Scott Beach (January 13, 1931 â€" February 13, 1996) was an American
character actor, writer and DJ, best known for his performance in the
1960s-themed 1973 film American Graffiti.Born Alvin Scott Beach, he
appeared in numerous motion pictures, most notably as a German
scientist patterned after Wernher von Braun in The Right Stuff. His
deep voice was often heard in films. He once said that director George
Lucas liked his voice and often used him in his films, beginning with
THX 1138. Beach also appeared as Mr. Gordon in American Graffiti and
provided an uncredited stormtrooper voice in Star Wars.Beach was an
early and beloved performer at the original Renaissance Pleasure
Faires in Agoura and Novato, California, where for many years he
portrayed the Lord Mayor of the Shire and was a mentor and an
inspiration to many aspiring actors. Along with his acting career,
Beach was a natural for radio and was on the staff of KSFO in San
Francisco, California. During a radio broadcast on January 28, 1973,
he reported that the Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace
in Viet Nam had been signed on the previous day in Paris, France. That
agreement, also known as the Paris Peace Accords, ended direct U.S.
military involvement in the Viet Nam War. Beach concluded his report
about the peace agreement by stating, "I fear that the last U.S.
soldier to die in Vietnam is still alive." He was correct; the last
American death in Viet Nam was not until April 29, 1975. See McMahon
and Judge.Beach twice served as the narrator in performances of Arthur
Honegger's King David with the Masterworks Chorale of San Mateo,
California. He also narrated other performances of the oratorio in
both the original French and the English translation used by the
Masterworks Chorale. He was the host of the San Francisco Opera
broadcasts over KKHI during the early 1970s. Beach also provided the
voice of the comic strip cat Garfield in the character's first
television appearance in the 1980 anthology special The Fantastic
Funnies; he was later replaced in that role by Lorenzo Music.
character actor, writer and DJ, best known for his performance in the
1960s-themed 1973 film American Graffiti.Born Alvin Scott Beach, he
appeared in numerous motion pictures, most notably as a German
scientist patterned after Wernher von Braun in The Right Stuff. His
deep voice was often heard in films. He once said that director George
Lucas liked his voice and often used him in his films, beginning with
THX 1138. Beach also appeared as Mr. Gordon in American Graffiti and
provided an uncredited stormtrooper voice in Star Wars.Beach was an
early and beloved performer at the original Renaissance Pleasure
Faires in Agoura and Novato, California, where for many years he
portrayed the Lord Mayor of the Shire and was a mentor and an
inspiration to many aspiring actors. Along with his acting career,
Beach was a natural for radio and was on the staff of KSFO in San
Francisco, California. During a radio broadcast on January 28, 1973,
he reported that the Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace
in Viet Nam had been signed on the previous day in Paris, France. That
agreement, also known as the Paris Peace Accords, ended direct U.S.
military involvement in the Viet Nam War. Beach concluded his report
about the peace agreement by stating, "I fear that the last U.S.
soldier to die in Vietnam is still alive." He was correct; the last
American death in Viet Nam was not until April 29, 1975. See McMahon
and Judge.Beach twice served as the narrator in performances of Arthur
Honegger's King David with the Masterworks Chorale of San Mateo,
California. He also narrated other performances of the oratorio in
both the original French and the English translation used by the
Masterworks Chorale. He was the host of the San Francisco Opera
broadcasts over KKHI during the early 1970s. Beach also provided the
voice of the comic strip cat Garfield in the character's first
television appearance in the 1980 anthology special The Fantastic
Funnies; he was later replaced in that role by Lorenzo Music.
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