For some of his childhood, Beckman lived in Sointula, British Columbia, then his family moved to San Francisco in 1905.
[3] After serving in the Army Air Corps in the U.S. during World War I, Beckman began working in a shipyard.
Beckman was the head of the design team for Grauman's Chinese Theatre and painted the murals throughout the lobby area.
During the Great Depression, Beckman and fellow artists Emil Kosa Jr. and Sam Johnson painted miniatures for Bullocks Wilshire.
[2]: 34–38 Beckman attended the 60th anniversary party for the Avalon Casino on Santa Catalina Island in 1989, several months before his death.
[4] In 1934, Beckman started work in the film industry, apprenticing to Richard Day, and eventually became the art director at Warner Brothers Studio.
[2]: 120 His paintings were exhibited after his death at The Sovereign Collection, Oregon History Center, from November 1995 to February 1996.