James Lanphier

James Lanphier (August 31, 1920 – February 11, 1969) was an American actor born at Mitchel Field, New York, to Janet Grant Cobb and Thomas George Lanphier Sr. He had two brothers, Thomas Jr. and Charles. His stage career began with a juvenile role in an army post drama before he transitioned to professional performance.

Lanphier's Broadway career spanned from 1944 to 1954. He made his Broadway debut as a dancer in the musical Mexican Hayride in 1944, then the following year took on the role of Mr. Atkins in a production of Dark of the Moon. His Broadway work also included a credit in Ondine. His television career began in 1949, opening in May with a supporting part in the Colgate Theatre episode "Tin Pan Skipper." The following month he co-starred with Mary Sinclair and Arnold Moss in Studio One's production of Joseph Liss's English-language television adaptation of S. Ansky's The Dybbuk.

Lanphier made his feature film debut in an uncredited role in The Deadly Mantis in 1957. He subsequently developed a working relationship with director Blake Edwards, appearing in small roles in The Perfect Furlough (1958), Operation Petticoat (1959), and High Time (1960). He also appeared twice on Edwards's television series Peter Gunn (1958–61), eventually becoming a regular in the show's third season, where he played Leslie, a gourmet chef and restaurateur.

His collaboration with Edwards continued into the 1960s. He played a landlord in Experiment in Terror (1962) and served as a dialogue coach on Days of Wine and Roses (1962). In The Pink Panther (1963) he portrayed Saloud, a role that was among several in which he played Middle Eastern or Indian characters. Further appearances in Edwards's films included a role as an Italian villager in What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? (1966), Harry in The Party (1968), and a Hungarian maître d'hôtel in Darling Lili (1970), a film released posthumously following his death on February 11, 1969.