James Beck (February 21, 1929 - August 6, 1973) was an actor best remembered for his role as Pvt. Joe Walker, the cockney spiv in the popular BBC sitcom Dad's Army which ran from 1968 - 1977. In a cast comprised almost entirely of older actors, Beck was one of only two younger actors. It is, therefore, somewhat ironic that he should be the first of the cast to pass away, aged only 44, as the result of a burst pancreas.
Beck was born in Islington and attended Popham Elementary School. His childhood was tough, with his father frequently being unemployed and his mother having to make artificial flowers to provide a small income.
After a stint at art college and a period of national service, Beck decided to take up acting. Beck's early acting roles included Shylock in the Merchant of Venice in 1963 for which he earned positive reviews. Moving to London, he decided to concentrate on television, and one role was as a policeman in an episode of Coronation Street involving a train crash.
By 1968 he was offered the role of Private Walker in Dad's Army, a role originally written by Jimmy Perry for himself. His performance as the thorn in Captain Mainwaring's side was perfect for Dad's Army. While proving popular in this, his best loved role, Beck still yearned for the challenge of other roles.
Always in demand, he continued to work on TV programmes such as A Family at War and Romany Jones , in which he played the lead character Bert Jones. He also recorded a newer broadcast remake of an early Hancock's Half Hour programme in which he played opposite Arthur Lowe.
By 1973 he had already recorded six seasons of Dad's Army and had already begun work on the radio series of the show when he became ill and died. His death was a great shock to his fellow cast members, as well as Jimmy Perry and David Croft, who had looked forward to his return to the show. Subsequently he was deemed irreplaceable and the character of Walker never returned to the TV version of Dad's Army.
On the radio adaptations of the series, Graham Stark stood in until Larry Martyn gave his portrayal of Walker for subsequent shows. In 1976 John Bardon played Walker in the stage production.