Movie Star Mystery Photo

Posted on July 3, 2009 by lmharnisch
 

 June 29, 2009, Mystery Photo

 
Los Angeles Times file photo

Update: As nearly everyone has guessed, this is John Loder. Above, a photo published Oct. 5, 1928, with a story saying that he was making his U.S. screen debut in a talking picture for Paramount, "Half an Hour." which was released as "The Doctor's Secret."

John Loder, 90; Debonair Star of '30s, '40s

January 20, 1989

By BURT A. FOLKART, Times Staff Writer

John Loder, the aristocratic
and debonair romantic star of films that began with early American
silents and extended over more than three decades, has died at the age
of 90.

The New York Times said in its Thursday editions that he
died somewhere in England late last month. Further details were not
available.

Born John Lowe in York, England, Loder's off-screen
persona was often as fascinating as the tweedy, pipe-smoking gentlemen
of leisure he normally portrayed on the screen.

The third of his five wives was Hedy Lamarr, and newspaper clippings of the 1930s and '40s dwell more on his marriages and social activities than they do his films.

Born the son of a British general, he attended Eton and the Royal Military College at Sandhurst before serving as a lieutenant with the 15th Hussars in North Africa, France and Turkey during World War I. He was a prisoner of war for a time and titled his 1977 autobiography "Hollywood Hussar."

In 1926 he played a subordinate role to German starlet Marlene Dietrich in a dance scene in Alexander Korda's "Madame Wants No Children."

By
the early 1930s he was making pictures in both Hollywood and Europe and
appeared in Paramount's early talkie, "The Doctor's Secret" in 1929.

He
continued to make films in both his adopted land (he became a citizen
of the United States in 1947) and his native England until 1970, when
he was seen in "Cause for Alarm," his first on-screen role in a decade.
That was his final credit.

In all he appeared in more than 60
films. He probably will best be remembered for his work as the eldest
son in "How Green Was My Valley," opposite Lamarr in "Dishonored Lady" and in the lachrymose classic "Now Voyager" which starred Bette Davis.

His other pictures included the 1937 version of "King Solomon's Mines," Alfred Hitchcock's "Sabotage," "Lorna Doone," "Gideon of Scotland Yard" and "Passage to Marseilles."

Loder's fifth and last wife was Julia Lagomarsino, widow of an Argentine cattle rancher. For a time they made their home in both Argentina and England.

Just
a
reminder on how this works: I post the mystery photo on Monday and
reveal the answer on Friday … or on Saturday if I have a hard time
picking only five pictures — sometimes it's difficult to choose. To
keep the mystery photo from getting
lost in the other entries, I move it from Monday to Tuesday to
Wednesday, etc., adding a photo every day.

I have to approve
all comments, so if your guess is posted immediately, that means you're
wrong. (And if a wrong guess has already been submitted by someone
else, there's no point in submitting it again.) If you're right, you
will have to wait until Friday. There's no need to submit your guess
five times. Once is enough. The only prize is bragging rights. 

The answer to last week's mystery star: Lois Wilson!

June 30, 2009, Mystery Photo

Los Angeles Times file photo

Update: Merle Oberon and John Loder in "Thunder in the East," June 9, 1935.

Here's our mystery fellow with a mystery companion. Please congratulate Jany,  "Laura" fan Waldo Lydecker, Mary Mallory, Megan Bailey and Jeff Hanna for correctly identifying him!

July 1, 2009, Mystery Photo

Los Angeles Times file photo

Update: John Loder and his wife Micheline Cheirel, Nov. 30, 1940.

Here's another pictures of our mystery guest with a mysterious companion. Please congratulate Don Danard, Donna Hill, Dewey Webb, Eve Golden and co-worker Mel, Carmen, Sue, Claire Lockhart, Grant Lockhart (are you guys related?), Nancy Price, William, Roget-L.A., LC, Michael Ryerson and Cinnamon Carter for identifying him. 

July 2, 2009, Mystery Photo

Los Angeles Times file photo

Update: John Loder and Hedy Lamarr, right, at the baptism of their daughter Denise, held by Bette Davis, with the Rev. J. Herbert Smith at All Saints Episcopal Church in Beverly Hills, April 9, 1946.

And another picture of our mystery guest with some mystery companions. Please congratulate Mike Hawks, Barbara Klein, Candy C and Ann Turpin for correctly identifying him.

July 3, 2009, Mystery Photo

Los Angeles Times file photo

An undated photo of John Loder and his "better half" thanks to The Times' art department.

Unknown's avatar

About lmharnisch

I am retired from the Los Angeles Times
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69 Responses to Movie Star Mystery Photo

  1. Rance Ryan's avatar Rance Ryan says:
    June 29, 2009 at 9:06 am

    Melvyn Douglas

    Like

  2. Carmen's avatar Carmen says:
    June 29, 2009 at 9:15 am

    Louis Calhern

    Like

  3. Eve's avatar Eve says:
    June 29, 2009 at 9:30 am

    Mel and I are stumped, so I will guess, “it’s Clara Bow AND Theda Bara!”
    It’s from around 1930, I will say that much,.

    Like

  4. Barbara Klein's avatar Barbara Klein says:
    June 29, 2009 at 9:41 am

    Paul Bern

    Like

  5. Joan Myers's avatar Joan Myers says:
    June 29, 2009 at 9:42 am

    Reginald Denny?

    Like

  6. Greg Clancey's avatar Greg Clancey says:
    June 29, 2009 at 9:47 am

    What’s with the hair?

    Like

  7. waldo lydecker's avatar waldo lydecker says:
    June 29, 2009 at 9:53 am

    I would say a young Neil Hamillton.

    Like

  8. william's avatar william says:
    June 29, 2009 at 10:13 am

    young Vincent Price, with his hair combed down straight

    Like

  9. Nick Santa Maria's avatar Nick Santa Maria says:
    June 29, 2009 at 10:47 am

    Bruce Bennet (Herman Brix)?

    Like

  10. Jany's avatar Jany says:
    June 29, 2009 at 10:59 am

    John Loder

    Like

  11. Cat Murray's avatar Cat Murray says:
    June 29, 2009 at 12:28 pm

    Conrad Nagel

    Like

  12. Deb Morris's avatar Deb Morris says:
    June 29, 2009 at 2:13 pm

    Douglas Fairbanks Jr?

    Like

  13. annie frye's avatar annie frye says:
    June 29, 2009 at 2:24 pm

    John Lund?

    Like

  14. waldo lydecker's avatar waldo lydecker says:
    June 29, 2009 at 2:49 pm

    Second try — John Loder?

    Like

  15. gerald mccann's avatar gerald mccann says:
    June 29, 2009 at 4:51 pm

    Conrad Veidt

    Like

  16. J.A. Brady's avatar J.A. Brady says:
    June 29, 2009 at 5:21 pm

    Gig Young

    Like

  17. Mary mallory's avatar Mary mallory says:
    June 29, 2009 at 6:45 pm

    It’s John Loder. I went out of town this weekend and just got home. It was hard to miss it this morning. Mike Hawks was at the same film festival (the Broncho Billy Film Festival) and he’s off tomorrow, so he won’t guess until Wednesday, but he’ll know who it is too.

    Like

  18. Megan Bailey's avatar Megan Bailey says:
    June 29, 2009 at 6:50 pm

    John Loder

    Like

  19. juliet's avatar juliet says:
    June 29, 2009 at 8:36 pm

    Nils Asther?

    Like

  20. Jeff Hanna's avatar Jeff Hanna says:
    June 30, 2009 at 2:52 am

    John Loder

    Like

  21. gerald mccann's avatar gerald mccann says:
    June 30, 2009 at 8:37 am

    Neil Hamilton

    Like

  22. gerald mccann's avatar gerald mccann says:
    June 30, 2009 at 8:40 am

    Bruce Bennet

    Like

  23. Donna Hill's avatar Donna Hill says:
    June 30, 2009 at 8:43 am

    John Loder, I hope! 🙂

    Like

  24. Eve's avatar Eve says:
    June 30, 2009 at 8:48 am

    Mel says, “John Loder?”

    Like

  25. Dewey Webb's avatar Dewey Webb says:
    June 30, 2009 at 8:59 am

    John Loder, Merle Oberon

    Like

  26. Grant Lockhart's avatar Grant Lockhart says:
    June 30, 2009 at 9:03 am

    This is a youthful John Loder, who married Hedy Lamarr

    Like

  27. Carmen's avatar Carmen says:
    June 30, 2009 at 9:12 am

    Hi,
    Should have waited for the 2nd photo, John Loder with a very unusual looking Merle Oberon…
    Happy Fourth to you and all!

    Like

  28. Pat in Michigan's avatar Pat in Michigan says:
    June 30, 2009 at 9:31 am

    Henri Fabert

    Like

  29. Sue's avatar Sue says:
    June 30, 2009 at 9:32 am

    John Loder

    Like

  30. Claire Lockhart's avatar Claire Lockhart says:
    June 30, 2009 at 9:50 am

    John Loder.

    Like

  32. Arye Michael Bender's avatar Arye Michael Bender says:
    June 30, 2009 at 10:02 am

    Companion in pic #2: Even if you’re (Anna May) Wong, you can be (Frank Lloyd) Wright.

    Like

  33. annie frye's avatar annie frye says:
    June 30, 2009 at 10:07 am

    wallace reid?

    Like

  34. Arye Michael Bender's avatar Arye Michael Bender says:
    June 30, 2009 at 10:10 am

    Clive Brook

    Like

  35. Eliza's avatar Eliza says:
    June 30, 2009 at 10:14 am

    Ronald Coleman

    Like

  36. Mary Mallory's avatar Mary Mallory says:
    June 30, 2009 at 10:48 am

    Today’s photo is THUNDER IN THE EAST (United Artists, 1935) with Merle Oberon.

    Like

  37. MichaelRyerson's avatar MichaelRyerson says:
    June 30, 2009 at 11:08 am

    John Loder and, in the second picture, perhaps with Anna May Wong (still from Java Head?)

    Like

  38. Kristin Martinez's avatar Kristin Martinez says:
    June 30, 2009 at 11:14 am

    Leslie Banks?

    Like

  39. j's avatar j says:
    June 30, 2009 at 11:23 am

    movie star mystery photo: Grant Mitchell?

    Like

  40. MichaelRyerson's avatar MichaelRyerson says:
    June 30, 2009 at 11:31 am

    yeah, on second thought probably not Anna May Wong but still definitely John Loder.

    Like

  41. Nancy Price's avatar Nancy Price says:
    June 30, 2009 at 12:41 pm

    John Loder with Merle Oberon in “Thunder in the East”

    Like

  42. william's avatar william says:
    June 30, 2009 at 12:41 pm

    john loder

    Like

  43. Rogét-L.A.'s avatar Rogét-L.A. says:
    June 30, 2009 at 12:50 pm

    I think it’s John Loder (born William John Muir Lowe)

    Like

  44. juile's avatar juile says:
    June 30, 2009 at 12:52 pm

    Kenneth Harlan?

    Like

  45. LC's avatar LC says:
    June 30, 2009 at 3:38 pm

    John Loder and Merle Oberon

    Like

  46. MichaelRyerson's avatar MichaelRyerson says:
    June 30, 2009 at 3:42 pm

    Clearly (now) John Loder and Merle Oberon in a still from The Battle (1934)

    Like

  47. Omie's avatar Omie says:
    June 30, 2009 at 4:43 pm

    Well, the gal is Merle Oberon.

    Like

  48. Sam's avatar Sam says:
    June 30, 2009 at 5:39 pm

    John Loder and his companion is Merle Oberon in from The Battle (1934)

    Like

  49. Cinnamon Carter's avatar Cinnamon Carter says:
    July 1, 2009 at 3:07 am

    This is John Loder. His mysterious companion is Merle Oberon in “The Battle” (“Thunder in the East”) playing a Japanese Marquise!

    Like

  50. margie's avatar margie says:
    July 1, 2009 at 8:26 am

    bruce bennett

    Like

  51. margie's avatar margie says:
    July 1, 2009 at 8:32 am

    kent smith

    Like

  52. margie's avatar margie says:
    July 1, 2009 at 8:36 am

    richard denning

    Like

  53. Mike Hawks's avatar Mike Hawks says:
    July 1, 2009 at 9:16 am

    The man is John Loder. Mike Hawks

    Like

  54. Barbara Klein's avatar Barbara Klein says:
    July 1, 2009 at 9:31 am

    John Loder

    Like

  55. Claire Lockhart's avatar Claire Lockhart says:
    July 1, 2009 at 10:19 am

    First mystery guest looks like Fay Wray. Movie would be MADAM SPY (1934)
    (Yes, Larry. Grant Lockhart is one of your readers in England and also happens to be my dad.

    Like

  56. Claire Lockhart's avatar Claire Lockhart says:
    July 1, 2009 at 10:20 am

    Second mystery guest is wife Micheline Cheirel.

    Like

  57. CandyC's avatar CandyC says:
    July 1, 2009 at 1:01 pm

    John Loder

    Like

  58. Ann Turpin's avatar Ann Turpin says:
    July 1, 2009 at 4:29 pm

    Let me try that again. It’s John Loder. He appeared with Bette Davis in Now Voyager.
    Ann Turpin
    Plano, TX

    Like

  59. MichaelRyerson's avatar MichaelRyerson says:
    July 2, 2009 at 8:55 am

    Is it possible the two ladies in this latest picture are Betty Davis on the left and Hedy Lamarr on the far right? Don’t recognise the priest but the infant looks suspiciously like Andre Varnouskous, a kid I knew in third grade.

    Like

  60. bettie's avatar bettie says:
    July 2, 2009 at 8:59 am

    Lawrence Olivier…..

    Like

  61. gerald mccann's avatar gerald mccann says:
    July 2, 2009 at 9:03 am

    Lyle Talbot

    Like

  62. Rosalyn's avatar Rosalyn says:
    July 2, 2009 at 9:12 am

    John Loder

    Like

  63. Mary Mallory's avatar Mary Mallory says:
    July 2, 2009 at 9:36 am

    Loder and his wife Hedy Lamarr at the baptism of their daughter.

    Like

  64. Florence Meyers's avatar Florence Meyers says:
    July 2, 2009 at 11:55 am

    John Loder with Merle Oberon

    Like

  65. gerald mccann's avatar gerald mccann says:
    July 2, 2009 at 12:02 pm

    John Loder

    Like

  66. Florence Myers's avatar Florence Myers says:
    July 2, 2009 at 12:02 pm

    John Loder with Hedy Lamarr in the christening photo.,

    Like

  67. Allison Berntsen's avatar Allison Berntsen says:
    July 2, 2009 at 2:01 pm

    John Loder?

    Like

  68. kristin's avatar kristin says:
    July 2, 2009 at 3:42 pm

    John Loder

    Like

  69. Judge Crater's avatar Judge Crater says:
    July 2, 2009 at 9:50 pm

    John Loder, of course. Easy once you included a picture of Hedy Lamarr with him.

    Like

Comments are closed.