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Stanley James Carroll Beck (21 February 1929 – 6 August 1973) was an English television actor. He appeared in a number of programmes, but is best known for the role of Private Walker, a cockney spiv, in the BBC sitcom Dad's Army from the show's beginning in 1968 until his sudden death in 1973.
Early life
Beck was born on 21 February 1929 in Islington, North London, and attended Popham Road Primary School.
After attending Saint Martin's School of Art and doing his national service as a physical training instructor in the British Army, Beck became an actor.
Career
Theatre
In 1949, Beck made his career acting debut in Little Lambs Eat Ivy at the Granville Theatre, Ramsgate. and followed in Peace Comes to Peckham and Miranda, From 1958 to 1967, he was a regular performer in many different plays at York Theatre Royal.
In 1968, he was offered the role of Private Walker in Dad's Army, originally written by Jimmy Perry for himself. Perry approved of the casting of Beck: "He had the right mix of cheekiness and charm. He gave the role a bit of oomph."
Always in demand, he continued to work on TV programmes including A Family at War (1970) and Romany Jones (1972–73), in which he played the lead character of Bert Jones. suffering from pancreatitis. He died three weeks later of a combination of heart failure, renal failure, and pancreatitis. He was 44.
Filmography
Film
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
|-
| 1968 || Star! || Drunken Soldier || Uncredited
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1970
| Groupie Girl || Brian || Released as I Am a Groupie in the United States