Alfred Ryder

Alfred Ryder (born Alfred Jacob Corn; January 5, 1916 – April 16, 1995) was an American film, radio and television actor. Ryder is known for appearing in over one hundred television shows, including the starring role as a British criminal who could not be killed in Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond episode "The Devil's Laughter'" (1959). He appeared in the first aired episode of the now classic CBS television series Star Trek on September 8, 1966. In "[The Man Trap]]" Ryder played Professor Robert Crater.

Both of Alfred Ryder's parents were Jewish.

Ryder appeared as one of the alien leaders in the TV series The Invaders, as well as the ghost of a World War I German U-boat captain in two episodes of the TV series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. He also played a role 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). In films he is perhaps best remembered as the defense attorney who cross-examines John Wayne in True Grit (1969).

He began acting at the age of eight and later went on to study with the likes of Robert Lewis and Lee Strasberg as a young adult. Later still, he would become a life member of The Actors Studio. During the heyday 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 appeared in the Anthony Mann directed film noir classic, T-Men (1947).

He was married to actress Kim Stanley from 1958 until 1964; the couple had a child, Laurie Ryder. He was the brother of actress Olive Deering.

Television

• 1967 The Rat Patrol episode "The Darkest Raid" as Col. Rudolf Gerschon
• 1966 Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea episode "The Phantom Strikes" as U-Boat Captain Gerhardt Krueger
• 1966 Star Trek episode "The Man Trap" Prof. Crater
• 1964 Combat! episode "The Hunter" Heismann