 
Hogan’s Heroes: The Complete First Season At the end of WWII, war crime tribunals were conducted in Nuremberg,
Germany from 1945-49, with one of the most significant cases centered
around four German judges who sanctioned Nazi atrocities. Nominated
for eleven Academy Awards, Judgement At Nuremberg tells the true story
of a New England judge (Spencer Tracy) selected to preside over the
hearings of his German counterparts and the Running just over three hours, the film takes its time to thoroughly examine the nature of the circumstances that led up to the trial and the mindset of the German population, many of whom pretended not to know the full extent of the evils being committed by Hitler and his minions. Director Stanley Kramer pulls a neat trick in the early trial sequences, as he cleverly segues from the tedium of hearing German testimony being translated into English to all of the actors speaking English with a German accent. Spencer Tracy is magnificent as the elderly judge attempting to hear his case without prejudice, Richard Widmark brings just the right amount of anger and intensity to his role as the prosecuting attorney and Burt Lancaster shines as Dr. Ernst Janning who simmers silently during the film’s first half, then explodes in outrage as he tries to justify his actions. However, one of the best parts (at least from a reviewer’s standpoint) was discovering that one of the other defendants was played by Werner Klemperer – the same actor who played Colonel Klink on Hogan’s Heroes! Talk about segues! Considering the tragedy that was WWII and the atrocities committed by the Nazis, it seems unbelievable that there could have been a sitcom (and a great one) based in a P.O.W. camp without howls of protest from outraged survivors. Maybe it was because the Germans were depicted as pompous, bumbling and inept, or because the show was so damn funny, but whatever the reason, Hogan’s Heroes enjoyed a very popular six-year run. The premise was great – Hogan (Bob Crane) and his fellow prisoners (each representing one of the allied countries) ran a sophisticated underground operation designed to sabotage the German war effort, right under the nose of Col. Klink, who was more concerned with protecting his own ass from being sent to the Russian front. The first of the 32 episodes included in this set introduces us to the labyrinth of tunnels and equipment that had been smuggled into the camp and how extensive the operation actually was. From then on, it’s one escapade after another, as the men continue to chip away at Nazi intelligence, while enjoying all the comforts of home unbeknownst to the commandant at Stalag 13. The remastering for DVD looks great, but there are no bonus features to speak of. - David Bassin
|
Judgement
At Nuremberg
pressures
that ensue during the proceedings. Nominated for eleven Academy Awards,
the all-star cast included Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, Marlene
Dietrich, Judy Garland, Montgomery Clift and Maximilian Schell, who
took home the Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal of the German attorney
defending his four countrymen.