Alfred Ryder

Alfred Ryder (born Alfred Jacob Corn; January 5, 1916 – April 16, 1995) was an American film, radio and television actor, who appeared in over one hundred television shows.

For the British naval commander, see Alfred Ryder (Royal Navy officer).
Alfred Ryder
Alfred Ryder as Professor Robert Crater from the Star Trek debut aired episode, "The Man Trap"
Born
Alfred Jacob Corn

(1916-01-05)January 5, 1916
New York City, U.S.
DiedApril 16, 1995(1995-04-16) (aged 79)
Englewood, New Jersey, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1944–1980
Spouse(s)
Kim Stanley
(m. 1958; div. 1964)
Children1
RelativesOlive Deering (sister)

Ryder began to act aged eight and later studied with Robert Lewis and Lee Strasberg. He eventually became a life member of The Actors Studio.[1]

During the golden age of American network radio comedy, Ryder had two memorable regular roles, as Molly Goldberg's son Sammy in The Goldbergs; and, as Carl Neff in Easy Aces. During World War II he served in the United States Army Air Forces and appeared in the Air Forces' Broadway play and film Winged Victory. He had a role in the Anthony Mann directed film noir film T-Men (1947).

Ryder played the main alien leader, Mr. Nexus, in the 1967-68 (two seasons) TV series The Invaders. His other appearances include the starring role as a British criminal who could not be killed in Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond episode "The Devil's Laughter'" (1959) and the first-aired episode of Star Trek on September 8, 1966, "The Man Trap", as a scientist who is hiding the fact that a shape-shifting alien is masquerading as his late wife. He also appeared as the ghost of a World War I German U-boat captain in two episodes of Irwin Allen's ABC-TV series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. He later appeared in an episode on another Irwin Allen series on ABC, as a cantankerous orphanage operator, Parteg, in the February 1969 episode "Night of Thrombeldinbar" on Land of the Giants.

He also appeared in the episode "A Hand for Sonny Blue" from the 1977 series Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected (known in the United Kingdom as Twist in the Tale).[2] In films he is perhaps best remembered as the defense attorney who cross-examines John Wayne in True Grit (1969).

Born to Jewish parents, he was married to actress Kim Stanley from 1958 until 1964;[3] the couple had a child, Laurie Ryder. He was the brother of actress Olive Deering (1918–1986). Ryder was a Democrat who supported the campaign of Adlai Stevenson during the 1952 presidential election[4].

Select TV/film appearances

References
  1. Garfield, David (1980). "Appendix: Life Members of The Actors Studio as of January 1980". A Player's Place: The Story of The Actors Studio. New York: MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc. p. 279. ISBN 0-02-542650-8.
  2. "Classic Television Archive: Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected (1977)". Archived from the original on 2014-08-19. Retrieved 2014-08-17.
  3. Krampner, Jon. Female Brando: The Legend of Kim Stanley, Back Stage Books, 2006, p. 230
  4. Motion Picture and Television Magazine, November 1952, page 33, Ideal Publishers
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