Reach for the Top: The Turbulent Life of Laurence Harvey

by Anne Sinai

The popular screen and stage star Laurence Harvey (1928-1973) is best remembered for his stellar performance in the film The Manchurian Candidate_a 20th century classic. Of his 50 films, Room At the Top not only brought sexual permissiveness to American and British screens and an Oscar nomination, but it also branded him a heartthrob sensation. For all his fame and fortune, Harvey's short life was riddled with controversy, demonized by critics, and fraught with tragedy. In this revealing biography by Harvey's sister-in-law, readers are provided a close-up view of his career, his three marriages and his longtime sexual affair with one of his male producers. It also details his battle with cancer and his failure to acknowledge its seriousness. Packed with personal anecdotes, more than twenty black and white photographs, and a filmography, Reach for the The Turbulent Life of Laurence Harvey will fascinate film students, scholars, and fans of the actor.

Genres: Biography

408 pages, Hardcover

First published January 9, 2003

Reviews

[James Barsz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very long beginning and a very short end.

I have been curious about the life of Laurence Harvey since seeing him in The Manchurian Candidate. I am not a player, and have seen none of Mr. Harvey's stage work. I am glad to have read this book. His life reads like the lives of actors I have known.