Leon Askin

Leon Askin (; born Leo Aschkenasy, 18 September 1907 – 3 June 2005) was an Austrian-born actor best known in North America for portraying the character General Albert Burkhalter on the TV situation comedy Hogan's Heroes. From the 1950s onward he had a steady career on both sides of the Atlantic.

Life and career Leon Askin was born as Leo Aschkenasy into a Jewish family in Vienna, Austria-Hungary, on September 18, 1907. His parents, Malvine (née Susman) and Samuel Aschkenasy, were murdered in the Treblinka extermination camp during the Holocaust, in 1942.

Askin’s first experience with performance came during World War I, when, as a child, he recited a poem before Emperor Franz Joseph. In the 1920s, he studied acting under Louise Dumont and Max Reinhardt. In the 1930s, he directed politically charged works by playwright Jura Soyfer at Vienna’s "ABC" cabaret theater. His professional debut as an actor came in Vienna in 1926 in The Dutch Merchant.

Fleeing Austria in 1940 following persecution and physical abuse by the Sturmabteilung (SA) and Schutzstaffel (SS), Askin emigrated first to France, where he was interned at the Camp des Rochères et de la Poterie in Meslay de Maine, and then to the United States. During World War II, he served as a staff sergeant in the United States Army Air Forces. After the war, he began a career in Hollywood, often cast as foreign characters with thick accents.

Askin appeared as Anton Rubinstein in a Disneyland television episode about Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. He was featured in the series Adventures of Superman—first as a diamond smuggler in the 1953 episode "Superman in Exile", and later as a South American leader in a color episode. His film work included the role of Abidor, a Syrian guide, in The Robe (1953).

Askin continued working steadily in film and television through the 1950s and 1960s. Notable appearances include Pension Schöller (1960), and a key supporting role in Billy Wilder’s political satire One, Two, Three (1961), co-starring with James Cagney.

His most iconic role came in the sitcom Hogan's Heroes (1965–1971), in which he portrayed the stern and blustering General Albert Burkhalter, appearing in 67 episodes. The character constantly aggravated the inept Colonel Klink and was a frequent target of manipulation by the POWs.

Askin made guest appearances on numerous television shows including:

The Restless Gun (1957, episode: "The Shooting of Jett King")

My Favorite Martian (1965, episode: "Martin of the Movies")

The Monkees (1967, episode: "The Card Carrying Red Shoes")

Daniel Boone (1969, episode: "Benvenuto... Who?")

Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers (1974, episode: "Fiddler in the House")

Happy Days (1978, episode: "Fearless Malph")

Three’s Company (1979, episode: "The Bake-Off")

Between 1977 and 1979, Askin appeared on PBS’s Meeting of Minds, portraying both Martin Luther and Karl Marx.

He also had a brief appearance as a Moscow news anchor in Airplane II: The Sequel (1982), He was cast in Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein (1974), but his scenes were ultimately cut from the final version.

Askin's credits on Broadway included portraying Mr. Prince in A Temporary Island (1948) and Second Beard in Twentieth Century (1950).

He returned to Vienna in 1994, working again in cabaret and taking roles in opera and Vienna's annual Festwochen festival.

Death

Askin died from natural causes in Vienna on June 3, 2005, at the age of 97 and is interred at Vienna Central Cemetery.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes1952 Assignment – Paris! Franz Uncredited1952 Road to Bali King Ramayana 1953 Desert Legion Maj. Vasil 1953 South Sea Woman Pierre Marchand 1953 China Venture Wu King 1953 The Robe Abidor 1953 The Veils of Bagdad Pasha Hammam 1954 Knock on Wood Laslo Gromeck 1954 Secret of the Incas Anton Marcu 1954 Valley of the Kings Valentine Arko 1955 Carolina Cannonball Otto 1955 Son of Sinbad Khalif 1955 Spy Chasers Col. Alex Baxis 1958 Der Schinderhannes Rochus Eppelsheimer 1959 The Last Blitzkrieg Sergeant Steiner 1959 Abschied von den Wolken Gen. Cordobas 1960 Mistress of the World Fernando 1960 Pension Schöller Fritz Bernhardi 1960 Until Money Departs You Dr. Plauert 1960 Weit ist der Weg Luiz 1961 Always Trouble with the Bed Luigi Papagallo 1961 Blind Justice Strafverteidiger Dr. Leupold 1961 One, Two, Three Peripetchikoff 1962 Lulu Dr. Goll 1962 The Testament of Dr. Mabuse Flocke 1962 Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace Charles 1965 John Goldfarb, Please Come Home! Samir 1965 Do Not Disturb Langsdorf 1966 What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? Col. Kastorp 1967 Double Trouble Inspector de Groote 1967 The Caper of the Golden Bulls Morchek 1967 The Perils of Pauline Commisar 1968 The Wicked Dreams of Paula Schultz Oscar 1968 Guns for San Sebastian Vicar General 1968 A Fine Pair Chief Wellman 1968 Felix 1968 Lucrezia Alessandro VI 1969 The Maltese Bippy Axel Kronstadt 1969 Death Knocks Twice Pepe Mangano 1972 Hammersmith Is Out Dr. Krodt 1973 Doctor Death: Seeker of Souls Thor 1973 Genesis II Overseer 1973 The World's Greatest Athlete Dr. Gottlieb 1974 Young Frankenstein Herr Waldman Uncredited / Scene Deleted1974 Karl May Klotz-Sello 1974 Perahim – die zweite Chance 1975 Parapsycho – Spectrum of Fear 1981 Going Ape! Zebrewski 1982 Airplane II: The Sequel Moscow Anchorman 1983 Frightmare Wolfgang 1984 A Stroke of Genius 1985 Savage Island Luker 1985 Stiffs Funeral Director 1985 First Strike 1986 Odd Jobs Don Carlucci 1987 Deshima Frank Nievergelt 1994 OcchioPinocchio The Psychiatrist 1994 Höhenangst Vater Gusenleitner 1994 Adolf Lanz – Mein Krampf Josef Lanz von Liebenfels 1995 Tödliche Liebe 1998 Black Flamingos – Sie lieben euch zu Tode 1999 Kubanisch rauchen Waranovsky 2001 Ene mene muh – und tot bist du (final film role)

Television Year 1964 Title The Outer Limits (TV series) Shop Superintendent Notes S2:E10, Pt.1, The Inheritors, Pt.1 1965-1971 Hogan's Heroes General Burkhalter Recurring role; 67 episodes 1967 The Monkees Nicolai S2:E9, "The Card Carrying Red Shoes" 1969 Daniel Boone Roquelin 1 episode 1978 Happy Days Prof Himmel S6:E8, "Fearless Malph" 1979 Three's Company Mr. Hoffmeier S3:E18, "The Bake-Off" 1982 The Scooby & Scrappy-Doo/Puppy Hour Additional voices 1983 Kottan ermittelt Rudolf Wasservogel 3 episodes 1985 Diff'rent Strokes Doshenko Episode: "Russian Embassy"

Decorations and awards 1988: Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art 1994: Silver Medal for Service to the City of Vienna 1996: Award of the title "professor" 2001: Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class 2002: Gold Medal of Honour for Services to the city of Vienna 2003: Goldener Rathausmann of Vienna to mark the 75th anniversary 2007: Naming of Leon-Askin-Platz in Vienna-Penzing 2007: A bust of Leon Askin in Türkenschanzpark (Vienna) 2007: Plaque unveiled at Hütteldorferstrasse 349 in Vienna-Penzing, to mark 100th anniversary of Askin's birth 2009: At Sechsschimmelgasse 19 in Vienna-Alsergrund a public housing block was named after him 27 May 2010: Leon-Askin-Park at Grundsteingasse in Ottakring (Vienna's 16th District) named after Askin