Forrester Harvey

Forrester Harvey was an Irish actor born on 27 June 1884, who built a career spanning both stage and screen before his death on 14 December 1945. His Broadway work included an appearance in 1924 in The Havoc, while his parallel career in film grew to encompass more than 115 appearances from 1922 until the end of his life.

A physically distinctive performer known for his burly build and mustache, Harvey gravitated toward comic supporting parts throughout his screen career, frequently portraying innkeepers and similar characters. Roughly two-thirds of his film roles were credited, with the remainder going unacknowledged in the final prints. Among his most recognized screen work was the role of Beamish in the first two Tarzan films featuring Johnny Weissmuller.

Harvey appeared alongside Claude Rains in two productions: The Invisible Man, in which he played a tavern owner married to a hysterical character portrayed by Una O'Connor, and The Wolf Man. His work extended to two films directed by Alfred Hitchcock — the British silent production The Ring in 1927 and Hitchcock's first Hollywood feature, Rebecca, released in 1940. He also shared the screen with Laurel and Hardy in the 1940 feature A Chump at Oxford. Some reference sources have incorrectly attributed to Harvey the role of Little Maria's father in Frankenstein, a credit that does not belong to him.

Harvey died following a stroke at Laguna Beach, California, on 14 December 1945. His remains were interred in County Cork, Ireland.