A bombshell investigation has unearthed decades-old secrets about the classic sitcom “Hogan’s Heroes,” leaving fans and historians stunned by revelations that rewrite the show’s history.
The beloved 1960s series, which mixed World War II prison camp antics with sharp comedy, was never supposed to be set in a war zone. Original creators Bernard Fine and Albert S. Ruddy initially pitched the show as a domestic American jail sitcom, sources confirm.
That plan was scrapped in a single day after they learned NBC was developing “Campo 44,” an Italian POW camp comedy. The frantic rewrite transformed “Hogan’s Heroes” into the iconic Stalag 13 within 24 hours.
Director Robert Butler, who helmed the black-and-white pilot, recalled in a new interview that he landed the job after his agent mentioned his name to producers. “I went and did it. It was an immense amount of fun,” Butler said.
The pilot featured a camp called “Camp 13” rather than Stalag 13, and General Burkhalter appeared only as a colonel. Corporal Carter was originally a lieutenant and was slated to be written out after the first episode. Leonid Kinsky, who played a Russian prisoner, chose to leave because he felt uncomfortable performing comedy about Nazis.
Kinsky wasn’t alone. Co-creator Ruddy also backed out after the pilot, unwilling to be locked into a long-term television contract. These early departures set the stage for a cast that would become legendary for very different reasons.
Perhaps the most shocking revelation involves casting decisions that touched real wartime trauma. Multiple actors who portrayed Nazi officers were Jewish, many having fled Nazi persecution. Werner Klemperer, who played Colonel Klink, was born into a respected Jewish family in Cologne.
He fled the Nazis in the 1930s. Klemperer insisted he would only take the role if the show never portrayed Nazis in a positive light. He once said, “If I can play Richard II, I can play a Nazi,” but he demanded assurance that the show would mock, not glorify, the enemy.
Even more stunning, Robert Clary, who played Corporal LeBeau, was a Holocaust survivor. He was imprisoned in Buchenwald concentration camp and bore a serial number tattoo on his arm. Clary brought that harrowing experience to the set, adding depth that viewers never fully appreciated.
In a documentary titled “Robert Clary A5714” – referring to his Nazi internment number – he recalled being herded into cattle cars, never knowing who would survive.
John Banner, who played Sergeant Schultz, actually suggested casting Jewish actors as the Nazis. When producers asked why, Banner replied, “Well, who better to play Nazis than us Jews?” Banner also served in World War II, and he helped create the iconic catchphrase “I know nothing.
Nothing!” – which was not in the original script. He improvised it during filming.
The show’s creators faced legal battles early on. Playwrights Donald Bevan and Edmund Tuskinsky, who wrote “Stalag 17,” sued producers for copyright infringement. A jury initially sided with the playwrights, but the judge overruled the verdict, reasoning that “Stalag 17” was a serious drama while “Hogan’s Heroes” was anything but serious.
The legal troubles resurfaced in 2012 when rights tangled again, with co-creator Fine eventually obtaining separate movie rights through Mark Cuban’s company. A film version was planned as recently as 2014.
Hidden production choices reveal how the series maintained its lighthearted tone despite its heavy setting. Many apparent historical inaccuracies were intentional. The creators deliberately included anachronisms – 1950s and 1960s props in a 1940s setting – to remind viewers not to take the show seriously.
Colonel Klink’s hat, for example, was from World War I, not World War II, visually reinforcing his outdated, clueless personality.
Even the show’s tagline came from a joke that was initially rejected. Comedian Stan Freberg quipped, “If you liked World War II, you’ll love Hogan’s Heroes.” The line was a desperate last resort, but it became a marketing masterpiece, perfectly capturing the show’s edgy humor.
The show’s music and behind-the-scenes talent were equally surprising. Bob Crane, who played Colonel Hogan, was an accomplished drummer who showcased his skills on the show. Richard Dawson, known as Corporal Newkirk and later as the host of “Family Feud,” had a successful singing career in the UK before acting.
Four of the five main cast members who played Nazi officers – Klemperer, Banner, Leon Askin (General Burkhalter), and Howard Caine (Major Hochstetter) – were all Jewish. All but Caine had served in World War II.
The set itself had a dark history. Stalag 13 was fictional, but inspired by the real Stalag 13C in Hammelburg, Bavaria, which was overcrowded and lacked basic resources. Filming took place at Desilu (later Paramount) and Cinema General Studios in Los Angeles.
Outdoor scenes used salt to mimic snow in early seasons, then switched to white paint. The set was reused in other productions, including the cult film “Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS,” and was destroyed during that filming. It later became the set for “The Fortune” and was bulldozed into an industrial park by 1976.
One of the most fascinating secrets involves how the show reached Germany – nearly 30 years after its U. S. debut.
When it finally aired in 1992, producers made drastic changes to adapt the humor. The original German title was changed from “Stacheldraht und Fersengeld” (barbed wire and heels) to “Ein Käfig voller Helden” (a cage full of heroes). References to “Heil Hitler” were replaced with “Heil Kräuter” (hail herbs).
In one episode, a bombing of a munitions factory was changed to a toilet paper factory. The RAF dropped candy in another episode instead of bombs. Klink was given a mysterious off-screen girlfriend, Kolinki, to add silliness.
Real-life trauma carried over onto the screen. Leon Askin’s facial scar was real – he received it as a child after being beaten by the SS for being Jewish. The emotional scars were even deeper.
Robert Clary’s experience in Buchenwald gave his role as LeBeau a powerful resonance that viewers never fully understood.
The show ran for 168 episodes between 1965 and 1971, making it the longest-running World War II comedy of its time. But cancellation came due to the “rural purge” – advertisers wanted more urban-themed shows – and the intensifying Vietnam War made lighthearted war comedies less appealing. Still, “Hogan’s Heroes” earned 12 Emmy nominations, with Werner Klemperer winning two for his portrayal of Klink.
The show also received an early NAACP Image Award in 1967 for advancing the image of African Americans on television.
Perhaps the most stunning continuity failures have now been exposed. The camp name kept changing between Stalag 13 and Camp 13 in season one. Sergeant Schultz’s serial number changed in almost every episode.
Carter claimed he couldn’t teach chemistry because he “just runs a drugstore,” yet he earlier whipped up chlorine gas from household products. One episode featured a periodic table with 103 elements, but only 92 had been discovered in the 1940s.
These revelations, drawn from interviews, archival footage, and the show’s complete series DVD package, have left longtime fans speechless. The series that made us laugh for six seasons was built on layers of irony, pain, and deliberate misdirection that we are only now beginning to understand.
As Robert Clary once asked, reflecting on his Holocaust experience, “Why can we be that inhuman toward other people?” The question echoes through the comedy that dared to find laughter in the darkest of times.
