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Thursday, March 20, 2008

Ivan Dixon 1931-2008


Ivan Dixon, the beloved Sgt. James "Kinch" Kinchloe from Hogan's Heroes has died at age 76. Per his daughter, Dixon was always "pleased to be recognized as Sergeant Kinchloe, the American radio technician in a World War II German P.O.W. camp who could adeptly mimic his captors."

Mr. Dixon directed scores of television shows, including episodes of “The Waltons,” “The Rockford Files,” “Magnum, P.I.,” “Quincy” and “In the Heat of the Night.” Ivan Dixon will be sadly missed by generations of Wildcats whose introduction to history (and comedy) was the light-hearted , but occasionally accurate masterpiece of Hogan's Heroes.

Some more about Sgt. Kinchloe

Kinch was born in Detroit, Michigan and worked for the phone company before the war.

• Kinch was a plumber's helper one summer when he went to school in Detroit. (from episode #70, "Nights in Shining Armor" 1967)

• In episode #5, "The Flight of the Valkyrie" (1965), it was stated that "Sgt. Kinch was in charge of operations."

• Kinch fought in the Golden Gloves boxing tournament. (episode #136, "The Softer They Fall" 1970)

• In episode #136, "The Softer They Fall" (1970), it was stated that Sgt. Kinchloe weighed 195 pounds.

• Kinch stated in episode #92, "Drums Along the Dusseldorf" (1968), that he once threw a football 60 yards.

• Kinch played the upright-bass in episode #51, "Praise the Führer and Pass the Ammunition" (1967).

• Sergeant Kinchloe attended High School in Detroit. (episode #73, "Is General Hammerschlag Burning?" (1967)

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I always enjoyed Kinchloe's steady presence as the radio man in H.H. His surname is a variant of a common Central Illinois name (and relative of mine), Kinsella. Perhaps we are related?

HG

Anonymous said...

I love the fact that the great ID was pleased to be recognized as Kinch. I understand Sean Penn has turned his back on his outstanding Spicolli character and Steve Martin gets smug about his comedy from the 70s. What is the matter with these people? More examples of this behavior anyone? Cheers to Ivan Dixon for embracing his Kinch side.

I once met Antonio Vargas very briefly at a T-shirt rack in LAX. He did not turn on Huggy Bear. bbd

Anonymous said...

Donald Gibb embraces the "Ogre" role from Revenge of the Nerds. He has opened a bar in Chicago and gladly signs pictures with "Ogre."

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