Alan Ladd

Acting · 1.8 popularity

Age

112

Movies

106

Born: September 3, 1913 – January 29, 1964
From: 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.

Works

106 films

Citizen Kane

19418.0

Shane

19537.3

Hollywood Victory Caravan

19455.6

The Reluctant Dragon

19416.6

The Movie Orgy

19686.7

Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid

19826.7

Appointment with Danger

19505.7

The Blue Dahlia

19466.7

Saskatchewan

19546.0

Drum Beat

19546.1

Boy on a Dolphin

19575.8

The Proud Rebel

19586.1

Red Mountain

19516.7

My Favorite Brunette

19476.6

The Badlanders

19586.2

Santiago

19565.8

The Man in the Net

19595.2

The Black Cat

19416.5

This Gun for Hire

19427.0

Great Guns

19415.9

The Red Beret

19536.7

Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage

19837.0

Walt Disney's Fables - Vol.6

20048.8

Salty O'Rourke

19456.0

Rat Pack

20229.0

The Great Gatsby

19495.4

The Green Hornet

19406.0

The Glass Key

19426.6

The Carpetbaggers

19645.9

Hell Below Zero

19547.0

Variety Girl

19476.5

Come On, Leathernecks!

19387.5

The Big Land

19576.5

The Iron Mistress

19525.3

13 West Street

19626.1

The Black Knight

19546.4

Petticoat Politics

19419.0

Saigon

19476.0

A Star Is Born World Premiere

19548.0

The Howards of Virginia

19406.8

Whispering Smith

19486.7

Souls at Sea

19376.5

Guns of the Timberland

19606.2

The Last Train from Madrid

19374.8

Botany Bay

19526.6

The McConnell Story

19556.8

The Deep Six

19585.7

Chicago Deadline

19496.7

Beyond Glory

19488.0

Duel of Champions

19615.6

Captain Carey, U.S.A.

19505.8

George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey

19855.8

Thunder in the East

19525.6

Hell on Frisco Bay

19555.3

Branded

19506.2

Brother Rat and a Baby

19406.1

Calcutta

19466.4

Lucky Jordan

19427.4

And Now Tomorrow

19446.0

Star Spangled Rhythm

19426.2

O.S.S.

19466.9

Her First Romance

19406.5

A Cry in the Night

19565.4

Hitler: Beast of Berlin

19394.7

Murder at the Vanities

19345.6

Two Years Before the Mast

19466.5

Cadet Girl

19418.0

Captain Caution

19405.7

Desert Legion

19536.1

Joan of Paris

19426.5

Rulers of the Sea

19396.7

Alan Ladd: The True Quiet Man

19998.0

All the Young Men

19606.7

Once in a Lifetime

19327.3

The Light of Western Stars

19405.0

Wildcat Bus

19405.5

One Foot in Hell

19605.3

All Over Town

19376.4

Pigskin Parade

19366.2

Meat and Romance

19406.0

China

19436.9

Ellery Queen, Master Detective

19405.8

Duffy's Tavern

19456.4

Cross-Country Romance

19406.7

Those Were the Days!

19408.0

Skirmish on the Home Front

194410.0

Saturday's Millions

19337.0

Victory

19409.0

Wild Harvest

19477.0

The Goldwyn Follies

19385.2

Hold 'Em Navy

19374.7

American Portrait

194010.0

Tom Brown of Culver

19326.8

Secrets of a Nurse

19385.5

Freshman Year

193810.0

Gangs Inc.

19415.6

The Mysterious Miss X

19395.4

Petunia Natural Park

19396.0

Blame It on Love

19404.8

Photographic Intelligence for Bombardment Aviation

19433.0

I Look at You

19418.3

Meet the Missus

19407.0

In Old Missouri

19406.8

Military Training

19417.0

Unfinished Rainbows

19419.0

Sauce for the Gander

19405.0