Alan Ladd
Born: 1913-09-03 in Hot Springs, Arkansas, USA
Died: 1964-01-29
Known For: Acting
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.
Filmography
2022
- Rat Pack as Self (archive footage)
2004
- Los Angeles Plays Itself as Philip Raven in This Gun For Hire (archive footage)
- Walt Disney's Fables - Vol.6 as Al - Baby Weems Storyboard Artist (archive footage) (uncredited)
1999
- Alan Ladd: The True Quiet Man as Self (archive footage)
1983
- Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
1982
- Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid as (in "This Gun For Hire") (archive footage)
1968
- The Movie Orgy as Self (archive footage)
1964
- The Carpetbaggers as Nevada Smith
1962
- 13 West Street as Walt Sherill
1961
- Duel of Champions as Horatius
1960
- All the Young Men as Sgt. Kincaid
- One Foot in Hell as Mitch Barrett
- Guns of the Timberland as Jim Hadley
1959
- The Man in the Net as John Hamilton
1958
- The Proud Rebel as John Chandler
- The Deep Six as Alexander 'Alec' Austen
- The Badlanders as Peter Van Hoek (The Dutchman)
1957
- Boy on a Dolphin as Dr. James 'Jim' Calder
- The Big Land as Chad Morgan
1956
- Santiago as Caleb 'Cash' Adams
- A Cry in the Night as Opening Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
1955
- The Bob Cummings Show as Self
- The McConnell Story as Capt. Joseph C. 'Mac' McConnell, Jr.
- Hell on Frisco Bay as Steve Rollins
1954
- Drum Beat as Johnny MacKay
- A Star Is Born World Premiere as Self
- Saskatchewan as Thomas O'Rourke
- The Black Knight as John
- Hell Below Zero as Duncan Craig
1953
- Shane as Shane
- General Electric Theater as Dan Holiday
- The Red Beret as Steve 'Canada' McKendrick
- Desert Legion as Paul Lartal
1952
- The Iron Mistress as Jim Bowie
- Botany Bay as Hugh Tallant
- Thunder in the East as Steve Gibbs
1951
- Red Mountain as Capt. Brett Sherwood
1950
- Appointment with Danger as Al Goddard
- Branded as Choya
- Captain Carey, U.S.A. as Captain Webster Carey
1949
- The Great Gatsby as Jay Gatsby
- Chicago Deadline as Ed Adams
1948
- Whispering Smith as Whispering Smith
- Beyond Glory as Capt. Rockwell 'Rocky' Gilman
1947
- Saigon as Major Larry Briggs
- My Favorite Brunette as Sam McCloud (uncredited)
- Variety Girl as Alan Ladd
- Wild Harvest as Joe Madigan
1946
- The Blue Dahlia as Johnny Morrison
- Calcutta as Neale Gordon
- Two Years Before the Mast as Charles Stewart
- O.S.S. as John Martin / Lt. (j.g.) Philip Masson, U.S.N.R. / Philippe Martine
1945
- Duffy's Tavern as Alan Ladd
- Hollywood Victory Caravan as Alan Ladd
- Salty O'Rourke as Salty O'Rourke
1944
- And Now Tomorrow as Doctor Merek Vance
- Skirmish on the Home Front as Harry W. Average
1943
- China as David Jones
- Photographic Intelligence for Bombardment Aviation as Capt. Smith
1942
- This Gun for Hire as Philip Raven
- The Glass Key as Ed Beaumont
- Star Spangled Rhythm as Alan Ladd
- Joan of Paris as "Baby"
- Lucky Jordan as Lucky Jordan
1941
- Citizen Kane as Reporter Smoking Pipe at End (uncredited)
- The Reluctant Dragon as Baby Weems Storyboard Artist
- Great Guns as Soldier in Photo Shop (uncredited)
- The Black Cat as Richard Hartley
- Gangs Inc. as Jimmy Kelly aka Bill Dugan
- Petticoat Politics as Higgins Daughter's Boyfriend
- Cadet Girl as Harry - Musician (uncredited)
- I Look at You as Himself
- Unfinished Rainbows as Charles Martin Hall
- Military Training as Lieutenant, Platoon Leader, County Fair
1940
- The Howards of Virginia as Backwoodsman (uncredited)
- Victory as Heyst as an 18-Year-Old (uncredited)
- In Old Missouri as John Pittman Jr.
- The Light of Western Stars as Danny
- Captain Caution as Newton
- Those Were the Days! as Keg Rearick
- Wildcat Bus as (uncredited)
- The Green Hornet as Gilpin - Student Pilot (uncredited)
- Sauce for the Gander as Man on the Spot Reporter
- Brother Rat and a Baby as Cadet in Trouble
- Cross-Country Romance as Mr. Williams
- Meet the Missus as John Williams
- Ellery Queen, Master Detective as Elevator Passenger (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
- Her First Romance as John Gilman
- American Portrait as Young man / Old man
- Blame It on Love as TV Director (uncredited)
- Meat and Romance as Bill Allen
1939
- Rulers of the Sea as Colin Farrell
- Petunia Natural Park as Narrator (uncredited)
- The Mysterious Miss X as Henchman
- Hitler: Beast of Berlin as Karl Bach
1938
- Secrets of a Nurse as Hospital Orderly (uncredited)
- Come On, Leathernecks! as Club Waiter (uncredited)
- Freshman Year as Student (uncredited)
- The Goldwyn Follies as First Auditioning Singer (uncredited)
1937
- Souls at Sea as Sailor (uncredited)
- The Last Train from Madrid as Soldier (uncredited)
- All Over Town as Young Man (uncredited)
- Hold 'Em Navy as Chief Quartermaster (uncredited)
1936
- Pigskin Parade as Student (uncredited)
1934
- Murder at the Vanities as Chorus Boy (uncredited)
1933
- Saturday's Millions as Student
1932
- Tom Brown of Culver as Cadet
- Once in a Lifetime as Projectionist (uncredited)