David Wayne's Main TV Roles Show Character(s) Ellery Queen Inspector R… The Good Life (1971) Charles Dut…

Main Movie Roles 1984 - Finders Keepers 1979 - The Prize Fighter 1975 - The Apple Dumpling Gang 1974 - The Front Page 1971 - The Andromeda Strain 1957 - The Three Faces of Eve 1957 - The Sad Sack 1955 - The Tender Trap 1953 - How to Marry a Millionaire 1952 - We're Not Married! 1951 - M 1951 - As Young as You Feel 1949 - Adam's Rib

BIOGRAPHY:

His father was an insurance executive; his mother died when he was four. He attended Western Michigan University then worked as a statistician in Cleveland where he joined a Shakespeare repertory company. Two years later he had a minor role in "The American Way" in New York. He was rejected by the army in World War II but volunteered as an ambulance driver in North Africa. He returned to critical acclaim on Broadway (Arthur Miller (I), 'Eugene ONeill (I)). He was the first to receive a Tony award for acting. He moved to Los Angeles in 1977 though his movie credits go back to Portrait of Jennie (1948) and Adam's Rib (1949). Among his many television roles were the part of Inspector Queen in the Manfred Lee's "Ellery Queen" (1975) series and of "Digger" Barnes in "Dallas" (1978).


TRIVIA:

• Three of his biggest roles on Broadway -- Og in "Finian's Rainbow," Ensign Pulver in "Mister Roberts" and Sakini in "The Teahouse of the August Moon" --were handed to other actors when they transferred to film: 'Tommy Steele' (qv), 'Jack Lemmon (I)' (qv) and 'Marlon Brando' (qv), respectively.
• In 1947, the first year that Broadway's Tony Awards were presented, he won the Best Supporting or Featured Actor (Musical) Award for "Finian's Rainbow." He subsequently won a second Tony in 1954 as Best Actor (Dramatic) for "The Teahouse of the August Moon," and was also nominated in 1968 as Best Actor (Musical) for "The Happy Time."
• Played two consecutive unrelated characters both named Charles Dutton, in _The Andromeda Strain (1971)_ (qv) and _"The Good Life" (1971)_ (qv).
• Twin daughters Susan Wayne Kearney and Melinda Wayne. Son Timothy, deceased.
• Retired completely in 1993 after the death of his beloved wife of 52 years, Jane Gordon.
• Rejected by the army he volunteered as an ambulance driver for the British in North Africa; after the U.S joined the war he served in the US Army.
• Westport, Connecticut was Wayne's home for decades.
• He was erroneously reported as being killed in action when the Germans were victorious at the Battle of Tobruk in North Africa.