Howard Caine


Howard Caine was an American character actor, probably best known as Gestapo Major Wolfgang Hochstetter in the television series Hogan's Heroes. He also played Lewis Morris of New York in the musical film 1776 and Everett Scovill, a thinly disguised portrait of Charles Manson's attorney Irving Kanarek, in the television movie Helter Skelter. He was a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Early life

Howard Elmer Cohen was born on January 2, 1926, in Nashville, Tennessee, into a Jewish family. At the age of 13, Cohen moved with his family to New York City, where he began studying acting. He served in the United States Navy during World War II, from 1944 to 1946, fighting the Japanese in the Pacific Theatre. After the war, Caine studied drama at Columbia University, where he graduated summa cum laude.

Career

Caine appeared on Broadway in Wonderful Town, Inherit the Wind, Lunatics and Lovers, and Tiger at the Gates. He succeeded Ray Walston as "Mr. Applegate" in the original production of Damn Yankees. He was featured in such films as From the Terrace, Pay or Die, as the husband of the character portrayed by Judy Garland in Judgment at Nuremberg, Brushfire, The Man from the Diner's Club, Pressure Point, and Alvarez Kelly. He co-starred with Godfrey Cambridge and Estelle Parsons in Watermelon Man. Caine appeared in more than 750 live and filmed television programs, including the western series The Californians, Two Faces West, and The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters but is best remembered for his recurring role as Major Wolfgang Hochstetter on the popular 1960s sitcom Hogan's Heroes. Prior to that he appeared on that show in two other roles, in the season one episode "Happy Birthday, Adolf" and the season two episode "The Battle of Stalag 13".
From his early childhood in Tennessee, Caine had always been fascinated with the Appalachian five-string bluegrass banjo and began mastering it in the mid-1960s. From the summer of 1970 until his death in 1993, he took trophies at 29 prominent banjo and fiddle contests in the southland for both Best Traditional Banjo and Traditional Singing. He was also a popular folk singer and appeared at a number of prominent folk clubs and folk festivals.

Death

Caine died of a heart attack on December 28, 1993, five days short of his 68th birthday.

Partial credits

YearTitleRoleGenreNotes
1953MartyBartenderTV play
1957The CaliforniansSchaabTV series8 episodes, 1957-1958
1959Peter GunnRafael BlancoTV seriesEpisode: "The Briefcase"
1959LawmanNewt WhittakerTV seriesEpisode: "Warpath"
1960Alfred Hitchcock PresentsPawnbroker EmployeeTV seriesSeason 6 Episode 1: "Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat"
1960From the TerraceCreighton DuffyFilm
1960Pay or DieEnrico CarusoFilm
1960Pete and GladysBurkeTV seriesEpisode "Pete Takes Up Golf"
1960GunsmokeBradyTV series"Big Tom"
1961Alfred Hitchcock PresentsMr. DahlTV seriesSeason 7 Episode 7: "You Can't Be a Little Girl All Your Life"
1961Two Faces WestJethroTV seriesEpisode: "The Vials"
1961Judgment at NurembergHugo WallnerFilm
1962My Three SonsPolice SergeantTV seriesEpisode: "Chip Leaves Home"
1962BrushfireVladTV film
1962StraightawayCarsonTV seriesEpisode: "Full Circle"
1962Leave It to BeaverA Crooked Dairy ForemanTV seriesEpisode: "Eddie, the Businessman"
196287th PrecinctMeinigTV seriesEpisode: "Idol in the Dust"
1962Pressure PointTavern OwnerTV film
1962Fair ExchangeAssorted rolesTV series4 episodes
1963The Man from the Diner's ClubClaude BassanioTV film
1963The Many Loves of Dobie GillisR.J. CrumleyTV seriesEpisode: "The Call of the, Like, Wild"
1963The Travels of Jaimie McPheetersThe Indian, "Afraid-of-His-Horse"TV seriesEpisodes: "The Day of the Pawnees, Part 1" and "Part 2"
1963The Twilight ZoneNick BlossTV seriesEpisode: "He's Alive"
1965The Alfred Hitchcock HourMr. SetlinTV seriesSeason 3 Episode 22: "Thou Still Unravished Bride"
1965Get SmartDr. FishTV seriesEpisode: "The Day Smart Turned Chicken"
1965My Favorite MartianThe Sultan, EnglishTV seriesEpisode: "The Bottled Martin"
1965-1971Hogan's HeroesMajor Wolfgang Hochstetter, Major Keitel, Colonel FeldcampTV series37 as Maj. Hochstetter, 1 as Major Keitel in "Happy Birthday, Adolf" and 1 as Colonel Feldcamp in "The Battle of Stalag 13"
1966Death Valley DaysVarious rolesTV series3 episodes
1966Alvarez KellyMcIntyreFilm
1966The Doomsday FlightL.A. dispatcherTV film
1967RangoGayfor AshtonTV seriesEpisode: "Gunfight at the K.O. Saloon"
1967Get SmartVarious rolesTV series4 episodes
1967The Rat PatrolMajor BrackenTV seriesEpisode: "The Violent Truce Raid"
1970Watermelon ManMr. TownsendFilm
19721776Lewis MorrisFilm
1976Helter SkelterEverett ScovilleTV film
1978The Paper ChaseMr. BondTV seriesEpisode: "The Seating Chart"
1979Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-DooAdditional voiceTV series
1980Marilyn: The Untold StoryBilly WilderTV film
1982Forced VengeanceMilt DiamondFilm
1982The Scooby & Scrappy-Doo/Puppy HourAdditional voicesTV series
1983The New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo ShowAdditional voicesTV series
1984Challenge of the GoBotsAdditional voicesTV series
1984Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers ShowDan Corwin TV seriesEpisode: "Island of the Dinosoids"
1984Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers ShowKing Timon TV seriesEpisode: "The Royal Ruse"
1986The New Adventures of Jonny QuestAdditional voicesTV series
1988The Days and Nights of Molly DoddMr. EndakisTV seriesEpisode: "Here's Another Cryptic Message from Upstate"
1988War and RemembranceLord Maxwell BeaverbrookTV miniseries2 episodes, final appearance