Actor George D. Wallace Dies at 88

George D. Wallace, who co-starred on Broadway in Pipe Dream, New Girl in Town, and Jennie, died on July 22 at age 88 in Los Angeles from complications of injuries that he incurred while on vacation in Italy.

His acting career didn’t begin until the early 1950s. Wallace’s early film credits included the serials Radar Men from the Moon and the sci-fi classic Forbidden Planet. In recent years, he appeared in such films as Nurse Betty and Minority Report.

Wallace moved to New York in 1956 after being cast in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Pipe Dream. In 1957, he created the role of Mat in New Girl in Town opposite Gwen Verdon; and, in 1963, he played opposite Mary Martin in the short-lived musical Jennie. Wallace made his final Broadway appearance in The First (1981).

He also worked extensively in regional theater, starring in productions of Camelot (he played King Arthur opposite the Guenevere of Anne Jeffreys), Man of La Mancha, Funny Girl, and The Most Happy Fella (in which he met his future wife, Jane A. Johnston, who replaced Teri Ralston as Jenny in the original Broadway production of Company).

Wallace is survived by his wife. A memorial service will be held at noon on Friday, July 29 at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood, California. Instead of flowers, donations should be made to The Actors’ Fund of America.