Robert Clary was born Robert Widerman in Paris in 1926, the youngest of fourteen children. He was deported to the Nazi concentration camps in 1942 but miraculously was liberated from Buchenwald in 1945, the only one of thirteen deported family members to survive. At age 22, a song he recorded, "Put Your Shoes on Lucy," became a big hit in the United States. He appeared in Cabaret on Broadway, in motion pictures including The Hindenburg with George C. Scott, and in nightclubs. On television he was well-loved for roles on "The Young and the Restless," "Days of our Lives," and of course, as Corporal Louis Lebeau on "Hogan's Heroes." As a Holocaust survivor, Clary has lectured at high schools, colleges, synagogues, and civic groups throughout the U.S. and Canada.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Although best known to TV viewers as LeBeau on TV's Hogan's Heroes (1965-1971), Robert Clary has written a new memoir, From the Holocaust to Hogan's Heroes: The Autobiography of Robert Clary, offering a much more sobering view of WWII, as he recounts his 31 months in German concentration camps as a Jewish Parisian teenager. After liberation, he began singing in nightclubs and, as a prot‚g‚ of Eddie Cantor, won a position in the revue New Faces of 1952, which also featured newcomers Eartha Kitt, Paul Lynde and fledgling writer Mel Brooks. Decades later, his popularity among daytime viewers as a regular on soaps The Young and the Restless and Days of Our Lives helped promote his recording career. Although flatly written at times, Clary's tale of survival is inspirational.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Review
What an inspiration! With eloquent directness Robert Clary pours it out—the journey from innocence to knowledge, from nostalgia to heartache, from Parisian provincialism to a truly global Weltanschauung—and all expressed with a crackling wryness, the survivor's most precious possession. (Bill Hayes )
Robert Clary has come through hell with his humor, creativity, and incredible morale intact. His book records a victory of compassion over hatred, laughter over despair, artistic expression over agression. (Gene Reynolds )
There are many stories of survivors, but not many as riveting as the one that Robert Clary tells in his autobiography. The Nazis captured him and tried to kill him, but he survived them and went on to capture and kill audiences all over the world. (CARL REINER )
Nobody in show business has the resume of Robert Clary. From German concentration camps to Broadway and to television... it has been an amazing journey for him. He's still one of our most entertaining and energetic performers. I've only known him for fifty years, and I still couldn't put this book down. (Merv Griffin )
[Clary] has kept hundreds of thousands of young people around the world riveted with his story and now for the first time, has written a compelling, honest and thoughtful book worth reading by everyone. (Rabbi Marvin Hier )
From the Holocaust to Hogan's Heroes is a powerful, highly recommended biographical journey that enfolds the reader in a strong life. (Midwest Book Review )
From the Holocaust to Hogan's Heroes is a powerful, highly recommended biographical journey that enfolds the reader in a strong life. (Midwest Book Review )
The 'Amazing' Clary has constantly been full of fun; energetic and always zestful. I read his book and for me it was the Holocaust right into my Heart! . . . BRAVO! (Dom DeLuise )
This is a book that sneaks up on you. I could barely read the end of the book through my tears. (Karl Malden )
A truly exciting journey filled with heartache, bravery, and comic joy. I couldn’t put it down.
Clary's tale of survival is inspirational. (Publishers Weekly )
I always knew Robert was a good actor, but his autobiography tells me he's even a better writer. What a story!
Robert Clary has lived two lives, and written two books—one horrific, one jaunty. They’re both fascinating. . . . This is brave writing.
I would like to implore anyone of a younger generation who doubts the reality of the Holocaust to read this book. It touched me deeply.
In Robert Clary we have an artist with the gift of song and dance, the gift for survival and the gift of telling his extraordinary story. (Alan & Marilyn Bergman )
Robert Clary has come through hell with his humor, creativity, and incredible morale intact. His book records a victory of compassion over hatred, laughter over despair, artistic expression over agression. (Gene Reynolds )
There are many stories of survivors, but not many as riveting as the one that Robert Clary tells in his autobiography. The Nazis captured him and tried to kill him, but he survived them and went on to capture and kill audiences all over the world. (CARL REINER )
Nobody in show business has the resume of Robert Clary. From German concentration camps to Broadway and to television... it has been an amazing journey for him. He's still one of our most entertaining and energetic performers. I've only known him for fifty years, and I still couldn't put this book down. (Merv Griffin )
[Clary] has kept hundreds of thousands of young people around the world riveted with his story and now for the first time, has written a compelling, honest and thoughtful book worth reading by everyone. (Rabbi Marvin Hier )
From the Holocaust to Hogan's Heroes is a powerful, highly recommended biographical journey that enfolds the reader in a strong life. (Midwest Book Review )
From the Holocaust to Hogan's Heroes is a powerful, highly recommended biographical journey that enfolds the reader in a strong life. (Midwest Book Review )
The 'Amazing' Clary has constantly been full of fun; energetic and always zestful. I read his book and for me it was the Holocaust right into my Heart! . . . BRAVO! (Dom DeLuise )
This is a book that sneaks up on you. I could barely read the end of the book through my tears. (Karl Malden )
A truly exciting journey filled with heartache, bravery, and comic joy. I couldn’t put it down.
Clary's tale of survival is inspirational. (Publishers Weekly )
I always knew Robert was a good actor, but his autobiography tells me he's even a better writer. What a story!
Robert Clary has lived two lives, and written two books—one horrific, one jaunty. They’re both fascinating. . . . This is brave writing.
I would like to implore anyone of a younger generation who doubts the reality of the Holocaust to read this book. It touched me deeply.
In Robert Clary we have an artist with the gift of song and dance, the gift for survival and the gift of telling his extraordinary story. (Alan & Marilyn Bergman )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Enjoyed the book,
By DJ Daddy (USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: From the Holocaust to Hogan's Heroes: The Autobiography of Robert Clary (Paperback)
This is an excellent book from Clary's point of view. It was so good to know more about him, as he is featured prominently in "Hogan's Heroes". There was only one page I had to glue together so that my young children could also read the book. It runs the range of emotions while remaining exciting and well-written.
23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A memoir that stands-out from the rest,
This review is from: From the Holocaust to Hogan's Heroes: The Autobiography of Robert Clary (Hardcover)
In recommend this book as a standout memoir for those interested in Holocaust studies, Showbiz lives, and inspiring tales. Born in France, Clary survived the Nazi death camps. The book describes Clary's two lives: survival of several Nazi camps, and a career in showbiz afterwards. The last and 14th child of his Polish born Jewish father (and mother), Robert Max Widerman was raised on the Ile St Louis at 10 Rue de Deux Ponts in Paris. After some neighbors complained to the Vichy French police that Jews still were living in the building, the French police deported Robert and 12 members of his immediate family on 9/23/1942. Of those deported, only Robert survived. The book details Clary's arrest in 1942 at the age of 16 and his 31-month-long incarceration in three Nazi concentration camps in Drancy, Upper Silesia, and Poland, as well as Buchenwald, where he was liberated by the Allies on April 11, 1945 (he put on a show for the troops). Would you believe that Clary got his stage name at Buchenwald, and not in some cigar filled Hollywood agent's office? Clary details how a friend "lost" his file at Buchenwald, which saved him from sure death on the death march of the prisoners. After the war, Clary went back to singing inParis and was discovered by Harry Bluestone while entertaining in a dance hall in 1947. A meeting with Merv Griffin led to an introduction to Eddie Cantor's daughter Natalie, whom he married. He went on to be discovered on Broadway in "New Faces of 1952", and then become famous as the character Corporal Louis Lebeau on Hogan's Heroes. This is an inspirational story of how he survived these two lives.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A True Hero,
By
This review is from: From the Holocaust to Hogan's Heroes: The Autobiography of Robert Clary (Paperback)
Robert Clary's autobiography is short and easy to read. You will find yourself unable to put the book down as he talks of his childhood in France, his hopes, ambitions and dreams, all interrupted by his 30+ month imprisonment in the concentration and labor camps of Nazi Germany. His ability to keep his spirits up and those of his fellow prisoners through song and dance is amazing. After being freed by Patton's Third Army he returns to Paris to rebuild his life and restart his quest for fame and fortune. This would be a very good book to read for old and young alike. I am buying another 20+ to give to my high school social studies class as a study in dealing with adversity, learning of intolerance and keeping sight of your dreams.
This is truly a great book.
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