic 1960s television sitcom that follows the covert adventures of a resourceful crew of Allied prisoners who secretly operate an espionage and sabotage ring inside a German prisoner-of-war (POW) camp during World War II.

Years Active: 1965–1971 (6 seasons, 168 episodes)

Creators: Bernard Fein and Albert S. Ruddy

Main Cast: Bob Crane (Col. Robert E. Hogan), Werner Klemperer (Col. Wilhelm Klink), John Banner (Sgt. Hans Schultz), Robert Clary (Cpl. Louis LeBeau), Richard Dawson (Cpl. Peter Newkirk), Ivan Dixon (Sgt. James Kinchloe), and Larry Hovis (Sgt. Andrew Carter).

The Actor Glass Lens Mistake Blooper: To avoid throwing bright studio reflections into the camera, several actors playing camp guards and Gestapo officers wore uniform eyeglasses that completely lacked glass lenses, which becomes obvious during side-profile shots.

Why was Hogan’s Heroes initially set up for a massive copyright lawsuit?

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A: The movie Stalag 17. The creators of the famous play and movie sued the production for stealing their premise. The show survived the lawsuit only because it was executed strictly as a slapstick comedy rather than a tense drama.

 

Hogan’s Heroes is a classic 1960s television sitcom that follows the covert adventures of a resourceful crew of Allied prisoners who secretly operate an espionage and sabotage ring inside a German prisoner-of-war (POW) camp during World War II.

Years Active: 1965–1971 (6 seasons, 168 episodes)

Creators: Bernard Fein and Albert S. Ruddy

Main Cast: Bob Crane (Col. Robert E. Hogan), Werner Klemperer (Col. Wilhelm Klink), John Banner (Sgt. Hans Schultz), Robert Clary (Cpl. Louis LeBeau), Richard Dawson (Cpl. Peter Newkirk), Ivan Dixon (Sgt. James Kinchloe), and Larry Hovis (Sgt. Andrew Carter).

The Blank Leaflet Blunder Blooper: In an episode featuring an Allied propaganda campaign, a collection of resistance leaflets is dropped from the sky. When Colonel Klink picks one up to read it, the paper is entirely blank on both sides.

What was the odd origin of Colonel Hogan’s iconic brown leather A-2 bomber jacket?

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A: It belonged to Frank Sinatra. To save on wardrobe costs, the studio reused the exact jacket Sinatra wore in the 1965 film Von Ryan’s Express. The same jacket was worn by Bob Crane for all six seasons.

 

Hogan’s Heroes is a classic 1960s television sitcom that follows the covert adventures of a resourceful crew of Allied prisoners who secretly operate an espionage and sabotage ring inside a German prisoner-of-war (POW) camp during World War II.

Years Active: 1965–1971 (6 seasons, 168 episodes)

Creators: Bernard Fein and Albert S. Ruddy

Main Cast: Bob Crane (Col. Robert E. Hogan), Werner Klemperer (Col. Wilhelm Klink), John Banner (Sgt. Hans Schultz), Robert Clary (Cpl. Louis LeBeau), Richard Dawson (Cpl. Peter Newkirk), Ivan Dixon (Sgt. James Kinchloe), and Larry Hovis (Sgt. Andrew Carter).

The Unconnected Detonator Plunger Blooper: During “Delayed Inspector General,” Sergeant Carter confidently exits the barracks holding a heavy dynamite plunger. Sharp-eyed viewers can easily see that the bottom of the plunger is completely unhooked from any wires.

Which major star originally wanted to play Colonel Hogan but was rejected?

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A: Richard Dawson (Newkirk). Dawson auditioned for the lead role but was turned down because he completely failed to deliver a convincing American accent.

 

Hogan’s Heroes is a classic 1960s television sitcom that follows the covert adventures of a resourceful crew of Allied prisoners who secretly operate an espionage and sabotage ring inside a German prisoner-of-war (POW) camp during World War II.

Years Active: 1965–1971 (6 seasons, 168 episodes)

Creators: Bernard Fein and Albert S. Ruddy

Main Cast: Bob Crane (Col. Robert E. Hogan), Werner Klemperer (Col. Wilhelm Klink), John Banner (Sgt. Hans Schultz), Robert Clary (Cpl. Louis LeBeau), Richard Dawson (Cpl. Peter Newkirk), Ivan Dixon (Sgt. James Kinchloe), and Larry Hovis (Sgt. Andrew Carter).

The Teleporting Gold Steps Blooper: In the conclusion of “The Gold Rush,” Hogan replaces Klink’s front office steps with actual red-painted gold bricks. However, by the very next episode, the steps instantly revert back to plain wood with zero explanation.

What did the Hogan’s Heroes special effects crew use for “snow” that ended up destroying the set?

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A: Real salt. Initially, the crew blanketed the Stalag 13 set with actual salt. It looked great on camera but was highly corrosive, eating away at the wooden structures and forcing them to switch to white paint.

 

Hogan’s Heroes is a classic 1960s television sitcom that follows the covert adventures of a resourceful crew of Allied prisoners who secretly operate an espionage and sabotage ring inside a German prisoner-of-war (POW) camp during World War II.

Years Active: 1965–1971 (6 seasons, 168 episodes)

Creators: Bernard Fein and Albert S. Ruddy

Main Cast: Bob Crane (Col. Robert E. Hogan), Werner Klemperer (Col. Wilhelm Klink), John Banner (Sgt. Hans Schultz), Robert Clary (Cpl. Louis LeBeau), Richard Dawson (Cpl. Peter Newkirk), Ivan Dixon (Sgt. James Kinchloe), and Larry Hovis (Sgt. Andrew Carter).

The Magic Disappearing Studio Soundstage Blooper: In “Information Please,” an exterior scene where the prisoners are repairing the camp’s barbed wire fencing features a massive studio warehouse building clearly looming in the top portion of the frame for nearly two minutes.

Why did the Hogan’s Heroes actors have to wear heavy wool coats and shiver while sweating profusely?

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A: Perpetual winter continuity. To allow episodes to air in any order, the show was set in a permanent winter. Because it was filmed in sunny Southern California during the summer, the cast had to fake freezing in 32°C heat.

 

Hogan’s Heroes is a classic 1960s television sitcom that follows the covert adventures of a resourceful crew of Allied prisoners who secretly operate an espionage and sabotage ring inside a German prisoner-of-war (POW) camp during World War II.

Years Active: 1965–1971 (6 seasons, 168 episodes)

Creators: Bernard Fein and Albert S. Ruddy

Main Cast: Bob Crane (Col. Robert E. Hogan), Werner Klemperer (Col. Wilhelm Klink), John Banner (Sgt. Hans Schultz), Robert Clary (Cpl. Louis LeBeau), Richard Dawson (Cpl. Peter Newkirk), Ivan Dixon (Sgt. James Kinchloe), and Larry Hovis (Sgt. Andrew Carter).

Klink’s Studio Light Monocle Blooper: In multiple close-ups throughout the series, including the episode “Cuban Comes to Stalag 13,” Colonel Klink’s signature glass monocle catches a sharp, bright reflection of the production studio’s overhead stage lights.

What real WWII trauma did Corporal LeBeau (Robert Clary) carry onto the Hogan’s Heroes set?

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A: He was a concentration camp survivor. Clary spent over two years in Nazi concentration camps, including Buchenwald, and lost twelve of his immediate family members to the Holocaust.

Hogan’s Heroes is a classic 1960s television sitcom that follows the covert adventures of a resourceful crew of Allied prisoners who secretly operate an espionage and sabotage ring inside a German prisoner-of-war (POW) camp during World War II.

Years Active: 1965–1971 (6 seasons, 168 episodes)

Creators: Bernard Fein and Albert S. Ruddy

Main Cast: Bob Crane (Col. Robert E. Hogan), Werner Klemperer (Col. Wilhelm Klink), John Banner (Sgt. Hans Schultz), Robert Clary (Cpl. Louis LeBeau), Richard Dawson (Cpl. Peter Newkirk), Ivan Dixon (Sgt. James Kinchloe), and Larry Hovis (Sgt. Andrew Carter).

The Hollywood Water Tower Blooper: During the episode “Top Hat, White Tie and Bomb Sights,” the iconic blue Desilu Studios water tower from the 40 Acres backlot is clearly visible standing tall over the German prison camp.

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