The Biography

Laurence Harvey (born Zvi Mosheh Skikne; 1 October 1928 – 25 November 1973) was a Lithuanian-born British actor and film director. Born in Joniškis to a Jewish family, he moved with his family to South Africa as a child and grew up in Johannesburg. During the Second World War, he served in the South African Army’s entertainment unit. He later moved to London and began working in theatre and film. Harvey gained international recognition as Joe Lampton in Room at the Top (1959), earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. His later films included The Alamo (1960), BUtterfield 8 (1960) and The Manchurian Candidate (1962). He directed The Ceremony (1963) and took over direction of A Dandy in Aspic (1968) after Anthony Mann died during production. Harvey also directed and starred in Welcome to Arrow Beach (1974). He died of stomach cancer in London at the age of 45.