The Germans have whipped up a plot to send German pilots in RAF fighters to shoot down British bombers.The Germans have whipped up a plot to send German pilots in RAF fighters to shoot down British bombers.The Germans have whipped up a plot to send German pilots in RAF fighters to shoot down British bombers.
- Newkirk
- (credit only)
- Oscar Schnitzer
- (uncredited)
- German Sergeant
- (uncredited)
- Conrad
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis is the second of two episodes of the 168 in which Newkirk does not appear (with actor Stewart Moss standing in for him here). The other is The Crittendon Plan (1967).
- GoofsJohn Doucette's character is called Colonel Leeman throughout the show, but in the credits, he is listed as Major Leeman. This, however, may have been done to indicate an off-screen demotion.
- Quotes
Col. Wilhelm Klink: I distinctly saw Colonel Hogan watching the planes when they flew over the camp.
General der Infanterie Albert Burkhalter: Klink, do not try to explain this incident to him. If he asks questions, do not act as if you know anything. You know nothing! You are ignorant!
Col. Wilhelm Klink: Yes, sir, I'm ignorant. I shall do it right away.
General der Infanterie Albert Burkhalter: I have every confidence in your ability along those lines.
- Crazy creditsDuring the show, actor John Doucette plays a German colonel. Everyone calls him "colonel." He even calls himself "colonel." Yet, the closing credits have him as a major, "Maj. Richard Leman."
That's the formula, and it soon became repetitive as even viewers at the time recognized: In its first season, the series was ranked ninth by Nielsen rankings, fell to seventeenth in season two, and was never again in the top thirty for its remaining four seasons.
And since "Hogan's Heroes" is simply variations on the same theme, it's helpful to evaluate an episode on how effectively it performs its variations. "Some of Their Planes Are Missing" performs very well thanks to Laurence Marks, the best "Hogan's Heroes" writer, with sure-handed director Gene Reynolds executing Marks's tight script with precision.
Need evidence? Here it is:
PLAUSIBILITY: The Luftwaffe is training pilots, based temporarily at Stalag 13, to fly British fighter aircraft that will blend in with actual British fighters to shoot down attacking bombers--"wolves in sheep's clothing." Upon discovering this, the Heroes undertake to sabotage the effort. Marks chooses a premise that is modest, plausible, and rooted in fact; look up "Operation Greif" during the Battle of the Bulge for a similar historical example.
CREDIBILITY: "Hogan's Heroes" is predicated upon the Germans being, at best, unwitting but more often gullible when not utter buffoons and outright idiots easily manipulated by the Heroes. Marks never forgot that the Germans were actually formidable foes.
Thus, Klink is vain and foppish but is also competent and even authoritative. In a neat twist to the standard "Hogan hoodwinks Klink" routine that even Marks uses, Hogan flatters the visiting squadron commander, Colonel Leman (John Doucette), into inviting him to the nightly shindig Klink hosts, which provides the alibi for Hogan during the sabotage mission. Firmly citing security concerns, Klink vetoes the idea--until Leman threatens to call General Burkhalter.
Because the Germans are credible foes, Marks scripts believable danger, such as when Hogan leads Sergeant Carter and Corporal LeBeau , all disguised as Luftwaffe soldiers, to the German base, where they run into guards who demand a password they don't have, leading to a tense situation that escalates in organic, not contrived, fashion.
Marks crafts a realistic believable narrative. His well-conceived script develops smoothly and organically from circumstance and doesn't employ the clunky, obvious hand-waving other writers use because they simply assemble a series of gags into a poorly-conceived story.
HUMOR: Because "Hogan's Heroes" is a situation comedy, Marks doesn't forget humor. Granted, he relies on wit and sardonicism rather than slapstick and farce although he uses Carter, the most naïve of the Heroes, as comic relief. And Klink, as usual, is the butt of General Burkhalter's barbed insults. Nevertheless, Marks works the humor into his always-sharp dialog so that it arises organically as part of the narrative exchanges between the characters, not as obvious setup-punchline contrivances so common to other writers.
Since "Hogan's Heroes" is (ahem) imprisoned by its narrow formula, what becomes crucial is watching the variation on a repetitive theme to see how well it is executed. By and large, viewers never notice, nor do they care about, who writes an episode, but if you pay attention to that credit, you know what you're going to get.
Frankly, Marks was repetitive. His scripts were always sensible and well-organized, so that's what you get with "Some of Their Planes Are Missing": a taut, well-executed tale from the best writer on "Hogan's Heroes."
- darryl-tahirali
- Apr 7, 2022