Carol Ford, author of Bob Crane: The Definitive
Biography, during her author event at
The Liberty Aviation Museum,
June 11 and 12, 2016. (Photo by Dave Bishop)
Every so often, there comes a moment in one's life when there is so much goodness, it's difficult to process it all. You have to sit back and allow the moment, embrace it, and try not to question or understand it. Such has been, from Day One, my experience with the Liberty Aviation Museum in Port Clinton, Ohio. It is the latest chapter in my own journey of discovering Bob Crane—a journey that continues to overwhelm, illuminate, and surprise me.
A grass roots effort, Bob Crane: The Definitive Biography has humble beginnings and was a lengthy research process. Linda Groundwater, Dee Young, and I worked into the wee hours of the morning on almost a nightly basis (all while maintaining demanding full-time jobs and families). Over time, I met and got to know many prominent people from Bob's life, and in some cases, we became like family. After twelve years of thorough research and two years of writing, our hard work paid off. The book was finally published on September 17, 2015.
One would think that with our big, ambitious goal achieved, things would settle down a bit. But not so! Marketing and promoting a book is extremely important, often exhausting, and expensive, and I have been trying to line up as many book signings and author events that I can squeeze into my schedule and can afford.
In September 2015, I was honored to present the closing session at the Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention in Hunt Valley, Maryland. Bob Crane's son entrusted me with his father's Hogan cap, which I displayed during my session, allowing fans to see it up close. It's not every day you get to be the keeper of one of the most iconic props in television history, and it was, up until that point, a pinnacle moment for me, both personally and professionally.
Carol Ford, seated, holding Colonel Hogan's 50 Mission Crusher Cap,
with her friends at work, just before sending the cap back to Scott Crane.
September 21, 2015.
And then, the Liberty Aviation Museum joined the party. I had just returned home from the convention, and Hogan's cap was barely back in Los Angeles, when I received my first email from the CEO of the museum. Never, in my wildest dreams, could I have imagined what was about to happen next. They have embraced Bob Crane and our book, and have helped take our efforts in telling Bob's true story to a whole new level. They have done something truly magnificent, and in doing so, have won a big piece of my heart.
In the world of museums, the Liberty Aviation Museum, located in Port Clinton, Ohio, is quite young, barely a toddler. A small band of loyal and dedicated World War II enthusiasts interested in preserving history had a vision, and that vision—a museum—became a reality. They broke ground in 2010 and opened their doors to the public in July 2012.
You may wonder how much a museum still in its infancy could acquire and offer to share with the public. The answer is—a lot. Conceived in the mid-1980s and registered on December 7, 1991, over the course of two decades, they amassed a collection of literally thousands upon thousands of important relics. Many are in dire need of restoration when they land at Liberty Aviation, but once in their possession, volunteers and staff spend as much time and money necessary restoring them.
And as CEO Edward Patrick states, they don't just acquire these items. They "rescue" them.
Situated on a landing strip near Sandusky Airport, the museum consists of two massive hangars with showrooms filled to the brim with artifacts and military vehicles and aircraft, mostly all from World War II. A few of their shining glory items are a fully restored and flyable North American B-25J Mitchell Bomber (Georgie's Gal), a PT-728 MTB Motor Torpedo Boat (Thomcat) (currently under restoration), a fully restored and flyable Avenger (GM TBM-3E Bomber, General Motors), a fully restored and flyable model 5-AT-B Ford Tri-Motor (the Tin Goose), and much, much more. Motorcycles, Jeeps, ambulances, countless other military vehicles, and mountains of military artifacts fill their showrooms. Their vast collection also includes items dedicated to Hollywood and its connection to the military, with many screen-used artifacts and uniforms owned by actors who served in the military on display. This now includes items from the 1960s television series Hogan's Heroes.
The Hogan's Heroes collection at the Liberty Aviation Museum
in Port Clinton, Ohio. An expanded display is in the works.
On September 30, 2015, the Liberty Aviation Museum won at auction Colonel Hogan's leather flight jacket (owned and worn by Bob Crane in Hogan's Heroes, and also worn by Frank Sinatra in Von Ryan's Express), Colonel Klink's uniform (worn by Werner Klemperer), and Sergeant Schultz's overcoat (worn by John Banner). I didn't even know Liberty Aviation existed when we set up a Go Fund Me campaign and, with the help of Hogan's Heroes fans, tried to "save Hogan's jacket." Our intention was that if we raised the funds and won the jacket, we would donate it to a museum. But we failed miserably, and I watched in dispair as the auction went up, bidding started, and then closed. Heartbroken, I went to bed that night wondering who the lucky private collector was and how he or she would care for this iconic item. Imagine my surprise when the CEO of the Liberty Aviation Museum contacted me the next day to inform me that they had won the jacket. I was literally on Cloud 9!
Since then, the museum has added several other items from the series to its Hogan's Heroes collection. Among them is the rest of Colonel Hogan's uniform (shirt, tie, pants, and his iconic 50 Mission Crusher Cap), graciously donated by Robert Scott Crane, son of Bob Crane and Patricia Olson Crane (Sigrid Valdis). I am beyond thrilled and overjoyed that the Liberty Aviation Museum is the official home of the authentic Hogan's Heroes artifact and prop collection viewable by the public, and they have big plans for an expanded display to be constructed over the next year.
The Hogan's Heroes collection at the Liberty Aviation Museum in Port Clinton, Ohio. An expanded display is in the works.
I couldn't have planned this better if I tried. I never could have ever prdicted that in less than a year following the Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention, not only would Hogan's jacket be safe in a museum, but his entire uniform would be back together again—for the first time in nearly forty years. It has found its new and permanent home, where it, along with other Hogan's Heroes artifacts, will be safely preserved and enjoyed by fans. And at the same time, people will discover Bob Crane's true story. It's impossible to miss his biography sitting right in the display case with the very uniform of the man who brought Colonel Hogan to life.
I can't even begin to tell you how incredibly happy this makes my heart! These may just be inanimate objects, but they are objects that signify not only an important piece of television history, but also Bob Crane's most important contribution to the television industry and his main achievement as an actor. And ironically, the timeline of the Liberty Aviation Museum runs interestingly parallel to that of Bob Crane's biography: right at about the same time I started researching Bob in 1985 as a kid digging in my local library, those who brought the Liberty Aviation Museum to life were laying the groundwork for its inception. It took decades and elbow grease for each of our projects to build and come to fruition. As Bob himself used to say, nothing happens overnight, and with hard work, patience, a little luck, determination, and perseverance, what you want will one day be yours. It's as if our two endeavors were always meant to one day converge.
The Hogan's Heroes collection at the Liberty Aviation Museum in Port Clinton, Ohio. An expanded display is in the works.
We have forged a strong friendship with the Liberty Aviation Museum, and on June 11 and 12, 2016, they hosted an author/book signing event for me. I was completely humbled by their gracious hospitality and kind generosity, and my author event was a tremendous success. I was onsite for the entire time the museum was open both days, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. My table was right next to the Hogan's Heroes display case, and it was also a "reunion" for me and Hogan's cap! It was an oddly strange, yet wonderful and slightly overwhelming feeling—like seeing an old friend.
Visitors to the museum and attendees of my two presentations were curious, interested, and kind, and many were touched by what I had to say. I always remember the people I meet at these events—like the woman who travelled by train from Milwaukee, Wisconsin; the little boy who loves Hogan's Heroes so much, so I let him touch Colonel Hogan's cap; the lovely lady who had already read the book and came all the way just to meet me; the gentleman who was overcome with emotion after my presentation, telling me, "Thank you for this and for all you do." The man who came back to give me a mug with a photograph of a B-17 on it. The writer who kindly authored a beautiful article about the event a couple of days later. And so many more.
Entrance to the Liberty Aviation Museum
in Port Clinton, Ohio.
June 11 and 12, 2016.
This is exactly why we're here: to show the world that Bob Crane was not evil. He was a good, kind, talented, and imperfect human being, with a full life—one that was cut short all too soon. When I present my session, people already know the ending. Bob Crane will be murdered on June 29, 1978, no matter how many times I tell his story. But what I get to witness is the reaction. It's not unlike watching the film Titanic. You know how the story ends before the movie even starts, but at the end, it hits you. You get choked up. You have gotten to know the characters who represent real people who lost their lives that night. They aren't just names on a page or a headline in a newspaper, or their belongings just artifacts in a museum. They were human beings. They were real. They had lives. And it gets to the core of people. This is what I see time and time again when I get to tell Bob's true story: compassion for and understanding of another human being.
I journeyed to Port Clinton to hold a book signing and see artifacts from a TV show I have loved since I was a kid—to see the revered jacket that I had so wanted to save and see preserved. I was not disappointed. The Liberty Aviation Museum not only met every expectation I had. It surpassed all of them.
Because what I left with was so much more. Over this all-too short weekend, endearing friendships were made that I know will last a lifetime. I felt as if I had known these beautiful people forever—something I haven't experienced since meeting some of Bob's closest friends in Connecticut and then earning their friendships.
Carol Ford, author of Bob Crane: The Definitive Biography with the Hogan's Heroes display at The Liberty Aviation Museum, June 11 and 12, 2016.
The folks at the Liberty Aviation Museum are simply amazing. In addition to giving Hogan's jacket and all of the Hogan's Heroes props all the TLC and attention they rightfully deserve, the museum CEO and his hard-working staff are kind, gracious, and generous souls dedicated to preserving history and giving back to the community. They are bright stars that light up an all-too-often dark and frightening world. They seek out the good, and they strive to do good. I cannot think of anywhere else in the world where Bob Crane's Colonel Hogan uniform would be "at home."
It is so true. Put goodness out, and goodness will comes back in ways you could never possibly imagine.
Thank you to everyone at the Liberty Aviation Museum, especially Ed, Connie, and Terry, as well as the museum's restaurant, the Tin Goose Diner. I love these people so much, and I miss them all already! I will be a frequent flyer to the museum, and plans are in the works for my return at least on an annual basis (and I'm hoping for more often than that!). I will never stop gushing love and affection for the Liberty Aviation Museum! Goodness prevails. Always.
The Liberty Aviation Museum — Simply the best museum on earth!
We are extremely grateful to the Liberty Aviation Museum CEO and staff, and honored and humbled by their kind hospitality, generosity, care, and dedication to preserving history and giving back to the community. We encourage you to discover all that the Liberty Aviation Museum has to offer. Please support them by visiting them in person, and/or by donating directly to the museum or shopping in their online gift shop.
I admit, there is nothing quite like holding, let alone actually owning, a piece of your favorite television show or movie. There's something magical about it. First you find it, then bid on it, and if you're lucky and have the financial means, you can win that iconic treasure.
I know. I've done it.
Your prize arrives, and you experience that moment of joy and elation. No matter what the item is, it was used on screen in your favorite show or movie, and now, it's in your hands and soon to be proudly displayed in your living room or den or office. You vow to take care of it, treating it like gold, knowing how important it is, not only to you, but to fans and collectors worldwide.
The official Hogan's Heroes display at the Liberty Aviation Museum, Port Clinton, Ohio.
And there it sits. For awhile, you'll walk past it, and you can't help but grin. Yes, it's a valuable momento that represents your youth or a certain time in your life. The show means something to you, and now, you own a piece of it.
And there it sits. Maybe you'll showcase it when friends or relatives who visit. And it's truly awesome and cool!
And there it sits. In a private home. With only a handful of people able to enjoy it. Eventually, like all materialistic things, its novelty wears off. But it's still important, so it's really difficult to part with it.
So there it sits.
Last year, the Liberty Aviation Museum in Port Clinton, Ohio, acquired several key items from Hogan's Heroes: Colonel Hogan's A-2 leather bomber jacket, Colonel Klink's uniform, and Sergeant Schultz's overcoat. In addition, other items have been secured to add to the display. I have personally donated authentic props from the series I had in my collection, along with several original photographs autographed by the show's stars. After all, Hogan's Heroes is not only a television show, but now, more than fifty years old, it is a piece of Americana and our television history. These props belong in a museum, where they can be properly preserved and available for the public to enjoy.
Do you have Colonel Hogan's coffee pot? The Liberty Aviation Museum would love to hear from you!
The Liberty Aviation Museum is not holding back in creating a world-class and official Hogan's Heroes display. They are currently building a large case to house the items, and for the uniforms, they have commissioned lifelike mannequins in the likeness of the actors who portrayed the characters. It will be, without a doubt, a beautiful showcase and one that does justice to the series and those who were a part of it.
Do you agree that iconic props and artifacts from nostalgic
television shows belong in a museum?
Contact us if you own a Hogan's Heroes prop!
Personally, I can't imagine a better place for Hogan's Heroes artifacts and props to call their official home. The CEO of the Liberty Aviation Museum is an honest, true-blue Hogan's Heroes fan, and he's doing right by the series by putting all of his TLC into the display. Further, events and displays such as this help raise money for the museum, and funds go directly to helping U.S. veterans and active duty service members. When I do my book signing of Bob Crane: The Definitive Biography at the museum in June, I will be donating my profits from the event's sales to the museum because of the good work these folks are doing.
Here's where you come in. Are you the owner/private collector of a Hogan's Heroes prop or artifact? We'd love to hear from you. We understand how much these props mean to you. But sit back and think for a minute — wouldn't it be wonderful and amazing for your Hogan's Heroes prop to be preserved and back together with other series artifacts for the public to enjoy? Whether you loan it to the museum or decide to sell it to them, as long as you can provide accurate and official authentication documents, they are interested in hearing from you. You can contact them directly via their website, or click the link below to send a message through us that we'll pass along to them.
And yes, my last name is Ford, so I get to say in true Indiana Jones fashion, "It belongs in a museum!" as much as I want!
It's a cold winter day in Germany. The year, 1942. The place, Stalag 13, a prisoner of war camp located deep within Nazi territory during the height of World War II. Colonel Robert E. Hogan and his men, all Allied prisoners of war, are actually spies, working for London and the underground, and calling Stalag 13 their home base of operation. Their warden, the monocled and unsuspecting Luftwaffe Colonel Wilhelm Klink, who might be considered one of the biggest fools in all of Germany. And never far behind Klink, Sergeant Hans Schultz, holding his rifle awkwardly in one hand and a piece of chocolate in the other. Like a faithful German Shepherd, Schultz sticks to his commanding officer like glue, and while he often rolls his eyes in Klink's direction, he will also assist him in various schemes and protect him (or at least try to) should the situation call for it.
It's difficult—and sometimes impossible—to imagine our favorite characters without their trusty sidekick. From Batman and Robin, to The Lone Ranger and Tonto, to more recent pairings, such as Sheldon Cooper and Leonard Hofstadter, sidekicks serve a special purpose, and that is to emphasize every nuance of their friend or colleague and to reinforce those traits to the audience.
In Bob Crane: The Definitive Biography,I open the Hogan's Heroes chapter with the casting of Colonel Hogan and Colonel Klink, one of the most outlandish duos in television history. After Bob Crane and Werner Klemperer brought their characters to life for the first time, a six-year love-hate military relationship between the two was born.
But while the two comedic colonels certainly caused each other a great deal of grief and frustration during World War II, neither Klink nor Hogan can be considered the other's sidekick. A sidekick is defined as "a close companion or colleague" and usually considered subordinate to the person he accompanies. So this honor goes to Stalag 13's very own sergeant of the guard, Hans Schultz, played almost effortlessly by John Banner.
John Banner as Sergeant Hans Schultz
on Hogan's Heroes.
Sergeant Schultz is a spectacle of World War II. A befuddled, obese, and always lazy Luftwaffe serviceman, it is hard to imagine how he ever even made it into Hitler's war machine, which prided itself on physical fitness and self-proclaimed super-men strength, in the first place. He falls asleep at his post and is more interested in stopping at the Hofbrau for a beer than listening to der Führer's latest radio broadcast. He forgets his helmet, loses his rifle, and steals Klink's food, schnapps, and Cuban cigars, and the only reason he doesn't want Corporal Louis LeBeau to escape is that he'll miss the French chef's apple strudel.
Caught between his own morality and the enforced radical ideals of the Third Reich, Schultz manages to sidestep any direct participation in Nazi crimes by choosing to look the other way, and he does this by uttering one of his trademark phrases: "I see nothing," "I hear nothing," and "I know nothing!" Some consider this an indicator of Schultz's stupidity and his somewhat neutral stance. He is, after all, lenient with the prisoners. However, John Banner disagreed, claiming that Schultz was, in fact, not neutral, but instead, loyal to himself. Nor did Banner see Schultz as stupid, arguing, "Notice he stays alive."
Decisions, decisions!
John Banner as Sergeant Schultz on Hogan's Heroes.
For reasons we do not know, Schultz is assigned to serve out his wartime duty at Stalag 13, where he is not only a guard, but remarkably, the head of all guards. And he is positioned right next to Colonel Klink, a pompous, arrogant, egotistical, self-centered Luftwaffe officer who would hide under his desk during a thunderstorm. Together, this dynamic duo became the Laurel and Hardy of Stalag 13, bumbling through the war and practically bringing the Third Reich to its knees.
Whether or not you agree with John Banner's take on Schultz as being more cunning than stupid, it is clear that on the outside at least, Schultz is a world class dummkopf. His reputation has endured through the years and even as recent as this past week. I will neither condemn nor endorse a recent political meme comparing both Schultz and Klink to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and United States Presidential hopeful Donald Trump, but its creation is a testament to the lasting cultural power these two iconic characters have from one generation to the next. Klink and Schultz were funny in 1966, and they continue to be funny, fifty years into the future.
Schultz seems to have forgotten something...
(John Banner, Werner Klemperer, and Bob Crane)
Some of television's funniest moments are from Hogan's Heroes, and many can be directly attributed to Klink and Schultz. One of my favorite scenes is from the episode "The Empty Parachute." In the effort to gain access to the briefcase hidden in Klink's safe, Hogan convinces Klink that a spy has parachuted into camp to steal the briefcase. They then bury an empty parachute in the center of the camp and allow Schultz to find it. Eager to report his important discovery to his commanding officer, Schultz gathers up the massive parachute and hustles over to Klink's office, where Klink and Major Hochstetter are trying in vain to solve the mystery of the so-called spy. Proud as can be, Schultz announces to Klink, "Herr Kommandant. I found this." Klink, as though scolding a child for interrupting an adult gathering, brushes Schultz off, barking, "Good. If nobody claims it, you can keep it. Now get out."
Another favorite moment is from the episode, "The Kommandant Dies at Dawn." Hogan uses Klink's overcoat as a means to deliver information to the underground. After Klink is arrested for suspicion of treason, Hogan and his men realize they need to get the coat back, which Klink is wearing as he is hauled off to the cooler. Meanwhile, Schultz decides he will rescue Klink. He comes up with a plan that has no chance of success. He tells Hogan and Sergeant Kinchloe: "I put a little something into the dogs' food that will make them sleep. Then, when Corporal Wolfschmidt comes on guard duty, I offer him a little schnapps. He goes into my room. That will give me the chance to plant some dynamite in front of Kommandant Klink's cell and blow it up! And then I take the Kommandant Klink and put him into my brother-in-law's car outside the fence and off he goes to Switzerland!" Later that night, as the prisoners watch Klink and Schultz stumble their way through the camp, knocking over water barrels and making all kinds of noise, Hogan quips, "Here come Stan and Ollie now."
"Halt! Who goes there?"
Klink and Schultz stop Hogan and Newkirk from an attempted escape.
(John Banner, Werner Klemperer, Bob Crane, and Richard Dawson)
I also conducted a short survey on a popular Hogan's Heroes Facebook Group and other social media outlets to gather some fan-favorite moments. Here are a few of them.
One fan wrote: "There were a couple of episodes where Schultz gets to be/plays the Kommandant. At the end of Kommandant Schultz, the manner in which Klink divests Schultz of his badges of office is priceless! Another running bit is how useless Kllnk believes Schultz is, how wiling he is tho throw Schultz under a panzerbus, until he has some connection or condition (famous toy company, friend to a General, supposed to have only days to live), and how Klink turns on a dime to praise Schultz as the son he never had."
Another fan stated: "I like the one where Schultz tries to speak French. 'Enchante Mademoise-lle' to the niece of Oscar Schnitzer, the vet!"
One other fan remembered how Klink would react to various situations and Schultz: "I think my favorite Klink moment is when something happens, and he says 'Donnerwetter!' Makes me laugh all the time!"
Hogan's Heroes costars Werner Klemperer (Klink)
and John Banner (Schultz) review a scene with
producer Edward H. Feldman (left).
Several fans said the following quotes between Klink and Schultz were some of their favorite Hogan's Heroes moments:
Klink: Now Schultz, you will share your food with me, or the next lunch you have will be covered with icicles!
Burkhalter: Just 1 moment. I see no reason why Colonel Hogan shouldn't watch a demonstration of German efficiency.
Klink: But this is classified Herr General.
Burkhalter: He isn't going anywhere with the information is he?
Klink: Of course not. No one has ever escaped from Stalag 13.
Burkhalter: So you have told me.
Klink: Yes sir.
Burkhalter: And told me. And told me.
Schultz: Yes, Herr Kommandant. I remember.
Klink: Schultz!
Schultz: I am also the German soldier of the month!
Klink: You are a big bungler who I do not trust out of my sight!
That got me thinking of Klink/Schultz quotes in general, so here are some popular ones from IMDb:
From "German Bridge Is Falling Down"
Klink: If the prisoners ask any questions about these explosions, you know nothing; you are ignorant.
Schultz: Oh, I can handle that.
Klink: I know.
Schultz [reading graffiti the prisoners painted on a building]: Hess is a mess. Himmler is a rat fink. Goering is a fat rat fink. Klink is bucking for rat fink.
From: "A Klink, a Bomb and a Short Fuse"
Klink: What are you waiting for? Cut the wire.
Hogan: That's the problem. One of these wires disconnects the fuse, the other one fires the bomb. Which one would you cut, Shultz?
Schultz: Don't ask me, this is a decision for an officer.
Hogan: All right. Which wire, Colonel Klink?
Klink: This one. [points to the white wire]
Hogan: You're sure?
Klink: Yes.
Hogan: [Cuts the black wire, the bomb stops ticking]
Klink: If you knew which wire it was, why did you ask me?
Hogan: I wasn't sure which was the right one, but I was certain you'd pick the wrong one.
"Schultz, with my bare hands...!"
Colonel Klink gives Sergeant Schultz a hard time in an episode from Hogan's Heroes.
From "One Army at a Time"
[Hochstetter wakes Klink up in the middle of the night]
Klink: Heil Hitler!
Schultz: No, no, it is Major Hochstetter.
Klink: Heil Hochstetter!
From "The Missing Klink"
Klink: Like all of us, the general has his good points as well as his faults.
Schultz: Yes.
Klink: What do you think my faults are?
Schultz: [after failure to keep a straight face] I wasn't talking about you, Herr Kommandant.
Klink: You know, Schultz, the trouble is you're afraid to say anything you think. Filled with fear, frightened to express any kind of opinion.
Schultz: Oh, no, Herr Kommandant. I talk about you all the time, when you are not around.
The original cast of Hogan's Heroes, season one.
Werner Klemperer, John Banner, Cynthia Lynn, Bob Crane
Larry Hovis, Roert Clary, Ivan Dixon, and Richard Dawson
(left to right).
Although it is seen as controversial for some viewers, Hogan's Heroes is classic television gold. The casting, writing, directing, and acting are stellar across the board, and the characters stand the test of time. The beauty of Hogan's Heroes is that its characters can be as simple or as complex as each individual viewer wishes. Schultz can be merely a simpleton in the eyes of some, a neutral in the eyes of others, or a clumsy oaf in the eyes of his kommandant. Personally, I see a measure of innocence in Schultz, a common attribute of sidekicks—usually the ones with a big heart. To John Banner, who was Jewish, Schultz stood for something quite profound. He said: "I see Schultz as the representation of some kind of good in any generation." Perhaps that is why Hogan's Heroes and Schultz remain just as popular today as they did fifty years ago. Good endures and overcomes, no matter where you are or how bad things might get. And that's something to hold on to.
This post is part of the Classic Film and TV Blog "Sidekicks Blogathon." For the full schedule, click here.
I am keeping a running page of quotes by Bob Crane (click here or on the photograph below), but I have also decided to post some of the individually as well. The following is one of my favorite statements Bob made about his role as Colonel Hogan on Hogan's Heroes. Bob was used to performing comedy, but in the case of Hogan's Heroes, he was what is considered the "straight man," or the person from which all of the comedy bounces. The early episodes of Hogan's Heroes provide a glimpse of how Bob started out as more campy and more of the comedian, but then quickly toned that down to be more serious, allowing the comedy happening around him to succeed. Comedy is about timing, and Bob's portrayal of Hogan is perfection. And as someone who has loved Hogan's Heroes from the first day I discovered it, I adore the idea of Colonel Hogan being seen as a father figure to his men!
Bob Crane working the 1978 United Cerebral Palsy
Telethon in Hartford, CT.
February 1978.
There's a lot about Bob Crane you don't know.
Sure, it's easy for his murder and addiction to be sensationalized, but doing so leaves out what's more important: the whole truth. For instance, did you know that Bob gave regularly of his time and money to various charitable organizations and the community?
Bob didn't think much about money. It didn't impress him very much, even when he was struggling financially during the 1970s. He had learned to live within his means, and he had remained humble throughout his whole life, often giving of his time and money to many organizations.
Bob was raised in a middle-class family in Stamford, Connecticut, and worked hard for everything he ever owned. Charlie Zito, his best friend from high school, explained how, while as a teenager, if Bob wanted a new addition to his drumset, he would have to work to earn the money to get it. He didn't have things handed to him. After his dynamic success in Hollywood at KNX-CBS Radio and on Hogan's Heroes, Bob became very wealthy. But it didn't change him. He didn't "go Hollywood," as he used to call it. He remained, as family members, friends and colleagues recalled, down to earth, kind, and generous. He was just Bob—the same Bob they had always known long before his fame.
Bob genuinely cared about people, and as KNX colleague and friend Leo McElroy told Linda Groundwater and me during an interview for his biography: "Bob was kind to those he worked with and kind to those he knew." Whether it was for his brother, friends, colleagues, or people he didn't even know, or even when buying U.S. bonds at a lower percentage rate than the banks would offer "because this country's been good to me," Bob wanted to help and make the world a better place. And he did so regularly.
But as KMPC radio personality and Laugh-In star Gary Owens told us during his interview for the book, Bob doesn't get very much, if any, credit for his generosity and philanthropy.
Below is an excerpt from Bob Crane: The Definitive Biography, which will give you an idea of how much Bob gave back to the community and those in need, from his earliest days growing up in Connecticut and throughout his entire life. I encourage you to see past the glare of scandal and murder, and to learn what we've learned, not because we want to get rich, but because we want you to understand who Bob Crane really was. It's easy to get caught up in the hype, especially when that's the only information you ever receive. But once you read Bob Crane: The Definitive Biography, we think you'll be surprised at what else you discover.
And because Bob gave so much to charity, we are doing the same. All author proceeds will be donated to various charities in Bob Crane's memory.
The following excerpt is from "Chapter 7: Among the Stellar Elite"
Lending a
Helping Hand
“Bob
did many things for charity. I don’t know that he ever gets credit for that.
But he appeared frequently at various charities, just giving of his time.
That’s what you do, specifically in broadcasting. You’re not paid for it; you
just do it! And you raise money for very worthwhile charities. So there are two
sides to everything.”
—Gary Owens to the authors, July 14, 2008
Bob Crane was a tireless volunteer. He did much for charity
and the community while starring on Hogan’s
Heroes, but his devotion to this work started well before and continued
long after it.
It began with his service in the United States National Guard
from 1947 to 1949 in Stamford, Connecticut. Later, at WICC in Bridgeport,
Connecticut, he served as program advisor for the Bridgeport Junior Achievement
and participated in other community events, such as judging talent contests and
serving as master of ceremonies for various organizations. Later, at KNX in Los
Angeles, Bob was constantly on the move, participating in Auxiliary lunches,
Kiwanis Club meetings, and telethons; making appearances at grocery or
department stores to promote local events; and acting as master of ceremonies
for countless organizations. Further, Bob held the title of Honorary Mayor
of Tarzana, CA; was a member of the Tarzana Chamber of Commerce; and
was the Tarzana Senior Ambassador of Good Will.
After he moved from radio to television, Bob continued his
charity work, volunteering with the U.S. Armed Forces Radio Network; Operation
Entertainment; the Cystic Fibrosis Fund Drive; the Easter Seals, the Arthritis
Foundation, Rheumatism Foundation Telethons; as well as hosting the United
Cerebral Palsy Telethon on a regular basis. He also made regular appearances
for different fund drives, including “Mesa’s Heroes” in Mesa, Arizona, which
recognized leading citizens of the community; and promoting the American Lung
Association Christmas Seals program.
In October 1967, the Valley
News publication of Van Nuys, California wrote:
Hogan’s
Heroes own Colonel Hogan, Bob Crane, is one man who answers the
call of civic groups, charities, and worthy organizations, no matter where they
might be. Up to one-third of his free time is spent assisting and appearing in
behalf of such groups. For instance, during his recent “HH” hiatus, he
volunteered more than thirteen hours worth of Armed Forces Radio material. He
brought laughs to the ex-POW convention in New Mexico. Pending is a grand
marshal stint at the Richmond Tobacco Festival and full participation in the
current Cystic Fibrosis Drive. And there’s more, much more. This “Hogan” is a
real hero.
The following are only a few of the organizations to which he
gave his time.
United
States Armed Forces Radio Network
1967-1969
Bob Crane donated his time with the U.S. Armed Forces Radio
Network, where he conducted and recorded many more celebrity interviews for
broadcast to American troops serving overseas. Many of these historic
recordings are also available to the public through the U.S. Library of
Congress in Washington, D.C., by appointment.
Operation Entertainment
Eglin Air
Force Base, Fort Walton Beach, Florida
ABC-TV /
Bob Crane, Host
Bob made many visits to military bases, where he entertained
troops and met with veterans and former prisoners of war. Operation Entertainment was a program produced by Chuck Barris
and Bill Carruthers for ABC that ran in 1968. As part of this series, actors,
musicians, and other celebrities traveled across the country and around the
world to entertain U.S. troops serving in the military. The entertainers
performed on location at Navy, Army, and Air Force bases. In addition to Bob,
other hosts included Rich Little, George Carlin, Dick Cavett, Dean Jones, Dick
Shawn, Tim Conway, Jimmy Dean, Roger Miller, Norm Crosby, Ed Ames, Flip Wilson,
Don Rickles, Jim Lange, Phil Harris, and Dale Robertson. Among the entertainers
were Vikki Carr, Donna Jean Young, Roy Clark, Louis Armstrong, Richard Pryor,
Barbara McNair, Allen & Rossi, Minnie Pearl, Paul Lynde, Florence
Henderson, Martha and the Vandellas, Shelley Berman, the Righteous Brothers,
the Lennon Sisters, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and the Rayettes, Patti Page,
Pat Buttram, Rodney Dangerfield, Kenny Rogers, Larry Storch, Stephanie Powers,
and many more.
Bob Crane was the host of the November 1, 1968, episode,
which was performed and recorded for servicemen and women stationed at Eglin
Air Force Base in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Performers included Teddy Neeley
and his Band, comedian Pat Paulsen, singer Fran Jeffries, and the Lennon
Sisters, among others.
Davis
Monthan Air Force Base
(Near
Tucson, Arizona)
July 1967
When an actor prepares for a role, it is imperative that he
or she gets into the character and really feels and understands the part.
Without question, Bob did fit the part of Colonel Hogan very well. The
character of Hogan was that of an officer in the U.S. Army Air Force, and
several scenes from Hogan’s Heroes show
Hogan piloting an aircraft, including a U.S Army Air Force P-51 Mustang. Bob
prepared rigorously for his role as Hogan, and when the opportunity arose for
him to climb aboard a real jet fighter as a passenger courtesy of the U.S. Air
Force, he jumped at the chance.
Bob had been invited by the U.S. Air Force in July 1967 to
speak at an officers’ dinner at the Davis Monthan Air Force Base near Tucson,
Arizona. His flight from Los Angeles was not aboard a commercial jet liner,
however. Bob arrived at the Air Force Base via a T-33 jet fighter, piloted by
then-Captain Jerry Chipman (now Colonel) of the 4080th Strategic Reconnaissance
Wing.
Colonel Chipman stated, “I remember the occasion very well. I
was a General’s Aide and instructor pilot in the T-33 at that time and was
probably selected to pick Bob Crane up at LAX because of my experience in the
aircraft. I believe his visit to Davis Monthan AFB (Tucson), was to speak
at a ‘Dining In,’ which is a formal function at the Officers Club. He came
across as a very personable guy and did not seem to be overly impressed with
himself. I had taken a flying helmet and oxygen mask for Bob to use on the
return trip from LAX. The helmet was slightly small, which caused some discomfort.
However, Bob endured the flight and presented a great talk to his military
audience.”
According to press releases of the event, Bob was given every
flight maneuver possible, and after landing, he emerged “with butterflies in
the stomach and a grin on the face.” It had been his first ride in the cockpit
of a jet fighter.
Meeting
with Veterans and Former Prisoners of
War
While he was starring in Hogan’s
Heroes,Bob entertained many
veterans’ organizations and former POWs, and he was always received warmly by
both groups. Further, they were never short on stories to entertain him!
In 1970, Bob explained, “When the show is on hiatus, I
entertain for a lot of veterans’ groups and ex-POW organizations. The men tell
me a lot of things that happened to them when they were in POW camps, and I
pass the stories along to our writers.”
The episodes “Cuisine á La Stalag 13” and “Eight O’Clock and
All Is Well” are based on real stories told by former POWs. Other episodes also
incorporated such real-life tales. Many, if not most, former prisoners of war
did not resent Hogan’s Heroes, and
according to Bob, “They know it’s strictly for laughs. We walk a thin line, of
course. We could do something in bad taste, but our executive producer Ed
Feldman has guided us right so far.”
Public Service Announcements and Promotional Films
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Bob worked closely with
several groups on public service announcements (PSAs) and promotional films,
including for the United States Coast Guard, United States Air Force, and the
Holy Childhood Association (on a Christmas PSA).
Bob and other members of the Hogan’s Heroes cast, including Werner Klemperer and Robert Clary,
worked with Leo Finkelstein, Jr., PhD, to produce several military films for
the U.S. Air Force. In return for their help, Leo recalled offering his
assistance to them on their work with Hogan’s
Heroes.
Leo stated, “I did indeed direct Bob Crane, but not in
Hollywood. I was an Air Force film writer/producer/director back in the late
1960s and early 1970s, and Bob (along with some other members of the Hogan’s Heroes cast) came out to Norton
Air Force Base at San Bernardino and did some work for me for military films I
was producing and directing. I found both Bob Crane and Werner Klemperer very enjoyable
to work with—easy to direct and readily able to understand the rhetorical
strategies I was using.”
Later, in 1970, Bob hosted an episode from the U.S. Air
Force’s Propaganda Film Series – Volume
3: Vietnam/1965-1971. The episode, entitled “Friends and Neighbors – People
You Know,” provides an overview of the work and importance of the United States
Air National Guard in Vietnam. Bob hosted this half-hour long episode, filmed
at Lowry Air Force Base in Denver, Colorado.
Bob also made several PSAs for the military—one was a
television commercial for the U.S. Air Force, where he encouraged young adults
to join the Air Force and enter officer training. Another was an audio PSA for
the U.S. Coast Guard Academy urging young men to consider an officer’s career
in the Coast Guard.
Another audio PSA not affiliated with the military was for
the Holy Childhood Association, helping to sell Holy Childhood Christmas Seals
to provide food and clothing to mission children around the world.
Patriotism
In 1972, Bob participated in the educational film Patriotism, in which he explained to
children the importance of being patriotic. Produced by Art Evans, this film
was one of several educational productions Evans made for Oxford Films. Bob
himself was extremely patriotic, often citing his appreciation for the U.S. military
and his love for America. In an interview on August 3, 1968, Bob said, “I
believe in independence, individualism, courage, patriotism—the traditional
American values. People call me a flag waver. That’s right—I am a flag waver.”
Grand
Marshal – Chrysanthemum Festival
Bristol,
Connecticut
September
19, 1976
On Sunday, September 19, 1976, the 15th Annual Chrysanthemum
Festival took place in Bristol, Connecticut. The festival, launched in 1962 as
the Fall Festival and now affectionately known as the “Mum Fest,” highlights
Bristol’s achievements and proud accomplishments. Bob worked at radio station
WBIS in Bristol in 1951, and the city honored him as Grand Marshal of the 1976
Mum Festival Parade. He also took part in the opening ceremonies.
The previous day, the city of Bristol held a reception in
Bob’s honor, during which the native Connecticut radio personality recalled his
time at WBIS. “I worked right about where I’m standing now,” he said.
“WBIS radio was on the second floor, and a department store, Kresge’s, was
below, and I ate at Kresge’s lunch counter.”
It is a common belief that Bob was a lot like his character
Colonel Hogan on Hogan’s Heroes.
During the Mum Festival reception held in his honor, Bob stated, “I am a lot
like the Hogan that is fun-loving, but I’m nothing like the Hogan that’s a
hero. I faint at the sight of a hangnail.”
As part of his role as Grand Marshal, Bob was presented with
“a key to the city, three giant yellow mums from Mayor Henry J. Wojtusik, a
clock from the Mum Fest Committee, and a hard time from a garland of mums he
cut through to open the 15th annual festival.” Bob had such difficulty cutting
through the garland, that Parade Master of Ceremonies Val McCormack joked,
“You’d never escape from that
prison.”
The 50th Anniversary of the Mum Festival was held on Sunday,
September 25, 2011, in Bristol. Bill Schwab, who was the chairman of the 1976
festival, served as one of the 2011 parade’s marshals and happily recalled
meeting Bob Crane, describing
him as “charming” and “delightful.”
Mum Fest Parade goers in 1976 would agree. Smiling broadly,
Bob Crane received enthusiastic applause as he led the parade through his
one-time home streets of Bristol, Connecticut.
Arthritis
Foundation Telethons
Bob performed with the “Novel Orchestra” that featured some
of the era’s top stars during the finale of the 1967 Arthritis Foundation
Telethon. In addition to Bob performing drums in the orchestra, Morey Amsterdam
performed on cello, Jack Bailey on trombone, and Herb Shriner on harmonica. Bob
was a regular participant inannual
Arthritis Foundation telethons throughout the 1960s and 1970s.
“Funds for
Dinah”
Chatham,
Ohio
November
23, 1977
In late 1977, Bob Crane traveled to Chatham, Ohio, to host a
local fund drive—“Funds for Dinah”—in support of an eleven-year-old Medina
County girl who had renal disease. Dinah Brooks required surgery to remove both
of her kidneys in her fight against the disease, and she needed to travel three
times per week to receive dialysis at the Rainbow Babies and Children’s
Hospital in Cleveland. After two years of making the long trips multiple times
a week, the family’s car had broken down. The fund drive was to raise money to
purchase a new car for the family, and funds that exceeded the Brooks’ family’s
need were to be donated to other families facing similar circumstances.
Mitzi and a Hundred Guys
March 24,
1975
Actress Mitzi Gaynor assembled one hundred of the leading
male movie and television celebrities in Hollywood to be part of a chorus for
her television special. Bob was one of the first to sign on for the event, for
which none of the stars would be paid. Instead, Mitzi made a sizable donation
to the Motion Picture and Television Relief Fund in all of their names. Among the
stars who participated with Bob Crane were Tom Bosley, Mike Connors, Telly
Savalas, Peter Marshall, Dick Martin, Greg Morris, Vince Edwards, Marty Allen,
Jack Lemmon, James Farentino, Ross Martin, Donald O’Connor, Bill Bixby, and
Dean Jones.
United Cerebral
Palsy Telethon
Hartford,
Connecticut
1970-1978
Bob was especially dedicated to United Cerebral Palsy. He had
close ties to the organization because his friend Eliot Dober from
Bridgeport, Connecticut, had cerebral palsy.
Eliot’s family owned a portion of WLIZ radio when Bob began
working at the station in April 1951. At that time, Eliot was fifteen years of
age, and according to Eliot, “I was in and out then, hanging around. And was a
real pest!” Eliot remembered Bob being very patient with him during that
time, and Bob had even given Eliot the opportunity to go on the air with him.
They remained friends after Bob left Bridgeport and moved to Los Angeles in
1956, and Eliot took several trips out to the West Coast to visit him.
Throughout his life, Eliot was a strong advocate for
individuals with disabilities. In 1977, he was appointed by the governor of
Connecticut to the position of Executive Director of the Office of Protection
and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities for the State of Connecticut, and he
served in this role until 1994. In addition, he also acted as the Connecticut
State Director for United Cerebral Palsy.
As State Director for the United Cerebral Palsy Foundation,
Eliot asked Bob if he could host the local Connecticut edition of the United
Cerebral Palsy Telethon, and Bob always agreed. Generally, a celebrity would be
paid handsomely to host a telethon nationally,
and in 1970 and throughout the 1970s, Bob was offered $20,000 to host the
national United Cerebral Palsy Telethon. Yet Bob turned down all of the
national offers and the large sums of
money, and instead, he flew back east to Hartford, Connecticut, where he hosted
the local segment. He accepted only $2,000—just enough to cover travel
expenses. In 1976, Eliot reported that Bob raised $97,000 for the Greater
Hartford United Cerebral Palsy campaign, which equated to more than $400,000 in
2015. Eliot passed away on July
30, 2010, at 74 years of age. Before his passing, he remembered Bob this way:
“He got along with everybody very well. And everybody liked Bob. I want
people to remember the good things about Bob. He gave of himself, and he was a
good person. A positive person. He wasn’t a bad guy. Bob was just Bob. And
nobody is all good or all bad.”
Reprinted from Bob Crane: The Definitive Biography
