Oscar Profile #295: Anthony Harvey

Born June 3, 1931 in London, England to actress Mae Bacon and her first husband, actor-editor-director Anthony Harvey was later adopted by his step-father, actor Morris Harvey.

Educated at RADA (The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art), young Harvey was given permission by his headmaster, George Bernard Shaw, to interrupt his studies to take the part of Ptolemy in the 1945 film version of Shaw’s Caesar and Cleopatra after he won the part over 100 other kids because the casting director said had eyes like the film’s star, Vivien Leigh.

With his acting career stalled, Harvey was determined to have a career on the “technical side” of film and went to work as an assistant editor for the Boulting Brothers in the early 1950s. Working his way up from second assistant editor, they finally gave him the job of chief editor on 1956’s Private’s Progress. Among his films as editor in the late 1950s and early 1960s were I’m All Right Jack, The Angry Silence and The Millionairess. He was interviewed ten times by Stanley Kubrick before Kubrick hired him to edit 1962’s Lolita because he says Kubrick wanted to make sure he would have no private life and be entirely at his disposal.

Harvey then edited four acclaimed films in succession, 1962’s The L-Shaped Room for Bryan Forbes, followed by 1964’s Dr. Strangelove for Kubrick, 1965’s The Spy Who Came in from the Cold for Martin Ritt and 1967’s The Whisperers again for Forbes. He then directed his first film, the same year’s Dutchman starring Shirley Knight and Al Freeman, Jr. which won acclaim at both the Cannes and Venice film festivals.

Peter O’Toole was so impressed with Dutchman that he insisted that Harvey be given 1968’sThe Lion in Winter to direct and convinced a skeptical Katharine Hepburn to accept him. It was Harvey who accepted Hepburn’s Oscar on her behalf the night he himself was nominated for Best Director. After turning down offers to direct Love Story and Cabaret, he chose 1971’s They Might Be Giants as his next film because it had a script by Lion’s James Goldman. He then talked Hepburn into starring in the 1973 TV adaptation of The Glass Menagerie for which Hepburn as Amanda and Sam Waterston as Tom were nominated for Emmys while Joanna Miles as Laura and Michael Moriarty as the Gentleman Caller won. Harvey himself was nominated for a Director’s Guild award.

Harvey received a subsequent DGA nomination for 1982’s The Patricia Neal Story with Glenda Jackson and Dirk Bogarde, but hated the experience because of the constant interference of Hollywood film executives. Since then he has only directed three films, the 1983 TV movie, Svengali with Peter O’Toole; the 1984 theatrical film, Grace Quigley with Katharine Hepburn and the 1994 TV movie, This Can’t Be Love with Hepburn and Anthony Quinn.

Anthony Harvey lives in contented retirement in East Hampton, London, England at 85.

ESSENTIAL FILMS

DR. STRANGELOVE (1964), directed by Stanley Kubrick

Harvey’s editing of Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove with the director standing over his shoulder is generally considered what made the difference between the unwieldy film Kubrick shot and the long admired masterwork that took the world by storm at the time of its release and has remained a revered classic ever since. It was the highlight of Harvey’s distinguished editing career that ran from the early 1950s to the late 1960s. It was the second time he edited a Kubrick film and the fourth time he edited a Peter Sellers film having previously edited I’m All Right Jack, The Millionairess and Lolita.

THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD (1965), directed by Martin Ritt

Harvey’s meticulous editing was once again in evidence on this very chilly cold war thriller from the acclaimed novel of John Le Carré. The film received Oscar nominations for its art direction as well as Richard Burton’s lead performance. Oskar Werner won a Golden Globe for his supporting performance and the film won four BAFTAs for Best British Film, Actor (Burton), Cinematography and Art Direction. It was also nominated for Best Film from Any Source and Best Foreign Actor (Werner). Despite all this, Harvey’s editing was sadly not recognized by any of the major awards organizations.

THE WHISPERERS (1967), directed by Bryan Forbes

Harvey had previously been the editor of Forbes’ 1962 film, The L-Shaped Room, best remembered for Leslie Caron’s Golden Globe and BAFTA winning performance that also earned her a Best Actress nomination. Here Harvey’s editing helps preserve another great female performance, that of 79-year-old Dame Edith Evans’ mesmerizing portrayal of the addled old lady who hears voices in her teacup. Evans won every award in the books at the time except the Oscar which ironically went to a long overdue Katharine Hepburn in one of her lesser performances in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.

THE LION IN WINTER (1965), directed by Bud Yorkin

Harvey’s first film as a director, 1967’s Dutchman was a Cannes and Venice film festival sensation that emboldened Peter O’Toole to champion Harvey as director of this expected international hit despite co-star Katharine Hepburn’s reluctance. She finally gave in but still resisted Harvey’s direction until he insisted that she play a particular key scene his way, not hers. She angrily caved but when she viewed the scene in the rushes she not only had to admit he was right, but became his biggest supporter because of it. She later starred in three films under his direction. It was Harvey who accepted the Lioness’s third Oscar.

THE GLASS MENAGERIE (1973), directed by Anthony Harvey

Harvey had wanted to make a film of Tennessee Williams’ first hit ever since seeing Helen Hayes in the 1948 London production. Hepburn, who had seen Laurette Taylor perform in the original production seven times was reluctant to take on the role because she didn’t feel she could come close to capturing the magic Taylor brought to the role. She relented under Harvey’s charm and gave one of her finest performances in this distinguished TV movie earning an Emmy nomination as Amanda, as did Sam Waterston as Tom, while Joanna Miles as Laura and Michael Moriarty as the Gentleman Caller won for their performances.