Volume III: Biographies

HARVEY, John ("Jack") *

Actor, director (1914-1915)

Thanhouser Career Synopsis: John ("Jack") Harvey was a director with Thanhouser in 1914 and 1915. He was the owner of Shep, known as the Thanhouser Dog and the Thanhouser Collie.

Biographical Notes: Born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1881, John ("Jack") Harvey was educated in the public schools there. In his early career he sang baritone parts in many productions and, according to a directory, was "also in every branch of amusement business from circus to opera." His screen career included work for Vitagraph, Thanhouser (a director in 1914 and 1915), and Universal (When Thieves Fall Out). While with Thanhouser, Jack Harvey received great publicity as the owner of a talented collie, Shep, who had been featured in Vitagraph films earlier. Known as The Thanhouser Dog, and also The Thanhouser Collie, Shep performed many daring feats before the camera. Jack Harvey acted in various films in the summer and autumn of 1914, typically uncredited, and directed others, for which he was mentioned in publicity notices. The last film he directed, although not the last released, was Mercy on a Crutch.

A 1915 Sketch: The New Rochelle Pioneer, March 27, 1915, carried a sketch by John William Kellette which discussed Shep and his trainer, Jack Harvey: "[In addition to his work with Shep] 'Jack' has done other things, directing Thanhouser pictures, for instance, which makes him a full fledged member of the 'Laurel Wreath Association,' and as Dewey once passed the word: 'You may fire when ready, Gridley,' I'm going to shoot. I'm going to tell all about this blue eyes further along in the story; the little dinky mustache that takes its four-hours-a-day training to curl symmetrical kaiserwilhelmward; his even tampered manner and enchanting voice, but the beginning must deal with Shep. [The paragraphs about Shep have been reprinted under Shep's biography in the present volume.]

"And now to the man - the fellow with such power to exact intelligence from the animal kingdom. Harvey is an author, actor, director - which says a heap in three words. He was with the Vitagraph Company of America prior to coming to New Rochelle last summer. There he worked in pictures and on pictures. In all the dramas that required dog work Harvey was the directing spirit. Many of you who read this will remember 'Jean, the Vitagraph Dog.' All the good work done by Jean was at Harvey's direction.

"He has blue eyes - the orbs of a dreamer - occasionally he'll wrinkle his brows and almost hide them - they become slits in a dramatic setting. He'll do that when he's visualizing underworld stuff. He's lived in the Avenue B section and fraternized with gunmen to get atmosphere. How he even escaped getting plugged nobody knows. He's elbowed with 'snowbirds' to get suggestion for dope pictures, and he's listened to the vernacular of Delancey street to be able to read between the lines. He knows underworld from the zero basement to the level. And he claims that the underworld is not half as black as it's painted. Many of the things done in high life and called shrewd is done in the underworld in a crude fashion and called crooked. He doesn't defend the 'rough stuff' understand. He's an American and law abiding; but he believes there is a lot of 'frame-up' stuff going on with the down-and-outers.

"Then the eyes will be those of a joy-filled youth. They'll shine and flash. A smile plays around his mouth and Jack is at peace with the world. He lives through everything he directs. You won't have to watch the actors before the camera. Watch Harvey. His movements will show you what the cast is doing. In private life Harvey is a fine fellow. He belongs to the Screen Club, New York City, and spends much time there at night with his pals. He's as straight as a string, else they wouldn't accept his dues. He's a good mixer and a hustler. The only regret is that he doesn't live in New Rochelle. He may yet; after he finds that New York life is humdrum - the same thing over and over. After we get him to spend a couple of nights in 'The City Beautiful,' when he can wake up in the morning and hear the earth breathe, and listen to the grass growing, the flowers talking to the birds and experience in that peace that could never be found in 'Busyville,' he may wonder why he never took up a residence here. We'll get him yet. Just watch. Now, take another look at that photo. Don't be afraid to say 'Howdy' when you pass him on the street."

His Later Career: An article in The New Rochelle Pioneer, June 19, 1915, stated that he was leaving the studio that day and was going to take a new position as a director with Universal at Coytesville, New Jersey, to direct former Thanhouser player William Garwood and Violet Mersereau there. Harvey had begun as an "extra" with Thanhouser, it was stated, and had worked his way up to a directorship. When he left, it was with the good wishes of the studio. Going with him were John William Kellette, as a co-worker at Universal, and William Harvey, as his assistant director.

Despite his intention to go to Universal, he went to Lubin, in Philadelphia, by July 10, 1915, according to a notice that date in The New Rochelle Pioneer. However, he did indeed eventually go to Universal, where he was situated by late August, and where he was busy working on an IMP four-reeler, The Wolf of Debt, with some scenes filmed in New Rochelle at the Cedarcliff Hotel (where certain early scenes in Thanhouser's Million Dollar Mystery were also filmed). In the meantime, he became the proud owner of a seven-passenger Packard. Jack Harvey died of natural causes in Hollywood, California. His body was found in his home on November 10, 1954. A son survived him.

Thanhouser Filmography:

1914: A Dog's Love (10-4-1914), Shep's Race With Death (11-1-1914), The Center of the Web (12-1-1914), The Barrier of Flames (12-15-1914), The White Rose (Princess 12-25-1914)

1915: Shep the Sentinel (1-1-1915), When Fate Rebelled (Princess 1-1-1915), Check No. 130 (Princess 1-8-1915), $1,000 Reward (2-26-1915), A Newspaper Nemesis (2-28-1915), The Stolen Jewels (3-21-1915), The Skinflint (Princess 3-26, 1915), The Undertow (4-20-1915), Their One Love (5-2-1915), Fairy Fern Seed (5-25-1915), His Guardian Auto (Falstaff 6-11-1915), The Patriot and the Spy (6-7-1915), The Flying Twins (7-1-1915), Mercy on a Crutch (7-13-1915), A Message Through Flames (8-10-1915)

# # #