Hogan's Heroes & Stalag 13

[terentii]

@That_Don_Guy

I remember one episode where Hogan is looking for someone to play a German officer, and Kinch says, “How about me?”, to which Hogan replies, “Don’t be ridiculous!”

They can’t even agree on his last name. (It’s James in one episode, and Ivan in another.)

As for actors playing bit parts who would later become more famous, didn’t William Christopher (Father Mulcahy on MASH*) play both Allied and German soldiers in different episodes? I know Gavin MacLeod played a German officer at least once (he was stealing works of art from France), but can’t remember if he played any Allied soldiers or not.

Then again, an early episode took place on D-Day, which was in 1944, but later episodes took place in 1943.

I think the actual line was “Don’t be funny.” Reminds me of that awful made-for-TV sequel to The Dirty Dozen, when Lee Marvin is explaining to the men how they’re going to infiltrate their target, or something like that. After he lays out the plan, the token black GI says “What about me?” Everyone just kind of stares at him as if they’re seeing him for the first time: “Oh, shit! How come nobody thought of that before they sent us out on this mission?!?”

Kinch was called “Ivan” by his old classmate in the episode where they went to Paris (she had had a crush on him). It may have been a nickname. I think he was called “James” in a letter from his draft board.

William Christopher was in one episode playing a transient prisoner; I think it was the one where Carter impersonated Hitler. He also doubled for Carter in one episode when Larry Hovis apparently wasn’t available. I think he did play a German as well, in the episode where Carter wants to escape. IIRC, he was the soldier drinking beer at the Rathskellar who didn’t want to get involved.

Gavin MacLeod made a very convincing Nazi. He was in more than one episode as either a Wehrmacht or a Gestapo officer.

The show was pretty consistent in terms of moving the dates up. The pilot episode was set in 1942; the one with D-Day came in the third or fourth season, I think. After that, I don’t remember any flashbacks to 1943.

[terentii]

@That_Don_Guy

IIRC, he didn’t “successfully” escape; at the end, he was going to be transferred to a much more secure facility. I think the last two lines of the show were something like:
(Newkirk) If anybody can get out of there, he can, but I’d lay 1000-1 against it.
(Flood, in one of the bunks): I believe I’ll take that bet!

Missed this one.

You’re absolutely right! Flood was hiding under the blanket while the rest of the conversation was going on, then popped his head out at the very end. End of episode. That’s the scene the still I posted shows.

Nice, having my memory jogged!

[BMalion]

I did read that the prisoner of war camp set was also used for that very fine film Illsa, She-Wolf Of The SS.

[ralph124c]

Gen. Buchalter is always threatening Colonel Klink with “reassignment to the Eastern Front (Russia)”-if he screws up one more time.
In reality, why would an overage Luftwaffe Colonel have to fear? He would not have been much use in Russia.

[aceplace57]

They were always looking for cannon fodder on the Eastern front. Piss off the wrong General and Klink would have been on the front lines with a rifle and bayonet.

Hitler sent his sister’s (Paula) fiance, Erwin Jekelius to the Eastern front to fight. Jekelius was a Doctor that sent patients to the gas chamber. So maybe a trip to the Eastern front wasn’t so bad in his case.
http://www.naderlibrary.com/nazi.hitlerfamilyshadow.screen.htm

Dr. Jekelius was head of the Am Steinhof Psychiatric Institution in Vienna [Psychiayrisches Krankenraus Der Stadt Wiem] where Aloisia Veit, Hitler’s second cousin, was confined for nine years. Paula’s fiance was a willing executioner in the program of mass murder they called “euthanasia.” He sent over 4,000 patients to the gas chambers. Hitler’s sister knew about it. Yet she still wanted to marry the doctor. She asked her brother’s permission. But only Hitler would decide who was part of the family. He had Paula’s fiance arrested, and sent to the Eastern front. Erwin Jekelius was taken prisoner by the Soviets. He died in captivity in 1952.