Film director.
Early in his career, Harwood was described in newspaper reports as
a young Melbourne man who has had a meteoric rise in motion picture organisation. He gained experience in talkie production at Tahiti with American producers. He was co-director in many comedies. On returning to Australia he produced one of the first silent films in Melbourne. He also controls for the Commonwealth Government the release of the Australian Review and many other scenic silent films. ('Australian Talkie', Western Mail, 26 March 1931, p.4)
No information on the American-made comedies with which he was involved has been traced.
After making his most expensive film, the musical Show Business (1938), A. R. Harwood failed to secure a major city release and the film was subsequently seen only in independent suburban and country cinemas. Unable to recoup the production costs, his company, New Era Film Productions, closed down, forcing Harwood to spend several years working in various jobs to pay off the debit. These positions included working as a suburban cinema manager, insurance broker and real estate agent. By 1952 he had raised enough money to make a partial remake of Show Business. Titled Night Club, this film also failed to receive a commercial exhibition.
