IEC
#2: [Left] with dir Sidney Poitier - "Uptown Saturday Night" [1973]
Born: 11 November 1922, Los Angeles, USA, as Frederick James Koenekamp, son of Hans F. Koenekamp [1891-1992], one of the film industry's pioneer spec pfx experts.
Died: 31 May 2017, Bonita Springs, Florida, USA.
Career: Served in the US Navy during WWII. 'I had planned to go to the University of Southern California, where I had begun classes before I went in the service, but a job opportunity came up as a camera loader at RKO Studios. I was 23 years old and decided I probably shouldn't spend another two or three years at school. I took the job and fell in love with the movie industry. There were no young cameramen in Hollywood in those days. They were all older men, and from the stories I heard, no one had been promoted to first cameraman in ages. There were five or six cameramen on salary at RKO, including Robert De Grasse and J. Roy Hunt. After a couple of years, there was a lot of excitement because Joe Biroc was promoted to first cameraman. It was tough being a younger crewmember, because the work wasn't steady. You would get laid off in-between films. It was kind of hard in the beginning, but I got used to it after a couple of years. I got a job as a camera loader at Technicolor for about a year, and then RKO called me back as an assistant cameraman. I did a picture with a cameraman named Harry Wild. It was called 'Underwater!'. I was taught how to do underwater camera work, including scuba diving. The timing couldn't have been better because MGM was just getting started with a series of films featuring Esther Williams. They needed an assistant cameraman who could do underwater work. I went to MGM anticipating a month's work, and ended up staying there for 14 years. I did many pictures as an assistant cameraman. I worked with Joe Ruttenberg and other great cameramen. They eventually moved me up to operator on 'The Brothers Karamazov'. […] What happened was that feature work had slowed down, so I took a job as an operator on [the tv-series] 'Gunsmoke'. One day [in 1963] I got a phone call from the MGM camera department. They asked me to come over and meet Norman Felton, a producer who might be interested in making me a first cameraman on a television series called 'The Lieutenant'. It turned out that he had a new show coming up called 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' I worked on that show for about four seasons. It might have been the best break in my life. That series was fun to shoot, and it gave me a chance to experiment with lighting and other things.' [From the KODAK OnFilm website.]
Ph commercials dir by Stan Freberg, a.o.
Was a member of the ASC since 1967. Retired in 1989.
Awards: 'Emmy' Award nom [1964-65] for 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'; 'Emmy' Award nom [1965-66] for 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'; 'Oscar' AA nom [1971] & Golden Laurel Award [1971] for 'Patton'; 'Oscar' AA [1975; shared] & BAFTA Film Award nom [1976] for 'The Towering Inferno'; 'Oscar' AA nom [1978] for 'Islands in the Stream'; ASC Lifetime Achievement Award [2005].
'Mr. Fred Koenekamp's camera has moved slowly from walls [for the small screen] to 'monoliths' [for the cinema screen]. The 'monoliths' have been 'Patton' [in the form of George C. Scott], 'Kansas City Bomber' [in the form of Ms. Welch], 'Papillon', 'The Towering Inferno', 'Doc Savage', et cetera, et cetera. With all this in his way the concept of 'painting with light' doesn't stand a chance.' [Tise Vahimagi in 'Film Dope', #31, January 1985.]
George C. Scott in "Patton" [1969]
FILMS | |
---|---|
1964 |
The Spy with My Face [John Newland] c; theatrical release of expanded ep #8 'The Double Affair' from tv-series 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'; released in 1965 |
1965 |
One Spy Too Many [Joseph Sargent] c; theatrical release of 2-part ep (#30-31) 'The Alexander the Greater Affair' from tv-series 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'; released in 1966 |
1965 |
One of Our Spies Is Missing! [E. Darrell Hallenbeck] c; theatrical release of 2-part ep (#49-50) 'The Bridge of Lions Affair' from tv-series 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'; released in 1966 |
1966 |
The Spy in the Green Hat [Joseph Sargent] c; theatrical release of 2-part ep (#70-71) 'The Concrete Overcoat Affair' from tv-series 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'; released in 1967 |
1966 |
Doctor, You've Got to Be Kidding/This Way Out, Please/Three for a Wedding [Peter Tewksbury] p/c |
1967 |
The Karate Killers [Barry Shear] c; theatrical release of 2-part ep (#87-88) 'The Five Daughters Affair' from tv-series 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'; released in 1967 |
1967 |
The Helicopter Spies [Boris Sagal] c; theatrical release of 2-part ep (#93-94) 'The Prince of Darkness Affair' from tv-series 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'; released in 1968 |
1967 |
Sol Madrid/The Heroin Gang [Brian G. Hutton] p/c |
1967 |
Stay Away, Joe [Peter Tewksbury] p/c |
1968 |
Live a Little, Love a Little [Norman Taurog] p/c |
1968 |
Heaven with a Gun [Lee H. Katzin] p/c |
1968 |
The Great Bank Robbery [Hy Averback] p/c; 2uc: Mark Davis; aph: Jack Willoughby |
1969 |
Patton/Patton: Lust for Glory/Blood and Guts [Franklin Schaffner] D150/c; 2uc: Clifford Stine & Cecilio Paniagua; spec pfx: L.B. Abbott & Art Cruickshank |
1970 |
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls/Hollywood Vixens [Russ Meyer] p/c |
1970 |
Flap/The Last Warrior [Carol Reed] p/c |
1970 |
Billy Jack [T.C. Frank (= Tom Laughlin)] c; cph: John M. Stephens |
1971 |
Skin Game [Paul Bogart & (uncred) Gordon Douglas] p/c |
1971 |
Stand Up and Be Counted [Jackie Cooper] c |
1971 |
Happy Birthday, Wanda June [Mark Robson] c |
1971 |
Rage [George C. Scott] p/c |
1972 |
The Magnificent Seven Ride! [George McCowan] c |
1972 |
Kansas City Bomber [Jerrold Freedman] c |
1972 |
Harry In Your Pocket [Bruce Geller] p/c |
[Right/cap] with actor Steve McQueen [left] - "Papillon"
1973 |
Papillon [Franklin Schaffner] p/c; spec pfx: Albert Whitlock |
1973 |
Uptown Saturday Night [Sidney Poitier] c |
1974 |
The Towering Inferno [John Guillermin & (action unit) Irwin Allen] p (+ 70bu)/c; ph 1st unit; ph action unit: Joseph Biroc; aph: Greg MacGillivray & Jim Freeman; spec pfx: L.B. Abbott; optical ph: Frank Van der Veer |
1974 |
Posse [Kirk Douglas] p/c; addph: Jules Brenner |
1974 |
The Wild McCullochs/McCullochs [Max Baer Jr.] c |
1975 |
White Line Fever [Jonathan Kaplan] c |
1975 |
Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze [Michael Anderson] c |
1975 |
Islands in the Stream [Franklin Schaffner] p/c; 2uc: William Fraker |
1975 |
Embryo/Created to Kill [Ralph Nelson] c |
1976 |
The Domino Principle/The Domino Killings [Stanley Kramer] c; fill-in ph (temporarily replaced Koenekamp due to an accident during shooting): Ernest Laszlo; aph: Donald M. Morgan |
"Fun with Dick and Jane"
1976 |
Fun with Dick and Jane [Ted Kotcheff] c |
1976 |
The Other Side of Midnight [Charles Jarrott] p/c; 2uc: Robert Huke |
1977 |
The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training [Michael Pressman] c |
1977 |
The Swarm [Irwin Allen] p/c; spec pfx: L.B. Abbott |
1977 |
Love and Bullets [Stuart Rosenberg & (uncred) John Huston] p/c; European ph: Anthony Richmond |
With actress Faye Dunaway - "The Champ"
1978 |
The Champ [Franco Zeffirelli] c; remake of film (1931, King Vidor (uncred); ph: Gordon Avil) |
1978 |
The Amityville Horror [Stuart Rosenberg] c |
1979 |
When Time Ran Out.../The Day the World Ended/Earth's Final Fury [James Goldstone] p/c; miniature ph: Stanley Cortez; spec pfx: L.B. Abbott |
1979 |
The Hunter [Buzz Kulik] c; aph: Frank Holgate |
1980 |
First Family [Buck Henry] c |
1980 |
Carbon Copy [Michael Schultz] p/c |
1980 |
First Monday in October [Ronald Neame] p/c; 2uc: Jack Priestley & Dick Kratina |
1981 |
Wrong Is Right/The Man with the Deadly Lens [Richard Brooks] c |
1981 |
Yes, Giorgio [Franklin Schaffner] c |
1982 |
It Came from Hollywood [Malcolm Leo & Andrew Solt] b&w-c; comp film/80m; addph (ph new footage) |
1983 |
Two of a Kind [John Herzfeld] c; New York ph: Warren Rothenberger |
1983 |
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension [W.D. Richter] p/c; efx ph: William Hayward |
1983 |
Stick [Burt Reynolds] c; addph; ph: Nick McLean |
1985 |
Stewardess School [Ken Blancato] p/c |
1988 |
Listen to Me [Douglas Day Stewart] c |
1988 |
Welcome Home [Franklin Schaffner] c |
1989 |
Flight of the Intruder [John Milius] s35/c; aph: David Nowell; vfx ph: Michael Lawler & John P. Mesa |
TELEVISION | |
---|---|
1963 |
The Lieutenant [29 ep dir by various] 29-part drama series/b&w, 1963-64 (NBC-tv); ep #29 'To Kill a Man', dir by Vincent McEveety, was also released theatrically in Europe |
1964 |
The Outer Limits [ep #49 'The Probe' dir by Felix Feist] 49-part science fiction anthology series/b&w, 1963-65 (ABC-tv); 2nd season, 1964-65; other ph: Kenneth Peach |
1964 |
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. [28 ep dir by various] 105-part spy spoof series/b&w-c, 1964-68 (NBC-tv); 1st season/b&w, 1964-65 (29 ep); ph pilot: Joseph Biroc |
1965 |
Jericho [pilot 'Dutch and Go' dir by Barry Shear] 16-part war drama series, 1966-67 (CBS-tv) |
[Right/at camera] - "The Man from U.N.C.L.E."
1965 |
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. [27 ep dir by various] 2nd season/c, 1965-66 (30 ep); see 1964 |
1966 |
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. [27 ep dir by various] 3rd season/c, 1966-67 (30 ep); see 1964 |
1967 |
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. [8 ep dir by various] 4th season/c, 1967-68 (16 ep); see 1964 |
1967 |
Mission: Impossible [ep #52 'Trial by Fury' dir by Leonard Horn & #53 'Recovery' dir by Robert Totten] 171-part international intrigue series, 1966-73 (CBS-tv); 2nd season, 1967-68 |
1968 |
U.S. [?] pilot |
1968 |
Shadow on the Land [Richard Sarafian] tvm |
1970 |
Night Chase/The Man in the Back Seat/L.A. Cab [Jack Starrett] tvm |
1970 |
In Search of America [Paul Bogart] tvm |
1971 |
The Deadly Hunt [John Newland] tvm |
1971 |
The Cable Car Murder/Crosscurrent [Jerry Thorpe] tvm |
1972 |
Kung Fu [ep #1 'King of the Mountain' dir by Jerry Thorpe (JT), #2 'Dark Angel' dir by JT & #3 'Blood Brother' dir by JT] 63-part western series, 1972-75 (ABC-tv); 1st season, 1972-73 (15 ep) |
1973 |
Hawkins [ep #4 'Life for a Life' dir by Jud Taylor] 8-part lawyer series, 1973-74 (CBS-tv) |
1974 |
The Runaway Barge/River Bandits [Boris Sagal] tvm |
1975 |
Conspiracy of Terror [John L. Moxey] tvm |
1978 |
Salvage 1 [pilot 'Salvage' dir by Lee Philips] 20-part (4 unaired) adventure series, 1979 (ABC-tv); other ph: Gerald Perry Finnerman |
1979 |
Disaster on the Coastliner [Richard Sarafian] tvm; aph: Frank Holgate |
1982 |
Tales of the Gold Monkey [2-part pilot dir by Ray Austin] 22-part series, 1982-83; other ph: Jack Whitman |
1982 |
Money on the Side [Robert Collins] tvm |
1982 |
Summer Girl/The Hands That Rob the Cradle [Robert M. Lewis] tvm |
1982 |
The Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E. - The Fifteen Years Later Affair [Ray Austin] 2-part pilot/tvm (1983) |
1983 |
Flight 90: Disaster on the Potomac [Robert M. Lewis] tvm; addph: Gayne Rescher |
1983 |
Summer Fantasy [Noel Nosseck] tvm |
1983 |
Whiz Kids [ep #1 'Programmed for Murder' dir by Corey Allen] 18-part series, 1983-84; other ph: Charles W. Short |
1984 |
Obsessive Love [Steven H. Stern] tvm |
1984 |
City Killer [Robert M. Lewis] tvm |
1984 |
The Vegas Strip War/Las Vegas Strip War [George Englund] tvm |
1984 |
A Touch of Scandal [Ivan Nagy] tvm |
1984 |
Not My Kid [Michael Tuchner] tvm |
1985 |
The Other Lover [Robert Ellis Miller] tvm |
1985 |
Amos [Michael Tuchner] tvm |
1985 |
Alice in Wonderland [Harry Harris] 2-part tvm; spec vfx: John Dykstra |
1985 |
Pleasures [Sharron Miller] tvm |
1985 |
News at Eleven [Mike Robe] tvm |
1986 |
The B.R.A.T. Patrol [Mollie Miller] tvm; ep ABC-tv series 'Disney Sunday Movie/Disney Summer Classics' (1986-88) |
1986 |
The Leftovers [Paul Schneider] tvm; see above |
1986 |
The Thanksgiving Promise [Beau Bridges] tvm; see above |
1986 |
Double Switch/Switching Places [David Greenwalt] tvm; see above |
1987 |
Double Agent [Mike Vejar] tvm; see above |
1987 |
Student Exchange/Foreign Exchange [Mollie Miller] 2-part tvm; see above |
1987 |
The Return of the Shaggy Dog [Stuart Gillard] 2-part tvm; see above |
1988 |
14 Going on 30 [Paul Schneider] 2-part tvm; see above |
1988 |
Splash, Too [Greg Antonacci] 2-part tvm; uwph: Jordan Klein Sr.; see above; originally announced as a theatrical release |
1988 |
Hard Time on Planet Earth [various] 13-part series, 1989 |
FILMS AS CAMERA ASSISTANT/OPERATOR | |
---|---|
1953 |
Underwater!/The Big Rainbow [John Sturges] c.asst uwph; uwph: Lamar Boren; ph: Harry J. Wild |
1955 |
Kismet [Vincente Minnelli & (fill-in) Stanley Donen] co-c.asst; ph: Joseph Ruttenberg |
1956 |
Raintree County [Edward Dmytryk] c.asst; ph: Robert Surtees |
1957 |
The Brothers Karamazov/The Murderer Dmitri Karamazov [Richard Brooks] c.op; ph: John Alton |
1958 |
Watusi/The Quest for King Solomon's Mines [Kurt Neumann] c.op; ph: Harold Wellman |
1959 |
Bells Are Ringing [Vincente Minnelli] c.op; ph: Milton Krasner |
1961 |
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse [Vincente Minnelli] c.op; ph: Milton Krasner |
1961 |
Two Weeks in Another Town [Vincente Minnelli] c.op; ph: Milton Krasner |
1962 |
The Hook [George Seaton] c.op; ph: Joseph Ruttenberg |
1963 |
Gunsmoke [various; tv-series] c.op; ph: Frank Phillips |