Born on the June 3, 1931, in London. Trained as an actor at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he appeared in several stage plays and in the picture “Caesar and Cleopatra” (1945). A film editor since 1949, he worked on many distinguished British productions before turning director in the late 1960s.
As a director, Harvey impressed with his initial films, but disappointed with his subsequent work. He directed Katharine Hepburn in two films, “The Lion in Winter,” for which she won her third Best Actress Oscar, and “Grace Quigley” (1984, aka “The Ultimate Solution of Grace Quigley”).
Oscar Alert
In 1968, Harvey received a Best Director nomination for “The Lion in Winter,” but the winner was his British peer, Carol Reed, for “Oliver!” The other three nominees were: Stanley Kubrick for “2001: A Space Odyssey,” Italian Gillo Pontecorvo for “The Battle of Algiers,” and Italian Franco Zeffirelli for “Romeo and Juliet.”