Robert Clary was born Robert Max Widerman on March 1 1926 in Paris, France. He came from an Orthodox Jewish family of 14 children, of which he was the youngest. He began singing and performing when he was 12 years old. When he was 16 he and his family were sent to the Nazi concentration camp at Ottmuth. He would later be sent to Buchenwald concentration camp. At Buchenwald he would sing every other Sunday for SS officers. He also worked in a factory each day, making wooden shoe heels). He would be the only one of his family to survive the concentration camps. He was liberated from Buchenwald on April 11 1945. For decades Mr. Clary did not discuss his experiences during the Holocaust.
Robert Clary returned to France following World War II. There he began singing in dance halls. By 1948 he was recording songs which not only became popular in France, but in the United States as well. It was in 1949 that he moved to Los Angeles where he had a contract with Capitol Records. Mr. Clary released several singles in the late Forties. He made his television debut on Hollywood on Television in 1949. He also appeared on The Ed Wynn Show in 1950.
In the Fifties Robert Clary first album Meet Robert Clary, was released in 1955. He appeared on the variety, game, and talk shows The Colgate Comedy Hour, The Arthur Murray Party, The Blue Angel, The Martha Raye Show, The Stork Club, Pantomime Quiz, Tonight!, The Rosemary Clooney Show, The Spike Jones Show, The Arlene Francis Show, Club 60. The Gisele MacKenzie, The Lux Show, The Garry Moore Show, The Pat Boone-Chevy Showroom, Your Hit Parade, and The Big Party. He guest starred on the shows Appointment with Adventure and Play of the Week. He appeared in the Max Liebman Spectaculars adaptation of Heidi. He made his film debut in Ten Tall Men in 1951 and appeared in the movie Thief of Damascus. He made his Broadway debut in Leonard Sillman's New Faces of 1952. He also appeared on Broadway in Seventh Heaven and La Plume de Ma Tante.
It was in 1965 that Robert Clary began playing Corporal Louis LeBeau on Hogan's Heroes. He remained with the show for the entirety of its six year run. He guest starred on the show Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre; The High Chaparral; and Love, American Style. He also appeared on the variety shows, game shows, and talk shows The Merv Griffin Show, International Cabaret, The Hollywood Palace, The Pat Boone Show, Gypsy, The Hollywood Squares, House Party, The Mike Douglas Show, Las Vegas, Everybody's Talking, The Joey Bishop Show, Pat Boone in Hollywood, The John Gary Show, Win with the Stars, Della, It Takes Two, Pantomime Quiz, The Leslie Uggams Show, and Playboy After Dark. He appeared in the movie A New Kind of Love (1963). In 1961 his album Lives It Up at the Playboy Club was released.
Hogan's Heroes ended its run in 1971, cancelled during the Rural Purge. He began his long run on Days of Our Lives in 1972. He guest starred on the shows Arnie, Love They Neighbour, Young and the Restless, and Fantasy Island. Mr. Clary appeared in the talk shows and game shows The Mike Douglas Show, It's Your Bet, What's My Line?, The Merv Griffin Show, The Cross-Wits, Celebrity Bowling, and Dinah!. He appeared in the movie The Hindenburg.
In the Eighties Robert Clary continued to appear on Days of Our Lives until 1997. In 1990 he began a two year stint on The Bold and the Beautiful. He guest starred on the shows Masquerade, General Hospital, The Munsters Today, and The New Adam-12.
Chances are good that Robert Clary will always be remembered as Corporal LeBeau, who was unfailingly loyal to France, had an eye for the ladies, and has such a gift for animals that he even befriended the guard dogs at Stalag 13. He was remarkable in the role. Even so, he did play other roles, some of which were very different from LeBeau. In the High Chaparral episode "The Last Hundred Miles" he played a crooked freight shipper who faked attacks by the Apaches in order to raise his prices. In the movie The Hindenburg he played real life acrobat and Hindenburg passenger Joseph Spah. In the Masquerade episode "The Defector," Robert Clary played a Russian physicist who was defecting to the United States. In addition to being a versatile actor, Robert Clary was also a gifted singer, something he put to use both on Broadway and on television variety shows. Robert Clary had considerable talent for which he will always be remembered.
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