Wallace Joseph Campodonico (April 23, 1923 – January 14, 2023), better known as Wally Campo, was an American actor. He was known for his appearances in

Roger Corman Roger William Corman (born April 5, 1926) is an American film director, producer, and actor. He has been called "The Pope of Pop Cinema" and is known as a trailblazer in the world of independent film. Many of Corman's films are based on works t ...

and

Burt Topper Burt Topper (July 31, 1928 – April 3, 2007) was an American film director and screenwriter best known for cult films aimed at teenagers. Biography Born in Coney Island, New York City, Topper moved to Los Angeles at the age of 8, and served in t ...

films, as well as for narrating ''

The Little Shop of Horrors ''The Little Shop of Horrors'' is a 1960 American horror comedy film directed by Roger Corman. Written by Charles B. Griffith, the film is a farce about an inadequate florist's assistant who cultivates a plant that feeds on human blood. The fi ...

'' (1960).

Life and career

Wallace Campodonico was born in Stockton, California on April 23, 1923. He attended Stockton High School, and played the title role in the 1941 senior class production of '' Tom Cobb or, Fortune's Toy''. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, Campodonico served in the U.S. Army, enlisting in June 1942. After the war, he worked as a stage actor. He appeared in a 1948 production of ''

Ah, Wilderness! ''Ah, Wilderness!'' is a comedy by American playwright Eugene O'Neill that premiered on Broadway at the Guild Theatre on October 2, 1933. It differs from a typical O'Neill play in its happy ending for the central character, and depiction of a ...

'' as part of The Stockton Community Players. Campo's best known appearance on screen was playing Joe Fink in ''The Little Shop of Horrors'' (1960), a detective who visits the shop after catching wind of recent disappearances. The character's persona has been described as a parody of the type of detectives featured in '' Dragnet''. Campo also narrated the film. In 1969, Campo, then working as an acting coach, made his debut as a director on the film ''Mark of the Gun'', starring

Ross Hagen Ross Hagen (born Leland Lando Lilly; May 21, 1938 – May 7, 2011) was an American voice actor, actor, director, screenwriter and producer whose television acting credits included ''Daktari''. His film credits included ''The Hellcats'' in 1967 a ...

. Campo and his wife, Geraldine Matthews, had one son, Tony Campodonico, a musician who appeared as a child actor on '' General Hospital''. He later lived in Valley Village, Los Angeles, and died in the

Studio City Studio City is a neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California, in the southeast San Fernando Valley, just west of the Cahuenga Pass. It is named after the studio lot that was established in the area by film producer Mack Sennett in 1927, ...

neighborhood of Los Angeles on January 14, 2023, at the age of 99.

Filmography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Campo, Wally 1923 births 2023 deaths 20th-century American actors Actors from California American film actors Military personnel from California People from Stockton, California