Hogan's Heroes - Part 10 / by Mark

More of Hogan Season 3...

  • The boys have to get to a Nazi scientist, so Hogan scams Klink into letting them go into town. There's a great sequence where they put Schultz to sleep with a bit lifted from cartoons. The scientist is in love with the hotel lounge singer, so Hogan plays matchmaker in "How to Win Friends and Influence Nazis".
  • Just a general note--while everyone else on the show seems to have one set of clothing--even the Germans--Hogan has a whole wardrobe. Regular and dress uniforms, suits, a trench coat, pajamas, a robe--seems strange a POW would have such a large closet.
  • The Nazis are making counterfeit money at Stalag 13 (they always seem to do their dirty work there, don't they?). So they trick one of the technicians with a mocked up recording to take out the operation in "Hot Money".   I love how they use a fake sewing kit as a wire tape recorder. 
  • A new prisoner (Paul Picerni) sells out Hogan to Klink (I'm shocked it too so long for it to happen). Hogan uses it as a diversion to take out a secret weapon. Picerni served as a bombadier in WWII, and later was in the case of The Untouchables.
  • In yet another coincidence, a French entertainer went to high school with one of Hogan's boys--Kinchloe. He and Hogan are off to Paris, along with Klink who was (conveniently) chosen as "German Soldier of the Month". They have to get secret plans from a general who's a "friend" of the entertainer, played by Barbara McNair. She was a singer and entertainer, with many spots on variety shows including her own series from 1969-72--one of the first black women to host her own series. She passed away in 2007.
  • A Russian flyer needs help to get back to Allied territory--unfortunately, he wants to get to Mother Russia instead of England. Cold War-era jokes abound. The Russkie is played by Bob Hastings--another face you would recognize if you ever watched TV. His roles go back to 1949, and currently does voice work for animation and video games.

Cast info:

Cynthia Lynn (Fraulein Helga) played Klink's secretary during the first season of the show. She was born Zinta Zimilis in Latvia. She and her family escaped the Nazis near the end of the war.  She made it to the US in 1950, and was presented as the Hollywood Deb Star Ball in 1962, an event that focused on upcoming female talent. She had minor roles in 1960's and 70's television--never getting a bigger part than the one on Hogan's Heroes. After the first season, she left the show, but did return for two background roles in later seasons.

Remember, you can play along! The DVD box set is available on Amazon.