James Lanphier

James Francis Lanphier born in New York in 1920 and died in California, 1969. He was an actor perhaps best known for his role in The Pink Panther (1963 film).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Lanphier

James Francis Lanphier (August 31, 1920 – February 11, 1969) was an American actor who did a variety of work for Blake Edwards. He portrayed Saloud in the 1963 film The Pink Panther, and also appeared in films such as Darling Lili (1970) and the television series Peter Gunn (1958–61).

Biography

The son of career United States Army Air Corps Colonel Thomas George Lanphier Sr. and brother of USAAF Colonel Thomas George Lanphier Jr. and USMC Captain Charles Cobb Lanphier, he was born in 1920 in Hempstead, New York.

Lanphier made his stage debut as a dancer in Mexican Hayride in 1944 and played Mr. Atkins in a production of Dark of the Moon the following year. He began his acting career on American television in 1949.

In 1957 Lanphier made his feature film debut in an uncredited role in The Deadly Mantis (1957). Several other minor roles followed including small roles in Blake Edwards' The Perfect Furlough (1958), Operation Petticoat (1959) and High Time (1960) then two appearances on Edwards Peter Gunn television series. On the third season of the show Lanphier became a regular where he played Leslie, a former mobster and gourmet.

He played a landlord in Edwards'Experiment in Terror (1962) then acted as a dialogue coach on Edwards' Days of Wine and Roses (1962) and The Pink Panther (1963) where he played Saloud, one of his many roles where he played a Middle Eastern or Indian gentleman. He made minor appearances in more of Edwards' films What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? (1966) as an Italian villager. The Party (1968) as Harry and his final role in Darling Lili (1970) as a Hungarian Maître d'hôtel released after his death.

Death

Lanphier suffered a cerebrovascular accident which proved fatal on February 11, 1969 in Los Angeles, aged 48.

Filmography

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Lanphier#Filmography