John Harvey (actor)

John Harvey (27 September 1911 – 19 July 1982) was an English actor. He appeared in 52 films, two television films and made 70 television guest appearances between 1948 and 1979.

Born in London, England, he began his acting career on the stage in the 1930s as one of the Harry Hanson's Court Players at the Peterborough Repertory. While there, he met the actress Diana King.

Harvey and King were married, remaining together for more than forty years, until his death.

During the Second World War, he was commissioned in the Royal Air Force. Post-war, he performed at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, London, for some six years, during the entire West End runs of Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific and The King and I.

Harvey's film debut was in the role as Eddie in the British crime drama A Gunman Has Escaped (1948), in which he was the leading star. Harvey then moved to character roles and five films later played Inspector Loomis in Hitchcock's Stage Fright (1950) starring Jane Wyman and Richard Todd. His next role was as Bland in the drama Chance of a Lifetime (1950).

Harvey's television debut was as Angelo Verona in the BBC film On the Spot (1948). He played Buster Cox in the United Artists film noir crime/thriller The Man with My Face (1951) starring Barry Nelson.

Among his guest appearances on series television was his role as Sir William Duffy in Dr. Finlay's Casebook (1962) and two Doctor Who appearances – Professor Brett in The War Machines (1966), and Officia in The Macra Terror (1967), all for the BBC.

John Harvey died at age 70 in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire.