Robert Clary Story • Documentary (Extended Version) • 20250419

By Michel van der Burg • Miracles•Media & Richard Bloom Productions – Published April 19, 2025

Rhythmus

April 19, 1945 – today 80 years ago – the Buchenwald band ‘Rhythmus’ gave a jazz concert in the evening in the cinema barracks of the Nazi concentration camp Buchenwald for the survivors, their comrades, and the US soldiers that liberated the camp.

Czech political prisoner Jiří Žák started the Rhythmus jazz orchestra of inmates of the Buchenwald camp. ‘Woke’ music — ‘Entartete’ art , degenerated art, officially in Nazi Germany, the 3rd Reich.
The Nazis enthusiastically applauded the “outside” forbidden jazz in the camp, and various SS people took part in the concerts given between August 1943 and December 1944 by this official camp band Rhythmus (1,2,3).

Jiří Žák | 20250419 | Family Archive Goldscheider | Miracles•Media

Jiří Žák sabotaged the transports, as the trusted administrator of the Buchenwald transport department, by setting up a “Transport Reserve C” commando of almost 100 prisoners, thus freed from hard labor, and saved numerous Jews from deportation and death march shortly before liberation of the camp.

The French singer Robert Widerman listed on the April 19,1945 Rhythmus program , was one of these Jewish prisoners saved by Jiří Žák.
Band leader Yves Darriet (4) came up with the nickname ‘Clary’ for Robert (from the movie Les Adventures de Désirée Clary). Robert Widerman would become a Hollywood legend, known as Robert Clary (5).

From Buchenwald to Hollywood, The Robert Clary Story • Extended Version (2025)

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

Robert Clary’s story is told in our documentary : From Buchenwald to Hollywood – the Story of Robert Clary • A film by Karen and Richard Bloom and Michel van der Burg. The original film premiered in 2018 at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF) in Hollywood (Florida, USA) , and after screening at other film festivals, premiered online March 1, 2022 on the occasion of Robert’s 96th birthday (6,7).

We today present the 2025 extended version of the documentary (8) , now featuring also Robert Clary’s desire that Jiri Zák be nominated as a Righteous Among the Nations at Yad Vashem.

Notes

1. Rhythmus | 20221117 | Miracles.Media | URL https://michelvanderburg.com/2022/11/17/rhythmus-20221117/

2. Rhythmus Jazz Buchenwald | 20230910 | Miracles.Media | URL https://michelvanderburg.com/2023/09/10/rhythmus-jazz-buchenwald-20230910/

3. »Rhythmus«: Jazz im KZ Buchenwald. Gerhard Hoffmann. Ossietzky Ed. 09/2022. URL https://www.ossietzky.net/artikel/rhythmus-jazz-im-kz-buchenwald/

4. Robert Clary Story – Yves Darriet … – 20250419 | https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxJEnyXVfWTXr3fPBptlS1lYjj41ZrFRnb

5. Robert Clary – Hollywood Legend – 20250419 | https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx8UWg8Qwrb8HbZ_ikqq8wRaAnt80zS0dn

6. Watch Free Online – The Robert Clary Story | 20220301 | Michel van der Burg | Settela•Com | ISSN 2949-9313

7. Documentaries That Matter : From Buchenwald to Hollywood the Robert Clary Story. Richard Bloom Productions. URL https://richardbloomproductions.com/the-robert-clary-story

8. 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 . URL https://youtu.be/xwECq2KPdz4

9. Robert Clary Story – Jiří Žák – 20250419 | https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxdkuSPUZSINdhMHuclx7-2p0-9eXhBpAX

10. Robert Clary Story – Jiří Žák Yad Vashem File – 20250419 | https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxDB9YjOEoSNsBtEyX71_04nu7j5JyUeYl

‘Entartete Art’ 1935 – Coleman Hawkins & Leo de la Fuente in Holland | 20231123

‘Entartete Art’ 1935 – Coleman Hawkins & Leo de la Fuente in Holland

American saxophonist Coleman Hawkins announces and plays – accompanied by Leo de la Fuente on piano – on his tenor saxophone ‘I wished that I were twins’.

In 1934, Coleman Hawkins left the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra and Amerika, moved to Europe, and joined the Jack Hylton Orchestra in England. Hylton and his band made regular ‘continental’ tours, and started another European tour January 1935 accompanied by Coleman Hawkins in Holland. At the end of January 1935 Hawkins joins the dutch band The Rambers … for 8 days … because Hawkins was denied entry to Germany because of his race, while Hylton and his band continued their tour without him and play for eight days at the Berlin Philharmonic Hall.

To end this special week with Hawkins well, the bandleader of The Ramblers – Theo Uden Masman – arranged with Decca for recordings 4 february 1935 in Pulchri Studio in The Hague, Holland, including this : I wish I were twins…that was also recorded on film by Polygoon (Polygoontoon) for the dutch cinema news for next week .

Coleman Hawkins is accomponied here on film by the dutch jazz pioneer Leo de la Fuente on piano , playing ‘I wished that I were twins’ . After the recordings, Hawkins moves further into Europe.

Leo – Leonard Henriques – de la Fuente, who was born Jewish in Amsterdam 28 March 1902, was deported by the nazi’s to Auschwitz on 2 November 1942, and died 30 April 1944 ‘somewhere in Mid Europe’.

References

About Leonard Henriques de la Fuente, his wife Hendrika de Vries and his daughters Benvenida and Mietje. Joods Monument. URL https://www.joodsmonument.nl/en/page/680262/about-leonard-henriques-de-la-fuente-his-wife-hendrika-de-vries-and

Biografie Leo de la Fuente. Muziekencyclopedie.nl | Beeld & Geluid. URL https://www.muziekencyclopedie.nl/action/entry/Leo+de+la+Fuente

The Hawk in Holland. Jacky de Vries. Theater Sentiment – De verhalen over de artiesten van weleer – Jaargang 3 Nummer 4. URL https://theatersentiment.nl/the-hawk-in-holland/

Jack Hylton 1892-1965. Abaigh McKee. Politics & Propaganda | Music and the Holocaust | URL https://holocaustmusic.ort.org/politics-and-propaganda/jack-hylton/

Film edited from source (video footage) : Polygoon Hollands Nieuws (Polygoontoon, producer) dutch cinema news reel week 7 , 1935 | Sound & Vision (Open Images)

Citation : ‘Entartete Art’ 1935 – Coleman Hawkins & Leo de la Fuente in Holland | 20231123 | Settela•Com | ISSN 2949-9313 | TakeNode 4f388407-5ccc-4816-aef6-6064fcee35b2

TAGS #Coleman #Hawkins #Leo #Fuente #music #jazz #Entartete #art #Europe #tour #tournee #Berlin #Germany #tenor #sax #saxophon #saxofoon #interbellum #Hawk #Holland #The #Hague #Pulchri #Studio #Netherlands #Decca #art #black #Jew #racism #diversity #nazi #politics #propaganda #holocaust #Polygoon #Polygoontoon #film #cinema #news #theater #band #pioneer #bandleader #Entartete #Kunst #degenerate #art #Jack #Hylton #orchestra #twins #Sound #Vision #broadcast #performance #history #England #1Memo #michelvanderburg #MiraclesMedia #SettelaCom

PUSH Opera Epilogue 2020 | Westerborkfilm Images #2 | 20230728

Images from the Westerborkfilm have been used countless times in documentaries and films about the Second World War. Here images screening in the virtual opera PUSH – based on the story of Simon Gronowski – an 11 year old Jewish boy who was pushed from the train – Transport XX – by his mother on the way to Auschwitz — Video clip https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxsM6Rj_HB0xEh4TksbjhIm4EzY81dc4H0

A virtual performance, during the April 2020 Corona virus lockdown, of the epilogue of the community opera PUSH , entitled : Ma Vie N’est Que Miracles | My life is only miracles – hosted by composer Howard Moody. It premiered on the night of the 19th April 2020, exactly 77 years after three Brussels resistance heroes stopped the Nazi train Transport XX, transporting 1600 Jewish deportees to Auschwitz, and more than 200 prisoners escaped from the train before the German border. Info : michelvanderburg.com/2020/04/19 .

#Westerborkfilm #footage #PUSH #Miracle #virtual #child #community #opera #online #Simon Gronowski #Transport #XX #music #premiere #Howard #Moody #Sarah #Ehrlich #Shogo #Hino #liberation #Brussels #Corona #covid #virus #home #lockdown #performance #Adrian #Zolotuhin #Belgium #Mechelen #Kazerne #Dossin #Westerbork #Holland #Netherlands #transit #camp #deportation #train #car #film #screening #holocaust #shoah #genocide #discrimination #diversity #rights #art #war #Jew #Sinti #Roma #nazi #survival #collaboration #SettelaCom #ISSN29499313 #TakeNode #1Memo #MiraclesMedia #michelvanderburg

Mobilization Holland 1939

Mobilization Holland 1939 | Dutch cinema news August 1939. Just before Hitler invades Poland (Sep 1, 1939), the Dutch government can no longer ignore the danger of war, and pre-mobilization August 24, 1939 of Dutch military is followed by mobilization August 28. Source : Polygoon Hollands Nieuws (Aug 1939) | Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision ~ Film : Mobilization Holland 1939 | 20220307 | Michel van der Burg | Settela•Com | ISSN 2949-9313

TAGS #mobilization #army #military #troops #transport #standby #Netherlands #Holland #fascism #shelter #airplane #bulletin #poster #guard #soldier #bicycle #crowd #TheHague #newspaper #Amsterdam #tram #railway #mariner #navy #pier #Scheveningen #sea #coast #border #ship #patrol #Poland #France #attack #standby #Nazi #Germany #war #WorldWarII #WW2 #cinema #news #Polygoon #music #1Memo #SettelaCom #michelvanderburg #1memo20220307 #voormobilisatie #mobilisatie #window #luchtbescherming #zandzakken #oorlog #beleg #schuilkelder #HaagscheCourant #DenHaag #1minute

Holland On Standby 1938

Holland On Standby 1938 | Dutch cinema news Sep. 1938 on the imminent international war situation with precautions by the Dutch army and people hoarding food in Holland. Source : Polygoon Hollands Nieuws (Image publ. 19 Sep 1938 ; Sound publ. 28 Aug 1939) | Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision ~ Film : Holland On Standby 1938 | 20220306 | Michel van der Burg | Settela•Com | ISSN 2949-9313

TAGS #standby #mobilization #army #transport #Holland #fascism #food #hoard #mother #child #Nazi #Germany #war #WorldWarII #WW2 #cinema #news #Polygoon #music #1Memo #SettelaCom #michelvanderburg #1memo20220306 #1minute #hamsteren #mobilisatie #oorlog #paraat

Jewish Child Refugees Holland News 1938

Jewish Child Refugees Holland News 1938 | 20220304 | Shelter of Jewish children in the Netherlands, fleeing fascism after the 1938 November pogrom Night of Broken Glass (Kristallnacht) in Nazi Germany.

NL (dutch) Opvang Joodse kinderen in Nederland, op de vlucht voor fascisme na de 1938 November pogrom Kristallnacht in Duitsland.

TAGS #shelter #refugee #Jew #child #fascism #pogrom #November #Kristallnacht #border #food #play #holocaust #Nazi #Germany #Holland #war #WW2 #cinema #news #Polygoon #music #ClairduLune #Debussy #OhadBenAri #Artlist #1Memo #SettelaCom #michelvanderburg #1memo20220304 #1minute

Watch Free Online – The Robert Clary Story

“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 | Michel van der Burg | Settela•Com | ISSN 2949-9313

TAGS #RobertClary #free #documentary #online #Buchenwald #Hollywood #RichardBloom #KarenLynne #holocaust #richardbloomproductions #camp #film #movie #HogansHeroes #Lebeau #Widerman #Paris #France #MervGriffin #Cantor #deportation #nazi #UnitedStates #music #1Memo #michelvanderburg #MiraclesMedia #NathanielLink #ChristopherAllison

Updates

20220604 – Format changes credit line

20230518 – Credits updated with ISSN