Alan Ladd
Acting
- Born:
- 1913-09-03
- Died:
- 1964-01-29
- Place of birth:
- Hot Springs, Arkansas, USA
Biography
Alan Walbridge Ladd (September 3, 1913 – January 29, 1964) was an American actor and producer known for his cool, understated screen presence and his defining roles in 1940s and 1950s film noir and Westerns. Standing 5 ft 6 in (168 cm), Ladd became famous for the contrast between his modest height and his commanding on‑screen persona, a combination studios often enhanced through camera techniques and staging. He was frequently paired with Veronica Lake, one of the few major actresses shorter than he was, and together they became one of Hollywood’s iconic noir duos. Born in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Ladd moved to North Hollywood as a child and worked various jobs before entering the film industry. After years of small roles — including an uncredited appearance in Citizen Kane — he achieved stardom with This Gun for Hire (1942). His quiet intensity and stoic charm resonated strongly with wartime audiences, making him one of the decade’s top box‑office draws. Ladd went on to star in a series of successful films, including The Glass Key (1942), The Blue Dahlia (1946), Whispering Smith (1948), Shane (1953), and The Proud Rebel (1958). Though his popularity declined somewhat in the late 1950s, he continued to work steadily in both film and television and produced several of his later projects. Ladd died in 1964 at the age of 50 from cerebral edema caused by acute alcohol and barbiturate intoxication, which was ruled an accidental death. Despite his relatively short life, he remains a defining figure of classic Hollywood — a performer whose quiet strength, distinctive presence, and memorable roles continue to influence the Western and noir genres.
Known For
Filmography
Rat Pack
Walt Disney's Fables - Vol.6
Alan Ladd: The True Quiet Man
George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
The Movie Orgy
The Carpetbaggers
13 West Street
Duel of Champions
One Foot in Hell
All the Young Men
Guns of the Timberland
The Man in the Net
The Badlanders
The Proud Rebel
The Deep Six
Boy on a Dolphin
The Big Land
A Cry in the Night
Santiago
Hell on Frisco Bay
The McConnell Story
The Bob Cummings Show
Drum Beat
A Star Is Born World Premiere
The Black Knight
Saskatchewan
Hell Below Zero
The Red Beret
Desert Legion
Shane
General Electric Theater
Botany Bay
Thunder in the East
The Iron Mistress
Red Mountain
Branded
Appointment with Danger
Captain Carey, U.S.A.
Chicago Deadline
The Great Gatsby
Whispering Smith
Beyond Glory
Saigon
Wild Harvest
Variety Girl
My Favorite Brunette
Calcutta
Two Years Before the Mast
O.S.S.
The Blue Dahlia
Hollywood Victory Caravan
Duffy's Tavern
Salty O'Rourke
And Now Tomorrow
Skirmish on the Home Front
China
Photographic Intelligence for Bombardment Aviation
Lucky Jordan
The Glass Key
This Gun for Hire
Star Spangled Rhythm
Joan of Paris
Unfinished Rainbows
Military Training
Cadet Girl
Great Guns
The Reluctant Dragon
Gangs Inc.
The Black Cat
Citizen Kane
I Look at You
Petticoat Politics
The Basic Principles of Skiing
Her First Romance
Victory
Ellery Queen, Master Detective
Meet the Missus
Meat and Romance
The Howards of Virginia
Wildcat Bus
Captain Caution
American Portrait
Those Were the Days!
Cross-Country Romance
Blame It on Love
In Old Missouri
The Light of Western Stars
Sauce for the Gander
Brother Rat and a Baby
The Green Hornet
Rulers of the Sea
Hitler: Beast of Berlin
The Mysterious Miss X
Petunia Natural Park
Secrets of a Nurse
Freshman Year
Come On, Leathernecks!
The Goldwyn Follies
Hold 'Em Navy
Souls at Sea
All Over Town
The Last Train from Madrid
Pigskin Parade
Murder at the Vanities
Saturday's Millions
Once in a Lifetime
Tom Brown of Culver