From the Holocaust to Hollywood: The Robert Clary Story, on OVID.tv

At first, it was silly and now it is a little creepy, because of Bob Crane’s untimely death by “misadventure.” Regardless, for many, his role on Hogan’s Heroes is how they will always remember co-star Robert Clary. His friends always thought the role of Free French POW Cpl. Louis LeBeau would hit too close to home, but the actor-vocalist could always separate the fictional POW camp from his own tragic internment in a National Socialist concentration camp. The late entertainer discusses his life, career, and famous family in Ron Small’s documentary, From the Holocaust to Hollywood: The Robert Clary Story, which premieres tomorrow on OVID.tv.

Clary was the youngest of three brothers, out of a total of thirteen children, so he learned to entertain early as a way to stand out. His Jewish family immigrated from Poland to France before he was born, so their French citizenship protected them from the first liquidation of their neighborhood, but not the second. Despite the conditions, Clary continued to entertain in Buchenwald, earning the extra rations that helped him survive.

Initially, Clary moved back to Paris, but an unlikely hit record brought Hollywood calling. Clary has nothing bad to say about his highest profile work on Hogan’s Heroes, even though the premise now feels highly questionable. He acted through the early 1990s, but continued releasing albums into the early 2000s, segueing from a cabaret bag into a more jazz influenced style. Several of the sessions were arranged and produced by his nephew (and friend), musician Brian Gari.

In fact, their family has quite a musical legacy, considering Clary’s father-in-law and Gari’s grandfather was Eddie Cantor, whom both convincingly argue is due for a critical re-appraisal. (After all, they remind viewers Cantor conceived the March of Dimes, rather than FDR, who usually gets the credit.)

Small’s film clocks in just short of the hour mark (including Gari’s “bonus conversations” with Clary, but it is a revealing and informative portrait. Although it had been decades since his last on-screen acing gig, Clary remained sharp as a tack in this 2020 release. Throughout the 2010s, he continued giving public addresses regarding his Holocaust experiences and provided on-camera commentary for documentaries like The Last Laugh and Imaginary Witness.

Wisely, Small (sometimes with Gari’s prompting) recorded some of his oral history for posterity in an easily accessible format. Highly recommended, From the Holocaust to Hollywood starts streaming tomorrow (9/30) on OVID.tv.