Name: Harvey Stephens
Date of Birth: 21 August 1901 At age 30, actor Harvey Stephens had a sophisticated charm and staid, long-jawed handsomeness that seemed ideal for the big screen, particularly in elegant or period settings. A veteran of a handful of Broadway shows by the time he made his sudden move to film, he was handed on a silver platter a debut starring role. The drawback was that playing opposite him would be a Broadway legend and one the boldest scenery chewers of all-time -- 'Tallulah Bankhead' (qv). The "leading man" opportunities we... nt quickly downhill from there for Harvey but he redeemed himself quite well in the next few years as a poised second lead player and (later) dependable character actor on TV. Born on August 21, 1901, the Los Angeles native attended U.C.L.A. and had already married Beatrice Nichols by the time he established himself on Broadway. Taking his first New York bow with a role in "Other Men's Wives" in 1929, he went on to appear in "Dishonored Lady" (1930) with the great 'Katharine Cornell' (qv) and "Tomorrow and Tomorrow" (1931) with 'Herbert Marshall (I)' (qv) and 'Zita Johann' (qv) by the time Hollywood came calling. Paramount's Pre-Code drama _The Cheat (1931)_ (qv) was an auspicious first assignment For Harvey in which he was cast as decent, upper-scale guy Jeffrey Carlyle, the concerned husband to voracious party girl and gambler Elsa Carlyle, played to the hilt by 'Tallulah Bankhead' (qv). Bankhead, the larger-than-life celebrity deemed too big for the screen, took no prisoners and Harvey was dwarfed for most of the proceedings. Despite his obvious talent, Harvey's big chance for stardom was snuffed out. This would be his first and only chance at male star movie material. Continuing to appear on Broadway in such plays as "The Animal Kingdom" with 'Leslie Howard (I)' (qv), Fox signed Harvey up in 1933 and from there he appeared in second leads and/or "other man" parts, bolstering a number of quality films and providing a good-looking distraction between some of Hollywood's most popular cinematic stars. His first ruffled up the 'Janet Gaynor (I)' (qv) and 'Warner Baxter' (qv) coupling in the comedy _Paddy the Next Best Thing (1933)_ (qv). From there he enjoyed playing cads, flirts, and various wealthy suitor types who tried to come between some of Hollywood's glossiest and most popular pairings: 'William Powell (I)' (qv) and 'Myrna Loy' in _Evelyn Prentice (1934)_ (qv); 'Spencer Tracy' (qv) and 'Myrna Loy' (qv) in _Whipsaw (1935)_ (qv); 'Claudette Colbert' (qv) and 'Fred MacMurray' (qv) in _Maid of Salem (1937)_ (qv); and 'Carole Lombard (I)' (qv) and 'Fred MacMurray' (qv) in _Swing High, Swing Low (1937)_ (qv). By the end of the decade, however, Harvey was receiving credit much further down the list, especially in the higher-quality films of a _Beau Geste (1939)_ (qv), _Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940)_ (qv), _Sergeant York (1941)_ (qv) and _Lady in the Dark (1944)_ (qv). By the end of WWII, his film career had subsided drastically. As such, he returned to Broadway in 1944 with both "Over 21" starring 'Ruth Gordon (I)' (qv) and "Violet". In 1949 he had an officious featured role in the musical classic "South Pacific" starring 'Mary Martin (I)' (qv) and 'Ezio Pinza' (qv) in the non-singing role of Lt. Harbison, only one of two in the show. TV occupied much of Harvey's time in the 1950s, now a well-oiled character actor, but he never found any one series that might have given his character name a noticeable boost. Following unbilled roles in _The Young Lions (1958)_ (qv), _North by Northwest (1959)_ (qv) and _Advance to the Rear (1964)_ (qv), he ended his career on TV in 1965, then retired quietly to the Southern California area. Harvey died just a few days before Christmas in 1986 at the Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, California, and was survived by present wife Barbara and three children. He was 85 years old.Read more Harvey Stephens movies (actor)User Comments |
