After Hogan’s Heroes, Clary continued his acting career in films and made-for-TV movies with World War II themes, such as Remembrance of Love, a film about the Holocaust. After Hogan's Heroes was cancelled in 1971, Clary maintained close ties to fellow Hogan's Heroes cast members Werner Klemperer, John Banner, and Leon Askin, whose lives were also affected by the Holocaust. In 1965, Clary married the daughter of his mentor Eddie Cantor. [1], Clary published a memoir, From the Holocaust to Hogan's Heroes: The Autobiography of Robert Clary, in 2001.[6]. Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought Lee Marvin: Point Blank He said, "Singing, entertaining, and being in kind of good health at my age, that's why I survived. Robert Clary (born Robert Max Widerman in Paris in 1926) is best known for his portrayal of the spirited Corporal Louis Lebeau on the popular television series Hogan's Heroes (on the air from 1965 to 1971 and widely syndicated around the globe). He also made a film appearance in 1952’s Thief of Damascus with Paul Henreid and Lon Chaney, Jr. Clary returned to television for The Gisele MacKenzie Show in 1958. "From the Holocaust to Hogan's Heroes", is a fascinating account of Robert Clary's experiences growing up amid the backdrop of the Nazi occupation of France. As Clary expressed in a Los Angeles Times interview, “I’m as tough as nails…But once in a while, I think how my parents died. Today, Robert Clary lives in his Beverly Hills home, where he has retired and become an artist; he maintains his backyard as a Parisian garden. Robert Clary, Actor: The Bold and the Beautiful. [1] Cantor later got Clary a spot on The Colgate Comedy Hour. Despite a horrifying experience in the Holocaust of World War II, Clary’s resilience helped him achieve success as an actor, author, devoted husband, artist, and lecturer. Clary's comedic skills were quickly recognized by Broadway, where he appeared in several popular musicals, including New Faces of 1952, which was produced as a film in 1954. Despite his tragic experiences during the war, Clary initially returned to France as an entertainer. I had to explain that it was about prisoners of war in a Stalag, not a concentration camp, and although I did not want to diminish what soldiers went through during their internments, it was like night and day from what people endured in concentration camps."[4]. Both history and modern times provide numerous examples of extraordinary people who were or are incredibly resilient. I had heard the rumours about the dummy shower heads that were gas jets. Upon his liberation from Buchenwald on April 11, 1945, Clary learned that 12 other members of his immediate family, including his parents, had been sent to the Auschwitz death camp in Poland and did not survive the Holocaust. Clary returned to the entertainment business and began singing songs that not only became popular in France, but in the United States as well. -- Alan & Marilyn Bergman, Songwriters I would like to implore anyone of a younger generation who doubts the reality of the Holocaust to read this book. I thought, 'This is it.' Twelve other members of his immediate family were sent to Auschwitz concentration camp; Clary was the only survivor. He and Natalie Cantor Metzger had been close friends for many years. He is the last surviving original principal cast member. Clary is one of the last two surviving principal cast members of Hogan’s Heroes alongside Kenneth Washington. They went to Auschwitz and directly to the gas chambers. After WWII he became a singing star in France, and in 1949 came to the United States to promote his career. Following the show's cancellation, he appeared in a handful of feature films with World War II themes, including the made-for-television film Remembrance of Love, about the Holocaust. He believes that singing and entertaining along with his youth and good health allowed him to make it through the ordeal. Robert lived an unbelievable life and you can learn all about it in his autographed biography. The Bay Area Holocaust Oral History Project conducted the interview with Robert Clary on June 15, 1981. He was tattooed with the identification "A5714" on his left forearm. In Robert Clary we have an artist with the gift of song and dance, the gift for survival, and the gift of telling his extraordinary story. They were terrified that they would actually be gassed to death since Nazi SS officers often used fake showerheads in concentration camp gassing chambers. At Buchenwald, he sang to an audience of SS soldiers every other Sunday, accompanied by an accordionist. Clary explained that he had no problems acting in the comedy series since there were very few similarities between his own experience in concentration camps and the experiences of the show’s characters in a POW camp. Once in America, Clary, who is a small man at 5’1”, appeared on The Ed Wynn Show in a French-language comedy skit. French-born entertainer Robert Clary is certainly one of them. I don't know if I would have survived if I really knew that."[3]. Clary, now 90 years old, thoroughly loved being an entertainer – he compares it to breathing, natural and essential. Paris-born Robert Clary played Corporal LeBeau, also known as "Frenchie." Legacy Entertainment, Inc. Stars, "Robert Clary a survivor in life and entertainment", "Hollywood's Last Survivors of the Holocaust share their stories", Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force, Interview with Clary about his experiences being arrested by the Germans during World War II, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_Clary&oldid=999824599, Short description is different from Wikidata, Internet Broadway Database person ID same as Wikidata, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SNAC-ID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 12 January 2021, at 04:01. As a child, he sang professionally on French radio and was an art student at the Paris Drawing School. Writing about his experience, Clary said, We were not even human beings. In 1975, he appeared in the movie The Hindenburg about a fictional plot to blow up the famous airship. 27 talking about this. From Holocaust to Hogan's Heroes is an autobiography by Robert Clary Robert was born in Paris, France to a large (13 children) family. Robert Clary on his family's deportation from Paris Robert Clary remembers being taken with his parents from his apartment in Paris, France, on September 23, 1942, and relates they were deported to the Drancy Transit Camp shortly thereafter. Clary clearly made the best of his circumstances by not only surviving but thriving – entertaining millions during his long career and educating countless people about his life experiences. In the same year, Clary was offered and accepted his best-known acting role – that of Corporal Louis LeBeau on a new and soon-to-be popular television sitcom called Hogan’s Heroes. [2] In 1942, because he was Jewish, he was deported to the Nazi concentration camp at Ottmuth, in Upper Silesia (now Poland). He appeared on The Ed Wynn Show (1949); still learning English he performed in a French language comedy skit. Robert Clary is a French-American actor, published author, singer and lecturer. Dreams about his experience still haunt him. Clary circa 1950, as a Capitol recording artist. We were hanging on to life by pure guts, sleeping on top of each other, every morning waking up to find a new corpse next to you. Upon arriving at the Buchenwald camp, Clary and his fellow prisoners had to spend the first night in a shower room. With Kirk Douglas, Robert Clary, Pam Dawber, Eric Douglas. He acknowledges the darkness in humanity but chooses instead to focus on those he loves. From the Holocaust to Hogan's Heroes is Robert Clary's extraordinary account of his remarkable life both as a survivor and as an entertainer. He was later sent to Buchenwald concentration camp. [1] Clary made his first recordings in 1948; they were brought to the United States on wire and were issued on disk by Capitol Records. Clary spent years touring Canada and the United States, speaking about the Holocaust. [1] At the age of twelve, he began a career singing professionally on a French radio station and also studied art in Paris. Robert Clary was born Robert Max Wilderman in Paris, France, back in 1926. After WWII he became a singing star in France, and in 1949 came to the United States to promote his career. Resiliency, though a valuable trait for human survival, can never erase the memories of a traumatic experience. [2] He went to the U.S. in October 1949. When we got to Buchenwald, the SS shoved us into a shower room to spend the night. For the 19th century American military officer, see, DVD Video. Actor | Soundtrack Born in France, Robert Clary early suffered the pangs of war, being interned in a Nazi concentration camp as a child. In 1952, he appeared in the film Thief of Damascus which also starred Paul Henreid and Lon Chaney, Jr. Already a professional singer in his teens, Clary survived due, … That's why when you find those who are, you cherish them. Mini Bio (1) Born in France, Robert Clary early suffered the pangs of war, being interned in a Nazi concentration camp as a child. The sitcom takes place in a German prisoner of war (POW) camp during World War II, and Clary plays a French POW who is also a member of an Allied sabotage group that operates from within the camp. The whole experience was a complete nightmare — the way they treated us, what we had to do to survive. French-American holocaust survivor and actor, This article is about the actor. He played Joseph Späh, a real-life passenger on the airship's final voyage. Clary appeared in the 1975 film The Hindenburg, which portrayed a fictional plot to blow up the German airship after it arrived at the Lakehurst Naval Air Station. Born March 1, 1926, as Robert Max Widerman in Paris France, Robert Clary was the youngest of 14 children. A tattoo on his left arm left him marked as prisoner A5714. Clary wrote a memoir, From the Holocaust to Hogan's Heroes: The Autobiography of Robert Clary in 2001. Clary later met Merv Griffin and Eddie Cantor. 'HOGAN'S HEROES' STAR BOB CRANE'S MURDER STILL A MYSTERY DESPITE NEW DNA TESTS. Born March 1, 1926, as Robert Max Widerman in Paris France, Robert Clary was the youngest of 14 children. However, he refuses to hold a grudge against those who wronged him, seeing it as a waste of time and energy. … He is mainly known for his role as Corporal Louis LeBeau of the Hogan's Heroes television sitcom. He likens his time in Nazi concentration camps as a pure nightmare due to how he was treated and what he had to resort to in order to survive. #3 = HERE IS A 2001 BOOK, "ROBERT CLARY - FROM THE HOLOCAUST TO HOGAN'S HEROES".This book was autographed by Robert Clary. He recorded songs that became popular in both France and the United States; the songs were brought to the U.S. via wire and put on records by Capitol Records. In 1942, because he was Jewish, he was deported to the Nazi concentration camp at Ottmuth, in Upper Silesia (now Poland). After WWII he became a singing star in France, and in 1949 came to the United States to promote his career. The first eight days there, the Germans kept us without a crumb to eat. I wake up in a sweat terrified for fear I'm about to be sent away to a concentration camp, but I don't hold a grudge because that's a great waste of time. What especially troubles him is that he feels that he and others in his situation were not viewed as human beings by the Nazis, and that they were usually treated as even less than animals. Born in 1926 in Paris, France, Clary was the youngest of 14 children. Three of his siblings had not been deported and instead survived the Nazi occupation of France. Clary, who was also Jewish, had been interned at the Ottmuth and Blechhammer camps in Upper Silesia (now Poland), satellite camps of Auschwitz. At the age of twelve, he began a career singing professionally on a French radio station and also studied art in Paris. The interview was received by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in … Clary spent years touring Canada and the United States, speaking about the Holocaust. When the show went on the air, people asked me if I had any qualms about doing a comedy series dealing with Nazis and concentration camps. He was later sent to Buchenwald concentration camp. You never heard of a prisoner of war being gassed or hanged. He eventually met the man who would become his mentor, Eddie Cantor. Cantor secured Clary a spot on the Colgate Comedy Hour, and by the mid-1950s, Clary’s television appearances expanded to include The Martha Raye Show for NBC and Appointment with Adventure for CBS. See Also: 10 Amazing Ways People Survived The Holocaust. Clary also appeared on the soap operas Days of Our Lives, The Young and the Restless, and The Bold and the Beautiful. He is a painter, painting from photographs he takes on his travels. But no, it was just a place to sleep. He is best known for his role in the television sitcom Hogan's Heroes as Corporal Louis LeBeau. In fact, Robert Clary, who played Corporal Louis LeBeau on the show, was a Holocaust survivor. Aside from his diverse and successful career as an entertainer, Clary has also helped people understand the horrors of the Holocaust from firsthand experience for over 20 years. He is a painter, painting from photographs he takes on his travels. Resilience is defined as the ability to move forward in life or to “bounce back” in the face of difficult or traumatic experiences or unfavorable circumstances. Join 1000s of subscribers and receive the best Vintage News in your mailbox for FREE, Police arrest a 72-year-old “suburban grandfather” suspected of being the Golden State Killer, “I’m not dead yet”: some Buddhist monks followed self-mummification, Project Azorian: Howard Hughes’ secret mission, 1960s U.S. satellite that started transmitting again in 2013, The “Walk of Shame” in Game of Thrones historical inspiration, The only unsolved skyjacking case in U.S. history might have a break, Kurt Gödel became too paranoid to eat and died of starvation, “Little Ease”: One of the most feared torture devices in the Tower of London, The humble English girl who became Cora Pearl, Walt Disney softened the original Snow White story. From the Holocaust to Hogan's Heroes is a powerful, highly recommended biographical journey that enfolds the reader in a strong life., Nobody in show business has the resume of Robert Clary. Clary was also successful on TV soap operas, starring on Days of Our Lives and The Young and the Restless from 1973 to 1979. According to Clary, Stalag 13 was a very different type of camp since no one was gassed or hanged. Sometimes I see their last minute and it absolutely kills me.”, As LeBeau in Hogan’s Heroes with Fräulein Helga (Cynthia Lynn). Robert Clary reflects on his decision to go back to show business after the Holocaust. Robert Clary (born Robert Max Widerman; March 1, 1926) is a French-American actor, singer, author, artist, and lecturer. He emphasized that people in POW camps certainly suffered, but the trauma of the Holocaust was another experience entirely. He has lectured at schools, colleges, and other locations on a mission, he says, to “…teach man’s inhumanity to man.” He published his memoir From the Holocaust to Hogan’s Heroes: The Autobiography of Robert Clary in 2001 and has traveled to promote and discuss the book. Sometimes I dream about those days. Although best known to TV viewers as LeBeau on TV's Hogan's Heroes (1965-1971), Robert Clary has written a new memoir, From the Holocaust to Hogan's Heroes: The Autobiography of Robert Clary, offering a much more sobering view of WWII, as he recounts his 31 months in German concentration camps as a Jewish Parisian teenager. 1 Biography 2 Filmography 3 Notable TV Guest Appearances 4 Soundtrack 5 Bibliography 6 External links Clary was born in Paris, France, the youngest of 14 children. His experiences during the Holocaust and the loss of his loved ones affected him deeply. Clary became one of the last two surviving principal cast members of Hogan's Heroes, with Kenneth Washington (Sergeant Richard Baker, final season), when Cynthia Lynn (Helga, first season, 1965–1966) died on March 10, 2014. A Holocaust survivor travels to Israel for a reunion with fellow victims of Nazi persecution, while also hoping to locate an old girlfriend he has not seen since the war, and who was pregnant with his child. Robert Clary (born March 1, 1926 as Robert Max Widerman) is a French-born actor of Jewish descent. However, when he was born there were only 4 sisters living at home. Clary was Jewish, and in 1942 during the Nazi occupation of France, he was deported to the concentration camp at Ottmuth. In 1958, he guest-starred on NBC's The Gisele MacKenzie Show. 10 Robert Clary—Singer, Writer, & Actor. It's a POW camp, and that's a world of difference. For the most part, human beings are not very nice. Clary played Joseph Späh, a real-life passenger on the airship’s last voyage. Robert Clary is one of the best characters on Hogan's Heroes, and watching the show after reading this book makes you appreciate his acting ability even more. Clary was later transferred to the Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany. We were less than animals. Clary did not receive food for his first eight days at the camp, and he and other prisoners slept on top of one another only to wake up next to the corpses of those who did not make it through the night. He was tattooed with the identification "A5714" on his left forearm. Robert Clary reflects on his decision to go back to show business after the Holocaust. He is best known for his role in the television sitcom Hogan's Heroes. An emotional telling of the suffering that Robert Clary and his family experienced during the Holocaust. He appeared on The Ed Wynn Show (1949); still learning English he performed in a French language comedy skit. Despite a horrifying experience in the Holocaust of World War II, Clary’s resilience helped him achieve success as an actor, author, devoted husband, artist, and lecturer. In 1965, the diminutive 155 cm (5 ft 1 in) Clary was offered the role of Corporal Louis LeBeau on a new television sitcom called Hogan's Heroes, and he accepted the role when the pilot sold. Read another story from us: George C. Scott is the first actor ever to refuse an Oscar, saying that the ceremony was a “two-hour meat parade”. An emotional telling of the suffering that Robert Clary and his family experienced during the Holocaust. He is still an active man, living in the same Beverly Hills house he has owned for more than 40 years where he paints, maintains his Parisian-style backyard garden, and runs his own website. PUBLISHERS WEEKLY NOV 1, 2001. Born in France, Robert Clary early suffered the pangs of war, being interned in a Nazi concentration camp as a child. The series was set in a German prisoner of war (POW) camp during World War II, and Clary played a French POW who was a member of an Allied sabotage unit operating from inside the camp. [4], Clary was liberated from Buchenwald on April 11, 1945. This eventually led to Clary meeting Cantor's daughter, Natalie Cantor Metzger, whom he married in 1965, after being "the closest of friends" for 15 years. Once read, it will not be forgotten. Attached is a photo of me with Robert Clary as he was signing his books. Asked about parallels between LeBeau's incarceration and his own, Clary said, "Stalag 13 is not a concentration camp. Robert Clary (born Robert Max Widerman in Paris in 1926) is best known for his portrayal of the spirited Corporal Louis Lebeau on the popular television series Hogan's Heroes (on the air from 1965 to 1971 and widely syndicated around the globe). Directed by Jack Smight. French-born entertainer Robert Clary is certainly one of them. He also guest-starred on the colour revival of The Munsters, The Munsters Today, in 1989 as Louis Schecter, Lily's acting coach, in the episode "Green Eyed Munsters". Clary also notes that due to his age he did not fully understand the severity of the concentration camps. Clary’s comedic skills were soon noticed by Broadway, and he appeared in popular musicals like New Faces of 1952. Yes, there's something dark in the human soul. Clary reflects on how he survived the Holocaust, revealing that he sang to SS soldiers at Buchenwald every week with an accordionist. Clary starred on Hogan’s Heroes from 1965 until it went off the air in 1971, and he remained close with his several of his co-stars, including Werner Klemperer, John Banner and Leon Askin, whose lives were also impacted by the Holocaust. [5] When he returned to Paris after World War II, he learned that three of his 13 siblings had not been taken away and had survived the Nazi occupation of France.[3]. However, the resiliency showed by Robert Clary and many others today and historically allows people to endure and persevere despite what they have been through. [1] In the mid-1950s, Clary appeared on NBC's early sitcom The Martha Raye Show and on CBS's drama anthology series Appointment with Adventure. Robert Clary is one of the best characters on Hogan's Heroes, and watching the show after reading this book makes you appreciate his acting ability even more. His wife Natalie died in 1997. … He began a life in showbusiness early on, having started singing professionally on French radio at the age of 12. Among the pallbearers were Crane's son Robert Jr, as well as two other members of the Hogan's Heroes cast, Robert Clary and Larry Hovis. Born in 1926 in Paris, France, Clary was the youngest of 14 children. One of Clary's first American appearances was a French-language comedy skit on The Ed Wynn Show in 1950. Clary left France for the U.S. in 1949.