From Buchenwald to Hollywood, The Robert Clary Story : The Documentary (Extended Version) • 20250419 • A film by Karen and Richard Bloom and Michel van der Burg
Today 80 years ago , April 19, 1945 – the Buchenwald band ‘Rhythmus’ – with Jiří Žák & Robert Clary – gave a jazz concert in the Nazi concentration camp Buchenwald for their comrades and US soldiers that liberated the camp .
We , today, present the extended version of our Robert Clary documentary, now featuring also Robert Clary’s desire that Jiří Žák be nominated as a Righteous Among the Nations at Yad Vashem…
Rhythmus was a jazz orchestra in the Buchenwald concentration camp in which a total of 23 musicians from 9 different countries played together from 1943 until the liberation. Czech prisoners around Jiří Žák took the initiative to found this orchestra in the summer of 1943.
Among the French prisoners that later joined, were Yves Darriet – the bandleader , who wrote most arrangements , and Robert Widerman – the band’s singer , who made a career as Robert Clary on Broadway after the war.
Two programs are known to have been performed in November 1944 and April 19, 1945, i.e. 8 days after the liberation of the camp (Ref 1) , including compositions by Duke Ellington, Lionel Hampton and pieces by Cole Porter, Fats Waller, Glenn Miller and Louis Armstrong. In The Mood was performed even though this music was banned in Nazi Germany.
Ref. 3 – Jazz im KZ Buchenwald – das gab es wirrklich! | weimarer-rendezvous | Sep 25, 2022 https://youtu.be/HX4X7TJ19nQ
„Rhythmus“ – Jazz im Konzentrationslager Buchenwald
At the April 11, 2022 event ‘„Rhythmus“ – Jazz im Konzentrationslager Buchenwald’ — in the Notenbank in Weimar, Germany (Ref 2, 3) — the Big Band and a jazz ensemble of the Hochschule für Musik under the direction of Prof. Gero Schmidt-Oberländer performed 9 or 10 pieces from the programs. In addition biographies of the prisoners in the Buchenwald Jazz Orchestra were made visible using excerpts from their letters and reports.
The French singer Robert Widerman ( Robert Clary ) was shown in a clip (Ref 4) from the documentary film From Buchenwald to Hollywood, The Robert Clary Story (Ref 5). Robert Clary (March 1, 1926 – Nov 16, 2022) survived thanks to several prisoners, including Yves Darriet (pseudonym Jan Rolan, Jean Roland), Claude Francis-Boeuf, and Jiří Žák. (Ref 6)
5. From Buchenwald to Hollywood, The Robert Clary Story by Karen and Richard Bloom and Michel van der Burg | 2023 Edition | 20230202 | URL https://youtu.be/0tKc5T-Sw-E
New updated edition (Jan 2023) of the film by Karen and Richard Bloom and Michel van der Burg , about the Hollywood legend, internationally known actor, Broadway star, singer, artist, author and Holocaust lecturer , Robert Clary.
“Don’t think negatively.
Think Positively.
Don’t Hate.
Hate is a waste of time and energy.”
In memoriam : Robert Clary (March 1, 1926 – Nov 16, 2022)
Amsterdam Lift-Off Film Festival 2022 – “From Buchenwald to Hollywood, The Robert Clary Story” — A film by Karen and Richard Bloom and Michel van der Burg — about a Hollywood legend, an internationally known actor, Broadway star, singer, artist, author and Holocaust lecturer.
Amsterdam Lift-Off Film Festival 2022 is now live!
The Robert Clary Story is screening in the FEATURES
programme of the AMSTERDAM LIFT-OFF FILM FESTIVAL 2022, starting Monday 10th October – Monday 7th November.
Hollywood legend
The Robert Clary Story, about a Hollywood legend, an internationally known actor, Broadway star, singer, artist, author and Holocaust lecturer.
The truly inspiring story of Holocaust Survivor, Robert Clary, born Robert Widerman, who at the age of 16 was deported from Paris along with 13 members of his family to the death camps and was the sole survivor, liberated by the U.S Army on April 11, 1945 from Buchenwald after having endured 31 months in four Nazi camps and a death march. He was discovered singing in a Paris nightclub in 1947, signed to a recording contract and brought to the United States in 1949 where he met Merv Griffin, who introduced him to Eddie and Ida Cantor and their daughter, Natalie, who he would later marry in 1965. He would become a Hollywood legend, internationally known for his portrayal of Corporal Louie LeBeau on the long running hit TV show Hogan’s Heroes, of which at age 96, he is the sole surviving original cast member, as well as for his Broadway, soap opera and movie roles, his record albums, paintings, autobiography and as an impassioned Holocaust speaker.
Robert Clary Story | Los Angeles Lift-Off Film Festival | 20220829 | Miracles•Media
Los Angeles Lift-Off Film Festival 2022 – “From Buchenwald to Hollywood, The Robert Clary Story” — A film by Karen and Richard Bloom and Michel van der Burg — about a Hollywood legend, an internationally known actor, Broadway star, singer, artist, author and Holocaust lecturer.
Screening
Festival screening will be online at Vimeo On Demand for one month: 05 September – 03 October.
Raleigh Studios
If Lift-Off – @LiftOffGlobalNetwork – had shown the film live at the Raleigh Studios only 8 miles from Robert Clary’s home, a Hollywood legend, they would have had a packed theatre, but to no avail.
Hollywood legend
The Robert Clary Story, about a Hollywood legend, an internationally known actor, Broadway star, singer, artist, author and Holocaust lecturer.
The truly inspiring story of Holocaust Survivor, Robert Clary, born Robert Widerman, who at the age of 16 was deported from Paris along with 13 members of his family to the death camps and was the sole survivor, liberated by the U.S Army on April 11, 1945 from Buchenwald after having endured 31 months in four Nazi camps and a death march. He was discovered singing in a Paris nightclub in 1947, signed to a recording contract and brought to the United States in 1949 where he met Merv Griffin, who introduced him to Eddie and Ida Cantor and their daughter, Natalie, who he would later marry in 1965. He would become a Hollywood legend, internationally known for his portrayal of Corporal Louie LeBeau on the long running hit TV show Hogan’s Heroes, of which at age 96, he is the sole surviving original cast member, as well as for his Broadway, soap opera and movie roles, his record albums, paintings, autobiography and as an impassioned Holocaust speaker.
“From Buchenwald to Hollywood, The Robert Clary Story” – A film by Karen and Richard Bloom and Michel van der Burg .
March 1, 2022 – Celebrating Robert Clary’s 96th birthday today announcing this special gift :
Watch online free now our full feature documentary “From Buchenwald to Hollywood, The Robert Clary Story” – A film by Karen and Richard Bloom and Michel van der Burg.
Synopsis
The truly inspiring story of Holocaust Survivor, Robert Clary (born Robert Max Widerman, March 1, 1926 in the heart of Paris, France) who was liberated from Buchenwald on April 11, 1945 by the U.S.Army. Discovered singing in a Paris cabaret and brought to the United States where he became internationally known for his portrayal of Corporal Louie LeBeau on the long running hit TV show Hogan’s Heroes as well as for his Broadway, soap opera and movie roles, his record albums, paintings, autobiography and as an impassioned Holocaust spokesperson.
After the world premiere at the FLIFF (2018) in Hollywood (Florida, USA), and screening at the Paris (2021) Sydney & Melbourne (2021) and Berlin (2022) Lift-Off Film Festivals, the “The Robert Clary Story” film is now made public worldwide available for free watching via their YouTube channel by Richard Bloom Productions (richardbloomproductions•com).
Special thanks to Robert Clary, and Christopher Ray Allison (interview – cinematography) and Nathaniel Link (interview – sound) and many many others…
Watch Free Online – The Robert Clary Story | 20220301
“From Buchenwald to Hollywood, The Robert Clary Story” – A film by Karen and Richard Bloom and Michel van der Burg .
Watch now online at the Berlin Lift-Off Film Festival 2022 … a truly inspiring film about a Hollywood legend ….
Click ⓘ right corner YouTube screen – for link to the site of the Berlin Lift-Off Film Festival 2022 Monday 7th February – Monday 7th March.
Features films
The Berlin Lift-Off Film Festival 2022 is screening 52 feature films The Robert Clary Story is Episode 40 .
Festival Tickets
Get a ‘Features’ ticket with access to all the 52 Features from the Lift-Off Film site, which also allows voting (2 votes) for the films — for direct link Click Checkout ⓘ right corner YouTube screen.
Robert Clary
The producers of Transport XX to Auschwitz and Defending Holocaust History are proudly bringing to the screen, the inspirational film, From Buchenwald to Hollywood, The Robert Clary Story, about a Hollywood legend, an internationally known actor, Broadway star, singer, artist, author and Holocaust lecturer.
Mr. Clary is widely known for his role as Corporal Lebeau on the long running TV series Hogan’s Heroes. What is little known by the public is that Robert’s real last name is Widerman, and in 1942 at the age of 16, he and thirteen members of his family were rounded up in Paris, France and deported by the Nazis to concentration camps. He was the only one to survive, having endured 31 months in four Nazi camps and a death march until his liberation from Buchenwald by the U.S. Army on April 11, 1945. He was discovered singing in a Paris nightclub in 1947, signed to a recording contract and brought to the United States in 1949 where he met Merv Griffin, who introduced him to Eddie and Ida Cantor and their daughter, Natalie, who he would later marry.
The World Premiere was at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival in Cinema Paradiso, Hollywood, Fl (USA) in 2018.
Last year the film was screening at the Paris Lift–Off Film Festival 2021, and the Sydney & Melbourne Lift-Off Film Festival 2021.
The film is also available at the holocaust centers USHMM and Yad Vashem.
Promo film (20220224) by Michel van der Burg | Miracles•Media
