Alan Walbridge Ladd was an American actor and film and television producer. Ladd found success in film the 1940s and early 1950s, particularly in Westerns and film noirs where he was often paired with Veronica Lake, as she was one of the few Hollywood actresses shorter than he. His popularity diminished in the late 1950s, though he continued to appear in popular films until his death from cerebral edema in January 1964. Ladd was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas, but later relocated to North Hollywood, California when his mother re-married. He worked briefly as a studio carpenter (as did his stepfather) and for a short time was part of the Universal Pictures studio school for actors. Intent on acting, he found work in small theatres. He had short term stints at MGM and RKO, and eventually started getting steady work on radio. Ladd began by appearing in dozens of films in small roles, including Citizen Kane , before reaching recognition for his 1942 appearance in This Gun for Hire, invigorating Hollywood's desire for gangster-crime features. His cool, unsmiling persona proved popular with wartime audiences, and he was quickly established as one of the top box office stars of the decade.
Movie | Rat Pack | Self (archive footage) | 2022-01-11 |
Movie | Walt Disney's Fables - Vol.6 | Al - Baby Weems Storyboard Artist (archive footage) | 2004-05-31 |
Movie | L.A. Confidential | Self (archive footage) | 1997-09-19 |
Movie | Frantic | Bellboy 3 | 1988-02-19 |
Movie | George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey | 1985-03-03 | |
Movie | Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1983-02-25 |
Movie | Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid | (in "This Gun For Hire") (archive footage) | 1982-05-21 |
Movie | The Movie Orgy | Self (archive footage) | 1968-01-01 |
Movie | The Carpetbaggers | Nevada Smith | 1964-04-08 |
Movie | 13 West Street | Walt Sherill | 1962-02-23 |
Movie | Duel of Champions | Horatius | 1961-10-19 |
Movie | Guns of the Timberland | Jim Hadley | 1960-02-01 |
Movie | All the Young Men | Sgt. Kincaid | 1960-08-26 |
Movie | One Foot in Hell | Mitch Barrett | 1960-09-11 |
Movie | The Man in the Net | John Hamilton | 1959-06-10 |
Movie | The Deep Six | Alexander 'Alec' Austen | 1958-01-15 |
Movie | The Badlanders | Peter Van Hoek (The Dutchman) | 1958-09-03 |
Movie | The Proud Rebel | John Chandler | 1958-07-01 |
Movie | The Big Land | Chad Morgan | 1957-03-01 |
Movie | Boy on a Dolphin | Dr. James 'Jim' Calder | 1957-04-19 |
Movie | Santiago | Caleb 'Cash' Adams | 1956-07-13 |
Movie | A Cry in the Night | Opening Narrator (voice) (uncredited) | 1956-08-17 |
Movie | The McConnell Story | Capt. Joseph C. 'Mac' McConnell, Jr. | 1955-09-29 |
Movie | Hell on Frisco Bay | Steve Rollins | 1955-12-31 |
Movie | Hell Below Zero | Duncan Craig | 1954-01-13 |
Movie | Saskatchewan | Thomas O'Rourke | 1954-03-30 |
Movie | Drum Beat | Johnny MacKay | 1954-11-10 |
Movie | The Black Knight | John | 1954-08-26 |
Movie | A Star Is Born World Premiere | Self | 1954-09-28 |
Movie | Shane | Shane | 1953-04-23 |
Series | General Electric Theater | Unknown | 1953-02-01 |
Movie | Desert Legion | Paul Lartal | 1953-05-08 |
Movie | The Red Beret | Steve 'Canada' McKendrick | 1953-08-11 |
Movie | The Iron Mistress | Jim Bowie | 1952-11-19 |
Movie | Thunder in the East | Steve Gibbs | 1952-12-04 |
Movie | Botany Bay | Hugh Tallant | 1952-12-26 |
Movie | Red Mountain | Capt. Brett Sherwood | 1951-11-01 |
Movie | Captain Carey, U.S.A. | Captain Webster Carey | 1950-02-21 |
Movie | Branded | Choya | 1950-11-03 |
Movie | Appointment with Danger | Al Goddard | 1950-03-31 |
Movie | The Great Gatsby | Jay Gatsby | 1949-07-13 |
Movie | Chicago Deadline | Ed Adams | 1949-11-03 |
Movie | Beyond Glory | Capt. Rockwell 'Rocky' Gilman | 1948-08-03 |
Movie | Whispering Smith | Whispering Smith | 1948-12-09 |
Movie | My Favorite Brunette | Sam McCloud (uncredited) | 1947-03-19 |
Movie | Variety Girl | Alan Ladd | 1947-08-29 |
Movie | Wild Harvest | Joe Madigan | 1947-09-26 |
Movie | Saigon | Major Larry Briggs | 1947-12-05 |
Movie | The Blue Dahlia | Johnny Morrison | 1946-04-16 |
Movie | O.S.S. | John Martin / Lt. (j.g.) Philip Masson, U.S.N.R. / Philippe Martine | 1946-05-26 |
Movie | Two Years Before the Mast | Charles Stewart | 1946-11-22 |
Movie | Calcutta | Neale Gordon | 1946-12-20 |
Movie | Salty O'Rourke | Salty O'Rourke | 1945-03-22 |
Movie | Duffy's Tavern | Alan Ladd | 1945-09-28 |
Movie | Hollywood Victory Caravan | Alan Ladd | 1945-09-30 |
Movie | Skirmish on the Home Front | Harry W. Average | 1944-05-11 |
Movie | And Now Tomorrow | Doctor Merek Vance | 1944-11-22 |
Movie | China | David Jones | 1943-04-21 |
Movie | Joan of Paris | "Baby" | 1942-01-20 |
Movie | Lucky Jordan | Lucky Jordan | 1942-11-16 |
Movie | Star Spangled Rhythm | Alan Ladd | 1942-03-05 |
Movie | This Gun for Hire | Philip Raven | 1942-04-24 |
Movie | The Glass Key | Ed Beaumont | 1942-09-08 |
Movie | Citizen Kane | Reporter Smoking Pipe at End (uncredited) | 1941-04-17 |
Movie | The Black Cat | Richard Hartley | 1941-05-02 |
Movie | I Look at You | Himself | 1941-02-20 |
Movie | Cadet Girl | Harry - Musician (uncredited) | 1941-11-28 |
Movie | Gangs Inc. | Jimmy Kelly aka Bill Dugan | 1941-06-13 |
Movie | Great Guns | Soldier in Photo Shop (uncredited) | 1941-10-10 |
Movie | The Reluctant Dragon | Baby Weems Storyboard Artist | 1941-06-19 |
Movie | Those Were the Days! | Keg Rearick | 1940-07-14 |
Movie | Cross-Country Romance | Mr. Williams | 1940-07-12 |
Movie | Gangs of Chicago | 1940-05-18 | |
Movie | Brother Rat and a Baby | Cadet in Trouble | 1940-01-13 |
Movie | The Green Hornet | Gilpin - Student Pilot (uncredited) | 1940-01-08 |
Movie | Light of Western Stars | Danny | 1940-04-17 |
Movie | In Old Missouri | John Pittman Jr. | 1940-04-17 |
Movie | The Howards of Virginia | Backwoodsman (uncredited) | 1940-09-19 |
Movie | Her First Romance | John Gilman | 1940-12-25 |
Movie | American Portrait | Young man / Old man | 1940-07-31 |
Movie | Ellery Queen, Master Detective | Elevator Passenger (uncredited) (unconfirmed) | 1940-11-30 |
Movie | Victory | Heyst as an 18-Year-Old (uncredited) | 1940-12-21 |
Movie | Meet the Missus | John Williams | 1940-11-29 |
Movie | Meat and Romance | Bill Allen | 1940-10-29 |
Movie | Captain Caution | Newton | 1940-08-09 |
Movie | The Mysterious Miss X | Henchman | 1939-01-10 |
Movie | Rulers of the Sea | Colin Farrell | 1939-11-08 |
Movie | Hitler: Beast of Berlin | Karl Bach | 1939-10-07 |
Movie | Come On, Leathernecks! | Club Waiter (uncredited) | 1938-08-08 |
Movie | The Goldwyn Follies | First Auditioning Singer (uncredited) | 1938-02-04 |
Movie | Freshman Year | Student (uncredited) | 1938-09-02 |
Movie | Secrets of a Nurse | Hospital Orderly (uncredited) | 1938-12-02 |
Movie | The Last Train from Madrid | Soldier (uncredited) | 1937-06-11 |
Movie | All Over Town | Young Man (uncredited) | 1937-08-09 |
Movie | Souls at Sea | Sailor (uncredited) | 1937-09-03 |
Movie | Hold 'Em Navy | Chief Quartermaster (uncredited) | 1937-11-04 |
Movie | Pigskin Parade | Student (uncredited) | 1936-10-23 |
Movie | Murder at the Vanities | Chorus Boy (uncredited) | 1934-05-18 |
Movie | Saturday's Millions | Student | 1933-09-30 |
Movie | Tom Brown of Culver | Cadet | 1932-06-30 |
Movie | Island of Lost Souls | 1932-12-24 | |
Movie | Once in a Lifetime | Projectionist (uncredited) | 1932-10-02 |