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nteetee (1)
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Well, it took 17 years, but here's your answer...
Clem Harvey was the stage name for Harold Jerry “Clem” Swarts. Born in 1919, he was a rodeo rider from Tulsa, Oklahoma prior to moving to Los Angeles. According to genealogy records, he married Lenice Adele Kittleson in 1956 in Tulsa and had one child, Marlon, in 1959. It appears he did mainly background work in the 1950s, getting his first named credit with "Ocean's 11" in 1960. IMDB only lists "Johnny Guitar" among his background credits, but a friend of his wife made a post on FindAGrave claiming that Clem appeared in "High Noon" in 1952. So presumably he did other background work that was uncredited prior to "Ocean's 11."
Clem likely returned to Tulsa shortly after his final credit in "State Fair" in 1962. A 1965 obituary of his father, H.J. Swarts, lists Clem as living in Oklahoma. Furthermore, public records for Clem, his wife and son show Oklahoma addresses all the way up to present day.
Clem died in 1988 in Tulsa. His wife died in 2016.
It is quite strange that there is so little record of his history beyond "State Fair." Since Clem acted in big movies alongside legendary performers like Sinatra and Brando, you would think there would be some record of his leaving the business or at least some honor of him online. Presumably, Clem wasn't satisfied with doing bit parts or background work, and the pressures of supporting a family brought him back to Tulsa for regular work.
Here are some of the sources documenting the above:
Clem's Burial and Spouse Info: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/181943279/harold-jerry-swarts
1991 reference to a Tulsa rodeo in honor of Clem and Slim Pickens, where it mentions Clem's legal surname: https://tulsaworld.com/archive/ben-johnson-rodeo-makes-debut-april-18/article_43d0ed61-601f-5a31-9af5-81287d9784fc.html
1949 newspaper clipping mentioning Clem as a rodeo contestant: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/48196060/farm-and-home/
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