Derek Anthony Beckley (7 October 1927 – 19 April 1980) was an English actor. A graduate of the

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Senat ...

, Beckley went on to carve out a career on film and television throughout the 1960s and 1970s, often playing villainous roles, as well as being a veteran of numerous stage productions.

Early life

Beckley was born in Southampton, Hampshire, England. He was a child out of wedlock and never met his father. His mother, Beatrice Mitchell, worked as a steward on ocean liners such as the and the . Due to work commitments, she was often away, and Beckley was brought up mainly by another woman whom he referred to as his aunt.van Gelder, Lawrence. 1979. "New Face: Tony Beckley - Genial Film Maniac With English Roots." in ''New York Times'', 19 Oct 1979, Section The Weekend, Page C3 When he was five years old, Beckley and his mother moved to Portsmouth and when the Second World War broke out he was sent to Winchester, where he attended boarding school at Winton House. It was in Winchester where he first became interested in acting. While his mother wanted him to do "something nice and safe", like working in the civil service, Beckley discovered that acting was what was going to make him happy when he saw a performance in Portsmouth of

Emlyn Williams George Emlyn Williams, CBE (26 November 1905 – 25 September 1987) was a Welsh writer, dramatist and actor. Early life Williams was born into a Welsh-speaking, working class family at 1 Jones Terrace, Pen-y-ffordd, Ffynnongroyw, Flints ...

' ''

The Corn is Green ''The Corn Is Green'' is a 1938 semi-autobiographical play by Welsh dramatist and actor Emlyn Williams. The play premiered in London at the Duchess Theatre in September 1938; with Sybil Thorndike as Miss Moffat and Williams himself portraying Mo ...

'' by the Court Players, a local repertory company. Beckley left school at the age of 16 in pursuit of his acting career. He worked as a stage sweeper and tea maker for two or three months, then moved to London. As he could not get work in the theatre, he did odd jobs as a waiter and in an ice cream factory while spending his spare time watching actors like

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage ...

Ralph Richardson Sir Ralph David Richardson (19 December 1902 – 10 October 1983) was an English actor who, with John Gielgud and Laurence Olivier, was one of the trinity of male actors who dominated the British stage for much of the 20th century. He w ...

and

Alec Guinness Sir Alec Guinness (born Alec Guinness de Cuffe; 2 April 1914 – 5 August 2000) was an English actor. After an early career on the stage, Guinness was featured in several of the Ealing comedies, including '' Kind Hearts and Coronets'' (1 ...

and the Old Vic productions at the New Theatre. Shortly before turning 18, he joined the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...

and spent two years as a seaman aboard the destroyer , where he found the time to prepare for admission to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (

RADA The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the S ...

). He joined RADA on an ex-Navy grant and during his two-year training befriended people such as actress

Sheila Hancock Dame Sheila Cameron Hancock (born 22 February 1933) is an English actress, singer, and author. Hancock trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art before starting her career in repertory theatre. Hancock went on to perform in plays and music ...

and playwright Charles Laurence.Hancock, Sheila. 2004. ''The Two of Us – My Life with John Thaw''. London: Bloomsbury.

Career

After graduating from RADA, Beckley started working for various provincial repertory companies, eventually settling with a company near London (Bromley Repertory) which opened up opportunities for television work. After guest roles in popular TV series such as ''

Sergeant Cork ''Sergeant Cork'' is a British detective television series which first aired between 1963 and 1968 on ITV. It was a police procedural show that followed the efforts of two police officers and their battle against crime in Victorian London. In ...

'', '' The Saint'', ''

Z-Cars ''Z-Cars'' or ''Z Cars'' (pronounced "zed cars") is a British television police procedural series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby, near Liverpool. Produced by the BBC, it deb ...

'' and the then revolutionary comedy programme ''Dig This Rhubarb'' Beckley made his film debut in 1965 as Ned Poins in

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

' '' Chimes at Midnight''. Beckley appeared in a number of films for director Peter Collinson: '' The Penthouse'' (1967); ''

The Long Day's Dying ''The Long Day's Dying'' is a 1968 British Techniscope war film directed by Peter Collinson, based on the 1962 novel of the same name by Alan White and starring David Hemmings. It was listed to compete at the 1968 Cannes Film Festival, but the ...

'' (1968); and most memorably as Camp Freddie in ''

The Italian Job ''The Italian Job'' is a 1969 British comedy caper film, written by Troy Kennedy Martin, produced by Michael Deeley, directed by Peter Collinson, and starring Michael Caine. The film's plot centres around Cockney criminal Charlie Croker, r ...

'' (1969). His only starring role was as the psychotic Kenny Wemys in '' The Fiend'' (1972), and he made his last film appearance in 1979 playing another psychopath in '' When a Stranger Calls''. His other films include '' The Lost Continent'' (1968), ''

Get Carter ''Get Carter'' is a 1971 British crime film Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detecti ...

'' (1971), ''

Assault An assault is the act of committing physical harm or unwanted physical contact upon a person or, in some specific legal definitions, a threat or attempt to commit such an action. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may result in cr ...

'' (1971), ''

Sitting Target ''Sitting Target'', also known as ''Screaming Target'', is a 1972 British crime film directed by Douglas Hickox and mainly shot in various locations in London, including the Winstanley and York Road Estates. It stars Oliver Reed, Ian McShane a ...

'' (1972), ''

Gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile ...

'' (1974), and ''

Revenge of the Pink Panther ''Revenge of the Pink Panther'' is a 1978 comedy film. It is the sixth film in '' The Pink Panther'' comedy film series. Released in 1978, it is the final on-set performance of Peter Sellers in the role of Inspector Jacques Clouseau. It was al ...

'' (1978). On television, Beckley played the villainous Harrison Chase in the six-part ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the ...

'' serial ''

The Seeds of Doom ''The Seeds of Doom'' is the sixth and final serial of the 13th season of the British science fiction television Science fiction first appeared in television programming in the late 1930s, during what is called the Golden Age of Science Fic ...

'' (1976). He also guest-starred on shows such as ''

Manhunt Manhunt may refer to: Search processes * Manhunt (law enforcement), a search for a dangerous fugitive * Manhunt (military), a search for a high-value target by special operations forces or intelligence agencies Social organisations * Manhun ...

'', '' Callan'', '' Jason King'', and ''

Special Branch Special Branch is a label customarily used to identify units responsible for matters of national security and intelligence in British, Commonwealth, Irish, and other police forces. A Special Branch unit acquires and develops intelligence, usu ...

''.Tony Beckley (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0065777/) last accessed: 01/03/13 He remained active in the theatre, appearing in the West End in

Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the thr ...

' ''

Small Craft Warnings ''Small Craft Warnings'' is a two-act play by Tennessee Williams, written in late 1971 and early 1972. Williams expanded his two-scene play ''Confessional'' (1970), which had been published in his 1970 compilation ''Dragon Country'', into this ...

'' with

Elaine Stritch Elaine Stritch (February 2, 1925 – July 17, 2014) was an American actress, best known for her work on Broadway and later, television. She made her professional stage debut in 1944 and appeared in numerous stage plays, musicals, feature films a ...

and in ''Snap'' with

Maggie Smith Dame Margaret Natalie Smith (born 28 December 1934) is an English actress. With an extensive career on screen and stage beginning in the mid-1950s, Smith has appeared in more than sixty films and seventy plays. She is one of the few performer ...

Death

Beckley died six months after the premiere of '' When a Stranger Calls''. Just before his death he had been signed for further work in the US. He was supposed to co-star with

Elizabeth Montgomery Elizabeth Victoria Montgomery (April 15, 1932 – May 18, 1995) was an American actress whose career spanned five decades in film, stage, and television. She is best remembered for her leading role as the witch Samantha Stephens on the televisi ...

in a television movie titled ''My Fat Friend'' and appear in a film, ''American Dreamer''. He was also to appear in the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

miniseries ''

Beulah Land Beulah is a land referred to in the Biblical Book of Isaiah. It is the land of the Jewish people, the Israelites, to which they must return: an earthly paradise. The land of Beulah is referred to in various hymns and other works. Bible The only k ...

'' alongside

Lesley Ann Warren Lesley Ann Warren (born August 16, 1946) is an American actress and singer. She made her Broadway debut in 1963, aged 17, in '' 110 in the Shade''. In 1965 she received wide recognition for playing the title role in the television musical prod ...

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and others. The cause of his death was given as cancer (brain tumour)Osborne, Charles. 1986. ''Giving it away: the memoirs of an uncivil servant.''London: Secker & Warburg. p. 75. but appeared "mysterious". According to his friend Sheila Hancock it could have been

AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ma ...

, a disease then almost unknown. Beckley died at the Medical Center of the University of California in Los Angeles"Tony Beckley, Starred In 'Stranger Calls 'Film", in: ''The New York Times Biographical Service'', Volume 11, Apr 1980, p. 495. and is buried at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Personal life

In an interview in 1979, Beckley stated that there was nothing in his background to explain why he became an actor except for possibly "a desire for some attention, which I really didn't get much as a kid." While often playing villains and psychopaths on screen, Beckley is described as friendly and funny by people who met him and as someone who could tell a good story. Beckley remarked that he would be surprised if people could find anything psychotic in his behaviour. For more than 15 years, Beckley was in a relationship with film producer Barry Krost. When Krost opened his own management company, Beckley became his first client. Krost also produced Beckley's last film ''When a Stranger Calls'' and was a production associate on ''The Penthouse''. Although he kept a house in Fulham, London and had three dogs, Beckley spent time living in California during the last year of his life in an apartment in West Hollywood.

Filmography

Film

Television

Radio

*1968 - ''Movie-Go-Round''

Stage

*??? - ''Five Finger Exercise'' *1950s - ''Eden's End'' *1956 - ''

The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial ''The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial'' is a two-act play, of the courtroom drama type, that was dramatized for the stage by Herman Wouk, which he adapted from his own 1951 novel, '' The Caine Mutiny''. Wouk's novel covered a long stretch of time ...

'' *1957 - '' The Rivals'' *1957 - ''

Look Back in Anger ''Look Back in Anger'' (1956) is a realist play written by John Osborne. It focuses on the life and marital struggles of an intelligent and educated but disaffected young man of working-class origin, Jimmy Porter, and his equally competent yet i ...

'' *1957 - '' The Teahouse of the August Moon'' *1957 - '' Night of the Ding-Dong'' *1958 - ''Brothers-in-Law'' *1958 - ''Jack and the Bean Stalk'' *1959 - '' Wolf's Clothing'' *1959 - '' The Entertainer'' *1959 - ''

Bus Stop A bus stop is a place where buses stop for passengers to get on and off the bus. The construction of bus stops tends to reflect the level of usage, where stops at busy locations may have shelters, seating, and possibly electronic passenger ...

'' (as producer) *1959 - '' The Long and the Short and the Tall''"Actor - Director". In ''The Stage'', 3 Mar 1960, p. 18. *1960 - '' Two for the See-Saw'' (as director) *1960 - ''

The Taming of the Shrew ''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunk ...

'' *1960 - '' Saint Joan'' *1960 - ''Time Limit'' *1961 - '' S. for Scandal'' *1961 - ''

The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock. Although classified as ...

'' (as producer) *1961 - ''Mother'' *1962 - '' The Bed Bug'' *1962 - ''

Arden of Faversham ''Arden of Faversham'' (original spelling: ''Arden of Feversham'') is an Elizabethan play, entered into the Register of the Stationers Company on 3 April 1592, and printed later that same year by Edward White. It depicts the real-life murder ...

'' *1962 - ''Diary of a Scoundrel'' *1962 - ''Infanticide in the House of Fred Ginger'' *1966 - ''Lorca'' *1969 - ''

Hedda Gabler ''Hedda Gabler'' () is a play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. The world premiere was staged on 31 January 1891 at the Residenztheater in Munich. Ibsen himself was in attendance, although he remained back-stage. The play has been ca ...

'' *1969 - ''Cages'' *1973 - ''

'' *1974 - ''Snap'' *1974 - ''

The Dog Beneath the Skin ''The Dog Beneath the Skin, or Where is Francis? A Play in Three Acts'', by W. H. Auden and Christopher Isherwood, was the first Auden-Isherwood collaboration and an important contribution to English poetic drama in the 1930s. It was published ...

''''The Times'', 30 Jul 1977

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Beckley, Tony 1927 births 1980 deaths 20th-century English male actors 20th-century LGBT people 20th-century Royal Navy personnel Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery English gay actors English male film actors English male stage actors English male television actors Male actors from Southampton Royal Navy sailors