Born in San Francisco, Paul Mantee started "pretending" when he was very young, playing at being people like Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney. He toiled anonymously in the Hollywood vineyards for several years; it was this initial lack of success that worked in his favor when "an unfamiliar face" was sought for Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964). Most famous for his role in this 1964 sci-fi adventure, Mantee has in more recent years begun writing magazine articles and novels.