CAUSE: In July 1974 while taking a bath at his home at 8 Pelham Place, south-west London, Beaton suffered a stroke. The embolism robbed him of the use of his right hand and his ability to remember people’s names. He once referred to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother as “that friend whose daughter does an important job”. Beaton was taken to the London Clinic before returning to Pelham Place and then to Reddish House, Broadchalke, Wiltshire, a house he had purchased on June 21, 1947 for £10,000. In October 1975, Pelham Place was sold. Beaton was to say four years after the stroke, “I thought I had had it. I thought I’d never recover.” But recover he did and he fought his way back to health, teaching himself to paint and write with his left hand. He died at Reddish House and was buried in All Saints Church, Broadchalke, on January 23, 1980. Beaton left £597,757. Reddish House was sold in June 1980.
FURTHER READING: Cecil Beaton The Authorised Biography – Hugo Vickers (London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1985); The Unexpurgated Beaton – Introduction by Hugo Vickers (London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2002).
Norman Beaton
Born October 31, 1934
Died December 13, 1994
West Indian stalwart. Norman Lugard Beaton was born in Georgetown, British Guiana, the son of William Solomon Beaton (d. 1983), civil servant, and his wife, Ada, née Mackintosh (d. 1962). He was educated at St Stephen’s School and Queen’s College, Georgetown, and later became deputy headmaster at the Government Teachers’ Training College. In 1958 he became calypso champion of British Guiana and released 24 records with his own group Four Bees. That same year he also married one of his backing singers Gloria Moshette and they had a son, Jayme (b. British Guiana 1958), and a daughter, Kim (b. British Guiana 1960). In 1960 Beaton emigrated to Britain where he was later joined by his wife and children. A third child, Jeremy (b. 1962), was born in England. Beaton became a teacher in Liverpool and began acting and directing. He played leading roles at the Old Vic, the National Theatre and the Royal Court Theatre. His reputation grew steadily. In 1974 he started the Black Theatre of Brixton. He was named Best Film Actor by the Variety Club of Great Britain for his performance in Black Joy (1977), the first coloured British actor to be honoured with a film award. Among his most memorable television successes were The Fosters (April 9, 1976–July 9, 1977), Black Christmas (1977), Empire Road (1978–1979), Nice (1984), Big George Is Dead (1987), Little Napoleons (1993) and Desmond’s (January 5, 1989–December 19, 1994) in which he played barber Desmond Ambrose. Beaton’s marriage ended in divorce. In 1969 he had a third son, William, by Jane Atto, with whom he briefly ran a London restaurant. In 1976 he married Leah Garady, who adopted the children of his first marriage; but this marriage too ended in divorce. From 1978 until his death he lived with Jane Cash.
CAUSE: Beaton died aged 60 in his native country after collapsing in a friend’s arms. He left £203,086.
Edmond Beauchamp
Born March 3, 1900
Died June 3, 1985
French lead. Born in Montpellier, Hérault, Languedoc-Rousillon, France, Edmond Beauchamp was one of his country’s stalwart actors. Grey-haired and aquiline of feature, he was often known just by his surname. His films included Madame Bovary (1933) as Binet, Le Crime De Monsieur Lange (1936) as a priest in the train, Feu! (1937), Werther (1938), La Marseillaise (1938) as a priest, Louise (1939) as Le Philosophe, Un Seul Amour (1943), Le Bossu (1944), Le Visiteur (1946), Le Diable Au Corps (1946) as the wine steward, Les Jeux Sont Faits (1947), L’Armoire Volante (1948) as Le Commissaire, Meurtres (1950) as Le Gossec, Le Passe-Muraille (1951) as Arturo, Marie-Antoinette Reine De France (1955) as Comte de Luxembourg, Futures Vedettes (1955) as Elise’s father, Le Maître Du Pérou (1958), Le Bossu (1959) as Don Miguel, Le Beau Serge (1959) as Glomaud, Le Petit Professeur (1959) as the grandfather, Un Nommé La Rocca (1961) and The Hotshots (1968). To English viewers he was best known as the grandfather, César, in the television series Belle Et Sébastien, the tale of an orphaned boy and his large white dog set in the Pyrenees. The 13 25-minute episodes were transmitted by the BBC between October 2 and Boxing Day 1967.
CAUSE: Edmond Beauchamp died exactly three months past his 85th birthday in Saint-Brieuc, Côtes d’Armor, Bretagne, France.
Harold Beaudine
Born November 29, 1894
Died May 9, 1949
Directorial brother. Born in New York, Harold was the younger brother of William Beaudine and began his career as prop boy at Biograph’s New York studio. He studied hard and became an assistant director before he moved to California to continue his career. His more than 30 films included: In Dutch (1922), Nerve Tonic (1924), For Sadie’s Sake (1926) and College Racket (1931).
CAUSE: He died of cancer in Sawtelle, California, aged 54.
William Beaudine
Born January 15, 1892
Died March 18, 1970
‘One-Shot’ Beaudine. Born in New York, Beaudine was educated at Morris High School. He began in show business in 1904 as a prop man and general handyman for D.W. Griffith. He spent six years learning his trade before becoming a director in 1915. For seven years he honed his craft on shorts such as Punch The Clock (1922) and Strictly Modern (1922) before progressing to feature films in 1922. When told that one of his Monogram shorts was behind schedule, he commented in amazement, “You mean someone out there is actually waiting to see this?” He was adept at directing children but could also handle stars such as Mary Pickford in Little Annie Rooney (1925) and Sparrows (1926). He worked on hundreds of films in different genres usually low to medium budget fare. He directed Will Hay in Hey! Hey! USA! (1938) while working in England during a three-year spell. He was in the chair for many of the Bowery Boys films but was at the centre of controversy in 1944 when he directed a sex education film Mom And Dad which showed an actual birth. The film was not released until 1957 because of numerous court cases. 6́ 1˝ Beaudine also worked on many television programmes as has his son, William, Jr (b. Hollywood, California, April 28, 1921). He had four children by his wife, Marguerite Fleischer.
CAUSE: At the time of his death in Canoga Park, California, aged 78, Beaudine was Hollywood’s oldest active director.
Hugh Beaumont
Born February 16, 1909
Died May 14, 1982
TV dad. Probably best known for his role as Ward Cleaver on the popular TV sitcom Leave It To Beaver (1957–1963), Eugene Hugh Beaumont was born in Lawrence, Kansas. He was educated at the University of Chattanooga and the University of Southern California. Like Lew Ayres, Beaumont, a devout Methodist, was a conscientious objector during World War II. Among his 60-plus films were South Of Panama (1941) as Paul, Northwest Rangers (1942) as Warren, Mexican Spitfire’s Blessed Event (1943) as Mr Sharpe, There’s Something About A Soldier (1944) as Lieutenant Martin, Objective Burma! (1945) as Captain Hennessey, The Blue Dahlia (1946) as George Copeland, Murder Is My Business (1946) as Michael Shayne, Larceny In Her Heart (1946) as Michael Shayne, Blonde For A Day (1946) as Michael Shayne, Too Many Winners (1947) as Michael Shayne, Three On A Ticket (1947) as Michael Shayne, The Counterfeiters (1948) as Philip Drake, Savage Drums (1951) as Bill Fenton, Mr Belvedere Rings The Bell (1952) as a policeman and The Mole People (1957) as Dr Jud Bellamin. He was divorced, with two sons. Like many typecast TV actors, Beaumont disliked Leave It To Beaver although he appreciated the hefty pay packets and handy residuals.
CAUSE: He suffered a stroke in 1972 and died of a heart attack in Munich, West Germany, aged 73.
James Beck
Born February 21, 1929
Died August 6, 1973
TV wideboy. To millions of TV fans Jimmy Beck will be forever associated with Private Joe Walker, the cockney spiv, in the highly popular BBC sitcom Dad’s Army. Born in Islington, north London, his father was often unemployed and his mother made artificial flowers. He worked as a commercial artist before being called up for the war. On demob, he tried his hand as an actor and worked successfully in rep. When he married his wife Kay, they needed some extra money so they too
k in a lodger. That lodger was Jean Alexander, immortal as Coronation Street’s Hilda Ogden. He played Joe Walker on television and in the 1971 film version until his untimely death.
CAUSE: He died aged 44 of a burst pancreas.
Thomas Beck
Born December 29, 1909
Died September 23, 1995
Bland leading man. Born in New York City, (6)߰Beck was raised in Baltimore, where his father ran the Maryland Workshop for the Blind. He was educated at Johns Hopkins University, where he appeared in college plays and also with the University Players. His Players contemporaries included Henry Fonda, Josh Logan, James Stewart and Margaret Sulluvan. After failing to find engineering work because of the Depression, Beck turned to the stage instead and appeared in the play Mademoiselle (1932) on Broadway. While appearing in Her Majesty The Widow (1934), he was spotted by a Fox Films talent scout and signed up. He made his movie début in Hell In The Heavens (1934) opposite Conchita Montenegro, who was referred to as ‘the poor man’s Lupe Velez’. He also appeared in Lottery Lover (1934), Life Begins At Forty (1935) as Joe Abercrombie, Music Is Magic (1935) as Tony Bennet, My Marriage (1935) as Roger Tyler, Charlie Chan In Paris (1935) as Victor Descartes, Charlie Chan In Egypt (1935) as Tom Evans, Crack-Up (1936) as Joe Randall, Every Saturday Night (1936) as Clark Newall, White Fang (1936) as Hal Burgess, Charlie Chan At The Race Track (1936) as Bruce Rogers, Think Fast, Mr Moto (1937) as Bob Hitchings, Thank You, Mr Moto (1937) as Tom Nelson, Heidi (1937) as the priest opposite Shirley Temple, Charlie Chan At The Opera (1937) as Phil Childers and I Stand Accused (1939) as Paul. He became disillusioned when passed over for leading roles and not given the raises stipulated in his contract. He left filmdom on Labor Day 1939 and the following year enlisted in the army. Five years later, he was demobbed as a major. He appeared in Temper The Wind (1946) on Broadway, but was unemployed after the play closed. He again gave up on acting and became an advertising salesman and then an art director with the same New York agency. In 1965 he became an estate agent and retired 21 years later following the death of his boyfriend.
CAUSE: He died in Miami Shores, Florida, of Alzheimer’s disease and heart ailments, aged 85.
Richard Beckinsale
Born July 6, 1947
Died March 19, 1979
Comedy great. If ever a performer was cut down in his prime, that performer was Richard Beckinsale. With two hit television series – Porridge and Rising Damp – under his belt, it looked as if he had a very long and very promising future in show business. Born in Nottingham, he had a number of jobs, including inspecting iron pipes in a factory, before auditioning for RADA. His first TV job was as PC Wilcox arresting Ena Sharples in Coronation Street. That led to The Lovers, starring opposite Paula Wilcox, on the big and little screens. He appeared in Rising Damp as the perpetually lazy and randy medical student Alan. He was equally popular as con Lennie Godber in Porridge and its sequel Going Straight. His beautiful daughters, Samantha and Kate, are both successful actresses.
CAUSE: He died of a heart attack aged 31 in Sunningdale, Berkshire.
Don Beddoe
Born July 1, 1891
Died January 19, 1991
Permanently startled. The son of Welsh parents (his father sang at the coronation of George V), Donald T. Beddoe was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. At the University of Cincinnati he studied business, even though he freely admitted he had no interest in the subject. His mother introduced him to the gay impresario Stuart Walker and Beddoe appeared in five Walker productions. His first Broadway appearance was on September 20, 1929, at the Royale Theater in Nigger Rich, which starred Spencer Tracy. He also appeared with James Cagney, Katharine Hepburn and Joan Blondell but while Hollywood beckoned them all, Beddoe remained on the Great White Way and the London stage. Harry Cohn happened to see Beddoe in a production of The Night Of January 16 (which opened at the Ambassador Theater on September 16, 1935) and signed him to a contract. Beddoe claimed to have been in 73 Cohn productions (175 or so movies in all) but the most memorable were Missing Daughters (1939) as Al Farrow, Mandrake The Magician (1939) as Frank Raymond, Konga, The Wild Stallion (1939) as Martin, Good Girls Go to Paris (1939) as Burton, Golden Boy (1939) as Borneo, My Son Is Guilty (1939) as Duke Mason, This Thing Called Love (1940) as Tom Hawland, Military Academy (1940) as Marty Lewis, Island Of Doomed Men (1940) as Brand, The Face Behind The Mask (1941) as Jim O’Hara, Unholy Partners (1941) as Mike Reynolds, Sabotage Squad (1942) as Chief Hanley, Harvard, Here I Come! (1942) as Hypo McGonigle and the police chief in The Talk Of The Town (1942). He also was in a number of B pictures and serials including Flying G-Men (1939) as W. S. Hamilton, Blondie Meets The Boss (1939) as Marvin Williams, Charlie Chan’s Murder Cruise (1940) as James Ross, Blondie On A Budget (1940) as Marvin Williams, Abbott & Costello’s Buck Privates Come Home (1947) as Mr Roberts and Francis Goes To The Races (1951) as Dr Quimby. In the Fifties he graduated to main features including Cyrano de Bergerac (1950) as The Meddler, Carrie (1952), Don’t Bother To Knock (1952) as Mr Ballew, A Star Is Born (1954), The Night Of The Hunter (1955) as Walt Spoon, Tarzan’s Hidden Jungle (1955) and Pillow Talk (1959) as Mr Walters. In 1970, after playing Dr Littlefield in How Do I Love Thee? (1970) he retired from acting to care for his sick wife. They travelled frequently and were in the Canary Islands when she died. In 1974 he remarried. His wife was the travel agent who had booked the last cruise he had taken with his first wife. She also had something of a show business background herself. Her name was Joyce Matthews and she had twice married and divorced both comedian Milton Berle (1941 [divorced October 1947] and June 16, 1949 [divorced March 1950]) and impresario Billy Rose (June 1956 [divorced July 1959] and December 1961 [divorced 1963]). Of his career, Beddoe revealed candidly: “I knew from the very outset that I’d never get a part or hold an audience with my looks, so I learned to act … Acting was all I really liked about the profession. I got along well with everyone I worked with but was never really friendly with anyone of them.” He also appeared in several TV shows including Maverick, Alfred Hitchcock Presents: The Cuckoo Clock, Laramie, Rawhide, Petticoat Junction, Bewitched, F Troop and Little House On The Prairie.
CAUSE: He died of natural causes shortly before his 100th birthday.
Noah Beery
Born January 17, 1884
Died April 1, 1946
Screen heavy. The middle acting Beery brother was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and started his movie career in 1917, having been on the stage for almost two decades. He was best known as a villain and the advent of sound films added to his menace. Probably his best-known film was Beau Geste (1926) in which he played Lejaune. Married just once, he and his wife were separated for the last 18 years of his life.
CAUSE: Beery died of a heart attack in Beverly Hills, aged 62.
Noah Beery, Jr
Born August 10, 1913
Died November 1, 1994
Carrying on the family tradition. Born in New York, Beery appeared in a number of his father’s films when still young. He then enrolled in a military academy but subsequently decided acting, not soldiering, was for him. He made dozens of films, usually as the hero’s friend, including: The Call Of The Savage (1935), Ace Drummond (1936), Only Angels Have Wings (1939), Sergeant York (1941), Gung Ho (1941), Red River (1948), The Story Of Will Rogers (1952), Inherit The Wind (1960) and Heaven With A Gun (1969). To the Seventies television audience he was best known as Rocky, James Garner’s interfering dad, in The Rockford Files. He married the daughter of cinematic cowboy Buck Jones.
CAUSE: Beery died aged 81 of natural causes.
Wallace Beery
Born April 1, 1885
Died April 15, 1949
Menacing funny guy. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Beery was the younger brother of William C. Beery (b. Clay County, Missouri, 1879, d. Beverly Hills, California, December 25, 1949) and Noah Beery and uncle of Noah Beery, Jr, actors three. His first paid employment lacked a certain glamour – he cleaned train engines. A step up was his next job,
when he joined Ringling Bros Circus in 1902 as an elephant trainer. His film career began in 1914 in Chicago with Essanay. At the company he met and married Gloria Swanson. She came to her wedding bed on her 19th birthday (March 29, 1917) a virgin, but left it in a damaged condition. Swanson had expected that her licence to marry would be, as she put it, her “ticket to heaven”. Instead, she was “brutalised in pitch blackness by a man who whispered filth in my ear while he ripped me almost in two.” After the act, when 6́ 1˝ bridegroom Beery finally went to sleep, Swanson spent the remainder of her wedding night huddled on the bathroom floor, swathed in towels, trying to staunch her bleeding and ease her pain. By the morning she climbed into bed beside her husband, still racked with pain. He woke Swanson with a kiss and then dressed and shaved before kissing her goodbye. She pretended to be sleeping both times. On December 13, 1918, Beery received a divorce on the grounds of desertion. Meanwhile, Beery appeared in a number of Keystone comedies and then came up with the idea of a character that was humorous with just a touch of menace. It was this character that led to stardom. In 1930 he was nominated for Best Actor Oscar for playing Machine Gun Butch Schmidt in The Big House (1930). Among his many other films were: The Plum Tree (1914), Fable Of The Bush League Lover Who Failed To Qualify (1914), Cactus Nell (1917), The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse (1921), The Last Of The Mohicans (1921), Robin Hood (1922), Patsy (1923), Richard The Lion-Hearted (1923), The Drums Of Jeopardy (1923), Another Man’s Wife (1924), The Pony Express (1925), The Champ (1931) as Andy Purcell, a part that won him a Best Actor Oscar and Grand Hotel (1932). His last film was Big Jack (1949). Beery was not an easy actor to work with. For a start he refused to rehearse, he changed his lines at the last minute and continually tried to upstage his fellow pros. In 1930 he married Rita Gilman.
Fade to Black: A Book of Movie Obituaries Page 27