Frank Harvey (Australian screenwriter)
Encyclopedia
Frank Harvey was an English-born actor, producer and writer best known for his work in Australia.
, Channel Islands
. His father was a Frenchman, whose name, Jean Francois Marie de Soissons de Latanac, was Anglicised to "Frank Harvey".. Harvey's father was also a man of the stage, noted for writing the plays Shall We Forgive Her, Life and Death and Wed Yet No Wife.) When the son came to choose his own stage name, he could think of nothing better than his father's! (This may have been a legend as his given names were Harvey Ainsworth Hilton. It may be significant that the name he gave the entrepreneur in The Broken Melody was De Latanac)
Harvey studied under Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree
and played Shakespearean parts in the Lyceum Theatre in London. In 1914 he was engaged by J C Williamson to play in Australia with Nancye Stewart, and did not return to England until 1926.
In 1922 he toured New Zealand with the Emélie Polini troupe.
By 1930 he was back in Melbourne
, working with Campbell Copelin
for JCW. He returned to London, but was back in Australia in 1933 to work for F. W. Thring
at Efftee Productions as an actor and screenwriter.
In 1935 he moved to Sydney and began writing and acting for ABC radio
. This involvement later led to full-time appointment as senior drama producer in 1944, directing such stars as Queenie Ashton
(in early episodes of Blue Hills
), Lyndall Barbour and Nigel Lovell. Older Australians may remember him as Nestor the story-teller in the Argonauts Club
for most of the '40s. His play False Colours was staged by Doris Fitton
's Independent Theatre
.
In 1936 he founded a School of Voice Production and Dramatic Art with Claude Flemming
. That year he also went to work for Ken G. Hall
at Cinesound Productions
as a studio dialogue director and in-house screenwriter. Starting with It Isn't Done
(1937), Harvey wrote or co-wrote nine produced feature film scripts for Cinesound over the next four years, often playing small roles in them as well.
By the time Harvey retired in 1952 he had directed many hundreds of radio plays. He was appreciated by actors for his wit and communication skills.
On 3 April 1924 he married Rosamond "Bobbie" McMillan, an actress with the Emélie Polini troupe.
A son (1912–1981) by his first marriage, also called Frank Harvey, was a British playwright and novelist who wrote the play Saloon Bar and screenplays for British movies including Seven Days to Noon
(1950) and I'm Alright Jack (1960).
He had a daughter, Helen, by his second wife.
Biography
Harvey was born in JerseyJersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
, Channel Islands
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
. His father was a Frenchman, whose name, Jean Francois Marie de Soissons de Latanac, was Anglicised to "Frank Harvey".. Harvey's father was also a man of the stage, noted for writing the plays Shall We Forgive Her, Life and Death and Wed Yet No Wife.) When the son came to choose his own stage name, he could think of nothing better than his father's! (This may have been a legend as his given names were Harvey Ainsworth Hilton. It may be significant that the name he gave the entrepreneur in The Broken Melody was De Latanac)
Harvey studied under Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree
Herbert Beerbohm Tree
Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree was an English actor and theatre manager.Tree began performing in the 1870s. By 1887, he was managing the Haymarket Theatre, winning praise for adventurous programming and lavish productions, and starring in many of its productions. In 1899, he helped fund the...
and played Shakespearean parts in the Lyceum Theatre in London. In 1914 he was engaged by J C Williamson to play in Australia with Nancye Stewart, and did not return to England until 1926.
In 1922 he toured New Zealand with the Emélie Polini troupe.
By 1930 he was back in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, working with Campbell Copelin
Campbell Copelin
Campbell Copelin was an English-born actor, who moved to Australia in the 1920s and worked extensively in film, theatre, radio and television. He had a notable association with J.C. Williamson Ltd and frequently collaborated with F.W. Thring and Frank Harvey...
for JCW. He returned to London, but was back in Australia in 1933 to work for F. W. Thring
F. W. Thring
Frank W. Thring, , better known as F. W. Thring, was an Australian film director, producer, and exhibitor. He was managing director of Hoyts until 1930, after which he went into film production, establishing Efftee Studios...
at Efftee Productions as an actor and screenwriter.
In 1935 he moved to Sydney and began writing and acting for ABC radio
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
. This involvement later led to full-time appointment as senior drama producer in 1944, directing such stars as Queenie Ashton
Queenie Ashton
Edith "Queenie" Ashton AM was an English-born Australian soprano and character actress who had a long career primarily on radio, although she was also a renowned theatre actress, who also added television and film performances to her impressive repertoire...
(in early episodes of Blue Hills
Blue Hills (radio serial)
.Blue Hills, written by Gwen Meredith, was an Australian radio serial about the lives of families in a typical Australian country town called Tanimbla. "Blue Hills" itself was the residence of the town’s doctor....
), Lyndall Barbour and Nigel Lovell. Older Australians may remember him as Nestor the story-teller in the Argonauts Club
Argonauts Club
The Argonauts Club was an Australian children's radio program, first broadcast in 1933 on ABC Radio in Melbourne. Its format was devised by Nina Murdoch who had run the station's Children's Hour on 3LO and stayed on when that station was taken over by the Australian Broadcasting Commission...
for most of the '40s. His play False Colours was staged by Doris Fitton
Doris Fitton
Doris Alice Fitton Mason, DBE was an Australian actress and theatrical director who founded and for 35 years headed Sydney's Independent Theatre, staging a diverse range of local and international dramas, many for the first time in Australia, including Sumner Locke-Elliott's wartime comedy, Rusty...
's Independent Theatre
Independent Theatre
The Independent Theatre was a dramatic society founded in 1930 by Doris Fitton , and was also the name given to the building it occupied from 1938. It was named for London's Independent Theatre Society founded by J. T...
.
In 1936 he founded a School of Voice Production and Dramatic Art with Claude Flemming
Claude Flemming
Claude Flemming was an Australian actor, writer, producer and director of theatre and film. He acted in productions of Shakespeare for George Rignold's company in Sydney in 1903, and became a music comedy specialist....
. That year he also went to work for Ken G. Hall
Ken G. Hall
Kenneth George Hall, AO OBE , better known as Ken G. Hall, was an Australian film director, considered one of the most important figures in the history of the Australian film industry.-Early years:...
at Cinesound Productions
Cinesound Productions
Cinesound Productions Pty Ltd was one of Australia's first feature film production companies. Established in June 1932, Cinesound developed out of a group of companies centred around Greater Union Theatres, that covered all facets of the film process, from production, to distribution and...
as a studio dialogue director and in-house screenwriter. Starting with It Isn't Done
It Isn't Done
It Isn't Done is a 1937 comedy about an Australian grazier who inherits a baronacy.-Production:The film was based on an original story by Kellaway which he had written in between acts while performing in White Horse Inn on stage. Hall liked the basic idea but said Kellaway was unable to put it...
(1937), Harvey wrote or co-wrote nine produced feature film scripts for Cinesound over the next four years, often playing small roles in them as well.
By the time Harvey retired in 1952 he had directed many hundreds of radio plays. He was appreciated by actors for his wit and communication skills.
Personal
He married Grace Ackerman in 1910 and divorced her in 1923 on grounds of desertion.On 3 April 1924 he married Rosamond "Bobbie" McMillan, an actress with the Emélie Polini troupe.
A son (1912–1981) by his first marriage, also called Frank Harvey, was a British playwright and novelist who wrote the play Saloon Bar and screenplays for British movies including Seven Days to Noon
Seven Days to Noon
Seven Days to Noon is a 1950 British drama / thriller film directed by John Boulting and Roy Boulting. Paul Dehn and James Bernard won the Academy Award for Best Story for this film.-Plot:The film is set in the early 1950s...
(1950) and I'm Alright Jack (1960).
He had a daughter, Helen, by his second wife.
Plays: as writer
- Cape Forlorn (1931)
- The Last Enemy (1932) (later played by a young Laurence OlivierLaurence OlivierLaurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM was an English actor, director, and producer. He was one of the most famous and revered actors of the 20th century. He married three times, to fellow actors Jill Esmond, Vivien Leigh, and Joan Plowright...
) - False Colours (1935)
- The Poltergeist (1955)
Plays: as actor
- Joseph and His BrethrenJoseph and his BrethrenJoseph is an oratorio by George Frideric Handel in the summer of 1743. Joseph is composed on a libretto by James Miller. It received its premiere performance that following Lenten season on 2 March 1744 at the Covent Garden Theatre....
(1914) w/ Nancye Stewart (her debut) - Within the Law (1915)w/ Muriel Starr
- The Marriage of Kitty (1916) w/ Marie TempestMarie TempestDame Marie Tempest DBE was an English singer and actress known as the "queen of her profession".Tempest became the most famous soprano in late Victorian light opera and Edwardian musical comedies. Later, she became a leading comic actress and toured widely in North America and elsewhere...
- Annabelle (1916) w/ Marie TempestMarie TempestDame Marie Tempest DBE was an English singer and actress known as the "queen of her profession".Tempest became the most famous soprano in late Victorian light opera and Edwardian musical comedies. Later, she became a leading comic actress and toured widely in North America and elsewhere...
- A Pair of Silk Stockings (1917) w/ Marie TempestMarie TempestDame Marie Tempest DBE was an English singer and actress known as the "queen of her profession".Tempest became the most famous soprano in late Victorian light opera and Edwardian musical comedies. Later, she became a leading comic actress and toured widely in North America and elsewhere...
and Nancye Stewart - The Easiest Way (1918) w/ Muriel Starr
- The Silent Witness (1919) w/ Muriel Starr
- Adam and Eva (1921) w/ Maud Hannaford
- Scandal (1922 in New Zealand) w/ Emélie Polini
- My Lady's Dress (1923 in New Zealand) w/ Emélie Polini
- The Flaw (1923 in New Zealand) w/ Emélie Polini
- De Luxe Annie (1923 in New Zealand) w/ Emélie Polini
- The Bird of Paradise (1923) w/ Muriel Starr
- The Garden of Allah (1924) w/ Muriel Starr
- A Royal Divorce (1925) w/ Muriel Starr
- So This Is London (1925) w/ Muriel Starr and Mayne Lynton
- Secrets (1925)
- Within the Law (1925)
- Monsieur BeaucaireMonsieur BeaucaireMonsieur Beaucaire is a 1924 silent film drama based on the Booth Tarkington novel of the same name. Filmed at Paramount Studios in New York City, it was produced and directed by Sidney Olcott and starred Rudolph Valentino.-Plot:...
(1925) w/ Mary Hinton - Seventh Heaven (1925) w/ Remy Carpen
- The Silver King (1926) w/ Remy Carpen and Mayne Lynton
- East LynneEast LynneEast Lynne is an English sensation novel of 1861 by Ellen Wood. East Lynne was a Victorian bestseller. It is remembered chiefly for its elaborate and implausible plot, centering on infidelity and double identities...
(1929) in New Zealand w/ Muriel Starr - My Lady's Dress (1931) playing seven different roles w/ Iris Darbyshire
- The Calendar (1931) w/ Campbell CopelinCampbell CopelinCampbell Copelin was an English-born actor, who moved to Australia in the 1920s and worked extensively in film, theatre, radio and television. He had a notable association with J.C. Williamson Ltd and frequently collaborated with F.W. Thring and Frank Harvey...
and Coral Brown (her debut) - On the SpotOn the spotOn the spot may refer to:*On the Spot , a series which aired during 2003 on the WB Television Network* On the Spot , produced by the National Film Board of Canada from 1953-54...
(1931) w/ Campbell CopelinCampbell CopelinCampbell Copelin was an English-born actor, who moved to Australia in the 1920s and worked extensively in film, theatre, radio and television. He had a notable association with J.C. Williamson Ltd and frequently collaborated with F.W. Thring and Frank Harvey... - Cape Forlorn (1931) w/ Harvey Adams and Charles WheelerCharles WheelerCharles Wheeler may refer to:*Charles Wheeler , Australian painter*Charles Wheeler , journalist with the BBC*Charles Wheeler , Missouri politician...
(also written by him) - RopeRopeA rope is a length of fibres, twisted or braided together to improve strength for pulling and connecting. It has tensile strength but is too flexible to provide compressive strength...
(1932) w/ Campbell CopelinCampbell CopelinCampbell Copelin was an English-born actor, who moved to Australia in the 1920s and worked extensively in film, theatre, radio and television. He had a notable association with J.C. Williamson Ltd and frequently collaborated with F.W. Thring and Frank Harvey... - Mother of Pearl (1934) starring Alice Delysia and Campbell CopelinCampbell CopelinCampbell Copelin was an English-born actor, who moved to Australia in the 1920s and worked extensively in film, theatre, radio and television. He had a notable association with J.C. Williamson Ltd and frequently collaborated with F.W. Thring and Frank Harvey...
, (also written and directed by him) - Her Past (1934) starring Alice Delysia and Campbell CopelinCampbell CopelinCampbell Copelin was an English-born actor, who moved to Australia in the 1920s and worked extensively in film, theatre, radio and television. He had a notable association with J.C. Williamson Ltd and frequently collaborated with F.W. Thring and Frank Harvey...
(also directed) - Black Limelight (1939) w/ Henry MollisonHenry MollisonHenry Mollison was a British film actor. He was the brother of the actor Clifford Mollison.-Selected filmography:* Balaclava * Knowing Men * Third Time Lucky * The Face at the Window...
and Lina BasquetteLina BasquetteLina Basquette was an American actress noted as much for her more than 75 years in entertainment beginning in the silent film era, as her tumultuous personal life and nine marriages.-Early years:...
at newly opened Minerva Theatre
Filmography
- Within Our GatesWithin Our Gates (1915 film)Within Our Gates, also known as Deeds that Won Gallipoli, is a 1915 Australian silent film about Australia's fight with Germany and Turkey during World War I, including the landing at Gaba Tepe during the Gallipoli Campaign...
(1915) - director - Cape ForlornCape ForlornCape Forlorn is a 1930 British drama film directed by Ewald André Dupont and starring Fay Compton, Frank Harvey and Ian Hunter. It was the English language version of a British International Pictures multi-language production with France and Germany which also made Menschen im Käfig and Le cap...
(1931) - original play - The Streets of LondonThe Streets of London (1934 film)The Streets of London is a 1934 Australian film directed by F.W. Thring. It was a filmed version of a play by Dion Boucicault which Thring had produced on stage the previous year.-Cast:*Frank Harvey as Badger*Ethel Newman as Mrs Fairweather...
(1934) - actor - A Ticket in TattsA Ticket in Tatts (1934 film)A Ticket in Tatts is a 1934 musical comedy starring popular stage comedian George Wallace as an accident-prone stablehand. It was the last of three films Wallace made for F. W. Thring.-Cast:*George Wallace*Frank Harvey-External links:...
(1934) - actor - SheepmatesSheepmatesSheepmates was a proposed Australian film from director F.W. Thring based on a 1931 novel by William Hatfield. Filming began in 1933. After shooting some studio scenes, the crew departed to the Queensland and South Australian border for six weeks of filming around various cattle stations...
(1934) (abandoned) - actor - Clara GibbingsClara GibbingsClara Gibbings is a 1934 Australian film directed by F.W. Thring about the owner of a London pub who discovers she is the daughter of an earl. It was a vehicle for stage star Dorothy Brunton.-Synopsis:...
(1934) - writer - HeritageHeritage (film)Heritage is a 1935 Australian historical film directed by Charles Chauvel.-Production:Heritage was originally conceived in 1933, while Charles Chauvel was organising publicity for his previous film, In the Wake of the Bounty. The Australian government, in a bid to encourage the local film industry,...
(1935) - actor - White DeathWhite Death (1936 film)White Death is a 1936 Australian film starring Zane Grey as himself. The film was made during Grey's 1935 fishing trip to Australia and was directed by Edwin G Bowen, Grey's general manager.-Bibliography:...
(1936) - It Isn't DoneIt Isn't DoneIt Isn't Done is a 1937 comedy about an Australian grazier who inherits a baronacy.-Production:The film was based on an original story by Kellaway which he had written in between acts while performing in White Horse Inn on stage. Hall liked the basic idea but said Kellaway was unable to put it...
(1937) cowriter Carl DudleyCarl DudleyCarl Ward Dudley was an American film director and producer best known for the Cinerama feature South Seas Adventure ....
, actor - Tall TimbersTall Timbers (1937 film)-Production:It was based on an original story by Frank Hurley which was rewritten by Frank Harvey. Hall claims it had no connection with the 1926 film Tall Timber, which he had never seen. He also said the resulting movie was "weak as hell"....
(1937) - writer, actor - Lovers and LuggersLovers and LuggersLovers and Luggers is a 1937 adventure melodrama about a pianist who goes to Thursday Island to retrieve a valuable pearl.-Production:The script was based on a novel by Gurney Slade which was set in Broome and adapted by Frank Harvey...
aka Vengeance of the Deep (1937) - writer, actor - The Broken MelodyThe Broken Melody (1937 film)The Broken Melody is a 1938 Australian drama film directed by Ken G. Hall and starring Lloyd Hughes, Diana Du Cane and Rosalind Kennerdale. It was based on a best-selling novel by F.J. Thwaites.-Production:...
aka The Vagabond Violinist (1938) - writer, actor
-
- for trivia fans: this movie is notable for appearance of a very young Gough WhitlamGough WhitlamEdward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC , known as Gough Whitlam , served as the 21st Prime Minister of Australia. Whitlam led the Australian Labor Party to power at the 1972 election and retained government at the 1974 election, before being dismissed by Governor-General Sir John Kerr at the climax of the...
!- Dad and Dave Come to TownDad and Dave Come to TownDad and Dave Come to Town is a 1938 Australian comedy film directed by Ken G. Hall, the third in the 'Dad and Dave' comedy series starring Bert Bailey.-Synopsis:...
(1938) - writer, actor - Let George Do ItLet George Do It (1938 film)Let George Do It is a 1938 comedy starring popular stage comedian George Wallace. It was the first of two films Wallace made for Ken G. Hall at Cinesound Productions, the other one being Gone to the Dogs...
(1938) - writer, actor - Mr. Chedworth Steps OutMr. Chedworth Steps OutMr. Chedworth Steps Out is a 1939 Australian film directed by Ken G. Hall. The film is a comedy about a mild-mannered clerk who is dominated by his wife and gets fired from his job after years of service...
(1939) - writer - Gone to the DogsGone to the Dogs (1939 film)Gone to the Dogs is a 1939 comedy vehicle starring George Wallace. It was the second of two films he made for director Ken G. Hall, following Let George Do It .-Synopsis:...
(1939) - writer, actor - Dad Rudd, MPDad Rudd, MPDad Rudd, M.P. is a 1940 comedy that was the last of four films made by Ken G. Hall starring Bert Bailey as Dad Rudd. It was the last feature film directed by Hall prior to the war and the last made by Cinesound Productions, Bert Bailey and Frank Harvey....
(1940) - writer, actor
- Dad and Dave Come to Town
- for trivia fans: this movie is notable for appearance of a very young Gough Whitlam
Radio Credits
- Monsieur BeaucaireMonsieur BeaucaireMonsieur Beaucaire is a 1924 silent film drama based on the Booth Tarkington novel of the same name. Filmed at Paramount Studios in New York City, it was produced and directed by Sidney Olcott and starred Rudolph Valentino.-Plot:...
(1935) - actor - Scandal(1935) - actor
- My Lady's Dress (1935) - actor
- Dead or Alive by Edmund BarclayEdmund BarclayEdmund Barclay was an English-Australian writer best known for his work in radio drama. Radio historian Richard Lane called him "Australian radio's first great writer and, many would say, Australian radio's greatest playwright ever." He also wrote stage plays and film scripts including The Silence...
(1936) - actor - The Fire on the SnowThe Fire on the SnowThe Fire on the Snow is a verse play by Douglas Stewart about the Terra Nova Expedition to Antarctica by Robert Falcon Scott. It premiered on ABC radio on 6 June 1941 to great acclaim.....
(1941 original production by Frank ClewlowFrank ClewlowFrank Dawson Clewlow was an English actor-director who in 1936 became Federal Controller of Productions for the Australian Broadcasting Commission....
) as Robert Falcon ScottRobert Falcon ScottCaptain Robert Falcon Scott, CVO was a Royal Navy officer and explorer who led two expeditions to the Antarctic regions: the Discovery Expedition, 1901–04, and the ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition, 1910–13... - MacbethMacbethThe Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
(1948) with Lloyd BerrellLloyd BerrellLloyd Berrell was a New Zealand actor who played Roo in the original Sydney production of Summer of the Seventeenth Doll. He worked extensively in Australian radio and theatre, and appeared in a large portion of the few films being shot locally at the time...
and Lyndall Barbour - director - Waterloo Bridge (1948) with Max Osbiston - director
Sources
- The Golden Age of Australian Drama Richard Lane, Melbourne University Press 1994 ISBN 0 522 84556 8
- Biography by Stephen Vagg
- Frank Harvey at IMDB
- Frank Harvey Australian theatre credits at AusstageAusstageAusStage is an online database which records information about live performances in Australia. It provides records of productions from the beginnings of theatre in Australia up to today...
- Frank Harvey at the National Film and Sound ArchiveNational Film and Sound ArchiveThe National Film and Sound Archive is Australia’s audiovisual archive, responsible for developing, preserving, maintaining, promoting and providing access to a national collection of audiovisual materials and related items...