JOSEPH CAMPANELLA

(21 November 1924 - 16 May 2018)

You may not know the name but will recognise the face of the Sicilian-American actor Joseph Campanella, who has died aged 93 from Parkinson’s disease. Early teenage work as a radio sports announcer led to his studying drama at Columbia University. He moved to Hollywood in 1952 and worked on many TV shows including Naked City, The Untouchables, Route 66, The Big Valley, The Fugitive, Mission: Impossible, The Virginian, Mannix, Gunsmoke, Ironside, Quincy M.E., The Colbys and too many more to mention. There were occasional feature films with him usually playing crooks, policemen, doctors, soldiers or priests, the first being Murder, Inc in 1960. His film career mainly rested on minor titles such as The Young Lovers, Roger Corman’s St Valentine’s Day Massacre, Ben, Love Child, Defiance, Hangar 18, Veliki Transport, Café Romeo, and many others that have long disappeared from view. His last film was Lost Dream in 2009. Campanella was married to the singer and dancer Kathryn Jill Bartholomew and they have seven sons.

MICHAEL DARVELL