Movie Nut

Correction: First, it's not true that only the men from Hogan's barracks are in on their operations. It's mentioned in several episodes that they've used other men during their missions. During S1E22 Hogan sends his people out to find a pizza recipe which is hardly the most inconspicuous thing to ask in a POW camp. During S1E27 Hogan asks Kinch if there's a Safe cracker among the prisoners in the camp, so he obviously has no problem recruiting people from outside his barracks. Second, the moment Hogan steps towards Klink, the prisoners break ranks and start to mingle. We simply have to assume that not only Hogan's barracks were ordered to fall out, but other barracks as well, (which would only be logical) even though it happens out of frame. The reason is obvious as well - it's hardly news that the producers of Hogan's Heroes were kept on a pretty tight leash budget-wise. Last but not least, it's true that Schultz counts to 15, but if you count yourself, you will find that not 15 but 19 people are in formation in front of the barracks in the first place. In conclusion, there is a valid mistake right there, but it's not the fact that the arrow consists of more than 15 people.

Doc ★

Answer: After careful inspection, the aforementioned box is a decorated holder for the boxes of long matches needed to light the stove.

Movie Nut

Chosen answer: In different episodes of "Hogan's Heroes, " the arrangement of items in the barracks varies. Sometimes there is a sink on one side of the door. Sometimes there is a chest of drawers on the other. I have seen episodes where a hanging box is there, as you describe. To my eye, the decoration appears to be a kind of camouflage design. I had assumed it was where mail was delivered to the prisoners. It could also be a storage for small items, such as a medicine container. I don't recall ever seeing it opened or otherwise used. Normally, in situations like this, when questions arise regarding set pieces, set decoration or costumes, I attempt to look up the show's crew members IMDb.com to pose the question to the source (when I can find them on, say, Facebook). In this case, however, all of the gentlemen responsible for set decoration on "Hogan's Heroes" have since passed away.

Michael Albert