{{Short description|Australian radio producer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2026}} {{infobox person | image = | caption = | name = Harry Dearth | birth_name = Henry Alan Dearth | birth_place = Fulham, London | birth_date = {{Birth date|1908|8|12|df=y}} | death_place = Cammeray, Sydney | death_date = {{Death date and age|1964|7|7| 1908|8|12 |df=y}} | education = Cranleigh School, Surrey (1917–1923) | occupation = Actor, producer | years active = | spouse = Mona Potts (m. 15 June 1935) | family = | children = 2 }}
'''Harry Dearth''' (12 August 1908 – 7 July 1964) was an Australian actor and producer best known for his career in radio. He was one of the leading radio producers in Australia in the 1940s and 1950s.<ref name="dearth">{{Cite web |date= 1993 |title= Henry Alan (Harry) Dearth (1908–1964) |url= https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/dearth-henry-alan-harry-9934 |access-date= 10 February 2026 |first= Diana R. |last= Combe |website=Australian Dictionary of Biography |volume= 13 |publisher= Melbourne University Press |language=en-AU}}</ref><ref>{{Citation | author1=Australian Broadcasting Commission | title=HARRY DEARTH RETURNS | journal=ABC Weekly |orig-date=1939 | department=v. : ill. ; 29cm. | volume=8 | issue=2 | date=26 January 1946 | location=Sydney | publisher=ABC | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1353598424 | id=nla.obj-1353598424 | access-date=26 June 2023 | via=Trove}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article133682833 |title=harry Dearth Leaving 2GB |newspaper=Illawarra Daily Mercury |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=4 September 1954 |accessdate=26 June 2023 |page=1 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{Citation | author1=Australian Broadcasting Commission | title=Lux Producer-Director Harry Dearth Says COMMERCIAL RADIO RELIES ON PEACE IN INDUSTRY | journal=ABC Weekly | orig-date=1939 | volume=9 | issue=32 | date=9 August 1947 | location=Sydney | publisher=ABC | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1425388950 | id=nla.obj-1425388950 | access-date=26 June 2023 | via=Trove}}</ref> He also worked in television<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article105832702 |title=Popular radio artist dies |newspaper=The Canberra Times |volume=38 |issue=10,894 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=8 July 1964 |accessdate=26 June 2023 |page=1 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> and theatre.<ref name="ausstage"/>
==Early life== Dearth was born on 12 August 1908 in Fulham, London, to Henry Dearth and Edith Eliza Eleanor, née Bristow, who were renowned singers. He attended Cranleigh School, Surrey from 1917 to 1923, where he passed the Oxford and Cambridge examination.<ref name="dearth"/>
Dearth claimed to have spent six months in the 20th Middlesex (Artists) Rifle Volunteers in London.<ref name="dearth"/> Arriving in Sydney on 31 May 1926, he worked as jackaroo on stations at Garangula, Cunningar and Wingadee, Coonamble.<ref name="dearth"/>
==Career== In 1929, Dearth started working in theatre, in Sydney. with J. C. Williamson's. Beginning in the chorus, he progressed to minor roles in musical comedies, including 1933 productions of ''Our Miss Gibbs''<ref name="dearth"/> and ''Gay Divorce''. He left the cast of the latter production to take up a position as a radio announcer on 2FC.<ref name="Romance">{{cite web|url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230322345 |title= Stage Romance |website= The Sun |date= 19 October 1934 |access-date= 10 February 2026 |page= 10 |via= National Library of Australia / Trove}}</ref>
Continuing in radio, Dearth began a position with the ABC.<ref name="dearth"/> In 1934, he became an announcer on 2GB, presenting serials such as ''Melody and Mirth with Harry Dearth''.<ref name="dearth"/> During this time, he took singing lessons to learn correct breathing.<ref name="dearth"/> He also played supporting roles with the BSA Players (Broadcasting Services Association), and took roles under Doris Fitton at Sydney's Independent Theatre.<ref name="dearth"/> He later became a director of the John Alden Company.<ref name="dearth"/>
In 1939, Dearth became a producer of the Australian version of ''Lux Radio Theatre'', broadcast nationally.<ref name="dearth"/> He also produced and hosted talent series ''Australia's Amateur Hour'' from 1940. He continued on both series until beginning service in the RAAF in 1942.<ref name="dearth"/><ref name="NFSA"/> His appointment ended in December 1945, after which time he returned to ''Lux Radio Theatre'', where he remained until its conclusion in 1951.<ref name="dearth"/>
From 1952 to 1954, Dearth became producer and compère of ''Leave It to the Girls'' and ''The General Motors Hour'' on 2GB, before moving to 2UW to present ''Harry Dearth's Playhouse''.<ref name="dearth"/>
On television, Hearth produced simulcasts for 2GB/ATN-7, before becoming production manager at ATN in 1960.<ref name="dearth"/> He also produced and had an acting role in the television series ''Jonah'' in 1962.<ref name="dearth"/><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.filmink.com.au/forgotten-australian-tv-series-jonah/ |title= Forgotten Australian TV Series: Jonah |first= Stephen |last= Vagg |website= FilmInk |access-date= 10 February 2026}}</ref>
==Personal life== After having appeared on stage with actress Mona Potts in a J. C. Williamson's production of ''Gay Divorce'' in 1933,<ref>{{cite web|url= https://theatreheritage.org.au/notable-productions/the-girl-friend/item/977-australia-revivals |title= Australia – Revivals: The Girl Friend – 1934 Revival |website= Theatre Heritage Australia |access-date= 10 February 2026}}</ref><ref name="ausstage"/><ref name="Romance"/> Dearth married Potts on 15 June 1935 at St Philip's Anglican Church, in Sydney.<ref name="dearth"/>
In 1963, while was overseas studying television techniques, Dearth's respiratory health declined. He died of cancer on 7 July 1964 at home in Cammeray, Sydney, and was survived by his wife, daughter, Harriet and son, Henry.<ref name="dearth"/><ref>{{cite web|url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/105832702 |title= Popular radio artist dies |website= The Canberra Times |page= 1 |date= 8 July 1964 |access-date= 10 February 2026 |via= National Library of Australia / Trove}}</ref>
==Select credits==
===Radio=== {|class=wikitable ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes ! Ref. |- | 1934 || ''Melody and Mirth with Harry Dearth'' || '''Presenter''' || Serial ||<ref name="dearth"/> |- | 1939–1942; 1945–1951 || ''Lux Radio Theatre'' || '''Producer''' || Serial || <ref name="dearth"/> |- | 1940–1942 || ''Australia's Amateur Hour'' || '''Producer''' || Serial || <ref name="dearth"/><ref name="NFSA">{{Cite web |title= AUSTRALIA'S AMATEUR HOUR |url= https://www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/curated/australias-amateur-hour |access-date= 10 February 2026 |website=National Film and Sound Archive |language=en-AU}}</ref> |- | 1952–1954 || ''Leave It to the Girls'' || '''Producer''' / Compère || Serial || <ref name="dearth"/> |- | 1952–1954 || ''The General Motors Hour'' || '''Producer''' / Compère || Serial || <ref name="dearth"/> |- | || ''Harry Dearth's Playhouse'' || Presenter || Serial || <ref name="dearth"/> |}
===Theatre=== {|class=wikitable ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes ! Ref. |- | 1933 || ''Our Miss Gibbs'' || Actor || J. C. Williamson's || <ref name="dearth"/> |- | rowspan="3"|1934 || ''The Girl Friend'' || Porter || King's Theatre, Melbourne with J. C. Williamson's || <ref name="ausstage">{{cite web|url= https://ausstage.edu.au/pages/contributor/241175 |title= Harry Dearth |website= AusStage |access-date= 10 February 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://theatreheritage.org.au/notable-productions/the-girl-friend/item/977-australia-revivals |title= The Girl Friend – 1934 Revival |website= AusStage |access-date= 10 February 2026 |date= 1 December 2023}}</ref> |- | ''Gay Divorce'' || Porter || Theatre Royal, Adelaide, Theatre Royal Sydney with J. C. Williamson's || <ref name="ausstage"/> |- | ''Blue Mountain Melody'' || Reggie || Theatre Royal Sydney with J. C. Williamson's || <ref name="ausstage"/> |- | 1942 || ''Thumbs Up'' || Performer || Her Majesty's Theatre, Brisbane with J. C. Williamson's || <ref name="ausstage"/> |- | 1950 || ''The Merchant of Venice'' || Bassanio || St James' Hall, Sydney with John Alden Company || <ref>{{cite web|url= https://ehive.com/collections/202401/objects/2337763/the-merchant-of-venice-john-alden-company |title= The Merchant of Venice, John Alden Company; 25 August 1950; 204 |website= www.ehive.com |access-date= 10 February 2026}}</ref> |- | rowspan="2"|1951–1952 || ''King Lear'' || '''Director''' || Theatre Royal, Adelaide, Albert Hall, Canberra with John Alden Company || <ref name="ausstage"/> |- | ''John Alden Company National Tour'' || '''Director''' || Australian tour || <ref name="ausstage"/> |- | rowspan="4"|1952 || ''The Merchant of Venice'' || '''Director''' || Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, Theatre Royal, Adelaide with John Alden Company || <ref name="ausstage"/> |- | ''The Merry Wives of Windsor'' || '''Director''' || Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, Theatre Royal, Adelaide, Albert Hall, Canberra with John Alden Company || <ref name="ausstage"/> |- | ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' || '''Director''' || Theatre Royal, Adelaide with John Alden Company || <ref name="ausstage"/> |- | ''The Winter's Tale'' || '''Director''' || His Majesty's Theatre, Perth with John Alden Company || <ref name="ausstage"/> |}
===Film and television=== {|class=wikitable ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes ! Ref. |- | 1937 || ''A Nation Is Built'' || Narrator || TV documentary film || |- | rowspan="2"|1941 || ''It's the Navy'' || Narrator || Short film || |- | ''Road to Victory: Milestones in the Struggle for Liberty'' || Narrator || Documentary film || |- | 1957 || ''Pantomime Quiz'' || Host || 2 episodes || |- | 1958 || ''What’s in the Picture'' || Host || Series || |- | 1960 || ''This is Television'' || Presenter || Documentary || <ref name="FilmInk">{{Cite web |last=Vagg |first=Stephen |title=Forgotten Australian Television Documentaries: This is Television |url=https://www.filmink.com.au/forgotten-australian-television-documentaries-this-is-television/ |access-date= 1 September 2023 |website=FilmInk |language=en-AU}}</ref> |- | 1960–1961 || rowspan="2"| ''Whiplash'' || '''Casting consultant''' || 25 episodes || |- | 1961 || Sir John Wickett || 1 episode || |- | 1962–1963 || ''Jonah'' || '''Executive producer''' / actor || 19 episodes || <ref name="dearth"/> |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2101303/ Harry Dearth] at IMDb
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dearth, Harry}} Category:1908 births Category:1964 deaths Category:Australian radio presenters Category:Australian radio producers