Henry Beckman (26 November 1921 – 17 June 2008) was a Canadian stage, film and television actor.

Career

Beckman appeared in well over 100 productions in the United States and Canada, including recurring roles as Commander Paul Richards in the 1954 ''

Flash Gordon Flash Gordon is the protagonist of a space adventure comic strip created and originally drawn by Alex Raymond. First published January 7, 1934, the strip was inspired by, and created to compete with, the already established ''Buck Rogers'' adve ...

space opera Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes space warfare, with use of melodramatic, risk-taking space adventures, relationships, and chivalric romance. Set mainly or entirely in outer space, it features technological and soci ...

television series, Bob Mulligan in the

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...

I'm Dickens, He's Fenster ''I'm Dickens, He's Fenster'' is an American sitcom starring John Astin and Marty Ingels that ran on ABC from September 28, 1962 to May 10, 1963. The series was created and produced by Leonard Stern and filmed at Desilu. Synopsis The series s ...

'', George Anderson in the television adaptation of '' Peyton Place'', Captain Clancey in the Western comedy-drama ''

Here Come the Brides ''Here Come the Brides'' is an American comedy Western series from Screen Gems that aired on the ABC television network from September 25, 1968 to April 3, 1970. It was loosely based on Asa Mercer's efforts in the 1860s to import marriageable wo ...

'', Harry Mark on '' Bronk'', conniving

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

Douglas Harrigan in ''

McHale's Navy ''McHale's Navy'' is an American sitcom starring Ernest Borgnine that aired 138 half-hour episodes over four seasons, from October 11, 1962, to April 12, 1966, on the ABC television network. The series was filmed in black and white and originate ...

'', Colonel Platt in the 1965 movie ''

McHale's Navy Joins the Air Force ''McHale's Navy Joins the Air Force'' is a 1965 film based upon the television 1962–1966 sitcom ''McHale's Navy''. Series supporting players Joe Flynn and Tim Conway are the leads for this sequel to the first film made in 1964, also named ...

'', and as a sheriff in an episode of '' Rango''. He made four guest appearances on the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

courtroom drama series ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a cli ...

'', including the role of David the murderer in the 1960 episode "The Case of the Flighty Father", as Sydney L. Garth in the 1962 episode "The Case of the Captain's Coins", as Albert King in the 1965 episode "The Case of the Wrongful Writ" and as William March in the 1966 episode "The Case of the Dead Ringer". He made a guest appearance as Cody on ''

Honey West Honey West is a fictional character created by the husband and wife writing team Gloria and Forest Fickling under the pseudonym "G.G. Fickling", and appearing in eleven mystery novels by the duo. The character is notable as being one of the firs ...

'' "A Matter of Wife and Death" (episode 4) in 1965. In the 1980s he appeared in '' Kane & Abel'', played the security guard Alf on the

Don Adams Donald James Yarmy (April 13, 1923 – September 25, 2005), known professionally as Don Adams, was an American actor. In his five decades on television, he was best known as Maxwell Smart (Agent 86) in the television situation comedy ''Ge ...

sitcom '' Check It Out!'', and was also a non-celebrity contestant on the TV game show ''

Scrabble ''Scrabble'' is a word game in which two to four players score points by placing tiles, each bearing a single letter, onto a game board divided into a 15×15 grid of squares. The tiles must form words that, in crossword fashion, read left t ...

''. He continued to act through his late seventies on shows like ''

The Commish ''The Commish'' is an American comedy-drama television series that aired on ABC in the United States from September 28, 1991, to January 11, 1996. The series focuses on the work and home life of a suburban police commissioner in Eastbridge, New ...

'' and ''

MacGyver Angus "Mac" MacGyver is the title character and the protagonist in the TV series ''MacGyver''. He is played by Richard Dean Anderson in the 1985 original series. Lucas Till portrays a younger version of MacGyver in the 2016 reboot. In both po ...

'', and he had a recurring role in ''

The X-Files ''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction drama (film and television), drama television series created by Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter. The series revolves around Federal Bureau of Investigation ...

'' for several seasons.

Awards/legacy

Beckman won two

Canadian Film Awards The Canadian Film Awards were the leading Canadian cinema awards from 1949 until 1978. These honours were conducted annually, except in 1974 when a number of Quebec directors withdrew their participation and prompted a cancellation. In the 1970s ...

for Best Supporting Actor, in 1975 for ''

Why Rock the Boat? ''Why Rock the Boat?'' is a 1974 Canadian romantic comedy film directed by John Howe. The film stars Stuart Gillard as Harry Barnes, a young journalist in Montreal who becomes romantically involved with Julia Martin ( Tiiu Leek), a reporter for a ...

'' and in 1978 for '' Blood and Guts''. With his first wife, actress Cheryl Maxwell, Beckman founded the Dukes Oak Theater in

Cooperstown, New York Cooperstown is a village in and county seat of Otsego County, New York, United States. Most of the village lies within the town of Otsego, but some of the eastern part is in the town of Middlefield. Located at the foot of Otsego Lake in the C ...

, and served as the theater company's producer.

War service

He served with the

Canadian Army The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also respo ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, including the

D-Day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D ...

Landings at

Juno Beach Juno or Juno Beach was one of five beaches of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944 during the Second World War. The beach spanned from Courseulles, a village just east of the British beach Gold ...

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

, on 6 June 1944.

Writing

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.

Family

He is the father of astrophysicist and software engineer Brian Beckman.

Death

Beckman died in

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

, Spain on 17 June 2008 with his second wife Hillary at his side.

Selected filmography

*'' Niagara'' (1953) – Motorcycle Cop (uncredited) *''

The Glory Brigade ''The Glory Brigade'' is a 1953 American war film directed by Robert D. Webb. It stars Victor Mature and Alexander Scourby. The film was referred to in ''M*A*S*H'' (1970), directed by Robert Altman. Plot US Army engineer Lt. Pryor's detachmen ...

'' (1953) – Soldier (uncredited) *''

The Wrong Man ''The Wrong Man'' is a 1956 American docudrama film noir directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Henry Fonda and Vera Miles. The film was drawn from the true story of an innocent man charged with a crime, as described in the book ''The True Sto ...

'' (1956) – Prisoner at Arraignment Hearing (uncredited) *'' So Lovely... So Deadly'' (1957) – Steve Clark *''

Police Station A police station (sometimes called a "station house" or just "house") is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, al ...

'' (1959) – Detective Stan Abramson (TV series) *'' The Bramble Bush'' (1960) – Bill Watts (uncredited) *'' Breakfast at Tiffany's'' (1961) – Narcotics Detective Cronberger (uncredited) *'' 13 West Street'' (1962) – Joe Bradford *''

The Man from the Diners' Club ''The Man from the Diners' Club'' is a 1963 comedy film starring Danny Kaye and directed by Frank Tashlin. It was made by Ampersand and Dena Productions and released by Columbia Pictures. Plot Foots Pulardos is a mobster who intends to flee to ...

'' (1963) – Policeman (uncredited) *''

Twilight of Honor ''Twilight of Honor'', released in the UK as ''The Charge is Murder'', is a 1963 film directed by Boris Sagal and starring Richard Chamberlain, Nick Adams (actor, born 1931), Nick Adams, Claude Rains, and featuring Joey Heatherton and Linda Evans ...

'' (1963) – Man Stirring Up Crowd (uncredited) *'' Dead Ringer'' (1964) – Prosecutor (uncredited) *''

Marnie ''Marnie'' is an English crime novel, written by Winston Graham and first published in 1961. It has been adapted as a film, a stage play and an opera. Plot ''Marnie'' is about a young woman who makes a living by embezzling her employers' funds, ...

'' (1964) – First Detective *'' A House Is Not a Home'' (1964) – Croupier (uncredited) *''

Kiss Me, Stupid ''Kiss Me, Stupid'' is a 1964 American sex comedy film produced and directed by Billy Wilder and starring Dean Martin, Kim Novak, and Ray Walston. The screenplay by Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond is based on the play ''L'ora della fantasia'' (''Th ...

'' (1964) – Truck Driver *''

The Satan Bug ''The Satan Bug'' is a 1965 American crime science fiction suspense film from United Artists, produced and directed by John Sturges, that stars George Maharis, Richard Basehart, Anne Francis, and Dana Andrews. The screenplay by James Clavell an ...

'' (1965) – Dr. Baxter *''

The Glory Guys ''The Glory Guys'' is a 1965 American Western film directed by Arnold Laven and written by Sam Peckinpah, based on the 1956 novel ''The Dice of God'' by Hoffman Birney. Filmed by Levy-Gardner-Laven and released by United Artists, it stars Tom ...

'' (1965) – Salesman *''

'' (1965) – Col. Platt *''

The Caper of the Golden Bulls ''The Caper of the Golden Bulls'', also known as ''Carnival of Thieves'', is a 1967 American action comedy film directed by Russell Rouse and starring Stephen Boyd, Yvette Mimieux and Giovanna Ralli. Plot During a bombing mission to Germany, war ...

'' (1967) – Bendell *''

Madigan ''Madigan'' is a 1968 American neo-noir crime drama thriller film directed by Don Siegel (as Donald Siegel) and starring Richard Widmark, Henry Fonda and Inger Stevens The screenplay—originally titled ''Friday, Saturday, Sunday''—wa ...

'' (1968) – Philip Downes *''

The Stalking Moon ''The Stalking Moon'' is a 1968 American Western film in Technicolor directed by Robert Mulligan and starring Gregory Peck and Eva Marie Saint. It is based on the novel of the same name by T.V. Olsen. Plot U.S. Army soldiers round up a group ...

'' (1968) – Sgt. Rudabaugh *''

Sweet Charity ''Sweet Charity'' is a musical with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields and book by Neil Simon. It was directed and choreographed for Broadway by Bob Fosse starring his wife and muse Gwen Verdon alongside John McMartin. It is based on ...

'' (1969) – Policeman (uncredited) *'' The Undefeated'' (1969) – Thad Benedict *''The Merry Wives of Tobias Rouke'' (1972) – Tobias Rouke *'' Between Friends'' (1973) – Will *''

Peopletoys ''People Toys'' is a 1974 American slasher film directed by Sean MacGregor and an uncredited David Sheldon and starring Sorrell Booke, Gene Evans, Shelley Morrison, and Leif Garrett, along with Garrett's real-life sister, Dawn Lyn and their moth ...

'' (1974) – Dr. Brown *''

'' (1974) – Philip Butcher *'' Silver Streak'' (1976) – Conventioneer *'' Blood and Guts'' (1978) – Red Henkel *''

The Brood ''The Brood'' is a 1979 Canadian psychological body horror film written and directed by David Cronenberg and starring Oliver Reed, Samantha Eggar, and Art Hindle. Its plot follows a man and his mentally ill ex-wife, who has been sequestered b ...

'' (1979) – Barton Kelly *''

Death Hunt ''Death Hunt'' is a 1981 Western action film directed by Peter Hunt. The film stars Charles Bronson, Lee Marvin, Angie Dickinson, Carl Weathers, Maury Chaykin, Ed Lauter and Andrew Stevens. ''Death Hunt'' was a fictionalized account of the Roy ...

'' (1981) – Bill Luce *''

Every Dog's Guide to Complete Home Safety ''Every Dog's Guide to Complete Home Safety'' is a Canadian animated short film, directed by Les Drew for the National Film Board of Canada and released in 1986. The film's central character is Wally (Paul Brown), a dog who is frantically trying t ...

'' (1986) – The Boss *''Family Reunion'' (1988) – Leo *''

I Love You to Death ''I Love You to Death'' is a 1990 American black comedy film directed by Lawrence Kasdan and starring an ensemble cast featuring Kevin Kline, Tracey Ullman, Joan Plowright, River Phoenix, William Hurt, and Keanu Reeves. The screenplay by J ...

'' (1990) – Wendel Carter *''Epicenter'' (2000) – Pat *'' Lion of Oz'' (2000) – Narrator (voice)

References

External links

*
How to Sell your Film Project
at

Google Books Google Books (previously known as Google Book Search, Google Print, and by its code-name Project Ocean) is a service from Google Inc. that searches the full text of books and magazines that Google has scanned, converted to text using optical c ...

Brian Beckman: On Analog Computing, Some Beckman History, and Life in the Universe
at Channel 9 * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Beckman, Henry 1921 births 2008 deaths Canadian male television actors Canadian male film actors Canadian male voice actors Canadian non-fiction writers Male actors from Halifax, Nova Scotia Writers from Halifax, Nova Scotia Best Supporting Actor Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners 20th-century non-fiction writers Canadian expatriates in the United States Canadian military personnel of World War II