Ivan Dixon dies; was actor on ‘Hogan’s Heroes’

Ivan Dixon dies; was actor on ‘Hogan’s Heroes’

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Ivan Dixon, an actor, director and producer best known for his role as Kinchloe on the 1960s television series “Hogan’s Heroes,” has died. He was 76. Dixon died Sunday at Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte after a hemorrhage and of complications from kidney failure, said his daughter, Doris Nomathande Dixon of Charlotte.

Actor Sidney Poitier said the two men became friends after Dixon was his stunt double in the 1958 movie “The Defiant Ones.” “As an actor, you had to be careful,” Poitier said in a statement. “He was quite likely to walk off with the scene.” Dixon began his acting career on Broadway in plays including “The Cave Dwellers” and “A Raisin in the Sun.” On film, he appeared in “Something of Value,” “A Raisin in the Sun,” “A Patch of Blue,” “Nothing But a Man” and the cult favorite “Car Wash.” But he was probably best known for the role of U.S. Staff Sgt. James Kinchloe on “Hogan’s Heroes,” a satire set in a German prisoner-of-war camp during World War II. Kinchloe, in charge of electronic communications, could mimic German officers on the radio or phone. While her father was most proud of work in plays such as “A Raisin in the Sun” and for films such as “Nothing But a Man,” he had no mixed feelings about being recognized for the role of Kinchloe, his daughter said. “It was a pivotal role as well, because there were not as many blacks in TV series at that time,” Nomathande Dixon said.

LaBeouf skips court date

LOS ANGELES — Shia LaBeouf could pay a hefty price for smoking. A $1,000 bench warrant was issued for the 21-year-old actor after he failed to appear in court Tuesday on an unlawful smoking charge. The “Transformers” star was cited last month. He was scheduled to appear in a Los Angeles County courthouse Tuesday on the misdemeanor offense, but neither he nor his lawyer showed up, according to court documents filed Tuesday. The document did not contain details on the circumstances or location of the offense. LaBeouf starred on the Disney Channel show “Even Stevens” and can next be seen on the big screen opposite Harrison Ford in “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.”

Bond will be back

LONDON — James Bond will be back in theaters a little sooner than expected. Sony Pictures says “Quantum of Solace,” the latest 007 adventure, will be released in Britain on Oct. 31. The film had been due to open Nov. 7, which is still its scheduled release date in North America. Daniel Craig is returning as the suave British spy, tracking down a shadowy international conspiracy whose leader is played by French actor Mathieu Almaric. Sequences are being filmed in Panama, Chile, Austria, Italy and at Pinewood Studios near London.

Anderson Cooper returns to work after surgery

NEW YORK — CNN’s Anderson Cooper was back at work Wednesday after minor surgery two days earlier to remove a cancerous mole from underneath his left eye.

There was no indication the skin cancer had spread, spokeswoman Shimrit Sheetrit said.

He blogged about his procedure Wednesday, when he was following Barack Obama, who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, for a special edition of Cooper’s nightly news show.

“I hadn’t planned on mentioning this,” said Cooper, 40. “But I still have stitches and you’ll no doubt notice them. ... Don’t want you to think I got into a fistfight with Charlie Rose.”

Today’s birthdays

Producer-director-comedian Carl Reiner is 86. Actor Hal Linden is 77. Singer Jerry Reed is 71. Former Canadian prime minister Brian Mulroney is 69. Country singer Don Edwards is 69. Hockey Hall-of-Famer Bobby Orr is 60. Actor William Hurt is 58. Rock musician Carl Palmer (Emerson, Lake and Palmer) is 58. Rock musician Jimmie Vaughan is 57. Country musician Jimmy Seales (Shenandoah) is 54. Movie director Spike Lee is 51. Actress Theresa Russell is 51. Actress Vanessa Bell Calloway is 51. Actress Holly Hunter is 50. Actress-model Kathy Ireland is 45. Actor David Thewlis is 45. Rock musician Adrian Oxaal (James) is 43. Actor Michael Rapaport is 38.