Vincent Beck


Vincent Beck 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.

Background

A prolific actor, he became recognized for his roles in on film early in his career. A portion of the television roles in his career consisted of villains, aliens and other interesting characters. 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.

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

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. In 1965 he appeared on Gilligan's Island, in the Anybody Got a Zebra? episode of Mister Ed as Krona. 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. He played the part of Zagorsky in the Frank Telford directed sci-fi film The Bamboo Saucer which was released in 1968.

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. Later that year Beck appeared in another episode of Mannix as Frankie West in Catspaw. The following year, he was in as Bolt in the Double Dead episode which aired on 12 February 1972. 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. 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. He played the part of Trilling in the Michael Winner directed 1979 film, Firepower which starred Sophia Loren and James Coburn.
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. Judge Sinclair has obviously got a share in the bribe-money which lawyer Einsberg has received from the gang and the killers basically walk free.

Death

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

Filmography

TitleEpisode #RoleDirectorYearNotes #
Mister EdAnybody Got a Zebra?KronaArthur Lubin1965Aired 17 October 1965
Gilligan's IslandNyet, Nyet, Not YetIgorJack Arnold1965Aired 18 November 1965
Get Smart My Nephew the SpySalesmanBruce Bilson1965Aired 4 December 1965
GunsmokeOutlaw's WomanColey MartinMark Rydell1965Aired 11 December 1965
Honey WestRockabye the Hard WayJohn ravenBill Colleran1965Aired 24 December 1965
Daniel BooneGabrielGabrielGerd Oswald1966Aired 6 January 1966
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.The Birds and the Bees AffairVince MaplesAlvin Ganzer1966Aired 21 January 1966
The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.The Prisoner of Zalamar AffairKassimHerschel Daugherty1966Aired 20 September 1966
BonanzaThe Pursued: Part 1Grant CarboWilliam Witney1966Aired 2 October 1966
BonanzaThe Pursued: Part 2Grant CarboWilliam Witney1966Aired 9 October 1966
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.The Concrete Overcoat Affair: Part ILugerJoseph Sargent1966Aired 25 November 1966
T.H.E. CatKing of LimpetsVascoBoris Sagal1966Aired 9 December 1966
The MonkeesRoyal Flush SigmundJames Frawley1966Aired 12 September 1966
The MonkeesSon of a GypsyMarcoJames Frawley1966Aired 26 December 1966
Iron HorseHellcatLankerSamuel Fuller1966Aired 26 December 1966
The Time TunnelMerlin the MagicianWoganHarry Harris1967Aired 17 March 1967
The Time TunnelTown of TerrorAlien LeaderHerschel Daugherty1967Aired 7 April 1967
Lost in SpaceHunter's MoonMegazorDon Richardson1967Aired 27 September 1967
The MonkeesThe Card Carrying Red ShoesIvanJames Frawley1967Aired 6 November 1967
Adam-12Log 11: It's Just a Little Dent, Isn't It?Joe ClaverHollingsworth Morse1968Ared 5 October 1968
The Wild Wild WestThe Night of the PelicanCorporal SimonAlex Nicol1968Aired 27 December 1968
The ImmortalPilotLockeJoseph Sargent1969Aired 30 September 1969

TitleEpisode #RoleDirectorYearNotes #
The F.B.I.The DealerFrank BrokawJesse Hibbs1970Aired 22 February 1970
MannixThe Crime That Wasn'tKevin ArcherBarry Crane1971Aired 30 January 1971
Alias Smith and JonesThe Great Shell GameStewardRichard Benedict1971Aired 18 February 1971
IronsideThe Summer SoldierBedros DemirjianDon Weis1971Aired 4 March 1971
MannixCatspawFrankie WestHarry Harvey Jr.1971Aired 8 December 1971
Double DeadBoltBarry Crane1972Aired 12 February 1972
BanyonA Date with DeathFloyd VenderCharles S. Dubin1972Aired 24 November 1972
The MagicianThe ManhuntersStanley OwensSutton Roley1973Aired 2 October 1973
Medical CenterThe Torn ManLewie TappieVincent Sherman1972Aired 11 October 1972
Medical CenterWoman for HireJerry SandersVincent Sherman1973Aired 19 November 1973
The F.B.I.Deadly AmbitionFisherDon Medford1974Aired 17 March 1974
McMillan & WifeLove, Honor and SwindleDan HagstromLou Antonio1975Aired 16 February 1975
Medical CenterAftershockWinchellJoseph Pevney1975Aired 10 March 1975
MannixHardballFrank SartinoBill Bixby1975Aired 13 April 1975
The Invisible ManThe Fine Art of DiplomacyGregarioSigmund Neufeld Jr.1975Aired 15 September 1975
PetrocelliMark of CainParkerLeonard Katzman1975Aired 17 September 1975