[1] A journalism major at San Mateo Junior College, Mantee enlisted in the U.S. Navy for four years during the Korean War[3][4] that made him decide on acting as a career.
[4][5] His stage name was changed from an Italian-sounding name to the name of Humphrey Bogart's character in The Petrified Forest.
[1] He made a great number of guest appearances in well-known television shows and starred in a handful of films, including a cult classic, Robinson Crusoe on Mars.
[1][2] Mantee, a longtime Malibu resident, died November 7, 2013, at a rehabilitation center in Canoga Park, California.
He was survived by his wife, Suzy Davis Mantee[1] whom he met while standing in line at the Malibu post office.