Joe Camp
Joe Camp (* 20th April 1939 in St. Louis , Missouri as Joseph Shelton Camp Jr. ) is an American director , screenwriter and film producer . He became known through films such as Benji - On the hot track , Benji in danger , A heavenly dog from a snoop or Benji - His greatest adventure .
life and career
Joseph Shelton Camp Jr., born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1939, became internationally famous practically overnight in 1974 as a director, screenwriter and producer with the family film Benji . Benji became as popular as classic family entertainment in the United States as did Rin Tin Tin or Lassie, and made its creator Camp extremely popular.
The great success of the film resulted in several sequels over the decades. Among other things, the 1977 cinema productions Benji in Danger , 1980 A Heavenly Dog from a Snoop with Chevy Chase and Jane Seymour or 1987 Benji - His greatest adventure . To date, the idea of the adventures of the little mongrel dog Benji has resulted in seven feature films (including all Benji films), various television documentaries and a television series with worldwide grossing over 600 million dollars, which makes Camp one of the most successful independent filmmakers of all time. Almost without exception, the music for the films in the Benji series was contributed by his friend the American composer and songwriter Euel Box . The film song I Feel Love (Benji theme), recorded by country music star Charlie Rich, won a Golden Globe Award in 1975 and was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Song category at the 1975 awards ceremony . For his work on Benji at Work , Joe Camp and producer Fielder Baker received a Primetime Emmy Award in 1980 in the Outstanding Children's Program category .
Joe Camp was married to Andrea Carolyn Camp until her death in 1997. His son is the screenwriter Brandon Camp (* 1971). He lives with his current wife, Kathleen, in Bell Buckle, Tennessee. In addition to his work for the mixed breed dog Benji, Camp is also known for his work with horses. In 2008 he published a book as an author entitled: The Soul of a Horse: Life Lessons from the Herd .
Awards
- 1979: Primetime Emmy Award nomination in the Outstanding Children's Program category for Benji's Very Own Christmas Story
- 1980: Primetime Emmy Award in the Outstanding Children's Program category for Benji at Work with producer Fielder Baker
Filmography (selection)
Director
- 1974: Benji - On a hot track (Benji)
- 1976: Hawmps!
- 1977: Benji in Danger (For the Love of Benji)
- 1978: Benji's Very Own Christmas Story (TV short film)
- 1979: The Double McGuffin
- 1980: Oh Heavenly Dog from a Sniffer
- 1981: Benji Takes a Dive at Marineland (TV short film)
- 1983: Benji, Zax & the Alien Prince (TV series, 4 episodes)
- 1987: Benji - His Greatest Adventure (Benji the Hunted)
- 2004: Benji: Off the Leash!
Screenwriter
- 1974: Benji - On a hot track (Benji)
- 1976: Hawmps!
- 1977: Benji in Danger (For the Love of Benji)
- 1978: The Phenomenon of Benji (television documentary)
- 1978: Benji's Very Own Christmas Story (TV short film)
- 1979: The Double McGuffin
- 1980: Benji at Work (short television documentary film)
- 1980: Oh Heavenly Dog from a Sniffer
- 1983: Benji, Zax & the Alien Prince (TV series, 4 episodes)
- 1987: Benji - His Greatest Adventure (Benji the Hunted)
- 2004: Benji: Off the Leash!
producer
- 1974: Benji - On a hot track (Benji)
- 1976: Hawmps!
- 1977: Benji in Danger (For the Love of Benji)
- 1978: Benji's Very Own Christmas Story (TV short film)
- 1978: The Penomenon of Benji (television documentary)
- 1979: The Double McGuffin
- 1980: Oh Heavenly Dog from a Sniffer
- 1980: Benji at Work (short television documentary film)
- 2004: Benji: Off the Leash!
Books
- 2008: The Soul of a Horse: Life Lessons from the Herd , Random House LLC, New York
literature
- Joe Camp. In: Linda S. Hubbard, Sara Steen, Owen O'Donnell: Contemporary Theater, Film and Television, Volume 7. , Gale, 1989, p. 52
Web links
- Joe Camp in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Filmography by Joe Camp in: The New York Times
- Films by Joe Camp with German distribution titles
- Joe Camp in: Benji
- Joe Camp in: The Soul of a Horse
Individual evidence
- ↑ Joe Camp. In: Film Writers. , Ifilm Pub., 2001, p. 92
- ↑ Benji in: The New York Times
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Camp, Joe |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Camp, Joseph Shelton Jr. (maiden name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American director, screenwriter and producer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 20, 1939 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | St. Louis , Missouri , USA |