John Loder (actor)
Encyclopedia
John Loder was a British-American actor. He was born William John Muir Lowe in London
.
, the leader of the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin, Ireland, surrendered. Both General Lowe and his son were present at the surrender of Pearse.
He was educated at Eton
and the Royal Military College
and followed his father into the army, commissioned into 15th Hussars as a second lieutenant
on 17 March 1915, and then serving in the Gallipoli Campaign and at one point being imprisoned by the Germans
.
's first talking picture—though his very English persona didn't win America over at this time and he returned to England where he co-starred in plush musicals and intrigue such as Love Life and Laughter and Sabotage. He was the male romantic interest in the 1937 original film version of King Solomon's Mines
.
When World War II
started he returned to America where he seamlessly coasted into a career in 'B' movie roles usually playing upper crust characters with occasional appearances on Broadway
. He occasionally did play roles, though supporting ones, in major 'A' films such as How Green Was My Valley
, in which he was at the same time one of Roddy McDowall
's brothers and Donald Crisp
's sons.
In 1947 he became an American citizen, his last screen appearance was in 1971. In 1959 he became a naturalised citizen of the United Kingdom as he has been of "uncertain nationality".
(married 1943-47). With Lamarr, he had two children, Denise (born 1945) and Antony (born 1947), and adopted Lamarr's son James Markey from her previous marriage to screenwriter Gene Markey
.
Other wives of Loder's were Sophie Kabel, Evelyn Auff Mordt, and his final wife, Argentine
heiress Alba Julia Lagomarsino, with whom he remained until his death at the age of 90 in 1988, semi-retiring to her ranch, where he wrote his 1977 autobiography, Hollywood Hussar.
John Loder's son, Robin Lowe, was a theatrical agent, who was married to British actress Hilary Tindall
(1938–1992), who played Ann Hammond in the 1970s BBC TV series The Brothers.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Early life
Loder's father was General W. H. M. Lowe, the British officer to whom Patrick PearsePatrick Pearse
Patrick Henry Pearse was an Irish teacher, barrister, poet, writer, nationalist and political activist who was one of the leaders of the Easter Rising in 1916...
, the leader of the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin, Ireland, surrendered. Both General Lowe and his son were present at the surrender of Pearse.
He was educated at Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and the Royal Military College
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
and followed his father into the army, commissioned into 15th Hussars as a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
on 17 March 1915, and then serving in the Gallipoli Campaign and at one point being imprisoned by the Germans
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
.
Career
Upon being released, he stayed in Germany to run a pickle factory and also began to develop an interest in acting, appearing in bit-parts in a few German films. He left Germany to briefly return to England and then headed to Hollywood to try his luck in the new medium, Talkies. He appeared in The Doctor's Secret, which was ParamountParamount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
's first talking picture—though his very English persona didn't win America over at this time and he returned to England where he co-starred in plush musicals and intrigue such as Love Life and Laughter and Sabotage. He was the male romantic interest in the 1937 original film version of King Solomon's Mines
King Solomon's Mines (1937 film)
King Solomon's Mines is a 1937 film, the first film adaptation of the 1885 novel by the same name by Henry Rider Haggard. It starred Paul Robeson, Cedric Hardwicke, Anna Lee, John Loder and Roland Young...
.
When World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
started he returned to America where he seamlessly coasted into a career in 'B' movie roles usually playing upper crust characters with occasional appearances on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
. He occasionally did play roles, though supporting ones, in major 'A' films such as How Green Was My Valley
How Green Was My Valley (film)
How Green Was My Valley is a 1941 drama film directed by John Ford. The film, based on the 1939 Richard Llewellyn novel, was produced by Darryl F. Zanuck and written by Philip Dunne. The film stars Walter Pidgeon, Maureen O'Hara, Anna Lee, Donald Crisp, and Roddy McDowall...
, in which he was at the same time one of Roddy McDowall
Roddy McDowall
Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude "Roddy" McDowall was an English actor and photographer. His film roles included Cornelius and Caesar in the Planet of the Apes film series...
's brothers and Donald Crisp
Donald Crisp
Donald Crisp was an English film actor. He was also an early motion picture producer, director and screenwriter...
's sons.
In 1947 he became an American citizen, his last screen appearance was in 1971. In 1959 he became a naturalised citizen of the United Kingdom as he has been of "uncertain nationality".
Personal life
Loder was married five times; two of his wives were actresses: French star Micheline Cheirel (married 1936-41) and Hedy LamarrHedy Lamarr
Hedy Lamarr was an Austrian-American actress celebrated for her great beauty who was a major contract star of MGM's "Golden Age".Lamarr also co-invented – with composer George Antheil – an early technique for spread spectrum communications and frequency hopping, necessary to wireless...
(married 1943-47). With Lamarr, he had two children, Denise (born 1945) and Antony (born 1947), and adopted Lamarr's son James Markey from her previous marriage to screenwriter Gene Markey
Gene Markey
Eugene Willford "Gene" Markey was an American author, producer, screenwriter, and highly decorated naval officer.-Biography:...
.
Other wives of Loder's were Sophie Kabel, Evelyn Auff Mordt, and his final wife, Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
heiress Alba Julia Lagomarsino, with whom he remained until his death at the age of 90 in 1988, semi-retiring to her ranch, where he wrote his 1977 autobiography, Hollywood Hussar.
John Loder's son, Robin Lowe, was a theatrical agent, who was married to British actress Hilary Tindall
Hilary Tindall
Hilary Tindall was an English stage and television actress. She is best remembered for the role of Ann Hammond in the BBC television series The Brothers....
(1938–1992), who played Ann Hammond in the 1970s BBC TV series The Brothers.
Selected filmography
- The First BornThe First BornThe First Born is a British silent film drama, directed by Miles Mander for Gainsborough Pictures and starring Mander and Madeleine Carroll.-Production background:The screenplay was also written by Mander in conjunction with Alma Reville...
(1928) - Seas BeneathSeas Beneath-Cast:* George O'Brien - Cmdr. Robert 'Bob' Kingsley* Marion Lessing - Anna Marie Von Steuben* Mona Maris - Fraulein Lolita* Walter C. Kelly - Chief Mike 'Guns' Costello* Warren Hymer - 'Lug' Kaufman...
(1931) - On the LooseOn the Loose (1931 film)On The Loose is a comedy film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, produced and directed by Hal Roach, and starring Zasu Pitts and Thelma Todd. The short film features a cameo appearance by Laurel and Hardy.- Plot :...
(1931) - You Made Me Love YouYou Made Me Love You (film)You Made Me Love You is a 1933 British comedy film directed by Monty Banks and starring Stanley Lupino, Thelma Todd and John Loder. The plot is a modern remorkwing of William Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew.-Cast:* Stanley Lupino - Tom Daly...
(1933) - Lorna DooneLorna Doone (1934 film)Lorna Doone is a 1934 British drama film directed by Basil Dean and starring Victoria Hopper, John Loder and Margaret Lockwood. It is based on the novel Lorna Doone by R.D...
(1934) - Rolling in MoneyRolling in MoneyRolling in Money is a 1934 British comedy film directed by Albert Parker and starring Isabel Jeans, Leslie Sarony and John Loder. An impoverished duchess arranges a marriage for her daughter to a wealthy working-class London barber. It was an adaptation of the play Mr. Hopkinson by R.C...
(1934) - My Song Goes Round the World (1934)
- Thunder in the East (1934)
- Warn LondonWarn LondonWarn London is a 1934 British thriller film directed by T. Hayes Hunter and starring Edmund Gwenn, John Loder and Leonora Corbett. A detective goes undercover to infiltrate a gang planning a bullion robbery. It was based on a novel by Denison Clift.-Cast:...
(1934) - The Silent PassengerThe Silent PassengerThe Silent Passenger is a British black-and-white film made in 1935 at Ealing Studios, London.-Synopsis:A detective mystery in which a lord sets out to prove that a man did not kill his wife's blackmailer....
(1935) - It Happened in ParisIt Happened in ParisIt Happened in Paris is a 1935 British comedy film made at Ealing Studios, directed by Carol Reed and Robert Wyler and starring John Loder, Nancy Burne, and Esme Percy. A British millionaire's son travels to France to study art, and falls in love in Paris. It is based on the play L'Arpete by Yves...
(1935) - Guilty MelodyGuilty MelodyGuilty Melody is a 1936 British drama film directed by Richard Pottier and starring Don Alcaide, Gitta Alpar and John Loder. It was based on a novel by Hans Rehfisch...
(1936) - The Man Who Changed His MindThe Man Who Changed His MindThe Man Who Changed His Mind is a 1936 science fiction horror film starring Boris Karloff and Anna Lee. It was directed by Robert Stevenson and was released in Great Britain by Gainsborough Pictures. The film was also known as The Brainsnatcher or The Man Who Lived Again.-Plot:Dr...
(1936) - SabotageSabotageSabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening another entity through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. In a workplace setting, sabotage is the conscious withdrawal of efficiency generally directed at causing some change in workplace conditions. One who engages in sabotage is...
(1936) - Doctor SynDoctor Syn (film)Doctor Syn is a 1937 British, black-and-white, adventure, drama historical film , directed by Roy William Neill for Gainsborough Pictures and starring George Arliss , Margaret Lockwood, Graham Moffatt and Ronald Shiner. It was produced by Gainsborough Pictures. The film is based on the Doctor Syn...
(1937) - KatiaKatia (film)Katia is a 1938 French drama film starring Danielle Darrieux. The movie was directed by Maurice Tourneur, based on novel "Princesse Mathe Bibesco" by Marthe Bibesco under the pseudonym Lucile Decaux. It tells the love affair of Russian princess and Czar Alexander II...
(1938) - Anything to Declare?Anything to Declare?Anything to Declare? is a 1938 British crime thriller film directed by Redd Davis and starring John Loder, Noel Madison and Belle Chrystall. A new gas formula that can be used as a deadly weapon invented by a pioneering British scientist draws the interest of a shadowy peace movement, which masks a...
(1938) - The Silent BattleThe Silent BattleThe Silent Battle is a 1939 British thriller film directed by Herbert Mason and starring Rex Harrison, Valerie Hobson and John Loder. It is also known by the alternative titles Continental Express and Peace in our Time. It was inspired by the novel Le Poisson Chinois by Jean Bommart...
(1939) - Murder Will Out (1940)
- Threats (1940)
- Tin Pan Alley (film)Tin Pan Alley (film)Tin Pan Alley is a 1940 musical film starring Alice Faye and Betty Grable as vaudeville singers/sisters and John Payne and Jack Oakie as songwriters in the years before World War I.Alfred Newman received the 1940 Academy Award for his work on the film...
(1940) - Adventure in DiamondsAdventure in DiamondsAdventure in Diamonds is a 1940 American crime film directed by George Fitzmaurice and starring George Brent, Isa Miranda, John Loder and Nigel Bruce...
(1940) - Meet Maxwell ArcherMeet Maxwell ArcherMeet Maxwell Archer is a 1940 British mystery film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring John Loder, Leueen MacGrath and Athole Stewart...
(1940) - Gentleman JimGentleman Jim (1942 film)Gentleman Jim is a 1942 film starring Errol Flynn as heavyweight boxing champion James J. Corbett. The supporting cast includes Alexis Smith, Jack Carson, Alan Hale, William Frawley, and Ward Bond. The movie was based upon Corbett's autobiography, The Roar of the Crowd, and directed by Raoul...
(1942) - Passage to MarseillePassage to MarseillePassage to Marseille is a 1944 war film made by Warner Brothers, directed by Michael Curtiz and produced by Hal B. Wallis with Jack L. Warner as executive producer. The screenplay was by Casey Robinson and Jack Moffitt from the novel Sans Patrie by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall...
(1944) - The Hairy ApeThe Hairy Ape-Plot :The play tells the story of a brutish, unthinking laborer known as Yank, as he searches for a sense of belonging in a world controlled by the rich...
(1944) - Abroad with Two Yanks (1944)
- The Brighton StranglerThe Brighton StranglerThe Brighton Strangler is a 1945 American crime film directed by Max Nosseck and starring John Loder, June Duprez and Michael St. Angel. In Britain an actor goes mad and tries to live out the life of the character he is playing by committing a string of murders.-Cast:* John Loder - Reginald Parker...
(1945) - Jealousy (1945)
- A Game of DeathA Game of DeathA Game of Death is a 1945 film directed by Robert Wise. It is a remake of Richard Connell's short story, The Most Dangerous Game, about a madman who hunts human prey on his personal island habitat...
(1945) - Woman Who Came Back (1945)
- The Fighting Guardsman (1946)
- The Wife of Monte Cristo (1946)
- One More Tomorrow (1946)
- Dishonored LadyDishonored LadyDishonored Lady is a film starring Hedy Lamarr, Dennis O'Keefe, John Loder, William Lundigan, and Natalie Schafer, directed by Robert Stevenson, and released by United Artists...
(1947) - Woman and the Hunter (1957)
- The Story of Esther CostelloThe Story of Esther CostelloThe Story of Esther Costello is a 1957 British drama film starring Joan Crawford, Rossano Brazzi, and Heather Sears . The film is an exposé of large-scale fundraising. The Story of Esther Costello was produced by David Miller and Jack Clayton with Miller directing...
(1957) - Small HotelSmall HotelSmall Hotel is a 1957 British comedy film directed by David MacDonald.-Plot:A head waiter in a country hotel works various scams after he is told that he is to be placed by a young woman.-Cast:*Gordon Harker.....Albert*Marie Lohr.....Mrs. Samson-Fox...
(1957) - Gideon's DayGideon's DayGideon's Day is the first in a series of police procedural novels by John Creasey writing as J.J. Marric. Published in 1955, it features a day in the professional life of Detective Superintendent George Gideon of the C.I.D., Scotland Yard. In later books in the series, Gideon has been promoted to...
(1958) - The Secret ManThe Secret ManThe Secret Man is a 1917 Western film directed by John Ford and featuring Harry Carey. Two of the five reels of the film survive at the Library of Congress film archive.-Production:...
(1958) - The FirechasersThe FirechasersThe Firechasers is a 1971 British crime film directed by Sidney Hayers and starring Chad Everett, Anjanette Comer and Keith Barron. A journalist tries to find out who is behind a series of arson attacks.-Cast:* Chad Everett - Quentin Barnaby...
(1971)