I'm not entirely sure what to think of this one. I wouldn't say it was 'good', but I've got a soft spot for Ken Berry and I got a kick out of the rest of the 1960's vintage cast
it's worth watching if you like that kind of thing. Probably the best of the bunch was Hans Conreid as a psychotic ex-Nazi kindergarten teacher whose curriculum includes teaching five-year-olds to throw grenades in preparation for the next war, which he fully intends for the glorious Fatherland to finally win for a change. Bad taste, yeah probably
but Conreid delivered and I thought his was one of the best performances.
Lots of "Hogan's Heroes" alumni in addition to Werner Klemperer: Jon Cedar and Walter Janowitz, who both had recurring roles on the series appear, as do occasional guest-stars like Woody Parfrey and Parley Baer. (How did John Banner get out of being in this movie, which required so many comic Germans?) I don't recall that Klemperer's character was the mayor, though
could there be some confusion because his troops referred to him as "Herr Major" during the war, which in German is pronounced "my-OR"? The version I saw on streaming had truly terrible, badly-echoing sound in the scenes that took place in the foyer in Gabor's mansion; they could have gotten better quality with two tin cans and a piece of string. Sound was okay in the rest of the film, though.
Five stars for the nostalgia factor and occasional cute bits, but nothing that can be seriously recommended for any other reason. Baby-boomers may enjoy it if their expectations aren't terribly high.
