Harry Harvey

Harry William Harvey Sr. (January 10, 1901 – November 27, 1985) was an American actor of theatre, film, and television, with more than 300 movies and TV episodes to his credit. Movie fans know Harry Harvey as Leon Errol's perennial confidant in Errol's two-reel comedies for RKO Radio Pictures, and as a character player in serials for Columbia Pictures. Television viewers may recall him for his performances on The Lone Ranger and The Roy Rogers Show (1951–1957).

Career Harvey was born in Indian Territory, now Oklahoma, and appeared in minstrel shows, in vaudeville, and on the Broadway stage.

Harry Harvey began working in motion pictures in 1932, and established himself as a freelance character player. Although remembered as a fixture in dozens of RKO features and shorts, he actually worked at several studios during the 1930s and 1940s, although he did work exclusively for RKO between late 1945 and mid-1948. He usually played bits and small roles in feature films (reporters, clerks, waiters, stewards, etc.). He received larger roles in westerns, and featured roles in two-reel comedies. He began working with RKO's comedy star Leon Errol in 1939, and within a few years he was Errol's affable second lead, the best friend who tried to extricate the trouble-prone comic from his latest predicament. Harvey continued to appear in RKO films through 1952.

Television Harvey was cast from 1951 to 1957 in the role of Sheriff Tom Blodgett in fifty-three episodes of The Roy Rogers Show. In 1956 he appeared uncredited as the Marshal on the TV western Cheyenne in the episode "The Last Train West." That same year, he appeared as Tom Lovelace in another Cheyenne episode titled "Johnny Bravo."

He played Mayor George Dixon of fictitious Yellowstone in twenty-one episodes from 1957 to 1959 of the syndicated western series, Man Without a Gun. He was cast in different roles in eleven episodes of The Lone Ranger from 1949 to 1955. In 1960 Harvey appeared as Citizen on the TV western Laramie in the episode titled "Duel at Parkinson Town."

In 1962, he appeared on the short-lived NBC drama series, It's a Man's World as the recurring character, Houghton Stott, owner of Stott's Service Station.

In the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, he guest-starred in such series as Branded, Lassie, Hazel, Leave it to Beaver, Kentucky Jones, Gunsmoke, The Wild Wild West, Mannix, Alias Smith and Jones, Bonanza, and Columbo. His last appearance was in an episode of Adam-12 (1974).

Personal life He married Mabel Frances Mason; their son was actor, script supervisor, and director Harry Harvey Jr.

Selected filmography

1932: Destry Rides Again as Stage Passenger (uncredited) 1935: Manhattan Moon as Newspaper Reporter 1935: Skybound as George Duncan 1936: The Oregon Trail as Tim 1936: Ticket to Paradise as Spotter 1936: Headline Crasher as City Editor 1936: The Reckless Way as Joe Black 1936: The Moon's Our Home as Reporter 1937: Special Agent K-7 as Speedy 1937: High Hat as Nelson Connolly 1938: Here's Flash Casey as Gus Payton 1938: King of the Sierras as Pete 1938: Six Shootin' Sheriff as Todd 1939: Lone Star Pioneers as Eph Brown 1939: Mercy Plane as Curly 1939: Two Gun Troubador as Elmer Potts 1940: Phantom Rancher as Gopher 1940: Texas Renegades as Sidekick Noisy 1940: Deadwood Dick as Dave Miller 1940: Ridin' the Trail as Fuzzy Jones 1942: The Pride of the Yankees as Joe McCarthy 1943: Return of the Rangers as Philip Dobbs 1944: Gangsters of the Frontier as Mr. Merritt 1946: Step by Step as Senator Remmy 1946: Badman's Territory as Stationmaster (uncredited) 1947: Trail Street as Mayor 1947: Sinbad the Sailor as Crier at Execution (uncredited) 1948: The Arizona Ranger as Payton, Stagecoach Agent 1948: They Live by Night as Hagenheimer 1949: Death Valley Gunfighter as Vinson McKnight 1949: I Cheated the Law as Second Judge 1949-1955: The Lone Ranger (TV series) (11 episodes) as Clem / Doc Andrews / Doc Robbins / Doc Weston / Ed Bates / Fred Niles / Jim Lackey / Mayor / Sam Blake / Sheriff Jim Dixon / Tim Dillon 1950: Cow Town as Sheriff Steve Calhoun 1950: Unmasked as Saunders 1951: Whirlwind as Sheriff Barlow 1951: Arizona Manhunt as Doctor Sawyer 1951-1957: The Roy Rogers Show (TV series) (54 episodes) as Sheriff Tom Blodgett / Sheriff John Blodgett / Williams / Hank Fisher / Minister / Sheriff Williams 1952: High Noon as Coy (uncredited) 1952: The Duel at Silver Creek as Mr. Cromwell (uncredited) 1952: Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair as Jam-Judging Committee Chairman (uncredited) 1953: Old Overland Trail as Storekeeper 1954: Highway Dragnet as Mr. Carson 1957-1959: Man Without a Gun (TV series) (22 episodes) as Mayor George Dixon 1960-1961: Laramie (TV series) (Season 2 Episode 8: ".45 Caliber") as Townsman (uncredited) (Season 2 Episode 12: "Duel at Parkinson Town") as Citizen (Season 2 Episode 23: "Run of the Hunted") as Tolan (Season 3 Episode 5: "The Fatal Step") as Postmaster 1962: Lawman (TV series) (Season 4 Episode 37: "The Actor") as Dr. Wilson 1962-1963: It's a Man's World (TV series) (18 episodes) as Houghton Stott 1963: The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (Season 1 Episode 24: "The Star Juror") as Dr. Vince 1963: The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (Season 2 Episode 3: "Terror at Northfield") as Mayor Sanford Brown 1963: Leave it to Beaver (Season 6 Episode 33: "Summer in Alaska") as Captain Drake 1964: Disneyland 1965: Cat Ballou as Train Conductor (uncredited) 1965: Kentucky Jones (TV series) (Season 1 Episode 20: "Senior Citizen") as Uncle Henry 1965-1971: Gunsmoke (TV series) (8 episodes) (Season 10 Episode 25: "Breckinridge") as Old Man (Season 13 Episode 9: "The Pillagers") as Eli (Season 13 Episode 18: "Nowhere to Run") as Storekeeper (Season 14 Episode 7: "9:12 to Dodge") as Dispatcher (Season 16 Episode 4: "Sam McTavish M.D.") as Johnson (Season 17 Episode 12: "Gold Train: The Bullet, Part 1") as Drummer (Season 17 Episode 13: "Gold Train: The Bullet, Part 2") as Drummer (Season 17 Episode 14: "Gold Train: The Bullet, Part 3") as Drummer 1966: Ride Beyond Vengeance as Vogan 1966: Petticoat Junction (TV series) (Season 3 Episode 16: "Better Never Than Late") as Mr. Billings 1968: Bewitched (TV Series) (Season 4 Episode 27: "Tabitha's Crank Spell") as Uncle Willie 1969: The Ballad of Andy Crocker (TV Movie) as Mr. Kirkaby 1970: Marcus Welby M.D. (TV series) (Season 2 Episode 4: "Epidemic") as Mr. Simpson 1970: Airport as Dr. Avery Smith, Passenger (uncredited) 1974: Adam-12 (TV Series) (Season 7 Episode 9: "Alcohol") as Reverend Harvey