David Lochary

About

Biography

Filmography

Biography

An eccentric, whisper-thin actor who played over-the-top villains in several early films of Baltimore-based director John Waters, Lochary met the director in the late 1960s when Waters was making amateur films starring his high school friends. Lochary joined the so-called "Dreamland" stock company and his first-known role was as Dr. Coat Hanger in "Mondo Trasho" (1970). Filmed silent with music and narration added later, the film was a nonsensical stream-of-consciousness tale of a blonde bombshell (Divine) who runs over a woman (Mary Vivian Pearce). At the finale, Dr. Coat Hanger--for no apparent reason--grafts big monster feet onto the woman and is stabbed to death.

After playing Art Linkletter in a throwaway short ("The Diane Linkletter Story" c. 1971), Lochary got a better role as the weak-willed, two-timing consort of Lady Divine in "Multiple Maniacs" (1971). As "Mr. David," Lochary acted as barker for Lady Divine's Cavalcade of Perversions and was kept in line by Divine, who threatens to turn him in for the then still-unsolved Tate killings (when the killings were solved in mid-filming, the ending had to be swiftly changed). Once again, he is killed for his troubles, this time having his heart torn out and eaten by Divine.

Next came Lochary's most famous role, the blue-haired, demented Raymond Marble who, along with wife Connie (Mink Stole), competes with Divine for the title of The Filthiest People Alive in Waters' classic "Pink Flamingos" (1972). Giving an enthusiastic if not polished performance, Lochary was a delightful villain who yet again met his end at Divine's hands. Lochary's last film was "Female Trouble" (1975) which, while not as well-known as "Pink Flamingos," is actually better. Lochary and Mary Vivian Pearce played Donald and Donna Dasher, who lure Dawn Davenport (Divine) into a life of murder, robbery and fashion modeling. This time, it was Divine, rather than Lochary, who met death at the film's close.

Lochary left Baltimore for New York around the same time Divine decamped, forcing Waters to direct an all-female cast in "Desperate Living" (1976). After appearing in several off-Broadway productions, Lochary died of a drug overdose in 1977, thereby assuring that his Waters films would be his only legacy.