The middle one of three generations of Frank Harveys in theatre work, Frank Harvey (1885-1965) was a radio, stage and film actor, a radio and stage producer and a stage and film writer; he is the son of Jean Francois Marie de Soissons de Latanac, who acted in England as Frank Harvey.
Harvey, whose birth name was Harvey Ainsworth Hilton, began his acting career in London, and came to Australia in 1914 to work on stage for J. C. Williamson. After acting in Australia and New Zealand for some fifteen years he returned to live in England. Here he had considerable success with his 'Cape Forlorn'. He returned to Australia in the 1930s, performing on stage in Melbourne, working as an actor-writer on several Efftee films in about 1934, acting in radio plays for the ABC and writing and co-writing screenplays for Cinesound 1935-1939. His credits include Let George Do It (1938) and Dad and Dave Come to Town (1938).
When Cinesound ceased production of feature films during World War II, Harvey produced and acted in plays at Minerva Theatre, Sydney, then turned almost entirely to radio production with the ABC 1942-1952, becoming their senior drama producer.
He was the father of Frank Harvey, the British playwright and novelist, author of the play Saloon Bar and writer of British screenplays including I'm Alright Jack, and the brother of the novelist Marie Harvey.
