Howard Caine, born Cohen, left his hometown of Nashville, Tennessee at the age of 13 to pursue a career in acting in New York City. He dedicated himself to mastering 32 foreign and American dialects, a remarkable feat, especially considering his Southern accent was a significant part of his childhood.
Following his service in the Navy during World War II, Caine continued his education at The School of Drama, Columbia University, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude, a testament to his exceptional talent and dedication.
On Broadway, he was featured in notable productions such as "Wonderful Town", "Inherit the Wind", "Lunatics and Lovers", and "Tiger at the Gates". He also replaced Ray Walston as "Mr. Applegate" in the Broadway production of "Damn Yankees".
In film, he appeared in notable movies like "From the Terrace" (1960),"Pay or Die!" (1960),"Judgment at Nuremberg" (1961),"The Man from the Diners' Club" (1963),"Pressure Point" (1962),and "Alvarez Kelly" (1966). He co-starred with Godfrey Cambridge and Estelle Parsons in "Watermelon Man" (1970) and played Lewis Morris of New York in the musical "1776" (1972).
Caine was a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and acted in over 750 live and filmed TV shows. However, he is perhaps best remembered for his iconic role as Gestapo Maj. Hochstetter on the classic TV series "Hogan's Heroes" (1965),a role he played for the entire six-year run.
In addition to his acting career, Caine had a passion for the Appalachian five-string banjo, which he began mastering in the mid-1960s. He went on to win 29 prominent banjo and fiddle contests in the Southland for both Best Traditional Banjo and Traditional Singing from 1970 until his untimely death in 1993. He was also a popular folk singer and performed at numerous folk clubs and festivals.
