Henry Beckman
| Henry Beckman | |
|---|---|
 Henry Beckman as Commander Paul Richards in Flash Gordon | |
| Born |
26 November 1921 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Died |
17 June 2008 (aged 86) Barcelona, Spain |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1951–2002 |
| Spouse(s) |
Cheryl Maxwell (1955-1998) (her death) Hillary Beckman (2001-2008; his death) |
Henry Beckman (26 November 1921[1] – 17 June 2008) was a Canadian stage, film and television actor. He appeared in well over 100 productions in the United States and Canada, including recurring roles as Commander Paul Richards in the 1954 Flash Gordon space opera television series, Bob Mulligan in the ABC sitcom I'm Dickens, He's Fenster, George Anderson in the television adaptation of Peyton Place, Captain Clancey in the Western comedy-drama Here Come the Brides, and conniving United States Army Colonel Douglas Harrigan in McHale's Navy and Colonel Platt in the movie McHale's Navy Joins the Air Force. He made four guest appearances on the CBS courtroom drama series Perry Mason, including the role of David the murderer in the 1960 episode "The Case of the Flighty Father." In 1966, he guest-starred in an episode of the espionage drama series Blue Light. He appeared in numerous popular TV shows, among them: COMBAT!-(1965 episode "Dateline") The Munsters The Twilight Zone, Columbo, Barney Miller, Gunsmoke, Happy Days, and the The Rockford Files, and made four appearances on Quincy, M.E.. In the 1980s he appeared in Kane & Abel, played the security guard Alf on the Don Adams sitcom Check It Out!, and was also a non-celebrity contestant on the TV game show Scrabble. He continued to act through his late seventies on shows like The Commish and MacGyver, and he also had a recurring role in The X-Files for several seasons.
Beckman won two Canadian Etrog Awards (now known as the Genie Award), for Best Supporting Actor, one of them in 1978 for Blood and Guts.
With his first wife and fellow actor Cheryl Maxwell, Beckman founded the Dukes Oak Theater in Cooperstown, New York, and served as the theater company's producer.[2]
He served with the Canadian Military during World War II, and survived the D-Day Landings at Juno Beach, Normandy, on 6 June 1944.
Beckman was the author of How to Sell your Film Project, a how-to guide on getting independent films produced, and Hollywood With its Pants Down, a witty look at some of actors he worked with over the years.
He was the father of respected astrophysicist and software engineer Dr. Brian Beckman, who, after a lengthy career at Microsoft is currently developing Drone Delivery for Amazon; as well as several online projects.[3]
He died in Barcelona, Spain on 17 June 2008 with his second wife Hillary at his side.[4]
References
- ↑ some sources cite 1920, others 1925
- ↑ de Pjanje, Bob (1958-06-13). "Viewing & Listening". Oneonta Star. p. 14.
- ↑ Brian Beckman: On Analog Computing, Some Beckman History, and Life in the Universe, retrieved 2010-03-12
- ↑ "Actor Henry Beckman dies at 86". Variety. 2008-06-30. Retrieved 2008-07-01.
External links
- Henry Beckman at Internet Movie Database
- How to Sell your Film Project at Google Books
- Brian Beckman: On Analog Computing, Some Beckman History, and Life in the Universe at Channel 9
- Clip of Henry Beckman on Scrabble on YouTube