Hogan's Heroes (TV Series) The Kommandant Dies at Dawn (1969) User Reviews

Rantings

[harrytumilson · 7/10 · 3 August 2022]

I had problems with this episode right from the get-go. A peddler arrives at the Stalag with a pushcart filled with fresh produce (it's winter). When he indicates to Hogan to pick a specific cucumber, I immediately determined that he was a member of the underground passing information to the Heroes. That thought came to a screeching halt when Hogan makes known that this message must be passed on to the underground. Well then, just who-the-heck was the peddler and why didn't he simply pass the message to the underground? So, the next thought that crossed my mind was, all the Heroes need to do is transmit the message by radio - there has been no indication that radio transmissions are not available. This option was never discussed so I have to assume that it wasn't possible. As illogical as all of this seems to me, the actual plotline of this story can get underway.

All of that said, I have broken the primary rule of sitcoms, especially Hogan's Heroes: NEVER LOOK FOR LOGIC IN THE PLOTLINE! This episode comes with a large dosage of laughs and is generally quite entertaining. I rated it at 7 stars.

Great dialog here making for loads of laughs

[FlushingCaps · 10/10 · 17 August 2020]

Klink is hosting a party for Field Marshal Kesselring and wants Hogan's men to be busboys and servers, etc. as they have done before. Hogan agrees because he is eager to get valuable information to the Underground (Gee, there's something new for this show, eh?) In casual conversation with Klink before the night of the party, Hogan mentions a few negative things about two German warplanes.

At the party, all is going well until Klink decides to share the info Hogan gave him earlier in flirting with a young woman, figured to be the girlfriend of the field marshal. She immediately tells the field marshal, who gets Klink his coat, telling him he is under arrest for treason for giving out military secrets to a civilian.

Klink is now set up to die the next morning at dawn. Hogan comes up with a scheme to help him out, setting Klink up in the field marshal's car, which doesn't start until Hogan and men help Schultz push it to get it going. The car suddenly explodes, leaving Klink the hero for saving the field marshal.

The drama wasn't center stage here. Comedy reigned. From an opening scene with the POWs buying fruit from a peddler after getting Schultz to agree to admit him to the camp to "keep the German army from starving to death"-a convoluted story that was quite funny, to Hogan referring to Klink and Schultz bumbling along as Klink thinks he is to escape camp in the field marshal's car, as Laurel and Hardy, this episode was packed with laughs.

My favorite was when Schultz was reporting to Klink and Hogan about them getting volunteers for Klink's firing squad. Klink thinks no one will volunteer. Schultz tells him that 76 did-out of 82. Klink is happy that six of his men are loyal. Schultz corrects him, saying two are in the hospital, four are on furlough. Klink then remembers he only has 80 men. Schultz says they now have 82, including "two deserters who came back this morning when they heard you were going to be shot."

My wife and I laughed a lot and agreed this was one of their best episodes. The last one I gave a score higher than 8 was 16 episodes ago. A laughed-filled 10 here.

With help from Hogan, Klink may avoid a firing squad

[kfo9494 · 6/10 · 3 September 2014]

When Field Marshal Kesselring visits the prison camp, Klink all of the sudden provides information that is top secret in the German Army. Field Marshal Kesselring arrests Klink and sentence him to death by firing squad.

The rest of the episode is Klink getting ready to face his demise and Schultz telling everybody that there is good news and bad news. Nothing wrong with the script but it just seemed all to routine.

By the time the episode ends we have been treated to another show that really has little interest in the story. But we can thank Hogan as he will come to the aide of his Commandant with a scheme even Klink is oblivious too. Not a highly entertaining show but one that at least seems plausible.