Alan Ladd
Birthday: 1913-09-03
Deathday: 1964-01-29
Birthplace: Hot Springs, Arkansas, USA
Gender: Male
Owned By: Unowned
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.
Credits
| Year | Title | Character | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
1964-04-08 | The Carpetbaggers | Nevada Smith |
 |
1962-02-23 | 13 West Street | Walt Sherill |
 |
1961-10-19 | Duel of Champions | Horatius |
 |
1960-09-11 | One Foot in Hell | Mitch Barrett |
 |
1960-08-26 | All the Young Men | Sgt. Kincaid |
 |
1960-02-01 | Guns of the Timberland | Jim Hadley |
 |
1959-06-10 | The Man in the Net | John Hamilton |
 |
1958-09-03 | The Badlanders | Peter Van Hoek (The Dutchman) |
 |
1958-07-01 | The Proud Rebel | John Chandler |
 |
1958-01-15 | The Deep Six | Alexander 'Alec' Austen |
 |
1957-04-19 | Boy on a Dolphin | Dr. James 'Jim' Calder |
 |
1957-03-01 | The Big Land | Chad Morgan |
 |
1956-07-13 | Santiago | Caleb 'Cash' Adams |
 |
1955-12-31 | Hell on Frisco Bay | Steve Rollins |
 |
1955-09-29 | The McConnell Story | Capt. Joseph C. 'Mac' McConnell, Jr. |
 |
1954-11-10 | Drum Beat | Johnny MacKay |
 |
1954-08-26 | The Black Knight | John |
 |
1954-03-30 | Saskatchewan | Thomas O'Rourke |
 |
1954-01-13 | Hell Below Zero | Duncan Craig |
 |
1953-08-11 | The Red Beret | Steve 'Canada' McKendrick |
 |
1953-05-08 | Desert Legion | Paul Lartal |
 |
1953-04-23 | Shane | Shane |
 |
1952-12-26 | Botany Bay | Hugh Tallant |
 |
1952-12-04 | Thunder in the East | Steve Gibbs |
 |
1952-11-19 | The Iron Mistress | Jim Bowie |
 |
1951-11-01 | Red Mountain | Capt. Brett Sherwood |
 |
1950-11-03 | Branded | Choya |
 |
1950-04-07 | Appointment with Danger | Al Goddard |
 |
1950-02-21 | Captain Carey, U.S.A. | Captain Webster Carey |
 |
1949-11-03 | Chicago Deadline | Ed Adams |
 |
1949-06-06 | The Great Gatsby | Jay Gatsby |
 |
1948-12-09 | Whispering Smith | Whispering Smith |
 |
1948-08-03 | Beyond Glory | Capt. Rockwell 'Rocky' Gilman |
 |
1947-12-05 | Saigon | Major Larry Briggs |
 |
1947-09-26 | Wild Harvest | Joe Madigan |
 |
1947-08-29 | Variety Girl | Alan Ladd |
 |
1947-03-19 | My Favorite Brunette | Sam McCloud (uncredited) |
 |
1946-12-20 | Calcutta | Neale Gordon |
 |
1946-11-22 | Two Years Before the Mast | Charles Stewart |
 |
1946-05-26 | O.S.S. | John Martin / Lt. (j.g.) Philip Masson, U.S.N.R. / Philippe Martine |
 |
1946-04-16 | The Blue Dahlia | Johnny Morrison |
 |
1945-09-30 | Hollywood Victory Caravan | Alan Ladd |
 |
1945-09-28 | Duffy's Tavern | Alan Ladd |
 |
1945-03-22 | Salty O'Rourke | Salty O'Rourke |
 |
1944-11-22 | And Now Tomorrow | Doctor Merek Vance |
 |
1944-05-11 | Skirmish on the Home Front | Harry W. Average |
 |
1943-04-21 | China | David Jones |
 |
1943-01-25 | Photographic Intelligence for Bombardment Aviation | Capt. Smith |
 |
1942-11-16 | Lucky Jordan | Lucky Jordan |
 |
1942-09-08 | The Glass Key | Ed Beaumont |
 |
1942-04-24 | This Gun for Hire | Philip Raven |
 |
1942-03-05 | Star Spangled Rhythm | Alan Ladd |
 |
1942-01-20 | Joan of Paris | "Baby" |
 |
1941-12-08 | Unfinished Rainbows | Charles Martin Hall |
|
1941-11-30 | Military Training | Lieutenant, Platoon Leader, County Fair |
 |
1941-11-28 | Cadet Girl | Harry - Musician (uncredited) |
 |
1941-10-10 | Great Guns | Soldier in Photo Shop (uncredited) |
 |
1941-06-19 | The Reluctant Dragon | Baby Weems Storyboard Artist |
 |
1941-06-13 | Gangs Inc. | Jimmy Kelly aka Bill Dugan |
 |
1941-05-02 | The Black Cat | Richard Hartley |
 |
1941-04-17 | Citizen Kane | Reporter Smoking Pipe at End (uncredited) |
 |
1941-01-31 | Petticoat Politics | Higgins Daughter's Boyfriend |
 |
1940-12-25 | Her First Romance | John Gilman |
 |
1940-12-21 | Victory | Heyst as an 18-Year-Old (uncredited) |
 |
1940-11-30 | Ellery Queen, Master Detective | Elevator Passenger (uncredited) (unconfirmed) |
 |
1940-11-29 | Meet the Missus | John Williams |
 |
1940-10-29 | Meat and Romance | Bill Allen |
 |
1940-09-19 | The Howards of Virginia | Backwoodsman (uncredited) |
 |
1940-08-23 | Wildcat Bus | (uncredited) |
 |
1940-08-09 | Captain Caution | Newton |
|
1940-07-31 | American Portrait | Young man / Old man |
 |
1940-07-14 | Those Were the Days! | Keg Rearick |
 |
1940-07-12 | Cross-Country Romance | Mr. Williams |
 |
1940-06-18 | Blame It on Love | TV Director (uncredited) |
 |
1940-04-17 | In Old Missouri | John Pittman Jr. |
 |
1940-04-17 | The Light of Western Stars | Danny |
 |
1940-02-10 | Sauce for the Gander | Man on the Spot Reporter |
 |
1940-01-13 | Brother Rat and a Baby | Cadet in Trouble |
 |
1940-01-08 | The Green Hornet | Gilpin - Student Pilot (uncredited) |
 |
1939-11-08 | Rulers of the Sea | Colin Farrell |
 |
1939-10-07 | Hitler: Beast of Berlin | Karl Bach |
 |
1939-01-10 | The Mysterious Miss X | Henchman |
 |
1938-12-02 | Secrets of a Nurse | Hospital Orderly (uncredited) |
 |
1938-09-02 | Freshman Year | Student (uncredited) |
 |
1938-08-08 | Come On, Leathernecks! | Club Waiter (uncredited) |
 |
1938-02-04 | The Goldwyn Follies | First Auditioning Singer (uncredited) |
 |
1937-11-04 | Hold 'Em Navy | Chief Quartermaster (uncredited) |
 |
1937-09-03 | Souls at Sea | Sailor (uncredited) |
 |
1937-08-09 | All Over Town | Young Man (uncredited) |
 |
1937-06-25 | The Last Train from Madrid | Soldier (uncredited) |
 |
1936-10-23 | Pigskin Parade | Student (uncredited) |
 |
1934-05-18 | Murder at the Vanities | Chorus Boy (uncredited) |
 |
1933-09-30 | Saturday's Millions | Student |
 |
1932-10-02 | Once in a Lifetime | Projectionist (uncredited) |
 |
1932-06-30 | Tom Brown of Culver | Cadet |