1913-09-03 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.
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Rat Pack | Self (archive footage) | 2022-01-11 |
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Walt Disney's Fables - Vol.6 | Al - Baby Weems Storyboard Artist (archive footage) (uncredited) | 2004-05-31 |
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Alan Ladd: The True Quiet Man | Self (archive footage) | 1999-03-04 |
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Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1983-02-25 |
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Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid | (in "This Gun For Hire") (archive footage) | 1982-05-21 |
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The Movie Orgy | Self (archive footage) | 1968-01-01 |
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The Carpetbaggers | Nevada Smith | 1964-04-08 |
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13 West Street | Walt Sherill | 1962-02-23 |
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Orazi e Curiazi | Horatius | 1961-10-19 |
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One Foot in Hell | Mitch Barrett | 1960-09-11 |
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Guns of the Timberland | Jim Hadley | 1960-02-01 |
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All the Young Men | Sgt. Kincaid | 1960-08-26 |
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The Man in the Net | John Hamilton | 1959-06-10 |
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The Proud Rebel | John Chandler | 1958-07-01 |
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The Deep Six | Alexander 'Alec' Austen | 1958-01-15 |
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The Badlanders | Peter Van Hoek (The Dutchman) | 1958-09-03 |
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The Big Land | Chad Morgan | 1957-03-01 |
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Boy on a Dolphin | Dr. James 'Jim' Calder | 1957-04-19 |
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Santiago | Caleb 'Cash' Adams | 1956-07-13 |
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A Cry in the Night | Opening Narrator (voice) (uncredited) | 1956-08-17 |
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Hell on Frisco Bay | Steve Rollins | 1955-12-31 |
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The McConnell Story | Capt. Joseph C. 'Mac' McConnell, Jr. | 1955-09-29 |
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Hell Below Zero | Duncan Craig | 1954-01-13 |
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Drum Beat | Johnny MacKay | 1954-11-10 |
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A Star Is Born World Premiere | Self | 1954-09-28 |
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Saskatchewan | Thomas O'Rourke | 1954-03-30 |
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The Black Knight | John | 1954-08-26 |
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Desert Legion | Paul Lartal | 1953-05-08 |
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Shane | Shane | 1953-04-23 |
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The Red Beret | Steve 'Canada' McKendrick | 1953-08-11 |
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Thunder in the East | Steve Gibbs | 1952-12-04 |
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The Iron Mistress | Jim Bowie | 1952-11-19 |
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Botany Bay | Hugh Tallant | 1952-12-26 |
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Red Mountain | Capt. Brett Sherwood | 1951-08-03 |
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Branded | Choya | 1950-11-03 |
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Captain Carey, U.S.A. | Captain Webster Carey | 1950-02-21 |
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Appointment with Danger | Al Goddard | 1950-04-07 |
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The Great Gatsby | Jay Gatsby | 1949-06-06 |
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Chicago Deadline | Ed Adams | 1949-11-03 |
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Beyond Glory | Capt. Rockwell 'Rocky' Gilman | 1948-08-03 |
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Whispering Smith | Whispering Smith | 1948-12-09 |
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My Favorite Brunette | Sam McCloud (uncredited) | 1947-03-19 |
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Variety Girl | Alan Ladd | 1947-08-29 |
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Saigon | Major Larry Briggs | 1947-12-05 |
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Wild Harvest | Joe Madigan | 1947-09-26 |
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The Blue Dahlia | Johnny Morrison | 1946-04-16 |
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O.S.S. | John Martin / Lt. (j.g.) Philip Masson, U.S.N.R. / Philippe Martine | 1946-05-26 |
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Two Years Before the Mast | Charles Stewart | 1946-11-22 |
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Calcutta | Neale Gordon | 1946-12-20 |
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Salty O'Rourke | Salty O'Rourke | 1945-03-22 |
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Hollywood Victory Caravan | Alan Ladd | 1945-09-30 |
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Duffy's Tavern | Alan Ladd | 1945-09-28 |
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And Now Tomorrow | Doctor Merek Vance | 1944-11-22 |
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Skirmish on the Home Front | Harry W. Average | 1944-05-11 |
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China | David Jones | 1943-04-21 |
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Photographic Intelligence for Bombardment Aviation | Capt. Smith | 1943-01-25 |
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Lucky Jordan | Lucky Jordan | 1942-11-16 |
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Star Spangled Rhythm | Alan Ladd | 1942-03-05 |
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The Glass Key | Ed Beaumont | 1942-09-08 |
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Joan of Paris | "Baby" | 1942-01-20 |
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This Gun for Hire | Philip Raven | 1942-04-24 |
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Paper Bullets | Jimmy Kelly aka Bill Dugan | 1941-06-13 |
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The Black Cat | Richard Hartley | 1941-05-02 |
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I Look at You | Himself | 1941-02-20 |
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Unfinished Rainbows | Charles Martin Hall | 1941-12-08 |
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Military Training | Lieutenant, Platoon Leader, County Fair | 1941-11-30 |
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Petticoat Politics | Higgins Daughter's Boyfriend | 1941-01-31 |
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Citizen Kane | Reporter Smoking Pipe at End (uncredited) | 1941-04-17 |
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Cadet Girl | Harry - Musician (uncredited) | 1941-11-28 |
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Great Guns | Soldier in Photo Shop (uncredited) | 1941-10-10 |
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The Reluctant Dragon | Baby Weems Storyboard Artist | 1941-06-19 |
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Cross-Country Romance | Mr. Williams | 1940-07-12 |
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Captain Caution | Newton | 1940-08-09 |
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Brother Rat and a Baby | Cadet in Trouble | 1940-01-13 |
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American Portrait | Young man / Old man | 1940-07-31 |
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Her First Romance | John Gilman | 1940-12-25 |
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Those Were the Days! | Keg Rearick | 1940-07-14 |
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In Old Missouri | John Pittman Jr. | 1940-04-17 |
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Meat and Romance | Bill Allen | 1940-10-29 |
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Meet the Missus | John Williams | 1940-11-29 |
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Sauce for the Gander | Man on the Spot Reporter | 1940-02-10 |
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Wildcat Bus | (uncredited) | 1940-08-23 |
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The Green Hornet | Gilpin - Student Pilot (uncredited) | 1940-01-08 |
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Blame It on Love | TV Director (uncredited) | 1940-06-18 |
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Victory | Heyst as an 18-Year-Old (uncredited) | 1940-12-21 |
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The Light of Western Stars | Danny | 1940-04-17 |
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The Howards of Virginia | Backwoodsman (uncredited) | 1940-09-19 |
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Ellery Queen, Master Detective | Elevator Passenger (uncredited) (unconfirmed) | 1940-11-30 |
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Rulers of the Sea | Colin Farrell | 1939-11-08 |
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Petunia Natural Park | Narrator (uncredited) | 1939-01-03 |
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The Mysterious Miss X | Henchman | 1939-01-10 |
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Hitler: Beast of Berlin | Karl Bach | 1939-10-07 |
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Come On, Leathernecks! | Club Waiter (uncredited) | 1938-08-08 |
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The Goldwyn Follies | First Auditioning Singer (uncredited) | 1938-02-04 |
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Secrets of a Nurse | Hospital Orderly (uncredited) | 1938-12-02 |
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Freshman Year | Student (uncredited) | 1938-09-02 |
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All Over Town | Young Man (uncredited) | 1937-08-09 |
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The Last Train from Madrid | Soldier (uncredited) | 1937-06-25 |
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Hold 'Em Navy | Chief Quartermaster (uncredited) | 1937-11-04 |
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Souls at Sea | Sailor (uncredited) | 1937-09-03 |
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Pigskin Parade | Student (uncredited) | 1936-10-23 |
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Murder at the Vanities | Chorus Boy (uncredited) | 1934-05-18 |
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Saturday's Millions | Student | 1933-09-30 |
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Once in a Lifetime | Projectionist (uncredited) | 1932-10-02 |
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Tom Brown of Culver | Cadet | 1932-06-30 |
