THE HAT SQUAD: HAMILTON CAMP

The pantheon of TV characters took another hit with the loss of Hamilton Camp, a folk-singer as well as character actor who had been around since the 1940s when he was a child actor in the movies. He was involved in one of the first episodes of 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show' to win an Emmy ("Toulouse-Lautrec Is One Of My Favorite Artists", which took a "Maryish" view of prejudice by using what the Goonies would call "apart-height".) It won for Jay Sandrich's direction of the episode.

And his portrayal of Alpha, the anthropomorphized canine astronaut in an episode of 'Bewitched' (along with Steve Franken as Orvis) was key to making the link between the sitcom about the witches of Westport and 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' and 'The Hitch-Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy' and perhaps even 'Super Pup'.

(Someday I hope to track down a copy of 'The McGurks', one of the most famous failed pilots in TV history and see how I can work that show about humanoid dogs into the concept. I may have to toss it over into an alternate dimension with those water commercials with the humanoid bear, hamster, and dog.)

Mr. Camp was working in Toobworld right to the end, having appeared in 'Desperate Housewives' last December and with still a few movies in production. For some who may have been first exposed to him in his role as Andrew Hummell, the building super in 'He & She', it might be a surprise that he wasn't as old as expected. That's because he played Andrew as an old man while in his thirties.

When it comes to the character actors of Toobworld, Hamilton Camp is sadly another example of that Joni Mitchell line - "You don't know what you've got till it's gone."

But he will be missed.

TV SERIES
"Just Our Luck" (1983) TV Series .... Professor Bob
"Too Close for Comfort" (1980) TV Series .... Arthur Wainwright (1981)
"McGurk" (1979) (TV pilot) .... Spike
"Co-ed Fever" (1979) TV Series .... Mr. Peabody
"Story Theatre" (1971) TV Series
"Turn-On" (1969) TV Series
"He & She" (1967) TV Series .... Andrew Hummell

TV MOVIES
How to Marry a Billionaire: A Christmas Tale (2000) (TV) .... Santa
Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman (1993) (TV) .... Prospector Eddie
Bridesmaids (1989) (TV) .... Ridgefield
Copacabana (1985) (TV) .... Nicky Richards
Lots of Luck (1985) (TV) .... Joe
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear (1984) (TV) .... Meek Angel
The Hoboken Chicken Emergency (1984) (TV)
I Take These Men (1983) (TV) .... Harry Green
Portrait of a Showgirl (1982) (TV) .... Stevie

THE TOONIVERSE
"Out of Order" (2003) (mini) TV Series .... Hamster and Plant
"House of Mouse" (2001) TV Series (voice) .... Merlin
"The Zeta Project" playing "Dr. Rashad" (voice) in episode: "Shadows" (episode # 1.8) 7 April 2001
"Extreme Ghostbusters" (voice) in episode: "Moby Ghost" (episode # 1.26) 10 November 1997
"The Tick" playing "Johann Gutenberg" (voice) in episode: "Leonardo da Vinci and his Fightin' Genius Time Commandoes" (episode # 2.5) 30 September 1995
"Mighty Max" (voice) in episode: "Fly By Night" (episode # 2.18) 19 October 1994
"Duckman" (voice) in episode: "Gland of Opportunity" (episode # 1.5) 9 April 1994
"Aladdin" (1994) TV Series (voice) .... Ayam Aghoul
"Bonkers" (1993) TV Series (voice) .... Crooked TV-Commercial Director/Toon Pit Bull Pitts
"James Bond Jr." (1991) TV Series (voice)
"Spacecats" (1991) TV Series .... Sniff, Narrator
"Darkwing Duck" (1991) TV Series (voice) .... Gizmoduck/Fenton Crackshell
"Pirates of Darkwater" (1991) TV Series (voice) .... Additional Voices
"Tiny Toon Adventures" playing "Scottish Flea" (voice) in episode: "Starting from Scratch" 28 September 1990
"Gravedale High" (1990) TV Series (voice)
"The Wizard of Oz" (1990) TV Series (voice)
"Tale Spin" (1990) TV Series (voice) .... Seymore/Babyface Half-Nelson/Additional Voices
"Potsworth & Co." (1990) TV Series (voice) .... The Grand Dozer
Super Ducktales (1989) (TV) (voice) .... Gizmo-Duck/Fenton Crackshell
The Flintstone Kids' Just Say No Special (1988) (TV) (voice) .... Barney Rubble
"A Pup Named Scooby-Doo" (1988) TV Series (voice) .... Additional Voices
Rockin with Judy Jetson (1988) (TV) (voice) .... Mr. Microchips/Manny
Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School (1988) (TV) (voice) .... Phantom Father
Scooby-Doo and the Reluctant Werewolf (1988) (TV) (voice) .... Dracula
"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" (1987/II) TV Series (voice) .... Additional VoicesThe Jetsons Meet the Flintstones (1987) (TV) (voice) .... Turk Tarpit
"DuckTales" (1987) TV Series (voice) .... Fenton Crackshell a.k.a. Gizmoduck
Scooby-Doo Meets the Boo Brothers (1987) (TV) (voice) (uncredited) .... Ghostly Laugh
"The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo" (1985) TV Series (voice)
"Meitantei Holmes" (1984) TV Series .... Prof. Moriarty (English)... aka Sherlock Hound, the Detective
The Secret World of Og (1983) (TV) (voice) .... Flub/Blib/Little Green Man#2/Sheriff/Little Green Man #1/Butcher/Villager/Mushroom Harvester
"The Incredible Hulk" (1982) TV Series (voice) .... Additional Voices
"The Kwicky Koala Show" (1981) TV Series (voice)
"The Smurfs" (1981) TV Series (voice) .... Greedy Smurf/Harmony Smurf

TV GUEST APPEARANCES
"Desperate Housewives" playing "Brian Linder" in episode: "Suspicious Minds" (episode # 1.9) 12 December 2004
"That Was Then" playing "The Captain" in episode: "Mayor or Not" (episode # 1.2) 4 October 2002
"Grounded for Life" playing "Newstand Guy" in episode: "Don't Let Me Download" (episode # 2.3) 21 November 2001
"Titus" playing "Merrit"
in episode: "The Wedding" (episode # 2.24) 22 May 2001
in episode: "Deprogramming Erin" (episode # 2.14) 13 February 2001
in episode: "The Reconciliation" (episode # 2.8) 12 December 2000
in episode: "The Perfect Thanksgiving" (episode # 2.6) 21 November 2000
"Star Trek: Voyager" playing "Malon Controller Vrelk" in episode: "Extreme Risk" (episode # 5.3) 28 October 1998
"Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" playing "Leck"
in episode: "The Magnificent Ferengi" (episode # 6.10) 1 January 1998
in episode: "Ferengi Love Songs" (episode # 5.20) 21 April 1997
"Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" playing "H.G. Wells"
in episode: "Lois and Clarks" (episode # 4.15) 9 March 1997
in episode: "Tempus, Anyone?" (episode # 3.14) 21 January 1996
"ER" playing "Drunk" in episode: "Dead of Winter" (episode # 2.11) 5 January 1996
"The Jeff Foxworthy Show" in episode: "Womb with a View" (episode # 1.5) 14 October 1995
"Morton & Hayes" playing "Smitty" in episode: "Oafs Overboard" (episode # 1.4) 14 August 1991
"Morton & Hayes" playing "Hunchback/Steve" in episode: "The Bride of Mummula" (episode # 1.2) 31 July 1991
"Murphy Brown" playing "Mr. X" in episode: "The Strike" (episode # 2.12) 11 December 1989
"Saved by the Bell" playing "Mr. Margolies" in episode: "Dancing to the Max" (episode # 1.1) 20 August 1989
"Mama's Family" playing "Dr. Bishop/Purvis" (voice) in episode: "Mama Bell" (episode # 5.12) 6 January 1989
"Hill Street Blues" playing "Morton Keyes" in episode: "Fathers and Guns" (episode # 7.9) 9 December 1986
"All Is Forgiven" playing "Jerry Campbell" in episode: "On Air Commitment" (episode # 1.1) 20 March 1986
"Cheers" playing "Martin Gallagher" in episode: "Suspicion" (episode # 4.14) 16 January 1986
"The Twilight Zone" playing "Liam O'Shaughnessy" in episode: "The Little People of Killany Woods" (episode # 1.34) 3 January 1986
"Hill Street Blues" playing "One Man Band Muzel" in episode: "Passage to Libya" (episode # 5.17) 14 February 1985
"Alice" playing "Customer" in episode: "Don't Play It Again, Elliot" (episode # 8.21) 8 April 1984
"M*A*S*H" playing "Maj. Frankenheimer" in episode: "The Moon Is Not Blue" (episode # 11.8) 13 December 1982
"Hill Street Blues" playing "Buck Mullins" in episode: "Zen and the Art of Law Enforcement" (episode # 2.13) 18 February 1982
"Mork & Mindy" playing "Exterminator" in episode: "Present Tense" (episode # 4.12) 14 January 1982
"Alice" playing "Willie Harmon" in episode: "Bet a Million Mel" (episode # 6.2) 11 October 1981
"Trapper John, M.D." playing "Louie" in episode: "Second Sight" (episode # 2.15) 5 April 1981
"WKRP in Cincinnati" playing "Buddy Gravers" in episode: "Til Debt Do Us Part" (episode # 3.21) 5 April 1981
"Soap" playing "Elmore Tibbs" (episode # 3.22) 27 March 1980 and (episode # 4.12) 9 March 1981
"Three's Company" playing "Bart Furley" in episode: "Furley vs. Furley" (episode # 5.14) 17 February 1981
"Alice" playing "Clem" in episode: "Flo Finds Her Father" (episode # 3.24) 1 April 1979
"Laverne & Shirley" playing "Mr. Burns" in episode: "O Come All Ye Bums" (episode # 4.14) 19 December 1978
"WKRP in Cincinnati" playing "Del Murdoch" in episode: "Hold Up" (episode # 1.5) 16 October 1978
"M*A*S*H" playing "Corporal 'Boots' Miller" in episode: "Major Topper" (episode # 6.24) 27 March 1978
"Alice" playing "Fred" in episode: "The Accident" (episode # 1.16) 22 January 1977
"Starsky and Hutch" playing "Lou Malinda" in episode: "Kill Huggy Bear" (episode # 1.8) 29 October 1975
"Love, American Style" in episode: "Love and the Super Lover" (episode # 4.12c) 1 December 1972
"Mary Tyler Moore" playing "Eric Mathews" (as Hamid Hamilton Camp) in episode: "Toulouse-Lautrec Is One of My Favorite Artists" (episode # 1.7) 31 October 1970
"Bonanza" playing "Calvin" in episode: "What Are Pardners For?" (episode # 11.27) 12 April 1970
"Love, American Style" in episode: "Love and the Positive Man" (episode # 1.12c) 22 December 1969
"The Good Guys" playing "Baitman" in episode: "Total Honesty" (episode # 2.6) 31 October 1969
"Bonanza" playing "Henry Dobbs" in episode: "The Clarion" (episode # 10.20) 9 February 1969
"Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C." playing "Assistant Director" in episode: "A Star Is Not Born" (episode # 5.8) 22 November 1968
"Bewitched" playing "Alpha" in episode: "Samantha's Secret Saucer" (episode # 4.30) 18 April 1968
"The Monkees" playing "Philo" in episode: "Monkees at the Movies" (episode # 1.31) 17 April 1967
"Hey, Landlord" playing "Riker the Wrecker" in episode: "When You Need a Hidden Room, You Can Never Find One" (episode # 1.10) 20 November 1966
"The Rat Patrol" playing "Lt. Winters" in episode: "The Blow Sky High Raid" (episode # 1.9) 7 November 1966
"The Andy Griffith Show" playing "Jeff Nelson" in episode: "The Barbershop Quartet" (episode # 7.3) 26 September 1966

THE LEAGUE OF THEMSELVES
Funny, You Don't Look 200: A Constitutional Vaudeville (1987) (TV) .... Himself
A World of Love (1970) (TV) .... Himself

BCnU......
Tele-Toby