Hogan's Heroes/The Informer

The Informer
Season 1, Episode 1
Airdate	September 17, 1965
Production Number	5784-01
Teleplay by	Richard M. Powell and Bernard Fein & Albert S. Ruddy
Story by	Bernard Fein & Albert S. Ruddy
Directed by	Robert Butler
Produced by	Edward H. Feldman
— N/A	1x02 → Hold the Tiger
Hogan's Heroes — Season One

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The Informer is the first episode of the first season of Hogan's Heroes.

Starring: Bob Crane (Colonel Robert E. Hogan)

Co-Starring: Werner Klemperer (Wilhelm Klink)

and John Banner (Sergeant Hans Schultz)

with Robert Clary (Corporal Louis LeBeau), Richard Dawson (Corporal Peter Newkirk), Ivan Dixon (Sergeant James "Kinch" Kinchloe), Leonid Kinskey (Vladimir Minsk)

Featuring: Noam Pitlik (Wagner), Leon Askin (Burkhalter), Larry Hovis (Lt. Carter), Stewart Moss (Olsen), Richard Sinatra (Sgt. Riley), Cynthia Lynn (Helga), Walter Janowitz (Schnitzer)

Plot Overview

This episode begins in Nazi-era Germany in 1942 at Stalag 13. The cast is introduced. By the end of the credits, head guard Sgt. Schultz counts off the prisoners. Col. Robert Hogan signals one of his men, Cpl. Newkirk, to feign fainting in order to create a diversion so that one other of Hogan's men can get out of the camp to meet an escaping prisoner who will take the other prisoner (Olsen) place.

The incoming escapee, Lt. Carter, is brought into the camp. For security purposes, Hogan tests Carter with questions about certain people. Carter passes the test. However,another prisoner is brought into the camp. He is actually a German spy named Wagner. Hogan tests Wagner, who fails the test. Hogan has Newkirk inform the other prisoners not to tell Wagner about their operation. Only Carter (who was asleep) had not received the message. As a result, Wagner goes to Col. Klink's office and phones Col. Burkhalter. He informs Burkhalter about a underground network operating in Stalag 13. Burkhalter promises to be at the camp the next day. Hogan and his men, who have Klink's office bugged, hear this. Hogan decides to let Wagner see their operation with the belief that the Germans won't believe his story. This is carried out as Wagner, while blindfolded, is led to what he believes to be a tunnel underneath the water tower. It is actually a tunnel underneath the Doghouse.

Hogan and Cpl. LeBeau pretend to let slip that Wagner is in the tunnel under the water tower. Once inside the tunnel, Hogan shows Wagner his operation and tells him phony information that Wagner will bring to Burkhalter. Hogan then contacts Olsen to return to the camp early. The next day, Burkhalter arrives, and as Wagner tells him about the underground operation, Klink tells Burkhalter that he is wrong. When Wagner tries to show Burkhalter proof of Hogan's operations (namely, some counterfeit money he secretly lifted while in the tunnel), it turns up missing because Newkirk had lifted it from Wagner's pocket. A gun that Wagner also lifted, which Hogan told him was a cigarette lighter, turns out to be real when Wagner demonstrates it to Burkhalter, who has a cigar in his mouth. When Wagner fires, the bullet hits the cigar Burkhalter has in his mouth. Burkhalter starts to disbelieve Wagner's claims.

Wagner then shows him the water tower where the tunnels are supposed to be. He pulls the chain that is suppose to open the tunnel, but water comes pouring out on Burkhalter, who becomes angry over the incident. Desperate to prove his claim to be true, Wagner sees a dog truck that Hogan told him contains a prisoner, and that the sound inside was a tape recording of guard dogs barking. When Wagner opens the truck, real dogs come running out. In the commotion, Olsen sneaks out of the truck and Carter gets in, then the truck takes him to a rendezvous that will take him to England. Thoroughly humiliated, Wagner is taken away to his next (and final) destination, the Russian Front.

Notes

• This was the only episode filmed and aired in black and white
• Leonid Kinskey appears with the regular cast in the opening credits only in the pilot episode. His character, Russian POW Vladimir Minsk, does not appear again after the pilot, as Kinskey had chosen not to sign on as a regular with the show

Arc Advancement

Characters

• During the tour in the tunnel, Wagner sees Helga. Hogan explains along with being Klink's secretary, she is also their manicurist
• Larry Hovis, who played Carter in this episode as a guest star, returned as a regular in the second episode. His rank changes from lieutenant to sergeant, with no explanation given
• Burkhalter, who was a colonel in this episode, was promoted to general in the later episodes

Trivia

Memorable Moments

Wagner trying to convince Burkalter that the secret Tunnel is under the Water Tower.When pulls the Chain,water comes out on Burkalter.