Biography
American art director John Beckman worked uncredited behind-the scenes for almost a decade before earning his first screen credit as an art director with Chaplin's black comedy
Monsieur Verdoux (1947). Prior to becoming a set decorator, Beckman was an architect. Some of his elaborate work can be seen inside Grauman's Chinese and Egyptian theaters. He had no formal training in production design, and learned as he went along on films such as
Lost Horizon (1937),
The Maltese Falcon (1941) and
Casablanca (1942). During his time as a production designer, Beckman worked for Warner Brothers until 1970 when he switched to designing sets for television shows, most notably for
Designing Women where he worked until he died. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide