Hogan's Heroes is real! (sort of)

[vailr]

“The 60's TV show Hogan's Heroes was set in a POW camp called Stalag 13, near the town of Hammelburg in World War II Germany. I had kind of assumed the camp and town were fictional, but no. There really is a town called Hammelburg. And there really was a POW camp called Stalag 13 on the outskirts of Hammelburg.

Although the studio maintains that Colonel Robert Hogan of Hogan's Heroes was a completely fictional character, there really was a POW in a Stalag 13 named Robert Hogan whose story bears striking similarities to the Hollywood version. Though there was little similarity between his real-life experience and the Hogan's Heroes series, there were three significant things that were similar: 1) the commandant wore a monocle like Colonel Klink, 2) there was a big, fat, goofy sergeant like Sergeant Schulz, and 3) the prisoners had a "secret" radio.”

http://www.uncommon-travel-germany.com/hogans-heroes.html

Dr. Robert Steadham Hogan - Was He the Real Hogan’s Hero?

http://www.jeffcohistory.com/newsletter_Apr_13_pg3.html

 

[shortylickens]

It was real.

So was The Great Escape.

And you know what else?

PATTON!


Who would have thought, huh?

 

[brianmanahan]

i know nusssinnnnnggggk

 

[MongGrel]

Stalag 17

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046359/?ref_=fn_ft_tt_1

Sgt. Johann Sebastian Schulz

http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0169650/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_40

 

[lupi]

I'll have to look it up again, but think my relatives were in 3 & 7.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

It was real.

So was The Great Escape.

And you know what else?

PATTON!


Who would have thought, huh?

And Star Wars.

 

[Ichinisan]

I've never watched an episode. Having greater relevance to real life makes it seem more significant to me.

Is it worthwhile to watch the series?

 

[IronWing]

I've never watched an episode. Having greater relevance to real life makes it seem more significant to me.

Is it worthwhile to watch the series?

Blowing up Nazis and banging their women, what could be better?


Hogan's Heroes is entertaining but tends to make a German POW camp out to be sort of like extended summer camp.

 

[kranky]

It's a pure sitcom. No drama.

An episode might be: Hogan learns a German general is coming to evaluate the camp commandant. Because the commandant is a bumbling idiot, Hogan wants to make the commandant look good so he's not replaced. During the general's visit, the general sees evidence that the commandant is terrible, but Hogan makes up stories so the general thinks what he saw actually proved that it's a tightly-run prison camp and they suffer terribly under the stern hand of the commandant. The commandant knows Hogan is BSing but wants to keep his job so he stays quiet. General is happy and leaves. Commandant owes Hogan and issues extra rations to the prisoners, thinking Hogan is truly a good guy even though Hogan only did it to make sure the camp continued to be run by an idiot so the prisoners can come and go almost at will.

 

[dainthomas]

It's a pure sitcom. No drama.

An episode might be: Hogan learns a German general is coming to evaluate the camp commandant. Because the commandant is a bumbling idiot, Hogan wants to make the commandant look good so he's not replaced. During the general's visit, the general sees evidence that the commandant is terrible, but Hogan makes up stories so the general thinks what he saw actually proved that it's a tightly-run prison camp and they suffer terribly under the stern hand of the commandant. The commandant knows Hogan is BSing but wants to keep his job so he stays quiet. General is happy and leaves. Commandant owes Hogan and issues extra rations to the prisoners, thinking Hogan is truly a good guy even though Hogan only did it to make sure the camp continued to be run by an idiot so the prisoners can come and go almost at will.

Also the episodes where they sneak out to blow something up. Or help someone stuck behind enemy lines escape (if it's a girl she's always hot so Hogan can make out with her).

 

[tynopik]

watching a couple episodes is necessarily simply for well-rounded cultural education

 

[cronos]

I've never watched an episode. Having greater relevance to real life makes it seem more significant to me.

Is it worthwhile to watch the series?

It's pretty hilarious when I watched it back in the early 80s (obviously reruns at this point). Back then my dad was on some sort of WW2 binge mindset though, that's all he watched and I got to watch everything with him.

 

[kranky]

Also the episodes where they sneak out to blow something up. Or help someone stuck behind enemy lines escape (if it's a girl she's always hot so Hogan can make out with her).

Oh yeah, lots of those!

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Best part of Hogan's Heroes was when Schultz revealed that after the war was over he'd return to running his business which was a huge German toy company and his mansion(?). I'm nearly positive the company named was in fact a real German toy company that was enormously successful.

For the younger folks who haven't watched Schultz was a complete idiot of a guard with an good heart.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Werner Klemperer and John Banner were great friends and I fed them many times over the years.

 

[Chocu1a]

Ahhh, good old Hogan's Heroes...leave it to Hollywood to create a lovable Nazi- Shultzy. "I know noTHING"

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Werner Klemperer and John Banner were great friends and I fed them many times over the years.

You're a bit older than I thought you were. :hmm:

 

[Fanatical Meat]

I've been thinking about how fun Hogan's Heroes was.
I kind of remember an episode where Schultz was promoted and he ran the camp with great efficiency and it was tough for anyone to get out.
Does anyone else remember an episode like that

 

[John Connor]

My parents watch Antenna TV and ME TV on Comcast. I've seen a few episodes, but never actually watched the whole show.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

You're a bit older than I thought you were. :hmm:

My bad habits keep me young or, are they killing me? I can never keep it straight.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

I've been thinking about how fun Hogan's Heroes was.
I kind of remember an episode where Schultz was promoted and he ran the camp with great efficiency and it was tough for anyone to get out.
Does anyone else remember an episode like that

Probably thinking of 'Kommandant Schultz'.

'The Great Brinksmeyer Robbery' is probably my favorite.

 

[LevelSea]

Werner Klemperer and John Banner were great friends and I fed them many times over the years.

I always wondered how Klemperer felt about playing Nazis, since he was half Jewish and served in the US Army in WW2.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

I always wondered how Klemperer felt about playing Nazis, since he was half Jewish and served in the US Army in WW2.

He viewed the role as the comedy it was. He was very gracious and only got annoyed when idiots expected him to be in character all the time. He quoted Shakespeare often and loved to laugh.