| Henry Beckman | |
|---|---|
Henry Beckman as Commander Paul Richards in Flash Gordon |
|
| Born | November 26, 1921 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Died | June 17, 2008 (aged 86) Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1951–2002 |
| Spouse | Cheryl Maxwell (m. 1955–1998) |
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 U.S. Army Colonel Douglas Harrigan in McHale's Navy. In the 1980s Beckman played 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 also co-starred as Sandy Duncan's landlord in the series Funny Face. He continued to act through his late 70s on shows like The X-Files and many others. He also won two Canadian Etrog Awards, now known as the Genie Award, his last one in 1978 for Blood and Guts.
With his 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]
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. Henry is the father of respected astrophysicist and software engineer, Dr. Brian Beckman, who currently works at Microsoft as well as several online projects.[3]
He died in Barcelona, Spain on 17 June 2008 with his beloved Hillary at his side.[4]