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Private Joe Walker
Occupation Black market spiv (aka "wholesales supplier")
Affiliations Home Guard
Series information
First seen The Man and the Hour
Last Seen Things That Go Bump in the Night
Portrayed by James Beck (TV, film & radio; shown above), Graham Stark, Larry Martyn (radio), John Bardon, Leslie Grantham (stage show)
Daniel Mays (2016 film)
Mathew Horne (Dad's Army: The Lost Episodes)
List of Characters

"Sir, I've got an idea!" - Joe Walker

Private Joe Walker, portrayed by James Beck (21 February 1929-6 August 1973) was a black market spiv (or "Wholesales Supplier", as he politely puts it) who lived in Walmington-on-Sea. He was the second youngest member of the Walmington-on-Sea Home Guard. When his actor James Beck died suddenly on 6 August 1973 aged 44, near the end of filming for the sixth series, the character was written out. Therefore, Walker features in just under three-quarters of the episodes. Despite this, the character of Walker was possibly one of the most prominent and popular in the show.

Following his character's departure the series attempted to replace him with a war reporter called Private Cheeseman (played by Talfryn Thomas) who had made a previous cameo appearance in My British Buddy.

Biography[]

Walker was born and raised in Plaistow in East London.[1] He was presumably in his early thirties by the time he moved to Walmington, where he joined the LDV during the Second World War.

At some point in the war he leaves a note explaining that he has "gone to the smoke" (a then-common expression for London) to "do a deal".[2]

By 1968, Walker is one of the town worthies who attends the "I'm Backing Britain" campaign meeting.[3]

Personality[]

Command Decision

Private Walker

A pleasant and amiable (if slightly shifty) personality, Joe Walker is nevertheless a constant thorn in Mainwaring's side as he does not share his idealism and makes sarcastic, cheeky and witty interruptions during his serious lectures.

JamesBeckSelfPortrait

James Beck's sketch of Walker

However, despite this he is good-natured and loyal to his commanding officer and platoon comrades, and is a valuable asset to the platoon, due to his many "business" connections and his ability to mysteriously conjure up almost anything that is rationed or no longer in the shops due to the War—and he will also have it in vast supply (for a price). He is constantly on the lookout for opportunities to make a few bob, and can normally be found trying to sell such things as petrol coupons and black market foodstuffs to his platoon comrades, usually at high prices and from dubious sources. He also demonstrates keen improvisational skills and cunning; as a result, he is usually responsible for getting the platoon out of many of the scrapes that they find themselves in although Mainwaring might not always consider his tactics to be 'cricket'.

Walker

Walker

Despite merely being a Private, Walker clearly has some form of influence over the platoon, not least due to his black-market dealings which have got them out of (and into) numerous scrapes. Moreover, when Frazer is temporarily promoted to Captain he selects Walker as his Sergeant.[4]

It is generally assumed that he has found a way to dodge the rules. When he was finally conscripted he was immediately discharged as he is supposedly allergic to corned beef, when it was found that corned beef fritters were the only rations left for the soldiers to eat.[5]

Walker considers himself a ladies' man, and his recurring girlfriend Shirley, appears in several episodes. In the platoon, he mostly associates with Jones, Pike and Frazer.

Medals[]

By the end of the war his Home Guard service may have him eligible for the Defence Medal if he returned to the platoon in time for him to complete 3 years service.

Defence Medal Ribbon

Notes[]

  • Walker's final appearance was in the episode Things That Go Bump in the Night, where the platoon spent the night in a mysterious house. In fact he is only seen in the location shots, filmed some time before the studio recording. Beck was ill for the recordings of both this episode and the next, The Recruit, in which the story suggested that Walker had "gone to the smoke" (a then-common expression for London) to "do a deal". After Beck's death, Walker was never mentioned again in the show after this (though the character survived the war; the very first episode begins with a scene set in 1968, as Mainwaring, now an alderman, launches his "I'm Backing Britain" campaign—Walker is seen as one of the town worthies present at the launch).
  • In 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. Jimmy Perry originally intended to play the part himself, but was advised against it by David Croft.
  • Walker was based on a spiv character created and performed by British comedian and actor Arthur English.
  • Although Jimmy Perry was advised not to play Walker, he did get a role in the episode Shooting Pains where he played the comedian Charlie Cheeseman.

Personal Details[]

Full Name: Stanley Carroll James Beck

Born: 21 February 1929, Islington, London, England, UK

Died: 6 August 1973, Roehampton, London, England, UK (Aged 44)

Cause of Death: Pancreatitis

References[]

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