Michael Campus was the director of two seminal African-American dramas of the 1970s, THE MACK and THE EDUCATION OF SONNY CARSON.
In 2013, to celebrate THE MACK's 1973 release, Film Independent presented a 40th anniversary screening at LACMA for which Quentin Tarantino provided his personal 35mrn print. The event's host, former New York Times film critic Elvis Mitchell, called the film a “compelling piece of filmmaking. It's an important movie.”
Tupac Shakur, Snoop Dogg, Jadakiss, LL Cool J, Dr. Dre and Jay-Z are among the hip-hop artists who have paid homage to THE MACK in their songs and lifestyle.
The New York Times called THE EDUCATION OF SONNY CARSON “a howling brute of a film.” The WU-Tang Clan, Cornmon, Ghostface Killah, Lauryn Hill and 2 Chainz have sampled dialogue from that film in their music.
Most recently, Campus directed THE CHRISTMAS COTTAGE in 2008, starring Peter O'Toole, Marcia Gay Harden and Jared Padelecki. He also directed THE PASSOVER PLOT, Z.P.G. and SURVIVAL.
For television and cable, Campus wrote and produced THE MAN WHO BROKE 1,000 CHAINS, nominated for eight Cable ACE awards, and produced CODE NAMED WOLVERINE and the Ernmy-nominated HIROSHIMA.
Born in Manhattan on March 28, 1935, Campus earned a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin. As a U.S. Army lieutenant stationed in the American sector of Berlin before the wall, he was in charge of running American trains through East Berlin.
The Mack’ Director Michael Campus
MAY 21, 2015 | 06:08PM PT
Film Reporter
Michael Campus, director of seminal African-American dramas “The Mack” and “The Education of Sonny Carson,” died May 15 at his Encino home of natural causes. He was 80.
Campus, a Manhattan native, graduated from U. of Wisconsin and served as a U.S. Army lieutenant in Berlin after WWII. He broke into the business as a writer / producer on “PM East/PM West” late-night talk show hosted by Mike Wallace and Joyce Davidson, then joined ABC Television’s special projects division to work on documentaries such as “Saga of Western Man,” “Meet Comrade Student” and “India the Troubled Giant.”
Campus later became director of special programs at CBS, where he supervised over 150 specials including “Horowitz at Carnegie Hall,” Hal Holbrook’s “Mark Twain Tonight” and Peter Hall’s production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” He worked for David Suskind’s Talent Associates and produced “Ages of Man,” starring John Gielgud.
Campus also wrote and produced “The Man Who Broke 1,000 Chains” and produced “Code Named Wolverine” and “Hiroshima.”
In 1973, Campus directed “The Mack,” starring Max Julien and Richard Pryor,” one of the most successful blaxploitation films of the era. “The Mack” was honored by film Independent in 2013 with a 40th anniversary screening with Quentin Tarantino providing his personal print.
Campus directed 1974’s “The Education of Sonny Carson,” based on the political activist’s 1972 autobiography. His other big-screen directing credits include 2008’s “The Christmas Cottage,” starring Peter O’Toole, Marcia Gay Harden and Jared Padelecki.
He was a member of the Directors Guild of America, the Writers Guild of America and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Campus is survived by his widow and business partner Arla Dietz Campus and his brother Peter Campus. Private funeral services have been set for June 13.
NOTICES:
It's hard to image two films more different than "The Mack" and "Thomas Kinkade's Christmas Cottage."
"The Mack" (1973) is a gritty, violent tale of mean-street Oakland pimps, often decked out in wild '70s fashions, that has become a cult classic. "Christmas Cottage" (2008) is a small-town, super-sentimental story about the painter whose once-popular works were mass-produced and sold in suburban malls.
But there is a common thread. Both films were directed by Michael Campus.
Campus, 80, died May 15 at his home in Encino. The cause was melanoma, said his wife, Arla Dietz Campus.
Even fans of hip-hop music who've not heard of "The Mack" have probably heard snippets from its scenes. Dialogue from the film was sampled in songs by Tupac Shakur, Dr. Dre and Ludacris, among many others. In addition, the film was referenced by performers such as Jay-Z and Snoop Dogg and by filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, who wrote it into his script for 1993's "True Romance."
"Far from being one of the many cliched blaxploitation movies that only serve the purpose of historical parody," said USC professor Todd Boyd in a 1995 essay for The Times, "'The Mack' is in fact a narrative that combines the nuances of African American folklore with the ambition of Horatio Alger."
Michael Campus; director of inner-city cult classic 'The Mack'
Michael Campus, left, Soviet writer Alexander Gelman and producer Derek Hart in 1990. Campus, director of "The Mack," has died at the age of 80.
Michael Campus's career as a writer/producer began on the ground-breaking series PM EAST/PM WEST starring Mike Wallace. He then joined ABC Television'S Special Projects Division as a writer/producer/director, making 25 documentaries around the world - including the Ernmy-winning SAGA OF WESTERN MAN, MEET COMRADE STUDENT and INDIA THE TROUBLED GIANT. At David Susskind's Talent Associates, his producing responsibilities included the Emrny-winning AGES OF MAN starring Sir John Gielgud.
As Director of Special Programs at CBS, Campus supervised over 150 television specials, including such Emmy Award winners as HOROWITZ AT CARNEGIE HALL, Hal Holbrook's MARK TWAIN TONIGHT and Peter Hall's production of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM.
Campus was a member of the Directors Guild of America, the writers Guild of America and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
He is survived by his wife and business partner, Arla Dietz Campus, and his brother, Peter Campus.
BY DAVID COLKER
May 31, 2015, 10:05 p.m.