Billy Beck

Billy Beck (born Frank Billerbeck; May 26, 1920 – June 29, 2011) was an American clown and character actor. He began his career as a clown at the Cirque Medrano in Paris in the late 1950s. Beck appeared in small roles in various TV shows and films, including the 1954 series Sherlock Holmes and the third season of Combat!. He portrayed Coco the Clown in the TV show episode 'The Night Train Mystery' and Mr. Tonkins in Gunsmoke's episode 'The Wishbone'. Some of his notable film appearances include Irma la Douce (1963), The Patsy (1964), The Fortune Cookie (1966), Nickelodeon (1976), and The Blob (1988). Beck passed away at the age of 91 in his Glendale home due to natural causes.