Author, Producer of Stage and Screen. He received notoriety during the 20th century for his 14 Broadway play productions, several films, and authoring biographies and a novel. Starting in 1933 with “Another Language” through 1948 with “Harvest Years,” he produced and at times staged fourteen Broadway plays. He produced the films "Girl On the Run" in 1961, "Pop Always Pay" in 1940, "Sky Parade" in 1936, "Border Flight" 1936, "Curly Top" in 1935, and "West Point Of The Air" in 1935. He wrote three biographies: “The Story of Dwight D. Eisenhower” in 1956, “Albert Einstein” in 1959, “Nikola Tesla, Electrical Genius” in 1959 and “Cancer, Cocaine, and Courage: the Story of Dr. William Halsted.” In 1964 he authored a historical novel, “Black Hawk,” which was about a Native American tribe in the early 1800s. Very little is documented about his personal life. He was the youngest child of a German immigrant Martin Beckhard, a banker, and his wife Matilda. By 1930, he had left New York for California and a career in entertainment. He was married to an actress Esther Dale, who appeared as “Aunt Genevieve” in his Shirley Temple film “Curly Top.” She was at least a decade older than he and they had no children. His nephew, Richard Beckhard, was an actor debuting in his 1940 Broadway play, “The Male Animal,” and was stage manager of two other of his plays before becoming a well-known author of books on business management.
Author, Producer of Stage and Screen. He received notoriety during the 20th century for his 14 Broadway play productions, several films, and authoring biographies and a novel. Starting in 1933 with “Another Language” through 1948 with “Harvest Years,” he produced and at times staged fourteen Broadway plays. He produced the films "Girl On the Run" in 1961, "Pop Always Pay" in 1940, "Sky Parade" in 1936, "Border Flight" 1936, "Curly Top" in 1935, and "West Point Of The Air" in 1935. He wrote three biographies: “The Story of Dwight D. Eisenhower” in 1956, “Albert Einstein” in 1959, “Nikola Tesla, Electrical Genius” in 1959 and “Cancer, Cocaine, and Courage: the Story of Dr. William Halsted.” In 1964 he authored a historical novel, “Black Hawk,” which was about a Native American tribe in the early 1800s. Very little is documented about his personal life. He was the youngest child of a German immigrant Martin Beckhard, a banker, and his wife Matilda. By 1930, he had left New York for California and a career in entertainment. He was married to an actress Esther Dale, who appeared as “Aunt Genevieve” in his Shirley Temple film “Curly Top.” She was at least a decade older than he and they had no children. His nephew, Richard Beckhard, was an actor debuting in his 1940 Broadway play, “The Male Animal,” and was stage manager of two other of his plays before becoming a well-known author of books on business management.
Bio by: Linda Davis
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