James Wade Hampton (July 9, 1936 – April 7, 2021) was an American actor, television director, and screenwriter. He is best known for his TV roles such as Private Hannibal Shirley Dobbs on F Troop (1965–1967), Leroy B. Simpson on The Doris Day Show (1968–1969), Love, American Style (1969–1974), and his movie roles such as "Caretaker" in The Longest Yard (1974), a role which garnered him a nomination for a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer – Male, as Howard Clemmons in Hawmps! (1976), Harold Howard in Teen Wolf (1985), and its sequel, Teen Wolf Too (1987), and as Jerry Woolridge in Sling Blade (1996).

James Hampton
Hampton in 1968
Born
James Wade Hampton

(1936-07-09)July 9, 1936
DiedApril 7, 2021(2021-04-07) (aged 84)
Other namesJimmy Hampton
Jim Hampton
Occupations
  • Actor
  • director
  • screenwriter
Years active1963–2015
SpouseMary Deese (m. 2002)
Children3

Early life

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Hampton was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the son of Edna (Gately), who worked at a millinery, and Ivan Hampton, who ran a dry cleaning business.[1] He was raised in Dallas, Texas, and majored in theatre arts at the University of North Texas in Denton. While attending UNT, he was a member of the Gamma Lambda chapter of Kappa Alpha Order. After a series of failed jobs including bodyguard, bartender, and photojournalist, he was inducted into the United States Army.[2] He was stationed in Germany and performed with the USO, for which he won awards.

Career

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Following his service, he performed in summer stock in Texas and then moved to New York City, where he was given his first film role, in the Academy Award-nominated short subject The Cliffdwellers.

His next role was as the lead character in a May 1963 Gunsmoke episode entitled "Jeb", featuring his friend and series regular Burt Reynolds. Hampton returned to Gunsmoke later that year in "Pa Hack’s Brood" (S9E13), again as a character named Jeb, although Marshal Dillon makes no reference in this episode to the previous appearance. Hampton returned to Gunsmoke one more time as the title character (and hilarious cousin to Festus) in the 1965 episode ' "Eliab’s Aim". In 1964, he was cast as publisher William Randolph Hearst in the episode "The Paper Dynasty" of the television series Death Valley Days.[3]

Hampton is known for his roles in ABC's F Troop(1965-1967) as Hannibal Dobbs, the incompetent bugler; CBS's The Doris Day Show (1968 until March 1973) as Leroy, the handyman; Robert Aldrich's The Longest Yard (1974); Attack on Terror: The FBI vs. the Ku Klux Klan (1975); Teen Wolf (1985); the Teen Wolf television series (1986 to 1989); Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach (1988); and Sling Blade (1996). Hampton guest-starred as Jim Rockford's childhood friend Aaron Ironwood in a 1975 episode of NBC's The Rockford Files. He received a HALO Award for Hawmps! (1976), and a Golden Globe Award nomination for "Most Promising Newcomer" for the part of "Caretaker" in The Longest Yard. In 1980, he starred alongside Gary Collins in the low-budget movie Hangar 18. In 2012, Hampton appeared in an advertisement on MeTV touting some of the shows in which he had guest-starred, including Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. and The Rockford Files.

Personal life

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Hampton married actress Mary Deese in 2002. He was the father of three children: James, Andrea and Frank.[4]

Death

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He died of complications from Parkinson's disease on April 7, 2021, at his home in Fort Worth, Texas. He was 84.[5]

Filmography

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Film
Year Title Role Notes
1968 Fade In George
1970 Soldier Blue Private Menzies
1972 Justin Morgan Had a Horse Aaron
1973 The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing Jimmy Uncredited
1974 The Longest Yard Caretaker
1975 W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings Junior
Mackintosh and T.J. Cotton
Hustle Bus Driver
1976 Hawmps! Howard Clemmons
1978 The Cat from Outer Space Captain Anderson
1979 The China Syndrome Bill Gibson
1980 Hangar 18 Lew Price Alternative title: Invasion Force
1981 Condorman Harry Oslo
1985 Teen Wolf Harold Howard
1987 Teen Wolf Too Uncle Harold Howard
1988 Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach Mayor of Miami
1990 Pump Up the Volume Arthur Watts
1991 The Giant of Thunder Mountain Jesse
1996 Sling Blade Jerry Woolridge
2000 Danny and Max Sheriff
Lost in the Pershing Point Hotel Pediatrician
2008 Fire from Below Griffith
2011 Jacob Mayor Jack Flynn
The Last Ride Judge Matheny
2014 Flutter Leon
Big Stone Gap Reverend Manning
2015 Divine Access Mr. Bernstein
2016 The Association Gene Seward Direct-to-video
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1963–1965 Gunsmoke Jeb Willis / Eliab Haggen 3 episodes, credited as Jim Hampton
1964 Death Valley Days William Randolph Hearst 1 episode
1965 Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. Branch Eversole 1 episode, credited as Jim Hampton
Rawhide Charlie Peck, The Blackmailer Episode: "Mrs. Harmon"
1965–1967 F Troop Private Hannibal Shirley Dobbs 65 episodes
1967 Cimarron Strip Sam 1 episode
1968–1969 The Doris Day Show Leroy B. Simpson 14 episodes
1970 Bracken's World J.F. Nash 1 episode
1972 The Wonderful World of Disney Aaron 2 episodes
The F.B.I. Charles 'Red' Brian Clayborne 1 episode
1973 Hawkins Earl Coleman Episode: "A Life for a Life"
1974 The Manhunter Lon Tyrell 1 episode
1975 Attack on Terror: The FBI vs. the Ku Klux Klan Harry Dudley Television movie
Mannix Billy Lee 1 episode
The Rockford Files Aaron Ironwood 1 episode
1977 The Red Hand Gang Tosca (Kidnapper) 5 episodes
The Amazing Howard Hughes Wilbur Peterson Television movie
The Tonight Show Himself May 4, 1977 episode
1978 Mary Skit Characters 3 episodes
1979 Centennial Defense Attorney Prescott Miniseries
1980 B.A.D. Cats Link Unknown episodes
The Dukes of Hazzard Sheriff Buster Moon Episode: "Return of the Ridge Raiders"
1981 Stand By Your Man Billy Sherrill Television movie
1981–1982 Maggie Len Weston 8 episodes
1982 World War III Richard Hickman Miniseries
1983 The Greatest American Hero Sheriff 1 episode
Boone Mr. Slater Episode: "The Graduation"
Tales of the Gold Monkey Alan Shoemate Episode: "Cooked Goose"
1984 The Burning Bed Police Witness Television movie
Matt Houston Mr. Stevens 2 episodes
1984–1985 Who's the Boss? Herb / Officer 2 episodes
1984–1986 Murder, She Wrote Veterinarian / Jerry Blevins 2 episodes
1985 Otherworld Fred Roach 1 episode
Simon & Simon Odell Mitchell 1 episode
1986–1989 Punky Brewster Alvin / Jimmy John 2 episodes
1986–1987 Teen Wolf Harold Howard (Voice) 21 episodes
1987 Houston Knights Scully 3 episodes
1988 Superboy Coach Episode: The Fixer
1989 Mama's Family Keith Wheeler Episode: "The Mama of Invention"
Days of Our Lives Saul Taylor 49 episodes
1989–1990 Full House Mr. Malatesta 3 episodes
1990 Perfect Strangers Mac McIntyre Episode: "Nightmare Vacation"
Newhart Father Ken 1 episode
Get a Life Fletcher 1 episode
1991 The Hogan Family Raymond 1 episode
1992–1993 Evening Shade
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Director, 7 episodes
1993 Hearts Afire
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Director, 1 episode
1994 Melrose Place Harry Alan Episode: "It's a Bad World After All"
1995 Hope and Gloria Bob 1 episode
1997 Fired Up Ben Franklin 1 episode
1997–1998 Grace Under Fire
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Director, 4 episodes
Smart Guy
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Director, 3 episodes
Sister, Sister
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Director, 5 episodes
1998–1999 Linc's
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Director, 3 episodes
2000 Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane
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Director, 3 episodes

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Work Result
1975 Golden Globe Awards Most Promising Newcomer – Male The Longest Yard Nominated
1996 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Motion Picture Sling Blade Nominated

References

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  1. ^ Genzlinger, Neil (April 9, 2021). "James Hampton, Bumbling 'F Troop' Bugler, Dies at 84". The New York Times.
  2. ^ Biography for James Hampton at IMDb
  3. ^ "The Paper Dynasty on Death Valley Days". Internet Movie Database. March 1, 1964. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
  4. ^ Ten-Tronck's Celebrity Directory, pg. 99
  5. ^ Haring, Bruce (April 8, 2021). "James Hampton Dies: Writer, Director, And Bugler Hannibal Dobbs On 'F Troop' Was 84". Deadline. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
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