Hogan's Heroes

Sometime last year, I had dinner at The Cracker Barrel restaurant - you know, the one with the rocking chairs on the porch, checker tables, fire place, to-die-for green beans, plus a country store.  I noticed and bought a DVD set that I thought you might like....  Hogan's Heroes, the complete first season of the TV show.  It was an incredible hit with both of you.  I remember how hard you laughed as you watched the DVD for the first time.

As time has gone by, Sasha is less interested in the show.  But, Brock, you are still a huge fan and have asked about getting a DVD of the later seasons.  Here are some of my thoughts about the show:

• Hogan's Heroes was showing on television close to 50 years ago, from 1965-1971 (the first 6 years of my life).  That's a long time ago, but like The Three Stooges which you also like a lot, still very funny.  
• By the way Brock, you've also asked me whether there was a real "Stalag 13".  I just Googled it, and Yes there was.  But it was nothing like the fictional one on Hogan's Heroes.  The real Stalag 13 was an Allied prisoner-of-war camp which held German military personnel after World War II.  
• Hogan's Heroes ridicules Hitler in particular, and to a large extent German culture generally.  It's understandable this would have been very entertaining, especially since  World War II, during which Hogan and the Allied soldiers were German prisoners, started just 25 years before the show aired.
• Each episode begins with the announcement "CBS presents this program in color."  Do you realize that TV was originally in black and white?  CBS began sending a color broadcast signal from a few stations in 1951.  But color television was still a relative novelty in the 1960's, as most people did not yet have TVs which could receive a "monochrome" (color broadcast) signal.  You can read more about the technology and history of color TV here  -->  Color Television

Brock, when I asked you today you told me that your favorite characters are Corporal Newkirk (of the British Royal Airforce), Corporate LeBeau (of the French Free Airforce), and the German Sergeant "I see NOTHING!" Schultz.  As I've watched the show with you, I am very impressed with the performances of Werner Klemperer as Col. Klink and especially John Banner as Sgt. Schultz.  As you both know, they were Jewish - very interesting that they were willing to do the show at all.  John Banner had the most expressive face, and did a phenomenal job playing Sgt. Schultz as a friendly, bumbling, look-the-other-way Master Sergeant.  You'll be interested to learn more about Johann Banner, an Austrian, here  -->  John Banner


Well, on that note here are two wonderful clips.  The second one includes one of my favorite scenes, when LeBeau, Schultz and then Klink are flying a kite!