Alan Ladd
Acting
Born 1913-09-03
Died 1964-01-29
Hot Springs, Arkansas, USA
108 credits
star on Hollywood Walk of Fame 1
Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame 1
star on Palm Springs Walk of Stars 1
Awards
Won 1 star on Hollywood Walk of Fame Award
star on Hollywood Walk of Fame 1 won
- — star on Hollywood Walk of Fame Won
Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame 1 won
- 1996 Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame Won
star on Palm Springs Walk of Stars 1 won
- 1995 star on Palm Springs Walk of Stars Won
Award data from Wikidata (CC0). Coverage may be incomplete.
Read biography
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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Filmography
— top 60 of 108
Acting
60 credits
Citizen Kane
The Bob Cummings Show
Shane
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
The Movie Orgy
The Blue Dahlia
The Reluctant Dragon
Hollywood Victory Caravan
Drum Beat
The Badlanders
Rat Pack
Boy on a Dolphin
Appointment with Danger
My Favorite Brunette
The Proud Rebel
This Gun for Hire
General Electric Theater
Saskatchewan
The Deep Six
The Black Cat
Red Mountain
The Carpetbaggers
The Glass Key
The Big Land
Hell Below Zero
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
Santiago
The Great Gatsby
Branded
The Man in the Net
Walt Disney's Fables - Vol.6
Variety Girl
Calcutta
Star Spangled Rhythm
The Black Knight
Guns of the Timberland
Captain Caution
Come On, Leathernecks!
A Star Is Born World Premiere
Whispering Smith
Joan of Paris
Salty O'Rourke
13 West Street
The Last Train from Madrid
The Red Beret
Petticoat Politics
The Iron Mistress
The Howards of Virginia
Desert Legion
Saigon
Souls at Sea
Great Guns
Thunder in the East
Botany Bay
Hell on Frisco Bay
Two Years Before the Mast
Murder at the Vanities
Duel of Champions
Rulers of the Sea
Beyond Glory
Producing
5 credits
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