Alan Ladd
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- September 3, 1913
- Died
- January 29, 1964
- Birthplace
- Hot 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.
Filmography
Rat Pack 2022
as Self (archive footage)
Walt Disney's Fables - Vol.6 2004
as Al - Baby Weems Storyboard Artist (archive footage) (uncredited)
Alan Ladd: The True Quiet Man 1999
as Self (archive footage)
George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey 1985
as (archive footage)
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage 1983
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid 1982
as (in "This Gun For Hire") (archive footage)
The Movie Orgy 1968
as Self (archive footage)
The Carpetbaggers 1964
as Nevada Smith
13 West Street 1962
as Walt Sherill
Duel of Champions 1961
as Horatius
One Foot in Hell 1960
as Mitch Barrett
All the Young Men 1960
as Sgt. Kincaid
Guns of the Timberland 1960
as Jim Hadley, Executive Producer
The Man in the Net 1959
as John Hamilton
The Badlanders 1958
as Peter Van Hoek (The Dutchman)
The Proud Rebel 1958
as John Chandler
The Deep Six 1958
as Alexander 'Alec' Austen
Boy on a Dolphin 1957
as Dr. James 'Jim' Calder
The Big Land 1957
as Chad Morgan, Producer
A Cry in the Night 1956
as Opening Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Santiago 1956
as Caleb 'Cash' Adams, Producer
Hell on Frisco Bay 1955
as Steve Rollins, Producer
The McConnell Story 1955
as Capt. Joseph C. 'Mac' McConnell, Jr.
Drum Beat 1954
as Johnny MacKay, Producer
A Star Is Born World Premiere 1954
as Self
The Black Knight 1954
as John
Saskatchewan 1954
as Thomas O'Rourke
Hell Below Zero 1954
as Duncan Craig
The Red Beret 1953
as Steve 'Canada' McKendrick
Desert Legion 1953
as Paul Lartal
Shane 1953
as Shane
Botany Bay 1952
as Hugh Tallant
Thunder in the East 1952
as Steve Gibbs
The Iron Mistress 1952
as Jim Bowie
Red Mountain 1951
as Capt. Brett Sherwood
Branded 1950
as Choya
Appointment with Danger 1950
as Al Goddard
Captain Carey, U.S.A. 1950
as Captain Webster Carey
Chicago Deadline 1949
as Ed Adams
The Great Gatsby 1949
as Jay Gatsby
Whispering Smith 1948
as Whispering Smith
Beyond Glory 1948
as Capt. Rockwell 'Rocky' Gilman
Saigon 1947
as Major Larry Briggs
Wild Harvest 1947
as Joe Madigan
Variety Girl 1947
as Alan Ladd
My Favorite Brunette 1947
as Sam McCloud (uncredited)
Calcutta 1946
as Neale Gordon
Two Years Before the Mast 1946
as Charles Stewart
O.S.S. 1946
as John Martin / Lt. (j.g.) Philip Masson, U.S.N.R. / Philippe Martine
The Blue Dahlia 1946
as Johnny Morrison
Hollywood Victory Caravan 1945
as Alan Ladd
Duffy's Tavern 1945
as Alan Ladd
Salty O'Rourke 1945
as Salty O'Rourke
And Now Tomorrow 1944
as Doctor Merek Vance
- Skirmish on the Home Front
Skirmish on the Home Front 1944
as Harry W. Average
China 1943
as David Jones
Photographic Intelligence for Bombardment Aviation 1943
as Capt. Smith
Lucky Jordan 1942
as Lucky Jordan
The Glass Key 1942
as Ed Beaumont
This Gun for Hire 1942
as Philip Raven
Star Spangled Rhythm 1942
as Alan Ladd
Joan of Paris 1942
as "Baby"
- Unfinished Rainbows
Unfinished Rainbows 1941
as Charles Martin Hall
- Military Training
Military Training 1941
as Lieutenant, Platoon Leader, County Fair
Cadet Girl 1941
as Harry - Musician (uncredited)
Great Guns 1941
as Soldier in Photo Shop (uncredited)
The Reluctant Dragon 1941
as Baby Weems Storyboard Artist
Gangs Inc. 1941
as Jimmy Kelly aka Bill Dugan
The Black Cat 1941
as Richard Hartley
Citizen Kane 1941
as Reporter Smoking Pipe at End (uncredited)
I Look at You 1941
as Himself
Petticoat Politics 1941
as Higgins Daughter's Boyfriend
The Basic Principles of Skiing 1941
as Self
Her First Romance 1940
as John Gilman
Victory 1940
as Heyst as an 18-Year-Old (uncredited)
Ellery Queen, Master Detective 1940
as Elevator Passenger (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Meet the Missus 1940
as John Williams
Meat and Romance 1940
as Bill Allen
The Howards of Virginia 1940
as Backwoodsman (uncredited)
Wildcat Bus 1940
as (uncredited)
Captain Caution 1940
as Newton
- American Portrait
American Portrait 1940
as Young man / Old man
Those Were the Days! 1940
as Keg Rearick
Cross-Country Romance 1940
as Mr. Williams
Blame It on Love 1940
as TV Director (uncredited)
The Light of Western Stars 1940
as Danny
In Old Missouri 1940
as John Pittman Jr.
Sauce for the Gander 1940
as Man on the Spot Reporter
Brother Rat and a Baby 1940
as Cadet in Trouble
The Green Hornet 1940
as Gilpin - Student Pilot (uncredited)
Rulers of the Sea 1939
as Colin Farrell
Hitler: Beast of Berlin 1939
as Karl Bach
The Mysterious Miss X 1939
as Henchman
Petunia Natural Park 1939
as Narrator (uncredited)
Secrets of a Nurse 1938
as Hospital Orderly (uncredited)
Freshman Year 1938
as Student (uncredited)
Come On, Leathernecks! 1938
as Club Waiter (uncredited)
The Goldwyn Follies 1938
as First Auditioning Singer (uncredited)
Hold 'Em Navy 1937
as Chief Quartermaster (uncredited)
Souls at Sea 1937
as Sailor (uncredited)
All Over Town 1937
as Young Man (uncredited)
The Last Train from Madrid 1937
as Soldier (uncredited)
Pigskin Parade 1936
as Student (uncredited)
Murder at the Vanities 1934
as Chorus Boy (uncredited)
Saturday's Millions 1933
as Student
Once in a Lifetime 1932
as Projectionist (uncredited)
Tom Brown of Culver 1932
as Cadet
Credits from TMDB.