John Loder, a tall and handsome British leading man, was born on January 3, 1898, as John Muir Lowe, the son of a British general. He attended Eton and the Royal Military colleges, following in his father's footsteps into the army, where he fought at Gallipoli during World War I.
After being a German prisoner of war in 1918, Loder remained in Germany, where he was assigned military duties on behalf of the Inter-Allied Commission. He eventually went into business, establishing a pickle factory in Potsdam with a partner.
Loder developed an interest in acting, appearing in a few German film dance bits, including Dance Fever and Madame Doesn't Want Children. He progressed to featured and co-star parts in films such as Die weiße Spinne and Die Sünderin.
In 1927, Loder returned to England, where he was third-billed as Lord Harborough in the elegant melodrama The First Born, starring Madeleine Carroll and Miles Mander. He then made the transatlantic trip to the United States, where he continued to work in films, including The Doctor's Secret, Her Private Affair, and Lilies of the Field.
However, his on-camera persona was a bit too cut and dried for American tastes, and he returned to England. Back in his homeland, Loder was able to embellish his résumé with more plush, princely leads and co-leads in films such as Money for Speed, You Made Me Love You, Love, Life & Laughter, and Sing As We Go!
Loder's film career declined in the late 1940s, and he made his Broadway debut in For Love or Money in 1947. He subsequently moved to TV work in the 1950s, with guest appearances on several anthology series.
His last films included The Story of Esther Costello, Woman and the Hunter, Gideon of Scotland Yard, The Secret Man, and The Firechasers. Loder had a lively private life, divorcing five times and co-starring with actresses Micheline Cheirel and Hedy Lamarr.
He penned his autobiography, Hollywood Hussar, in 1977, and his general health declined noticeably before his death in London, aged 90, on December 26, 1988.
