Please take a moment to join us at WWII uncovered in remembering Robert Clary, Holocaust Survivor and French actor most notably known for his role as Corporal LeBeau in the popular CBS sitcom Hogan’s Heroes.
Robert passed away on November 16, 2022 in his Los Angeles California home as reported by his granddaughter Kim Wright to “The Hollywood Reporter.” He was 96 years old. Clary was the last surviving member of the show’s original principal cast.
Born Robert Max Widerman in Paris on March 1, 1926, Robert was the youngest of 14 children. During World War II, Robert and his extended family were sent to Auschwitz. As a 16-year-old, Robert credited his survival to his ability to sing and entertain his captors. Clary was the only member of his family to survive the war.
After being liberated, Clary returned to France in May of 1945. Robert began a career as a singer and eventually traveled to Los Angeles California in 1949 to record for Capital Records.
Robert would go on to work on Broadway with fellow World War II veterans Mel Brooks and Bea Arthur. According to the IMDb Database “One of Clary’s first American appearances was a French-language comedy skit on The Ed Wynn Show in 1950. Clary later met Merv Griffin and Eddie Cantor. This eventually led to Clary meeting Cantor’s daughter, Natalie Cantor Metzger, whom he married in 1965.”
In 1965 Robert Clary became Corporal Louis LeBeau, the patriotic Frenchman and gourmet chef in Hogan’s Heroes. Later film roles included The Hindenburg (1975) and Remembrance of Love (1982). In addition to film, Clary also had reoccurring roles on the daytime dramas “Days of Our Lives” and “The Young and the Restless.”
Mr Clary dedicated his later years tirelessly working as a Holocaust educator, traveling the United States and Canada. Clary published a memoir, From the Holocaust to Hogan’s Heroes: The Autobiography of Robert Clary, in 2001.
Rest in peace Robert. You were truly a member of the Greatest Generation. Lest We Forget.
WWII uncovered©️ description and photos sourced by The Hollywood Reporter, IMDb Database (Fair Use Photos)
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