John Davis Lodge

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John Davis Lodge (ca.1935)

John Davis Lodge (born October 20, 1903 in Washington, DC , †  October 29, 1985 in New York City ) was an American actor, politician and governor of the US state of Connecticut. He was a member of the Republican Party .

Early years, acting career and political advancement

Lodge enjoyed extensive training. He attended the Evans School in Mesa , Arizona , then the Middlesex School in Concord , Massachusetts, and finally the Ecole de Droit in Paris . He graduated from Harvard University in 1925 and from Harvard Law School in 1929 .

Between 1933 and 1940 Lodge was seen as an actor in a total of 21 films, including George Cukor's famous literary adaptation Four Sisters (1933) with Katharine Hepburn and the comedy The Little Colonel (1935), where he played the father of child star Shirley Temple . Perhaps his best role was in Josef von Sternberg's historical drama Die Scharlachrote Kaiserin (1934), where he played the leading male role as Count Alexei alongside Marlene Dietrich . When his studio contract with Paramount Pictures ended , he was able to work as a freelance actor, but at the same time the quality of his films fell to B-movies . Because of his good foreign language skills, he also made several films abroad, including his last film Von Mayerling bis Sarajewo (1940), which was directed by Max Ophüls in France. He also appeared as a stage actor in three plays on Broadway .

During the Second World War he was first lieutenant and later lieutenant commander in the US Navy and served as a liaison officer between France and the US fleets. He was awarded the rank of Chevalier in the Legion of Honor for his service , as well as the Croix de guerre with palm . After the war he decided to pursue a political career. He ran in 1947 for a seat in the United States House of Representatives , where he remained until 1950 after a successful election.

Connecticut Governor

Lodge won the Republican gubernatorial nomination in 1950 and was elected governor of Connecticut a short time later. During his tenure, he endorsed laws that improved unemployment and workers' allowances. In addition, laws were passed that increased funding for educational spending, as well as permits for the construction of public buildings. Lodge ran unsuccessfully for re-election in 1954.

Another résumé

He was the United States Ambassador to Spain between 1955 and 1961 . He then was national president of Junion Achievement Inc. between 1963 and 1964 , and chairman of the University of Pennsylvania's Foreign Policy Research Institute between 1964 and 1969 . He was also a delegate to the Connecticut Constitutional Convention in 1965. Lodge was ambassador to Argentina between 1969 and 1974 and to Switzerland in 1983 .

John D. Lodge died on October 29, 1985 and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. He left behind his wife Francesca Braggiotti (1902-1998), married in 1929, an actress and dancer with whom he also appeared in the film Tonight at Eleven . They had two daughters.

Filmography (selection)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ John Lodge at IBDB
  2. ↑ IMDb biography
personal data
SURNAME Lodge, John Davis
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician, Connecticut Governor
DATE OF BIRTH October 20, 1903
PLACE OF BIRTH Washington, DC
DATE OF DEATH October 29, 1985
Place of death New York City