Alan Ladd

Known for ActingBorn 1913-09-03Died 1964-01-29Hot Springs, Arkansas, USA

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.Read more

Movies & web series

Skirmish on the Home Front

American Portrait

Freshman Year

Rat Pack

Walt Disney's Fables - Vol.6

Petticoat Politics

Unfinished Rainbows

Victory

Alan Ladd: The True Quiet Man

I Look at You

Los Angeles Plays Itself

A Star Is Born World Premiere

Beyond Glory

Cadet Girl

Those Were the Days!

Citizen Kane

Come On, Leathernecks!

Shane

Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage

Lucky Jordan

Once in a Lifetime

Hell Below Zero

Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid

Wild Harvest

Military Training

This Gun for Hire

Meet the Missus

General Electric Theater

Saturday's Millions

The Movie Orgy

O.S.S.

China

The McConnell Story

All the Young Men

The Red Beret

Red Mountain

The Howards of Virginia

Chicago Deadline

Whispering Smith

The Blue Dahlia

Tom Brown of Culver

In Old Missouri

Botany Bay

My Favorite Brunette

Cross-Country Romance

The Glass Key

Rulers of the Sea

The Big Land