NBC's massive 12-part, 21-hour, star-studded miniseries from 1978, CENTENNIAL was based on the best-selling historical fiction by James A. Michener. Aiming to explore 200-plus years of American history concerned with the settling of the West, CENTENNIAL was populated with a dizzying array of familiar TV actors set down in scenic locations.
Beginning, literally, with the formation of Colorado at the start of Earth's creation, CENTENNIAL's story proper begins in 1756 with the first interactions between "Our People" (the Arapaho Indians) and White Europeans - specifically, “Pasquinel” (Robert Conrad), a French-Canadian fur trapper, traveling up the South Platte River. The story concludes in the present day (1978), where descendent land developer “Morgan Wendell” (Robert Vaughn) is heading for political office - unless ranch owner “Paul Garrett” (David Janssen) can stop him (with the aid of author “Lewis Venor,” played by Andy Griffith). In this final episode, James Hampton plays “Defense Attorney Prescott.”
Virgil W. Vogel directed the episode, which was entitled “The Scream of Eagles,” and aired on 4 February 1979. John Addison’s score has not had a release, other than a re-recording of the main theme for a 2007 Chandos compilation CD of Addison’s music.
In THE CHINA SYNDROME, reporter Jane Fonda finds what appears to be a cover-up of safety hazards at a nuclear power plant. Actors Jack Nicholson and Robert Redford declined the starring role of nuclear engineer “Jack Godell”, but Jack Lemmon “‘flipped for it,’” recalled producer and co-star Michael Douglas. James Hampton also co-starred as plant public relations officer “Bill Gibson.”
James Hampton, Jane Fonda, and Michael Douglas in THE CHINA SYNDROME
James Bridges directed the 1979 release, which went without an original score. Michael Small’s unused score was released by Intrada in 2009. The $6 million production received a box office boost two weeks into release, when a nuclear accident occurred at the Three Mile Island power plant near Harrisburg, PA. The film went on to rank #15 at the domestic box office for the year, grossing $51.7 million, a new high mark for a Columbia Pictures non-holiday release.
In the 1980 sci-fi thriller HANGER 18, a space shuttle mission with astronauts "Steve Bancroft" (Gary Collins), "Lew Price" (James Hampton), and "Judd Gates" (J.R. Clark) goes awry when the shuttle collides with a UFO. There's a huge explosion, astronaut Gates is ghoulishly decapitated, and the flying saucer makes a controlled crash landing in Bannon County, Texas. White House Chief of Staff "Gordon Cain" (Robert Vaughn), conspires with "Gen. Morrison" (Philip Abbott) and "Frank Lafferty" (Joseph Campanella), concerned that the President, campaigning for a second-term with the election but two weeks away, could suffer politically if word of the saucer landing were made public.
James Hampton and Gary Collins in HANGER 18
James L. Conway directed the film, which has an unreleased score by John Cacavas. Nearly a year after the film had opened in Los Angeles, a 13 July 1981 Hollywood Reporter news item reported that the film had earned close to $8 million at limited engagements nationwide.
In CONDORMAN, British actor Michael Crawford plays the world-renowned comic-book artist and writer “Woody Wilkins,” who already leads a pretty exciting life. Woody spends his time as the Stan Lee of his world with a twist; he actually tries out all of the hi-tech toys and inventions his characters use in the comics. He is like a geeky Bruce Wayne who is neither concerned with secret identities nor his own safety. In the debut issue of Condorman, Woody’s newest flagship character, the winged hero is battling the French government, so trying out the crime fighter’s gadgets is a must. His best pal and CIA file clerk “Harry” (James Hampton) is stationed in Paris where, in a memorable opening scene, Woody tries out Condorman’s wing-suit by leaping off the Eiffel Tower in broad daylight.
When the usually desk-bound Harry is finally given an actual assignment to move up in the Agency, he is called upon to find an everyday, American civilian for a routine document drop in Istanbul. Harry chooses Woody, who is excited over entering the world of espionage. Woody arrives in Istanbul only to meet with Russian operative “Natalia Rambova” (Barbara Carrerra). Woody is smitten with Natalia and, playing the supposed one-time gig to the hilt, he tells her that his code name is “Condorman.”
James Hampton in CONDORMAN
Charles Jarrott directed the 1981 action comedy. Henry Mancini’s score was released by Intrada in 2012. Variety estimated that the total cost of the film reached nearly $14 million, making it Disney’s second most expensive, non-animation film to date. It was a dud at the box office, grossing just $2.6 million domestically.
James Hampton made another run at television success, co-starring in the sitcom “Maggie”, created by humorist Erma Bombeck. The series portrayed the life of a harried housewife, “Maggie Weston” (Miriam Flynn) as she coped with her husband “Len” (Hampton) and her three children in the suburbs outside of Dayton, Ohio. “L.J.” was the 16-year-old son of the Westons who was referred to but never seen or heard on the program because he was always in the bathroom. Doris Roberts co-starred as Loretta, Maggie's friend and hairdresser.
The cast of “Maggie”: Top row: Doris Roberts, James Hampton, Margie Impert, Judith-Marie Bergan Bottom row: Christian Jacobs, Miriam Flynn, Billy Jayne
ABC premiered “Maggie” on Saturday, 24 October 1981 at 8 PM. The show went up against Walt Disney’s perennial show, this time on CBS, and the variety hour “Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters” on NBC. Although neither competing show was in the top 30 shows of the season, their combination was sufficient to do in “Maggie,” and the sitcom was cancelled after eight episodes.
Based upon a true case, THE BURNING BED told the story of an abused, battered wife (Farrah Fawcett) who has had enough of her husband (Paul Le Mat) beating up on her. Everywhere she turns for help, there's not much anyone will do. After he rapes her one night, she decides to take action. James Hampton had a small role as a police witness in the film.
Fawcett and director Robert Greenwald were Emmy-nominated for their work on this made-for-television film, which aired on NBC on 8 October 1984. Charles Gross provided the unreleased score.
Television actor Michael J. Fox made his film debut in TEEN WOLF. However, his second picture, BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985) was released before TEEN WOLF. In the film, “Scott Howard” (Fox) has a hard life. He’s average and unnoticed in school, and plays on the basketball team, which can barely make a basket, much less win a game. When Scott discovers he’s a werewolf and along with his father “Harold” (James Hampton) comes from a long line of werewolves, things begin to change for Scott. He’s popular, a jock, and finally getting the attention of “Pamela Wells” (Lorie Griffin) (and her boyfriend “Mick” (Mark Arnold)). Unfortunately, no one wants Scott anymore, and the wolf is threatening to take over his life.
James Hampton in TEEN WOLF
James Hampton said at a Teen Wolf Convention that he was originally cast as “Coach Finstock,” a role ultimately played by Jay Tarses. Hampton also said that when he asked director Rod Daniel for help defining his character, Daniel told him, "He's a guy who knows how to make a casserole." The most famous quote from SPIDER-MAN (2002) is "With great power comes great responsibility" said by “Ben Parker” (Cliff Robertson). However, the line "With a great power goes a greater responsibility" was first said by Harold Howard (James Hampton) to Scott Howard (Michael J Fox) in this 1985 movie, made more than 15 years prior to SPIDER-MAN.
The $4 million independent production was picked up for distribution by Atlantic Releasing. When they realized that Michael J. Fox was going to be a big star as a result of BACK TO THE FUTURE, Atlantic poured another $4 million into advertising TEEN WOLF and placing it in more than 1,400 theaters, a then-record for an independent film. The investment paid off, as TEEN WOLF placed in the top 30 films of the year with a $33.1 million domestic gross. Five minutes of Miles Goodman’s score appeared on the Metronome song-track CD.
The popularity of TEEN WOLF led to a short-lived “Teen Wolf” animated series on CBS, for which James Hampton provided the voice of “Harold Howard.” Michael J. Fox was busy with his television show and BACK TO THE FUTURE II, and had no time for the live-action sequel to TEEN WOLF, TEEN WOLF TOO. In the new film, Jason Bateman made his feature film debut as Scott’s cousin “Todd Howard.” James Hampton reprised his role as “Harold,” this time being “Uncle Harold” to his nephew Todd.
James Hampton and Estee Chandler in TEEN WOLF TOO
The film’s plot was similar to the original’s, with the setting being moved from high school to college. Todd finds that he has a sudden surge in popularity as a werewolf, that goes to his head. The affections of Todd’s nerdy love interest (Estee Chandler) go unnoticed until he learns to accept himself for who he is, and the climactic triumph of his athletic prowess comes with Todd in human form.
Christopher Leitch directed this 1987 film. Two tracks of Mark Goldenberg’s score appeared on the Curb Records song-track LP, which has not had a CD re-issue. With a budget estimated in the rage of $4-7 million, the film essentially broke even, with a $7.9 million gross.
By law, every second-tier comic actor of the 1980s had to appear in a Police Academy movie. James Hampton’s was POLICE ACADEMY 5: ASSIGNMENT MIAMI BEACH. In this tale, the Police Academy's commandant (George Gaynes) is to be honored at a police convention in Miami Beach. At the airport he picks up a wrong bag with stolen diamonds. The "owners"--diamond thief “Tony” (Rene Auberjonois) and his confederates--want them back. James Hampton plays the Mayor of Miami in the film.
James Hampton (center) in POLICE ACADEMY 5: ASSIGNMENT MIAMI BEACH
Although the title of the movie refers to the City of Miami Beach, the "Mayor" character is referred to as the "Mayor of Miami", a completely different, although adjacent, city. Miami and Miami Beach have their own mayors and their own city governments. The film was originally titled “Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami,” and James Hampton’s character’s name was never changed to reflect the title change to “Miami Beach.”
Alan Myerson directed the 1988 film. Robert Folk’s score has not had a release. The $11.2 million production ended making a small profit, with a $19.5 million domestic gross, and the series continued.
PUMP UP THE VOLUME stars Christian Slater as “Mark Hunter,” a shy, lonely high school student uprooted from the East coast to the West for his father’s career as an educational administrator. Unable to connect with anyone at school, he finds a way to speak out via his raunchy and high-spirited pirate radio show. The students at his school discover his late-night ramblings and embrace him because he speaks to their emotional malaise as members of what he calls an “exhausted decade.” James Hampton has a featured role as “Arthur Watts” of the Federal Communications Commission, who tries to shut the outlaw radio station down.
Allan Moyle wrote and directed the 1990 film. None of Cliff Martinez’s score appeared on the MCA song-track CD. After New Line Cinema spent $5 million just in marketing the film, the picture returned a disappointing $11.5 million at the box office.
SLING BLADE tells the story of “Karl Childers” (Billy Bob Thornton), a simple man hospitalized since his childhood murder of his mother and her lover, who is about to be released. James Hampton plays “Dr. Jerry Woolridge,” the head of the state hospital, who, knowing Karl has nowhere to go, gets him a job in a rural town fixing small machines, at which he's an expert.
James Hampton and Billy Bob Thornton in SLING BLADE
In addition to starring in SLING BLADE, Billy Bob Thornton also wrote and directed the film, receiving Oscar nominations for his acting and writing. Daniel Lanois’ score split the Island Records soundtrack CD with a half-dozen songs. The film was produced on a minimal $1 million budget and returned $24 million at the box office.
THE LAST RIDE is a speculative but plausible account of country singer Hank Williams’ last few days of life as he travels by car from Alabama to shows in West Virginia and Ohio. At the wheel is “Silas” (Jesse James), a local Alabama grease monkey who has never left the state and has no idea who his famous passenger (played by Henry Thomas) is. All he knows is that he’s been charged with getting his passenger to his appointment on time and sober – a feat he didn’t know would be as difficult as it turned out to be. This is the only aspect of the film, which was written by Howard Klausner and Dub Cornett, that differs from the facts as we know them: Williams’ actual driver was a college student who presumably recognized his famous passenger and came from a much different class than Silas. James Hampton has a small role as “Judge Matheny” in the film.
Harry Thomason directed the 2012 release. Benjy Gaither’s score has not had a release. The bulk of the film’s music, however, consisted of Hank Williams’ songs, as sung by numerous cover artists. The film barely saw the inside of a theater, grossing just $27,000.
In the 1990s, James Hampton did some television directing, helming numerous episodes of his friend Burt Reynolds’ “Evening Shade,” as well as “Hearts Afire,” “Boston Commons,” and several other shows.
Hampton toured with Burt Reynolds in the stage production of "Rainmaker", and he starred in "Tender Trap" with Reynolds at Arlington Park Theatre in Chicago. He also appeared on “E! True Hollywood Story: Burt Reynolds” (2000), where he recounted several amusing anecdotes about carousing with Reynolds.
Equally at home with comedy and drama, James Hampton had a 55-year screen career that brought pleasure to many. Goodbye, James.
