John C. Champion
Encyclopedia
John C. Champion was an American producer and screenwriter.
. Panhandle (1948) and Stampede (1949) were both directed by Lesley Selander
for Allied Artists. He later worked again with Selander as producer and screenwriter on another western, Shotgun, and the Korean War film Dragonfly Squadron
. Champion produced and co-wrote with Arthur Hailey
the aviation film Zero Hour that was remade as the comedy Airplane.
In 1959 Champion produced the Western TV series Laramie
and wrote several episodes in the series that ran until 1963. He wrote the original serious one hour pilot of McHale's Navy
called Seven Against the Sea.
He moved to England in 1967 where he wrote and produced low budget war films for Mirisch Films
GB such as Attack on the Iron Coast
, The Last Escape, and Submarine X-1
. Like Dragonfly Squadron, the low budget films, made by Oakmont Productions featured large amounts of stock footage
and were made with American leads and directors.
Champion wrote one novel The Hawks of Noon (1965). In 1969 Rod Taylor announced that he would star in a film of the book and have a multi-picture deal with Champion, but no films were made.
Champion's final film was Mustang Country
in 1976 with Joel McCrea
that Champion directed, produced and wrote.
Biography
John C. Champion's first films were two Westerns that he produced and co-wrote with Blake EdwardsBlake Edwards
Blake Edwards was an American film director, screenwriter and producer.Edwards' career began in the 1940s as an actor, but he soon turned to writing radio scripts at Columbia Pictures...
. Panhandle (1948) and Stampede (1949) were both directed by Lesley Selander
Lesley Selander
Lesley Selander was a prolific American film director of Westerns and science fiction movies. His career as director, spanning 127 feature films and 15 TV episodes, lasted from 1936 to 1968...
for Allied Artists. He later worked again with Selander as producer and screenwriter on another western, Shotgun, and the Korean War film Dragonfly Squadron
Dragonfly Squadron
Dragonfly Squadron is an American war film by Lesley Selander from 1954. It is set in the period shortly before and during the invasion of South Korea by North Korean troops.-Plot:...
. Champion produced and co-wrote with Arthur Hailey
Arthur Hailey
Arthur Hailey was a British/Canadian novelist.- Biography :Born in Luton, Bedfordshire, England, Hailey served in the Royal Air Force from the start of World War II during 1939 until 1947, when he went to live in Canada. Hailey's last novel, Detective , is a mystery told from the perspective of a...
the aviation film Zero Hour that was remade as the comedy Airplane.
In 1959 Champion produced the Western TV series Laramie
Laramie (TV series)
Laramie is an American Western television series that aired on NBC from 1959 to 1963. Laramie was a Revue Studios production which originally starred John Smith as Slim Sherman, Robert Fuller as Jess Harper, Hoagy Carmichael as Jonesy and Robert Crawford, Jr...
and wrote several episodes in the series that ran until 1963. He wrote the original serious one hour pilot of McHale's Navy
McHale's Navy
McHale's Navy is an American television sitcom series which ran for 138 half-hour episodes from October 11,1962, to August 31, 1966, on the ABC network. The series was filmed in black and white and originated in a one-hour drama called Seven Against the Sea, broadcast on April 3, 1962...
called Seven Against the Sea.
He moved to England in 1967 where he wrote and produced low budget war films for Mirisch Films
Mirisch Films
Mirisch Films was a British motion picture and television production company subsidiary of Mirisch Productions. Originally founded in 1962, it was best-known for producing The Pink Panther series of films , and various DePatie-Freleng animated cartoons, before shutting down in 1982.- Films and...
GB such as Attack on the Iron Coast
Attack on the Iron Coast
Attack on the Iron Coast is a 1967 British-American Oakmont Productions international co-production war film directed by Paul Wendkos in the first of his five picture contract with Mirisch Productions, and starring Lloyd Bridges, Andrew Keir, Sue Lloyd, Mark Eden and Maurice Denham...
, The Last Escape, and Submarine X-1
Submarine X-1
Submarine X-1 is a 1969 British World War II war film loosely based on the Operation Source attack on the German battleship Tirpitz in 1943. In the film James Caan stars as Lt...
. Like Dragonfly Squadron, the low budget films, made by Oakmont Productions featured large amounts of stock footage
Stock footage
Stock footage, and similarly, archive footage, library pictures and file footage are film or video footage that may or may not be custom shot for use in a specific film or television program. Stock footage is of beneficial use to filmmakers as it is sometimes less expensive than shooting new...
and were made with American leads and directors.
Champion wrote one novel The Hawks of Noon (1965). In 1969 Rod Taylor announced that he would star in a film of the book and have a multi-picture deal with Champion, but no films were made.
Champion's final film was Mustang Country
Mustang Country
Mustang Country is a 1976 Western film directed by John C. Champion. It stars American actor Joel McCrea. It co-stars Robert Fuller, Patrick Wayne, and Nika Mina.-Plot:...
in 1976 with Joel McCrea
Joel McCrea
Joel Albert McCrea was an American actor whose career spanned 50 years and appearances in over 90 films.-Early life:...
that Champion directed, produced and wrote.