Actor
Alan Ladd
Born September 3, 1913 in Hot Springs, Arkansas, USADied January 29, 196493 films
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.
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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.
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The best way into Alan Ladd's work
First watchCitizen Kane19418.0as Reporter Smoking Pipe at End (uncredited)Newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane is taken from his mother as a boy and made the ward of a rich industrialist. As a result, every well-meaning, tyrannical or self-destructive move he…View filmEssential films
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Filmography
93 films as actor- 1964The CarpetbaggersNevada Smith
- 196213 West StreetWalt Sherill
- 1961Duel of ChampionsHoratius
- 1960One Foot in HellMitch Barrett
- 1960All the Young MenSgt. Kincaid
- 1960Guns of the TimberlandJim Hadley
- 1959The Man in the NetJohn Hamilton
- 1958The BadlandersPeter Van Hoek (The Dutchman)
- 1958The Proud RebelJohn Chandler
- 1958The Deep SixAlexander 'Alec' Austen
- 1957Boy on a DolphinDr. James 'Jim' Calder
- 1957The Big LandChad Morgan
- 1956A Cry in the NightOpening Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
- 1956SantiagoCaleb 'Cash' Adams
- 1955Hell on Frisco BaySteve Rollins
- 1955The McConnell StoryCapt. Joseph C. 'Mac' McConnell, Jr.
- 1954Drum BeatJohnny MacKay
- 1954The Black KnightJohn
- 1954SaskatchewanThomas O'Rourke
- 1954Hell Below ZeroDuncan Craig
- 1953The Red BeretSteve 'Canada' McKendrick
- 1953Desert LegionPaul Lartal
- 1953ShaneShane
- 1952Botany BayHugh Tallant
- 1952Thunder in the EastSteve Gibbs
- 1952The Iron MistressJim Bowie
- 1951Red MountainCapt. Brett Sherwood
- 1950BrandedChoya
- 1950Appointment with DangerAl Goddard
- 1950Captain Carey, U.S.A.Captain Webster Carey
- 1949Chicago DeadlineEd Adams
- 1949The Great GatsbyJay Gatsby
- 1948Whispering SmithWhispering Smith
- 1948Beyond GloryCapt. Rockwell 'Rocky' Gilman
- 1947SaigonMajor Larry Briggs
- 1947Wild HarvestJoe Madigan
- 1947Variety GirlAlan Ladd
- 1947My Favorite BrunetteSam McCloud (uncredited)
- 1946CalcuttaNeale Gordon
- 1946Two Years Before the MastCharles Stewart
- 1946O.S.S.John Martin / Lt. (j.g.) Philip Masson, U.S.N.R. / Philippe Martine
- 1946The Blue DahliaJohnny Morrison
- 1945Hollywood Victory CaravanAlan Ladd
- 1945Duffy's TavernAlan Ladd
- 1945Salty O'RourkeSalty O'Rourke
- 1944And Now TomorrowDoctor Merek Vance
- 1944Skirmish on the Home FrontHarry W. Average
- 1943ChinaDavid Jones
- 1942Lucky JordanLucky Jordan
- 1942The Glass KeyEd Beaumont
- 1942This Gun for HirePhilip Raven
- 1942Star Spangled RhythmAlan Ladd
- 1942Joan of Paris"Baby"
- 1941Unfinished RainbowsCharles Martin Hall
- 1941Cadet GirlHarry - Musician (uncredited)
- 1941Great GunsSoldier in Photo Shop (uncredited)
- 1941The Reluctant DragonBaby Weems Storyboard Artist
- 1941Gangs Inc.Jimmy Kelly aka Bill Dugan
- 1941The Black CatRichard Hartley
- 1941Citizen KaneReporter Smoking Pipe at End (uncredited)
- 1941Petticoat PoliticsHiggins Daughter's Boyfriend
- 1940Her First RomanceJohn Gilman
- 1940VictoryHeyst as an 18-Year-Old (uncredited)
- 1940Ellery Queen, Master DetectiveElevator Passenger (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
- 1940Meet the MissusJohn Williams
- 1940The Howards of VirginiaBackwoodsman (uncredited)
- 1940Wildcat Bus(uncredited)
- 1940Captain CautionNewton
- 1940Those Were the Days!Keg Rearick
- 1940Cross-Country RomanceMr. Williams
- 1940Blame It on LoveTV Director (uncredited)
- 1940In Old MissouriJohn Pittman Jr.
- 1940The Light of Western StarsDanny
- 1940Sauce for the GanderMan on the Spot Reporter
- 1940Brother Rat and a BabyCadet in Trouble
- 1940The Green HornetGilpin - Student Pilot (uncredited)
- 1939Rulers of the SeaColin Farrell
- 1939Hitler: Beast of BerlinKarl Bach
- 1939The Mysterious Miss XHenchman
- 1939Petunia Natural ParkNarrator (uncredited)
- 1938Secrets of a NurseHospital Orderly (uncredited)
- 1938Freshman YearStudent (uncredited)
- 1938Come On, Leathernecks!Club Waiter (uncredited)
- 1938The Goldwyn FolliesFirst Auditioning Singer (uncredited)
- 1937Hold 'Em NavyChief Quartermaster (uncredited)
- 1937Souls at SeaSailor (uncredited)
- 1937All Over TownYoung Man (uncredited)
- 1937The Last Train from MadridSoldier (uncredited)
- 1936Pigskin ParadeStudent (uncredited)
- 1934Murder at the VanitiesChorus Boy (uncredited)
- 1933Saturday's MillionsStudent
- 1932Once in a LifetimeProjectionist (uncredited)
- 1932Tom Brown of CulverCadet