Vincent Beck

Vincent Beck (August 15, 1924 - July 24, 1984) was an American character actor with a deep voice who began his career as a stage actor. He was a prolific film and television actor who acted in films such as Santa Claus Conquers the Martians in 1964, The Spy in the Green Hat in 1967, The Scorpio Letters in 1967, The Pink Jungle in 1968 and in the same year, The Bamboo Saucer. He also was in Vigilante in 1983. He also appeared in at least 26 different television shows which included The Monkees,  Get Smart, Daniel Boone, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Bonanza,  The Time Tunnel, and Lost In Space.

Vincent Beck
Vincent Beck in The Wild, Wild West 1968
BornAugust 15, 1924
Manhattan, New York City
DiedJuly 24, 1984 (aged 59)
Manhattan, New York City
OccupationActor
Years active1964 to 1983

Background

A prolific actor, he became recognized for his roles in on film early in his career.[1] A portion of the television roles in his career consisted of villains, aliens and other interesting characters.[2][3] From 1982, he was third vice president of Actors Equity. He was also president of the New York branch of the Screen Actors Guild, having held that position since 1983.[4]

Stage

In 1946, he appeared on Broadway in A Flag Is Born on Broadway which marked his stage debut. Other stage roles included The World of Sholom Aleichem, The Merchant of Venice, Oliver, Irma la Douce, Gypsy and Bells Are Ringing.[5]

In 1950, Beck was appearing as The Young Covey in the Sean O'Casey play, The Plough and the Stars which had been playing at the Hudson Guild Theater since Jan 30th. Along with Sy Travers and Osna Palmer, Beck was noted by The Billboard reviewer Dennis McDonald for his fine performance.[6] In April, he appeared in James Barrie's Peter Pan which had been playing at the Imperial Theater in New York since the 24th of that month. Beck was playing the part of Whibbles.[7] In April 1951, he was playing the part of Teddy in the Clifford Odets comedy, Night Music, which had been playing at the ANTA Playhouse. Rod Steiger was also in the play.[8]

In 1955, he appeared in the musical, Almost Crazy, which played at the Longacre Theater from June 20, 1955 to July 2.[9][10]

In early 1965, Beck was playing the part of the evil Bill Sikes in the stage production Oliver. The reviewer in The Des Moines Register said he was "properly menacing as the all-time bad guy Sikes".[11][12]

Film and television career

1960s

Becks earliest film role was that of the evil Martian leader Voldar in the 1964 film Santa Claus Conquers the Martians which was directed by Nicholas Webster.[13][14] In 1965 he appeared on Gilligan's Island (S2/EP9 - as Russian cosmonaut Igor), in the Anybody Got a Zebra? episode of Mister Ed as Krona.[15] He played the part of Benjamin Luger in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. film The Spy in the Green Hat which was released in 1967.[16] He played the part of Zagorsky in the Frank Telford directed sci-fi film The Bamboo Saucer which was released in 1968.[17]

1970s to 1980s

Beck appeared as Kevin Archer in an episode of Mannix in which Joe Mannix is targeted by a crime boss who thinks he knows too much about a missing corpse. The episode aired on January 30, 1971.[18][19] Later that year Beck appeared in another episode of Mannix as Frankie West in Catspaw.[20] The following year, he was in Mission Impossible as Bolt in the Double Dead episode which aired on 12 February 1972.[21] The following year he was in The Magician, a series that starred Bill Bixby. The episode he appeared in was The Manhunters in which played the part of Stanley Owens. It aired on October 2, 1973.[22] He appeared in The F.B.I. in the Deadly Ambition episode which aired in 1974 and the another episode of Mannix, Hardball which aired the following year in 1975.[23] He played the part of Trilling in the Michael Winner directed 1979 film, Firepower which starred Sophia Loren and James Coburn.[24]

His last acting role was that of the corrupt Judge Sinclair in the William Lustig directed Vigilante. A film about an average man who becomes a vigilante after his wife and young son are murdered by a street gang. It also starred Fred Williamson, Robert Forster, Joe Spinnell and Woody Strode. It was released in 1983.[25][26] Judge Sinclair has obviously got a share in the bribe-money which lawyer Einsberg (Played by Joe Spinnell) has received from the gang and the killers basically walk free.[27][28]

Death

Beck died at age 59 of cancer at his Manhattan home in July 1984.[29]

Filmography
Film
Title Year Role Director Notes #
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians 1964 Voldar Nicholas Webster
The Spy in the Green Hat 1967 Benjamin Luger Joseph Sargent
The Scorpio Letters 1967 Paul Fretoni Richard Thorpe TV movie
Don't Just Stand There 1968 Painter Ron Winston
The Pink Jungle 1968 Sanchez Delbert Mann
The Bamboo Saucer 1968 Zagorsky Frank Telford
Firepower 1979 Trilling Michael Winner
...And Justice for All. 1979 Officer Leary Norman Jewison
Vigilante 1983 Judge Sinclair William Lustig (final film role)[30]
Television 1960s
Title Episode # Role Director Year Notes #
Mister Ed Anybody Got a Zebra? Krona Arthur Lubin 1965 Aired 17 October 1965
Gilligan's Island Nyet, Nyet, Not Yet Igor Jack Arnold 1965 Aired 18 November 1965
Get Smart My Nephew the Spy Salesman Bruce Bilson 1965 Aired 4 December 1965
Gunsmoke Outlaw's Woman Coley Martin Mark Rydell 1965 Aired 11 December 1965
Honey West Rockabye the Hard Way John raven Bill Colleran 1965 Aired 24 December 1965
Daniel Boone Gabriel Gabriel Gerd Oswald 1966 Aired 6 January 1966
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. The Birds and the Bees Affair Vince Maples Alvin Ganzer 1966 Aired 21 January 1966
The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. The Prisoner of Zalamar Affair Kassim Herschel Daugherty 1966 Aired 20 September 1966
Bonanza The Pursued: Part 1 Grant Carbo William Witney 1966 Aired 2 October 1966
Bonanza The Pursued: Part 2 Grant Carbo William Witney 1966 Aired 9 October 1966
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. The Concrete Overcoat Affair: Part I Luger Joseph Sargent 1966 Aired 25 November 1966
T.H.E. Cat King of Limpets Vasco Boris Sagal 1966 Aired 9 December 1966
The Monkees Royal Flush Sigmund James Frawley 1966 Aired 12 September 1966
The Monkees Son of a Gypsy Marco James Frawley 1966 Aired 26 December 1966
Iron Horse Hellcat Lanker Samuel Fuller 1966 Aired 26 December 1966
The Time Tunnel Merlin the Magician Wogan Harry Harris 1967 Aired 17 March 1967
The Time Tunnel Town of Terror Alien Leader Herschel Daugherty 1967 Aired 7 April 1967
Lost in Space Hunter's Moon Megazor Don Richardson 1967 Aired 27 September 1967
The Monkees The Card Carrying Red Shoes Ivan James Frawley 1967 Aired 6 November 1967
Adam-12 Log 11: It's Just a Little Dent, Isn't It? Joe Claver Hollingsworth Morse 1968 Ared 5 October 1968
The Wild Wild West The Night of the Pelican Corporal Simon Alex Nicol 1968 Aired 27 December 1968
The Immortal Pilot Locke Joseph Sargent 1969 Aired 30 September 1969
Television 1970s
Title Episode # Role Director Year Notes #
The F.B.I. The Dealer Frank Brokaw Jesse Hibbs 1970 Aired 22 February 1970
Mannix The Crime That Wasn't Kevin Archer Barry Crane 1971 Aired 30 January 1971
Alias Smith and Jones The Great Shell Game Steward Richard Benedict 1971 Aired 18 February 1971
Ironside The Summer Soldier Bedros Demirjian Don Weis 1971 Aired 4 March 1971
Mannix Catspaw Frankie West Harry Harvey Jr. 1971 Aired 8 December 1971
Mission: Impossible Double Dead Bolt Barry Crane 1972 Aired 12 February 1972
Banyon A Date with Death Floyd Vender Charles S. Dubin 1972 Aired 24 November 1972
The Magician The Manhunters Stanley Owens Sutton Roley 1973 Aired 2 October 1973
Medical Center The Torn Man Lewie Tappie Vincent Sherman 1972 Aired 11 October 1972
Medical Center Woman for Hire Jerry Sanders Vincent Sherman 1973 Aired 19 November 1973
The F.B.I. Deadly Ambition Fisher Don Medford 1974 Aired 17 March 1974
McMillan & Wife Love, Honor and Swindle Dan Hagstrom Lou Antonio 1975 Aired 16 February 1975
Medical Center Aftershock Winchell Joseph Pevney 1975 Aired 10 March 1975
Mannix Hardball Frank Sartino Bill Bixby 1975 Aired 13 April 1975
The Invisible Man The Fine Art of Diplomacy Gregario Sigmund Neufeld Jr. 1975 Aired 15 September 1975
Petrocelli Mark of Cain Parker Leonard Katzman 1975 Aired 17 September 1975

[31]

References
  1. Hollywood.com - Vincent Beck
  2. Dograt.com - Vince Beck
  3. Jerry's House of Everything, Tuesday, November 29, 2011 - (Deservedly) Obsolete Film: Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964)
  4. The Orlando Sentinel, Saturday, July 28, 1984 - Page 19
  5. The Orlando Sentinel, Saturday, July 28, 1984 - Page 19
  6. The Billboard, February 11, 1950 - Page 51 Off-Broadway Opening, The Plough and the Stars
  7. The Billboard, Mat 6, 1950 - Page 52 Broadway Openings, Peter Pan
  8. The Billboard, April 21, 1951 - Page 47 Out-of-Town Reviews
  9. The Complete Book of 1950s Broadway Musicals, By Dan Dietz - Page 215 to 216 Almost Crazy "A Musical Revue"
  10. Playbill - Almost Crazy - Cast
  11. The Kansas City Times, January 29, 1965 - Page 6 Oliver!” Seen as Musical Hit
  12. The Des Moines Register,Saturday, February 6, 1965 - Page 7
  13. Den of Geek, Dec 24, 2015 - 10 remarkable things: Santa Claus Conquers The Martians - Ryan Lambie
  14. The New York Times, December 17, 1964 - Movie Review – Santa vs. Martians - Howard Thompson
  15. TV.com - Mister Ed Season 6 Episode 6, Anybody Got a Zebra?
  16. TV Guide - The Spy In The Green Hat Cast & Crew
  17. Turner Classic Movies - The Bamboo Saucer(1968), Cast & Crew
  18. TV Guide - Page A-16
  19. TV Guide - Mannix, Season 4, Episode 18 The Crime That Wasn't
  20. TV.com - Mannix Season 5 Episode 13 - Catspaw
  21. TV Gems - Mission Impossible, Season 6: Episodes 17-20, 20: Double Dead
  22. Le Magazine des Séries - > Le Magicien avec Bill Bixby. Guide des épisodes., Saison I (02 octobre 1973 au 15 avril 1974), 1.02 - The Manhunters / Chasseur d'Hommes
  23. Aveleyman.com - Vincent Beck, Friday, 15th August 1924 - Tuesday, 24th July 1984
  24. The New York Times May 4, 1979 - Movie Review, Screen: Sophia Loren Starring in 'Firepower':A Tossed Salad, By Janet Maslin
  25. DVD Talk, September 21, 2010 - Vigilante (Blu-ray) - Review by Stuart Galbraith IV
  26. Rotten Tomatoes - Vigilante, Cast
  27. Pre-cert.co.uk - The Vigilante
  28. DVD Talk, September 21, 2010 - Vigilante (Blu-ray) - Review by Stuart Galbraith IV
  29. The New York Times, July 27, 1984 - Obituaries, Vincent Beck
  30. Turner Classic Movies - Vincent Beck Filmography
  31. IMDb - Vincent Beck, Filmography
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