Scotty Beckett Biography
Born: October 04, 1929
Died: May 08, 1968
When Scotty Beckett was three years old, his father was hospitalized in Los Angeles. During a visit, Beckett entertained his convalescing dad by singing several songs. A Hollywood casting director overheard the boy and suggested to his parents that Beckett had movie potential. The wide-eyed, tousle-haired youngster made his screen debut opposite Ann_Harding and Clive_Brook in 1933's Gallant_Lady. In 1934, he was signed by Hal Roach for the Our Gang series; in the 13 two-reelers produced between 1934 and 1935, Beckett appeared as the best pal and severest critic of rotund Gang star Spanky McFarland. This stint led to such choice feature-film assignments as Anthony_Adverse (1936) (in which Beckett played the out-of-wedlock son of Fredric_March and Olivia_De_Havilland), Marie_Antoinette (1938) (as the Dauphin) and My_Favorite_Wife (1940) (as one of the two kids of Cary_Grant and his long-lost wife Irene_Dunne). In 1939, Beckett briefly returned to the Our Gang fold, playing "Alfalfa" Switzer's brainy Cousin Wilbur in a brace of one-reelers. Beckett was frequently called upon for "the leading man as a child" roles, playing youthful versions of Louis_Hayward in My_Son,_My_Son (1940), Don_Ameche in Heaven_Can_Wait (1943), and Jon_Hall in Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (1940). As he matured, Beckett was often cast as obnoxious younger brothers, notably in the 1943 Broadway play Slightly Married and the 1948 Jane_Powell vehicle A Date with Judy (playing the sibling of none other than Elizabeth_Taylor). On radio, Beckett played Junior Riley in the popular William_Bendix sitcom The Life of Riley, and on television he was seen as Cadet Winky in the early sci-fi series Rocky_Jones,_Space_Ranger. Scotty Beckett's last film was 1956's Three_For_Jamie_Dawn. Hal Erickson, Rovi
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