Irene Manning, a glamorous actress and singer, was born Inez Harvuot in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1912, as the youngest of five children to a real estate broker. Classically trained at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, she showed great potential for the grand opera scene, but an even stronger flair for acting that led her to combine both of her talents and attempt musical theater and film.
Appearing on stage billed as Hope Manning, she made her debut in late 1930s productions such as "The Great Waltz," "H.M.S. Pinafore," and "The Gypsy Baron." Gene Autry offered her a kiss in her very first screen role in The Old Corral (1936) over at Republic Studios. Warner Bros. saw potential in the petite blonde beauty and decided to pick up her option.
In the early 1940s, Irene appeared in standard WWII fare such as Spy Ship (1942) and made the grade as the colorful soprano opposite Dennis Morgan in Sigmund Romberg's The Desert Song (1943),which she had done on stage a few years earlier. She is probably best remembered today in the secondary role of diva Fay Templeton in Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) opposite the Oscar-winning James Cagney.
The early 1940s were fruitful years for Irene, appearing romantically opposite Humphrey Bogart in the drama The Big Shot (1942) and Dennis Morgan (again) in Shine on Harvest Moon (1944),in addition to offering added glamour in The Doughgirls (1944) with Ann Sheridan and Alexis Smith and Escape in the Desert (1945) featuring Philip Dorn.
The musical stage took priority in the second half of the decade. Making her Broadway debut with the short-lived musical "Susannah, Don't You Cry" in 1939, she also appeared in the operetta "The Chocolate Soldier" and again on Broadway in Lerner and Loewe's "The Day Before Spring." Irene graced the stage in "DuBarry" and "Serenade" while in London and settled in England for a long spell. She also filmed two movies while there, A Yank in London (1945) and Bonnie Prince Charlie (1948),retiring completely from the screen by decade's end.
She appeared on her own BBC TV show "An American in England," before returning to the States in 1951 for TV and nightclub work. She subsequently retired altogether and concentrated on teaching acting and voice. She was also an excellent abstract painter.
It was her longtime agent who persuaded Irene to come out of retirement and reappear on the musical stage. Such showcases included "Pal Joey," "Mame," and "The King and I," to mention a few.
