Another talented, wonderful performer has left us. Hamilton Camp (aka Bob Camp and Hamid Hamilton Camp) died yesterday from a heart attack. He was 70.
He was probably best known for his role as the handyman, Andrew Hummell, on the short-lived 1967 sitcom, He and She, which starred Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss, but he appeared in hundreds of TV shows, including guest roles on all the major programs. He was also a regular on two other series which, he almost bragged, were two of the quickest cancellations in TV history — Turn-On (1969) and Co-Ed Fever (1979), each cancelled after only one episode aired. His extensive list of motion picture credits started when he was a child and later included Dick Tracy, Heaven Can Wait, S.O.B., Eating Raoul, Bird and Under Fire. He was much-admired in the field of improv comedy, having worked with both Second City and The Committee back when all the great practitioners of the art were in one or the other.
He was also a giant in the world of folk singing, commencing in 1961 with the album, Gibson and Camp at the Gate of Horn, done back when he was Bob Camp and teamed with Bob Gibson. He recorded at least seven albums. The title song from his 1967 Here's To You was a modest hit and it's a tune I included on a little CD of favorite records that I play in my car all the time. (You can learn more about his career over at his website.)
In addition to all that, he was a much sought-after performer in commercials and voiceovers, and I was pleased to work with him several times on cartoon shows. He was a lovely man and the news today comes as a shocker to all of us who knew him. Here's to you, Hamilton.