David Lodge

David Lodge was a prolific British character actor, with the emphasis on character: his more than 35 years in film and television were dominated by supporting parts. Lodge was prone to military and/or authority figures, playing dozens of sergeants, captains, and inspectors among his more than 170 parts. His greatest association, and his erstwhile claim to fame, was being a close friend of the legendary Peter Sellers, whom he also supported in several films, including Blake Edwards' 1975 comedy classic, "Return of the Pink Panther," in which Lodge played Mac. Lodge originally teamed up with Sellers and Edwards in the 1964 Clouseau comedy, "A Shot in the Dark," which co-starred Elke Sommer. Sellers and Lodge, meanwhile, had also collaborated, nearly as equals, in the 1960 crime comedy "Two Way Stretch," which was about as close as Lodge ever got to a lead role--in that case, he had a co-starring credit as Jelly Knight. Many of Lodge's earlier roles (from the '50s) were in war films, such as his first big part--in Jose Ferrer's 1955 war drama, "The Cockleshell Heroes," playing Marine Ruddock--and his role as a captain in 1958's "Ice-Cold in Alex." Prior to film, Lodge survived the initial post-war years by working alternately as a ringmaster and a circus clown to make ends meet. His most substantial TV role amongst nearly 70 parts came on the half-hour BBC comedy "Q5," on which he, along with his fellow actors, played multiple characters.