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408:. Perry has said that heavy drinking was common in show business at the time, and that he paid little attention to Beck's habit until "I saw Jimmy’s legs and they were purple. It was the last episode he appeared in before he died".
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of the show. All of the location filming and studio recording for five of the planned seven episodes of Series Six had been completed when Beck suddenly fell ill while opening a school fête in aid of
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415:" (the series 6 finale), Mainwaring reads a note written by Walker apologising for his absence, as he has gone "up to the Smoke" (to London) to conduct one of his deals.
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167:(21 February 1929 – 6 August 1973) was an English television actor. He appeared in a number of programmes, but is best known for the role of
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for himself. Perry approved of the casting of Beck: "He had the right mix of cheekiness and charm. He gave the role a bit of oomph."
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co-stars saw him alive was on Friday 13 July 1973 at the
Playhouse Theatre in London where he recorded two radio episodes of
342:(1972–73), in which he played the lead character of Bert Jones. He also recorded a pilot for an uncommissioned series called
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386:. He died three weeks later, due to a combination of heart failure, renal failure and pancreatitis, aged 44.
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1274:"BBC Dad's Army: James Beck's tragic death aged just 44 after falling ill while opening a school fete"
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286:(Series 1 episode 4, "Conduct Unbecoming", 1962), and was cast as a policeman in a 1965 episode of
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He concentrated on television and his early broadcast roles included
Charlie Bell in an episode of
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GRO Register of Deaths: SEP 1973 5E 1087 WANDSWORTH - Stanley James C. Beck, DoB = 21 Feb 1929
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Beck played Fred Tanner in the first series (1970), and Newman in the second series (1971).
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between 1955-1957. From 1958 to 1967, he was a regular performer in many different plays at
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397:(which ran alongside the TV series). The following afternoon Beck suddenly became ill.
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GRO Register of Births: MAR 1929 1b 407 ISLINGTON - Stanley J. C. Beck, mmn = Beck
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298:(1965), and was often seen in TV drama, with one-off roles in series such as
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His death was a great shock to his fellow cast members, as well as to
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and had nearly finished working on the sixth, besides working on the
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Always in demand, he continued to work on TV programmes including
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from the show's beginning in 1968 until his sudden death in 1973.
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348:(1973), which was to be based on scripts originally written for
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254:, at the same venue later that year. In 1954, he starred in
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Military personnel from the London
Borough of Islington
1236:"James Beck: the Dad's Army star cut off in his prime"
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In 1968, he was offered the role of
Private Walker in
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977:A pilot episode recorded for Comedy Parade 1971.
996:This program's pilot episode featured alongside
308:in the episode "The Blue Carbuncle", the BBC's
58:" in 1973, just over a week before his collapse
238:In 1949, Beck made his career acting debut in
1308:Dad's Army: The Making of a Television Legend
8:
1381:Actors from the London Borough of Islington
206:, and attended Popham Road Primary School.
1262:, death notice and obituary, 7 August 1973
366:By 1973, Beck had recorded five series of
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19:For other people named James Beck, see
1386:Alumni of Saint Martin's School of Art
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998:Hush, Hush, Here Comes the Bolshie Man
967:Hush, Hush, Here Comes the Bolshie Man
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304:(1965, 1967, 1970) and in 1968, with
198:Beck was born on 21 February 1929 in
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1272:Gabriella Clare (24 December 2021).
1371:20th-century British Army personnel
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380:Queen Mary's Hospital, Roehampton
1431:People from Islington (district)
1376:20th-century English male actors
1104:"James Beck - past performances"
1396:Burials at Putney Vale Cemetery
1311:. Anova Books. pp. 56–59.
495:Scenes deleted from final film
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1416:English male television actors
1:
1234:Clark, Neil (6 August 2013).
826:What Seems to Be the Trouble
762:Not in Front of the Children
737:Some Days You Just Can't Win
219:physical training instructor
211:Saint Martin's School of Art
244:Granville Theatre, Ramsgate
21:James Beck (disambiguation)
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257:A Murder Has Been Arranged
165:Stanley James Carroll Beck
68:Stanley James Carroll Beck
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16:English actor (1929–1973)
1406:English male film actors
1401:Deaths from pancreatitis
376:Guide Dogs for the Blind
323:, originally written by
266:Palace Theatre, Paignton
225:, Beck became an actor.
1421:Male actors from London
1000:on Comedy Parade 1971.
930:The Events at Black Tor
710:The Bishop Rides Again
668:Police Sergeant Bowden
480:in the United States
248:Peace Comes to Peckham
1391:British Army soldiers
876:Undesirable Residence
608:Dr. Finlay's Casebook
389:The last time Beck's
837:The Fenn Street Gang
518:A Couple of Beauties
358:was also to appear.
283:Dr Finlay's Casebook
262:Bridgwater Town Hall
240:Little Lambs Eat Ivy
117:Putney Vale Cemetery
952:Fred Tanner, Newman
817:Doctor in the House
725:The Troubleshooters
701:All Gas and Gaiters
575:Dixon of Dock Green
351:Hancock's Half Hour
345:Bunclarke With an E
301:The Troubleshooters
276:Film and television
1063:rottentomatoes.com
993:8 episodes + pilot
748:The Blue Carbuncle
617:Conduct Unbecoming
535:Love Thy Neighbour
270:York Theatre Royal
246:. and followed in
107:, London, England
56:The Honourable Man
1318:978-1-84486-105-7
1193:hellomagazine.com
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867:My Wife Next Door
846:Horse of the Year
663:Coronation Street
634:The Five Whistles
590:Deadline Midnight
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411:In the episode, "
289:Coronation Street
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132:Years active
119:, London, England
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1168:on 11 March 2016
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1346:Find a Grave
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1281:. Retrieved
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1243:. Retrieved
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1196:. Retrieved
1192:
1182:
1170:. Retrieved
1166:the original
1161:
1158:"James Beck"
1111:. Retrieved
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1066:. Retrieved
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1059:"James Beck"
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887:Romany Jones
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99:(1973-08-06)
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1366:1973 deaths
1361:1929 births
1283:24 December
1245:29 December
1198:10 February
1018:20 episodes
872:Mr Fielding
753:James Ryder
653:5 episodes
650:Len Gladwin
583:6 episodes
458:Uncredited
419:Filmography
413:The Recruit
406:David Croft
402:Jimmy Perry
356:Arthur Lowe
336:(1970) and
325:Jimmy Perry
1355:Categories
1342:James Beck
1333:James Beck
1162:bfi.org.uk
1027:References
1010:Dad's Army
982:1971, 1972
955:2 episodes
944:1970, 1971
937:5 episodes
892:Bert Jones
842:Auctioneer
782:Dad's Army
733:Dave Candy
598:1 episode
549:Television
505:Dad's Army
395:Dad's Army
391:Dad's Army
368:Dad's Army
320:Dad's Army
194:Early life
187:Dad's Army
124:Occupation
105:Roehampton
74:1929-02-21
51:Dad's Army
32:James Beck
1260:The Times
1068:4 January
974:1 episode
771:Home Chat
706:Policeman
630:Constable
200:Islington
178:, in the
135:1961–1973
88:, England
82:Islington
54:episode "
1305:(2009).
1172:11 March
934:Sergeant
712:(pilot)
565:Episode
492:Mr Roxby
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882:1972–73
822:Mr Wale
777:1968–73
658:1964-67
580:Various
525:Short
252:Miranda
242:at the
234:Theatre
221:in the
173:cockney
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48:in the
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1113:25 May
921:Notes
857:Corker
625:Z Cars
522:Sidney
440:Notes
229:Career
183:sitcom
140:Spouse
86:London
990:Steve
912:Title
902:Radio
853:Scoop
832:1972
645:Taxi!
603:1962
559:Title
540:Cyril
500:1971
473:Brian
463:1970
450:Star!
434:Title
362:Death
217:as a
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127:Actor
1337:IMDb
1313:ISBN
1285:2021
1247:2021
1200:2024
1174:2016
1115:2022
1070:2020
1005:1973
963:1971
926:1968
915:Role
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743:1968
717:1967
696:1966
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570:1961
562:Role
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530:1973
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437:Role
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424:Film
404:and
250:and
176:spiv
171:, a
94:Died
64:Born
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260:at
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
