He starred in stage plays in Los Angeles, then went to New York, where he portrayed Private Earhart in the hit comedy Kiss and Tell (1943) on Broadway.

Harvey retired from acting in the early 1950s and became an actors' agent in New York, where he served on the national board of a television industry regulatory agency and as head of United Talent, Inc.

When the 1930 census was enumerated,[2] they were living in Inglewood, a suburb of Los Angeles, and 12-year-old John Junior was attending school.

His father's occupation was recorded as title examiner for a trust company, and 22-year-old John Harvey Johnson, Jr., who was still single, had completed two years of college.

In the drama White Cargo (1939) at the Beaux Arts Theatre, located at the corner of West 8th Street and Beacon Avenue in the Westlake area of Los Angeles, Harvey played the leading man role as Langford opposite Patricia Saunders (c.

The Los Angeles Times of June 4, 1940, stated, "John Harvey is sincere and type perfect as the young hero.

[6] It outlasted all other stage attractions and smashed every existing attendance record for a show of its type in Los Angeles.

During the trial, a "command" performance of White Cargo was given at the Beaux Arts on Tuesday, January 22, 1941, for the judge and jury.

"[8] That same day in Municipal Court, Harvey testified and gave the reason why Tondeleyo writhed the way she had during the performance of December 19.

[11] While the trial was in progress, Harvey was cast in the juvenile lead in the Collison and Hopwood farce Getting Gertie's Garter (1941) at the Musart Theatre, 1320 South Figueroa Street, in Los Angeles, opposite Rae Whitney in the title role.

[17] At 20th Century Fox, Harvey played the role as Ted Warren in the musical/romance Four Jills in a Jeep (1944) opposite Kay Francis, Carole Landis, Martha Raye and Mitzi Mayfair, who played themselves in a re-enactment of the four actresses USO tour of Europe and North Africa during World War II.

[18] He also played the role as a naval hero, Tommy Dooley, opposite Betty Grable in the musical/romance Pin Up Girl (1944), in which he woos and wins the blonde star.

"[25] When Petticoat Fever closed, Harvey played the role as Burns in the 20th Century Fox crime/mystery The Spider (1945), a rehash of the plot from The Maltese Falcon, opposite Richard Conte and Faye Marlowe.

Besides stage and screen work, Harvey made his debut television appearance in WNBT's comedy TV movie The First Year (1946).

He then made another appearance on the Broadway stage in the role as Glenn Stewart in a brief run of the comedy Open House (1947) at the Cort Theatre, with Mary Boland.

In 1964, he began serving as treasurer of Theatrical Artists Representatives, a group of agents affiliated with Actors' Equity.