Marshal Dan Troop 70448 Posted May 24, 2022 Share Posted May 24, 2022 Hardy Kruger who passed away in January 2022 at age 93, I knew he was German born and mostly throughout his career, acted in many WW2 Films as always a German Soldier. Having some free time I decided to look up and find out more about him and was surprised at some of the life of Mr. Kruger that I didn't know before. Hardy was born April 12, 1928 and in an interview in 2016 he stated that his parents were devout Nazi's and had a love for Hitler they wanted him to follow. His parents urged him to join the Hitler Youth Group and he was sent to a prestige Adolf Hitler School. It was at the school he met a later fellow actor and also an anti Hitler who later Kruger helped and educated him on what was going on. Later Kruger helped deliver messages to fugitives as dubbed by the Gestapo and helped warn them before being arrested. At age 16, Kruger was drafted into the Army and assigned to an SS Unit the 38th SS Division which saw heavy combat. US Soldiers were captured and Kruger was ordered to shoot the prisoners, which he promptly refused., he was then sentenced to death as a coward but an SS Officer countermanded that order and he was then assigned as a messenger. He escaped and hid out in Tyrol till the end of the war. He bought a large acreage spread in what is now Tanzania and his farm was used for the John Wayne film "Hatari" in which he also played a part. In the movie "A Bridge to Far" playing a German officer, whenever his scene was done or while waiting for his call he always wore a heavy long coat to hide the film uniform and would not remove it till he was in front of the camera. He retired early from acting, saying he no longer wanted to play German soldiers or be in any WW2 films and that was all he was being offered. He retired on his beloved farm. He authored 16 books, novels, travel guides, and a memoir. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rip Snorter Posted May 24, 2022 Share Posted May 24, 2022 He was also in Wild Geese. Interesting and intense actor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utah Bob #35998 Posted May 24, 2022 Share Posted May 24, 2022 29 minutes ago, Rip Snorter said: He was also in Wild Geese. Interesting and intense actor. And Flight of the Phoenix! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rip Snorter Posted May 24, 2022 Share Posted May 24, 2022 4 minutes ago, Utah Bob #35998 said: And Flight of the Phoenix! I'd forgot that one! A good one in its way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utah Bob #35998 Posted May 24, 2022 Share Posted May 24, 2022 6 minutes ago, Rip Snorter said: I'd forgot that one! A good one in its way! And he didn’t have to play a Nazi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Dan Troop 70448 Posted May 24, 2022 Author Share Posted May 24, 2022 Some of his best films. https://youtu.be/-ggeFzWyD-I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619 Posted May 24, 2022 Share Posted May 24, 2022 I was impressed by Hardy Kruger a long time ago for his performance in Flight of the Phoenix, a great movie and a favorite of mine, in which he plays a central role. That flick was one of the last of those 1960s movies with the big ensemble casts; there were a whole bunch of stars, with Jimmy Stewart at his crankiest in the lead. Kruger was a young mostly-unknown then. So I kept track of him a bit. He was in The Wild Geese, another ensemble movie, with Brits this time. I remember looking him up a year or two back after watching Phoenix for the Nth time, and being pleased to find that he was still alive. The NYTimes had a good obit when he recently died. He had quite a story and life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rip Snorter Posted May 24, 2022 Share Posted May 24, 2022 11 minutes ago, Utah Bob #35998 said: And he didn’t have to play a Nazi. No defense of that regime and what they did, but an old highly intelligent and successful German family friend served and fought on the Russian front, but made it home, put it this way. "Of course you were a Nazi if you wanted to work and eat." A great Uncle of mine, the least likely hero you would ever meet, was a rebellious newspaper editor. He and his wife managed to get out of Germany a blink ahead of the GESTAPO (a bit of irony, translated roughly (Homeland Security). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forty Rod SASS 3935 Posted May 24, 2022 Share Posted May 24, 2022 He made a great contribution to Hatari, too. I always like him as an actor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irish Pat Posted May 25, 2022 Share Posted May 25, 2022 was he the MP in Dirty Dozen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rip Snorter Posted May 25, 2022 Share Posted May 25, 2022 Nope, I don't think so. Another very enjoyable film I hadn't thought of in a while. Thanks! Edit - had to think and look I believe the MP, Sergeant Bowman, was Richard Jaeckel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted May 25, 2022 Share Posted May 25, 2022 30 minutes ago, Irish-Pat said: was he the MP in Dirty Dozen? That was Richard Jaeckel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619 Posted May 25, 2022 Share Posted May 25, 2022 Here's a link to the NYTimes obit, taken from the Wikipedia footnote: Hardy Kruger, German-Born Hollywood Star, Is Dead at 93 - The New York Times (nytimes.com) His story is interesting and inspirational in its own way. Full of years at 93; a WWII vet on the other side because the Reich pressed him into service at 16. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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