Notice how Richard gets mentioned along with Crane and Klepperer, as one of the stars of the show? I have to say, even though I'm still against making HH into a movie, having Ruddy in charge is the first hopeful sign we've had.


EXCLUSIVE: After a three-year battle waged to determine ownership of sequel and
separated rights on the CBS sitcom Hogan's Heroes, creators Albert S. Ruddy and
the late Bernard Fein have been granted all rights. Ruddy will work with Fein's
estate to develop a feature film ensemble comedy using the show's clever WWII
German POW camp premise. The duo was granted rights that include movies,
publication, merchandising, radio and live rights, as well as TV sequel rights.
The judgment was made by arbitrator Joel M. Grossman on March 1. The creators
went up against Bing Crosby Productions, which produced the show, and whose
rights are now owned by Mark Cuban. Ruddy and Fein were represented by Greenburg
& Traurig's Vince Chieffo and Alan Schwartz, and WGA's Heather Pearson and
Anthony R. Segall.

Hogan's Heroes was a top-rated show on CBS that spanned 168 episodes that ran
from 1965-1971, starring Bob Crane as Col. Robert Hogan, Werner Klemperer as
Col. Wilhelm Klink, Richard Dawson as Cpl. Peter Newkirk and John Banner as Sgt.
Hans Schultz. Ruddy and Fein created the show and wrote and developed the pilot.

Ruddy, best known for producing The Godfather and Million Dollar Baby, just
wrapped the David Ayer-directed Ten, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The issue of ownership of rights has been a veritable tinderbox of litigation
for the past 10 years with most writers unsure of whether they can claim such
rights. I wouldn't be surprised if this development sends more show creators to
their union to see what is possible.