Jessica Harcourt

Jessica Harcourt (1905–1988) was an Australian mannequin, author and actress, best known for playing a leading role in For the Term of His Natural Life (1927). Jessica Edna Harcourt was born on 7 April 1905 in Woollahra, Sydney. She was the daughter of Aubrey William Harcourt, a mercer, and Ada Hobson. Harcourt believed her family were direct descendants of Ivo d'Harcourt, a companion of William the Conqueror. As a young woman working as a programme seller at Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney, she first caught the eye of Sir John Longstaff, and then her beauty attracted the attention of George Highland, a producer of J. C. Williamson Ltd. She became a chorus girl, appearing in Whirled into Happiness in 1924. She was quickly dubbed "Australia's loveliest girl". Longstaff described her as “more English than Australian, her lovely coloring and features, combined with character and high intelligence, give her very high rank among the many beautiful women I have seen.” Harcourt recognised the opportunity of advancing her career and undertook to do intensive elocution lessons, saying "I don't care how hard I have to work so long as I amount to something in the end." Harcourt received requests for her photo from international newspapers so they could place her face alongside their own beauties. Harcourt started modelling and not long after arriving in Melbourne, was already working as a mannequin for Buckley and Nunn.

Harcourt made her cinema debut as Sara Purfoy in For the Term of His Natural Life. Filming commenced in 1926 and locations included Port Arthur and Launceston, Tasmania and Master Pictures' studio in Bondi, NSW. Of her performance, the director Norman Dawn said Harcourt had "acted capitally" in an emotional scene and "her film prospects were good".In an interview with the Australian Women's Weekly, Harcourt recalled her surprise at being cast as Sarah Purfoy. She said "...when it was offered to me, I was astounded. I still am! Most of the actresses in Sydney wanted it and there I was, 19, with no acting experience, and I got it!"Not long after completing filming, Harcourt was off with Norman Dawn to Suva, Fiji to film an adaption of Beatrice Grimshaw's novel Conn of the Coral Seas, a tropical comedy/drama. The filming on location was to include "500 war canoes and outriggers and 2000 native warriors dancing in full war dress with clubs and spears". Filming was to take six weeks and Harcourt made it back to Australia in time for the premiere of her first movie For the Term of His Natural Life. The film was released as The Adorable Outcast and had limited box office success.

In 1928 Harcourt was cast as widow Ruby Russell in the movie The Russell Affair which was filmed in and around Sydney, including Hyde Park and the private homes of socially prominent Sydney families.