Jack Manning, Character Actor, Dies at 93
By Robert Simonson
09 Sep 2009
Character actor Jack Manning, who acted in countless plays, movies and television shows over a long career, died Aug. 31, of natural causes, at his Rancho Palos Verdes home. He was 93.
He began acting while in college at the University of Cincinnati, and made his Broadway debut soon after graduating, in the hit comedy Junior Miss in 1941. He would appear in a dozen more Broadway productions, the last being the Stephen Sondheim musical Do I Hear a Waltz? in 1965, in which he played Mr. McIlhenny.
He was directed by Abe Burrows in Say, Darling; played opposite Robert Preston in The Tender Trap; was Tweedledee in Eva Le Gallienne's famous adaptation of Alice in Wonderland; was Roderigo in the 1943 Othello that starred Paul Robeson, Jose Ferrer and Uta Hagen; and appeared alongside Helen Hayes in the Elia Kazan-directed hit Harriet in 1943.
Mr. Manning's film career did not take flight until the 1970s, when he was in his mid-50s. He had parts in the films "Where's Poppa?," "The Owl and the Pussycat," "Melinda," "The Thief Who Came to Dinner," "Herbie Rides Again," "The Great Waldo Pepper," "Gus," and "Frances." Television appearances ranged from "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "Bonanza" to "Silver Spoons" and "The Paper Chase," in which he had a recurring role as Dean Rutherford.
Mr. Manning was born June 3, 1916, in Cincinnati. He and his wife moved to the South Bay in 1970. They lived in Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach before settling in Rancho Palos Verdes in 1980.
In addition to his wife, Manning is survived by a son, Colin of Silver Lake; two daughters, Brook, of Rancho Palos Verdes and Gale Nichols of Savannah, GA; three grandchildren; and one great-grandson.
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