Person Biography:
David Manners was a renowned Canadian-American actor, born Rauff de Ryther Duan Acklom on April 30, 1900, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. He was the son of British parents Lilian Manners Acklom and writer George Moreby Acklom, and had a strong lineage, with descendants including Lady Diana Cooper and the Duke of Rutland. Manners' early life was marked by a passion for the arts, and he studied forestry at the University of Toronto before joining the university's theatre group.
Manners made his stage debut at the Hart House Theatre in Toronto, and later moved to New York City, where he enrolled at the Trinity School of Drama and became a member of Eva Le Gallienne's Civic Repertory Co. He made his Broadway debut in the 1924 play "Dancing Mothers" with Helen Hayes and went on to appear in several notable productions, including "Journey's End" and "The Tempest".
Manners' transition to film came in the late 1920s, with his debut in the action-adventure film "The Sky Hawk" (1929). He quickly gained popularity, starring alongside Hollywood's top female stars, including Helen Chandler, Frances Dade, Loretta Young, and Barbara Stanwyck. His most famous role was as John Harker in the 1931 film "Dracula", opposite Bela Lugosi's iconic Count.
Throughout the 1930s, Manners continued to appear in a range of films, including romantic comedies, dramas, and horror classics. He was known for his dashing good looks and charming on-screen presence, earning him the nickname "The Hollywood Heartthrob". After retiring from acting in 1953, Manners devoted himself to writing, painting, and making home movies. He published several novels and philosophical writings, and spent his later years in California, where he died on December 23, 1998, at the age of 97.
