Alan Manson

After serving in World War II, Alan Manson was among the soldiers chosen to perform in both the Broadway and film versions of Irving Berlin's 1942 musical "This is the Army." He continued to perform on stage until 1955, when politics intervened. Manson appeared before the House of Representatives in their search for communists involved in New York City theater. After he refused to answer any questions, work dried up for several years. Though he appeared in an episode of "The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse" and the film "Cop Hater" during the 1950s, his screen work picked up in earnest in the early 1960s. During that decade he had roles in a number of high-profile television series, including the sitcoms "Car 54, Where Are You?" and "The Patty Duke Show" as well as the soap opera "As the World Turns." Manson's workload increased during the 1970s with appearances in hits like "M*A*S*H," "Mary Tyler Moore," and "Charlie's Angels." He continued to act primarily on television during the 1980s, but his pace began to slow considerably. Manson worked irregularly through the 1990s, but did appear in Oliver Stone's biopic "The Doors" and the Al Pacino-as-devil drama "The Devil's Advocate."