James Beck

Infobox actor
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name = James Beck

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imagesize = 200px
caption = as Private Joe Walker in "Dad's Army," 1973
birthname = Stanley James C. Beck
birthdate = birth date|1929|2|21|df=yes
location = Islington, London, England [GRO Register of Births: MAR 1929 1b 407 ISLINGTON - Stanley J. C. Beck, mmn = Beck]
deathdate = death date and age|1973|8|6|1929|2|21|df=yes
deathplace = Roehampton, Wandsworth, London, England [GRO Register of Deaths: SEP 1973 5E 1087 WANDSWORTH - Stanley James C. Beck, DoB = 21 Feb 1929]
othername =
yearsactive =
spouse = Kay
homepage =
notable role = "Private Walker" in "Dad's Army"
academyawards =
emmyawards =
tonyawards =

Stanley James Beck (21 February 1929 – 6 August 1973) was an English actor best remembered for his role as Private Joe Walker, the cockney spiv in the popular BBC sitcom "Dad's Army" which ran from 1968 to 1977. The cast mainly comprised older actors; Beck was one of the younger members, but he was the first to die.

Beck was born in Islington, North London and attended Popham Road Primary School. His childhood was tough, with his father frequently unemployed and his mother making artificial flowers to provide a small income.

After a stint at art college and a period of National Service in the army, Beck took up acting. Early acting roles included Shylock in "The Merchant of Venice" in 1963, for which he earned positive reviews. Moving to London, he decided to concentrate on television, and one role was as a policeman in an episode of "Coronation Street" involving a train crash. He also appeared in an uncredited role as a policeman in "Gideon's Way" in 1965, and became a regularly-seen face in TV drama, with one-off roles in series like "The Troubleshooters".

By 1968 he was offered the role of Private Walker in "Dad's Army", a role originally written by Jimmy Perry for himself. His performance as the thorn in Captain Mainwaring's side was perfect for "Dad's Army". While proving popular in this, his best-loved role, Beck still yearned for the challenge of other roles.

Always in demand, he continued to work on TV programmes such as "A Family at War" and "Romany Jones", in which he played the lead character Bert Jones. He also recorded an unbroadcast remake of an early "Hancock's Half Hour" programme in which he played opposite Arthur Lowe.

By 1973, Beck had already recorded five series of "Dad's Army" and was working on the sixth, as well as working on the radio series of the show. Location filming for series six was completed when, whilst opening a fete in aid of Guide Dogs for the Blind, he suddenly felt ill. He returned home and within an hour was rushed to Queen Mary's Hospital, Roehampton [ "The Times", death notice and obituary, 7 August 1973] suffering from Pancreatitis and he died there three weeks later aged 44. He was buried at Putney Vale Cemetery.

His death was a great shock to his fellow cast members, as well as to Jimmy Perry and David Croft, who had looked forward to his return to the show. The Walker character was briefly mentioned in series seven but did not appear in studio scenes (shot many weeks after location filming) and never returned to the television version of "Dad's Army". His character was written out off-screen and he was not referred to in subsequent episodes.

In the radio adaptations of "Dad's Army", Graham Stark stood in until Larry Martyn gave his portrayal of Walker for subsequent shows. In 1976 John Bardon played Walker in the stage production.

Television Roles

Filmography

* Carry on Loving (1970)
* Groupie Girl (1970)
* Dad's Army (1971)
* A Couple of Beauties (1971)
* Love Thy Neighbour (1973)

References

External links

*imdb name|0065161
*Find A Grave|id=8528932
* [http://www.dadsarmy.tv/ Dad's Army website]
* [http://whispersfromwalmington.myfastforum.org/index.php Whispers from Walmington website]
* [http://www.myspace.com/jamesbeck29 James Beck Fansite]

Persondata
NAME = Beck, James
ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Beck, Stanley James C.
SHORT DESCRIPTION = Actor
DATE OF BIRTH = 1929-02-21
PLACE OF BIRTH = Islington, London
DATE OF DEATH = 1973-08-06
PLACE OF DEATH = Wandsworth, London