Trivia: DEADLY MANTIS, PINK PANTHER & Pearl Harbor

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TRIVIA---character actor James Lanphier is best known for appearing in Blake Edwards movies and tv shows such as THE PINK PANTHER, PETER GUNN, DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES, THE PARTY and others.
Lanphier's first role was US Air Force Col. Harvey in the prehistoric monster movie THE DEADLY MANTIS. His last role was in BLAKE Edwards' DARLING LILI as the maitre d' for a World War I fighter ace played by Rock Hudson and a famous British entertainer, who is really a German spy, played by Julie Andrews.
Ironically, Lanphier's older brother was fighter pilot Colonel Thomas Lanphier, Jr., who was officially credited with shooting down Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, who planned the attack on Pearl Harbor which led to the United States entering World War II. Most military historians doubt then-Captain Lanphier shot down Yamamoto, and they credit Lanphier's wingman, Lieutenant Rex Barber, with the kill. The US Air Force refused to to accept the almost-unanimous verdicts that Barber deserved sole credit and later credited Lanphier and Barber with the shared kill.

James Lanphier (left) is best known for appearing in Blake Edwards movies and tv shows such as THE PINK PANTHER.




James Lanphier's  first role was US Air Force Col. Harvey in the prehistoric monster movie THE DEADLY MANTIS with Craig Stevens (middle photo) starring as Colonel Joe Parkman, the Air Force fighter pilot who killed the Deadly Mantis. Stevens starred in Blake Edwards' PETER GUNN tv series with Lanphier co-starring as ex-mobster Leslie.









Lanphier's last role was in BLAKE Edwards' DARLING LILI as the maitre d' for a World War I fighter ace played by Rock Hudson and a famous British entertainer, who is really a German spy, played by Julie Andrews.







Ironically, Lanphier's older brother was fighter pilot Colonel Thomas Lanphier, Jr. (left), who was officially credited with shooting down Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, who planned the attack on Pearl Harbor which led to the United States entering World War II. Most military historians doubt then-Captain Lanphier shot down Yamamoto, and they credit Lanphier's wingman, Lieutenant Rex Barber (right), with the kill.




Painting of Lieutenant Rex Barber in his P-38 Lightning "Miss Virginia" shooting down the Japanese bomber carrying Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto.