Sgt Schultz – John Banner’s Birthday

Also the day of his death – on his 63rd birthday.

John Banner was born in Vienna on January 28, 1910 as Johann Banner. He died at Sofien Hospital in Vienna on January 28, 1973 of an abdominal hemorrhage. Although married for 30 years, he had no children. Like many of the actors and staff of Hogan’s Heroes, John Banner was Jewish.

Originally planning on studying law, he instead became interested in theatre. He was with an acting company in Switzerland when Hitler annexed Austria in 1938. Unable to return home, he emigrated to the US as a political refugee. He appeared in several films as a Nazi, often in uncredited roles – later finding the real Nazis had killed his entire family. In 1942, he enlisted in the US Army Air Force as a supply sergeant until war’s end.

He claimed it was his wife’s good cooking that caused him to gain 100 pounds.

He had appeared in over 70 TV shows such as Hazel, Mr Ed, Lucy, Red Skelton, Alias Smith & Jones, and The Partridge Family but it was Hogan’s Heroes (1965-1971) that made him known internationally: “I know nothing!“. He was one of six actors that appeared on every episode. After Hogan’s Heroes was cancelled, he starred in a much less successful show that was cancelled after 3 months. In 1972, he retired after a final appearance on The Partridge Family and moved to France, his wife’s native land. He died while visiting friends in Vienna where he is buried.