Pretty sure this show would have sunk without Werner. Hard to imagine someone portraying a German officer in such a lovable manner barely 20 years after the end of the war. His portrayal was always spot on.
So true. Yet I've read that initially, those in charge thouight about putting John Banner in as Klink and Klemperer as Schultz. Fortunately, they quickly changed their minds
Werner Klemperer had a lyrical way of saying his lines that was hilarious. He almost "sang" the punchlines. He was a great actor, and deserved his Emmy awards.
A fun little fact about Werner (may he RIP), was throughout the series, he was portrayed as a horrible violinist, but in real life he was actually a classically training concert pianist and violinist, as he came from a known musical family. And a second little fact was while he is a natural German, his family left Germany in the 1930s and settled in the US and during WW2, Werner actually served in the US Army and deployed to the Pacific Theater. Truly an amazing actor and entertainer and a true once in a life time performer.
Near the beginning of this video, Klink does do a great job on the fiddle -- except he's playing the American Army Air Force anthem much to his the anger of Burkhalter! 🤣
A known musical family? More than that, his father, Otto Klemperer, was one of the greatest conductors of all time, and a disciple of Gustav Mahler himself.
Another fact: (not being racist here) the entire Klemperer family had to flee Germany for life and safety because of their Jewish ethnicity. Werner however, when he was growing up in the US converted to Catholicism (perhaps to erase the Jewish stigma on his own family later?). In one of his interviews in the 90s, he claims to be left leaning, towards Socialism though he would make slips by saying "God" and calling himself a "man of faith". My own view of this development is that of confusion and enigma. As a young child he fled Nazism which was a German form of Socialism, (Hitler calls his party Socialist Democrat). Yet in Werner's elderly days, he would return to the very thing they fled away from? I'm confounded.
@@tuberobotto don't confuse the National Socialism with socialism - the Nazis were nearly as socialistic as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is democratic.
My favorite line by Colonel Klink was about his staff car. "How can I get it back sooner than I think, when it's already later than I thought? Great line
I always liked how Klink was Hogan's foil, but he was never the villain. He wasn't the bad guy. He was someone doing the best he could in a situation that he wanted no part of. All he wanted to do was safely ride out the war in command of Stalag 13 and remain as far away from anything resembling fighting as possible.
Truly by Design from what I understand Werner Clempererer did not want to appear a competent German soldier he would do nothing to make the Nazis actually look good.
Literally none of the nazis in the show are depicted as malicious in their intent. They merely follow orders but don’t want to exert any violence. They just want the war to be over so they can return to their lives. I think for most people during the war on both sides for the most part they were more or less the same,
He looked sharp in anything. I've seen him in other roles...as a Navy lieutenant, as a SS lieutenant colonel, and in a suit. He was just good looking in general. Some men can wear a uniform and some can't. Just saying. 👍🏻💙😍
I just love how Hogan tries to string Klink along (even in the face of Klink's mounting suspicions and anger), but bring up General Burkhalter and BOTH of them are instantly on the same page!
@@scootergeorge9576 the German military hated the Gestapo in real life. The Gestapo was drawn from the dregs of society, and the military had contempt for them. Heck, many German officers tried to kill Hitler.
You really have to give props to Werner Klemperer, who was TV's "Leslie Nielsen" before there ever WAS a "Leslie Nielsen," reinventing himself from a third or fourth billed dramatic actor to a household name and the glue that held Hogan's Heroes together. Both Klemperer and Nielsen had long careers as "serious" types, but then became so adept at comedy that they are better remembered for comedy than they are for their many years of previous work.
@@vincentsartain3061 Same with Ed O'Neill of Married with Children fame. Never did comedy ever before MWC but made Al Bundy one of tv's funniest and most iconic characters of all time.
All the cast members had one job to do, and that was to make you laugh, and forget about the Vietnam Conflict....of which they all excelled at. My youthful days were spent laughing long and hard at all those great TV shows of the sixties. What a time it was!
Yep, my Dad and I hanging out in the “rec” room watching these. The episode with Klink in ski attire with (unbeknownst to Klink) Burkhalter standing behind him listening to his insults was hilarious!
Werner Klemperer was the fulcrum of the comedy of this entire show. He was genius in his role, and it was hilarious when Leon Askin (Gen. Burkhalter) made an appearance to contrast Klink's role.
@@OVERHERE-OVERHERE You misunderstood me. I said that Klink was "playing for the wrong team" because he's an enemy German and he got caught by his superiors playing an American anthem. And thank you for your service to our country.
@@headshotsongs9465 - Trained musician as well as Jewish. Most, if not all of the Germans were played by Jews. Next song, "Anchors aweigh." Retired Navy vet.
@@Cjnw I wouldn't get to serious about it, as this is scripted television comedy. The on-screen banter that I refer to is the ability of the actors delivery of their lines and comedic timing.
I don't wanna say that the show would have been "nothing" without Klemperer and Banner because Crane, Clary, Dawson, Dixon, and Hovis were all just so darned likeable and were a great team, both in character and as working colleagues, at pulling the kind of onscreen shenanigans they did in each episode; they were funny, too. Dixon, maybe not "belly laugh-funny," but the show did need one more "straight man" besides Bob Crane himself, and Dixon delivered amply in that department.
Im so sorry for you guys, in the german version they synced themselves, even including script changes, and they say german version is funnier. Probably because of the fact you can listen to kink with his sax dialect for days.
I don't recall seeing Klink at the ski lodge, calling General Burkhalter "a nasty old tub of lard" before turning around and seeing him listening to every word. THAT is the very best of Colonel Klink.
Although Hogans Heroes was far fetched there was a grain of truth to it. The character of Colonel Klink was that of a rear echelon officer who was given a low profile command that he couldn't screw up. The best officers were either on the General Staff or on the front(s). In the story line Colonel Klink was supposed to have been from an old aristocratic family who rose to the rank of Colonel because of his family rather than because of his accomplishments. Not that that ever happens in real life (ha ha). Hogans Heroes was classic comedy which never received the recognition that it should have.
HeadShotSongs well, Hogan wouldn’t be able to run his operation without Klink. For this reason, Hogan is obliged to save Klink again and again, and get rid of any replacement for Klink ASAP.
Werner was one of the nicest men in show business! He would often go out of his way for his fans. I always loved the way he would express his lines as colonel Klink.
I can’t believe the meal scene from the last episode of season 2 was omitted. Klink and Hogan eating one meal, with Klink mimicking Hogan’s every move...and the facial expressions.
As another commenter has pointed out, although Klink playing the violin off key was part of the comedy shtick, in reality Werner Klemperer was an accomplished classical musician. His father was Otto Klemperer who was the conductor of the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, who was fired when the Nazis began to persecute the Jews. Seeing what was going on in Germany with the rise of Hitler, the family re-settled in America and his father became the conductor of the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra.
Klink's bad violin playing was a running joke but, Werner was the son of a famous conductor and did some of that himself, though he always said he wasn't nearly his father's equal. I would bet that he was an excellent violinist in real life.
@ Yes and, you have to realize that, a master violinist probably knows how to play 'wrong' better than a beginner ever could. Due to knowing how things should be done, they can do things...exactly wrong .
No he wasn't playing. He could really play violin and piano. I'm a violinist and he actually is bowing and holding the violin in the correct position, but is not fingering the strings at all. I do know he was good on the piano.
"Who are these people? Is Stalag 13 a tourist attraction for every officer who passes through town? Soon we'll be serving tea!" "They are from the Adolf Hitler Division." "Well don't just stand there! Make some tea!" 😂
Thanks for taking the time to put this together. I have the complete series. But you left one very funny scene out. The one where Klink tells Hochstetter that he would trust Fraulein Helga to shave the fuehrer.
My favorite episode was Klink’s preparation to celebrate Hitler‘s birthday. Gut-splitting hilarious. General Burkhalter‘s response, “Happy birthday, Adolf?“ May Werner Klemperer rest in peace.
2:15 one of, in not the only time Colonel Klink got the better of Hogan, especially when he drops the bomb that he has to pick up General Burkhalter at the station in 45 minutes and Hogan immediately stops fooling Klink and goes to get his car
Remember when they had that traitor or whoever hidden in Klink's quarters but nobody was allowed to look at him? And Hogan (with the vocal help of Sergeant Carter) had Klink convinced it was Adolf Hitler himself in there, but in disguise? Carter told Klink that he was going to appointment a successor, and that he had picked Klink! So after Klink heard that, he stumbled backwards in shock and hit the wall...I think if Hogan hadn't caught him he would have fainted dead away. The problem is, he only found out it was all a trick AFTER he mouthed off to Major Hochstetter AND was disrespectful to the real Heinrich Himmler on the phone! I know we're not supposed to feel bad for Colonel Klink, but that was low. You take a guy who just wants to be a general, give him the ultimate in false hope and then yank it away. Frankly, Klink is lucky Himmler DIDN'T come down there since he was known to have a very nasty temper. Moral of the story: don't count on using the perks of a job until it's official! 😂
I don't think "the universe" really hates Klink. Sure, he's an incompetent boob and gets frustrated often, but he's got a cushy job and will never have to go to the Russian Front (thank you, Col. Hogan!) On Liberation Day, Hogan will most likely put in a good word for Klink and Schultz (their ineptitude enabled Hogan & co. to have successful underground operations and besides, Klink & Schultz aren't really such bad guys!) to all pertinent authorities, and they'll go on to live fairly prosperous lives in West Germany.
was very popular in Germany - with an improved translation with more rhymes and spells by Klink - and he has got a dialect from today Saxony. check it out -> in German "ein Käfig voller Helden" (a cage full of Heroes).... side note: in American Dad Series Klaus is translated also with saxon dialect.
Colonel Klink leaves quite a dilemma. Hogan's Heroes is meant to call back to American triumph against the Nazis in World War II, and yet, Klink is just so likable.
Sometimes i wonder if Klink actually knew what they were doing and allowed it to happen and his acts of incompetence was so none if the guards would report anything.
I can't really believe that Col. Klink would so incompetent to fall for all of Hogan's tricks and lies then Klink would have had more respect from all of the visiting staff. BUT then they would have sent him into the front lines.
Ross Renouard All armies have a few, ahem, less than ideal officers, and in war, they would put them someplace where they could do the least harm. But it was exaggerated. He wouldn't have made colonel in reality.
Wilhelm Klink (17 June 1900 - 2 May 1945) was a German Nazi Party official and head of the Nazi Party Chancellery, private secretary to Adolf Hitler and a war criminal. After the war, he was convicted and sentenced to death-in-absentia for crimes against humanity. Bormann gained immense power by using his position as Hitler's private secretary to control the flow of information and access to Hitler. He used his position to create an extensive bureaucracy and involve himself as much as possible in the decision making.
Great Comp you did ,One More Scene would be Were kink Tells Hocsteder ,A New Order is Coming which will Sweep Vermen Like You Into The Delosing Station of History
