Mantee was born Paul Marianetti in San Francisco, California. A journalism major at San Mateo Junior College, Mantee enlisted in the U.S. Navy for four years during the Korean War that made him decide on acting as a career. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley. His stage name was changed from an Italian-sounding name to the name of Humphrey Bogart's character in The Petrified Forest. 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. A restored version of the film was released in 2007 by The Criterion Collection. Mantee authored two novels, In Search of the Perfect Ravioli (Ballantine Books, 1991) and a semi-autobiographical Bruno of Hollywood (Ballantine Books, 1994). 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.
The Great Santini
Robinson Crusoe on Mars
The Manitou
Framed
Day of the Animals
Man from Atlantis IV: The Disappearances
They Shoot Horses, Don't They?
Fugitive Family
