Herbert Lom: Pink Panther Movie Star Dies

Veteran actor Herbert Lom, who appeared in more than 100 films, has died at the age of 95.

The Czech-born, London-based star featured in classics like Spartacus, El Cid and The Ladykillers.

Lom, whose real name was Herbert Karel Angelo Kuchacevic ze Schluderpacheru, died peacefully in his sleep, his family said.

During an acting career spanning more than 60 years, he appeared with stars such as Kirk Douglas, Sir Alec Guinness and Charlton Heston.

Lom portrayed Napoleon Bonaparte on two occasions, one of which was the screen adaptation of Tolstoy's War And Peace.

But his most famous role was as fed-up and irritable Charles Dreyfus, the boss of Peter Sellers' bumbling character Inspector Clouseau in the Pink Panther films.

He first appeared as the police chief in 1964's A Shot In The Dark and, as the films went on, became increasingly mentally unstable as a result of Clouseau's incompetence.

Lom moved to the UK before the Second World War and worked as a newscaster with the BBC's overseas service until his acting career took off.

The twice-married actor's first major screen role was as Napoleon in 1942 film The Young Mr Pitt, although his swarthy good looks led to him regularly being cast as a suave villain.

His son, Alec Lom, said: "Like many actors, he never wanted to be pigeon-holed in a particular role and, after having played the role of East European gangster in many films, it was a delight to him later in his career to be cast by Pink Panther producer and director Blake Edwards in a comedy role opposite Peter Sellers, and he hugely enjoyed that move.

"He had many funny stories about the antics that he and Peter Sellers got up to on the set.

It was a nightmare working with Peter because he was a terrible giggler and, between my father and Peter's laughter, they ruined dozens and dozens of takes."

In the early 1950s, Lom had huge stage success as the King of Siam in the original London production of musical hit The King And I at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, opposite Valerie Hobson.

The part had been made famous by Yul Brynner on Broadway. He also starred in the film version.

Other movie work included the title role in The Phantom Of The Opera in 1962, and Lom also featured in horror hits such as The Murders In The Rue Morgue and as Van Helsing in the 1970 chiller Count Dracula, which starred Christopher Lee as the famed vampire.

In addition to Alec, he had another son, Nick, and a daughter, Josephine, named after the French Empress and wife of Napoleon.