'Hogan's Heroes' "Sergeant Schultz": John Banner's Cause Of Death

John Banner portrayed "Sergeant Schultz" in the situation comedy 'Hogan's Heroes', appearing for a total of 168 episodes, from 1965 to 1971.

His character was known for gathering evidence that inmates at the prisoner-of-war camp were conducting anti-German sabotage activities.

Before 'Hogan's Heroes', Banner had already built a successful on-screen career.

In television, he appeared in episodes of 'Cimarron City', 'Perry Mason' and 'The Virginian'.

In film, he was cast in 'The Fallen Sparrow', 'The Beast of Budapest' and '36 Hours'.

In 1942, the 'Hogan's Heroes' actor enlisted in the United States Army Air Cops during Second World War, serving as a sergeant until 1945.

Born on January 28, 1910 in Stanislau, Austria-Hungary to Jewish parents, Banner lost most of his family to the Holocaust. His biological parents and all of his siblings died in concentration camps.

John Banner was married to Christine Gemenne Muhr from 1965 until his death. It is known that the actor used to joke about gaining weight due to his wife's good cooking. Banner weighed 178 pounds when he met her, but reached 260 afterwards, which helped him get his 'Hogan's Heroes' part.Prior to his relationship with Christine, he was married to Illa Raudnitz from 1940 to 1950.

John's acting skills were not limited to the screen, as he was also a successful on-stage star.He appeared on Broadway three different times: in the musical 'Vienna' in the late '30s, and in comic plays 'Pastoral' and 'The Big Two', which ran in 1939 and 1947, respectively.

Quick facts about John Banner:

• After emigrating to the United States, he worked as Master of Ceremonies to a musical revue without knowing any English
• Was often typecast in Nazi films fue to his "Nordic" accent and look
• Initially planned to study law at the University of Vienna
• Shared screen with Werner Klemperer in 'Hogan's Heroes', 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' and 'Safe Conduct'
• His final on-screen appearance took place in the 1972 episode of 'The Partridge Family', 'Who Is Max Ledbetter and Why Is He Saying All Those Terrible Things?', playing "Max Ledbetter"

Sadly, John Banner died on January 28, 1973, date that marked his 63rd birthday. 

The actor had an abdominal aortic aneurysm hemorrhage while visiting friends in Vienna. The following month, on February 2nd, he was interred at Vienna's Mauer Cemetery.