Excerpt from the Hogan's Heroes Fan Club Newsletter

Bernard Fox ("Colonel Crittendon") Interview excerpt

HHFC: Of your roles in The Andy Griffith Show, Bewitched, and Hogan's Heroes, which was the most enjoyable for you?

Bernard Fox: Oh, Hogan's Heroes. Yes, I thought he was a much bigger idiot than Dr. Bombay. The people were equally as nice on either show. But I really liked the outrageous behavior of Colonel Crittendon. And I may have got a little bit more comedy of my own in on Hogan's Heroes than I did on Bewitched. I remember one time, in the episode with the crossbow, Crittendon's crossbow—I deliberately got the handle of the crossbow caught behind Bob Crane's leg, so that when I charged off, I dragged his leg up with it. They thought it was an accident. It wasn't; I did that. The other thing, it was funny. It didn't get in actually, but in the two-parter that I did, there was a moment where I had a luger, and I was twirling it around on my finger, and the prop man hadn't put the clip in properly, and it flew out and missed Bob Crane's ear by about two inches. And of course we couldn't keep it in, but it was a funny moment. And the bit with the fencing, that was scripted, where it always tore my shirt. And the other thing that was neat, it was one episode where I lifted up the lid of the corn bin and put my head in to get the maps and stuff and the lid came down on my head. And the director said, "Cut! We have to go again." And I said, "Why?" And he said, "Well, it came down on your head." And I said, "But I didn't play off of it, I didn't make anything out of it." So that was left in.

HHFC: Did you get cast on Hogan's due to prior association with any of the cast or producers?

BF: No. I quickly got to the point in the sixties, largely due to television shows like The Danny Thomas Show and The Andy Griffith Show and The Dick Van Dyke Show. I played guest star roles on those. There was no question of me auditioning or reading for anybody. And it was practically the same producing team that did Hogan's Heroes on the same lot, actually. So they just called me in. But as I say, it was one episode. They just thought the character was so terrific they kept writing it in. And here's a funny thing: After the first episode, I asked for more money. And the casting person said to my agent, "Tell Bernard Fox he either accepts this money, or I've got a thousand actors out there that can play the part." Which I knew he didn't. So I held firm, and I got more money. The next time they wanted me, I said I wanted more money, and guest star billing. And he said to my agent, "Tell Bernard Fox if he doesn't accept this, we'll change a few lines, and there are fifty actors out there..." And I said, "well at least I've reduced the odds!"

Last Modified : Fri 16 May 2008 6:26 AM