Bill Camfield
Comedian, Film actor
1929 – 1991
Who was Bill Camfield?
William Joseph "Bill" Camfield was a popular television personality in Fort Worth, Texas, in the 1950s and 1960s. He is best known as Icky Twerp, host of the kids’ show Slam Bang Theatre, and Gorgon, host of the horror film series Nightmare.
Camfield was born in Mineral Wells, Texas, the son of a coal miner, Joseph E. Johnston Camfield. Following his father’s death in 1935, Camfield and his mother moved to Fort Worth. Camfield graduated from Carter Riverside High School in 1947, and in 1948 went to work as a copy writer for the ad department of Leonard’s Department Store. Two years later, the store asked Camfield to write a locally produced television show, “Hometown Harmony.” As he had some performing experience, Camfield also starred in the show. Following the show's success, the store promoted him to Radio-TV Director, in which capacity he produced and starred in several shows over the next five years, including “Let’s Go Shopping,” “Man about Music,” “Billboard,” and “Meet the Candidate.”
In 1954, Camfield went to work for the newly created independent television station in Fort Worth, KFJZ-TV Channel 11, writing advertising copy, creating original programming, and often acting in the programs and commercials he created. For instance, he provided the voice for Hoover the Movie Hound, the puppet co-host of "Million Dollar Matinee," and portrayed Mortimer Moolah on a long-running series of commercials for Texas Consumer Finance. During this time, he also married and started a family, and attended Texas Christian University on a writing scholarship. He graduated from TCU with an English degree in 1957.
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