Alan Ladd
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.
Fotos
Películas (107)
Rat Pack
2022 · Self (archive footage)
Walt Disney's Fables - Vol.6
2004 · Al - Baby Weems Storyboard Artist (archive footage) (uncredited)
Alan Ladd: The True Quiet Man
1999 · Self (archive footage)
George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey
1985 · (archive footage)
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
1983 · Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
1982 · (in "This Gun For Hire") (archive footage)
The Movie Orgy
1968 · Self (archive footage)
The Carpetbaggers
1964 · Nevada Smith
13 West Street
1962 · Walt Sherill
Duel of Champions
1961 · Horatius
One Foot in Hell
1960 · Mitch Barrett
All the Young Men
1960 · Sgt. Kincaid
Guns of the Timberland
1960 · Jim Hadley, Executive Producer
The Man in the Net
1959 · John Hamilton
The Badlanders
1958 · Peter Van Hoek (The Dutchman)
The Proud Rebel
1958 · John Chandler
The Deep Six
1958 · Alexander 'Alec' Austen
Boy on a Dolphin
1957 · Dr. James 'Jim' Calder
The Big Land
1957 · Chad Morgan, Producer
A Cry in the Night
1956 · Opening Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Santiago
1956 · Caleb 'Cash' Adams, Producer
Hell on Frisco Bay
1955 · Steve Rollins, Producer
The McConnell Story
1955 · Capt. Joseph C. 'Mac' McConnell, Jr.
Drum Beat
1954 · Johnny MacKay, Producer
A Star Is Born World Premiere
1954 · Self
The Black Knight
1954 · John
Saskatchewan
1954 · Thomas O'Rourke
Hell Below Zero
1954 · Duncan Craig
The Red Beret
1953 · Steve 'Canada' McKendrick
Desert Legion
1953 · Paul Lartal
Shane
1953 · Shane
Botany Bay
1952 · Hugh Tallant
Thunder in the East
1952 · Steve Gibbs
The Iron Mistress
1952 · Jim Bowie
Red Mountain
1951 · Capt. Brett Sherwood
Branded
1950 · Choya
Appointment with Danger
1950 · Al Goddard
Captain Carey, U.S.A.
1950 · Captain Webster Carey
Chicago Deadline
1949 · Ed Adams
The Great Gatsby
1949 · Jay Gatsby
Whispering Smith
1948 · Whispering Smith
Beyond Glory
1948 · Capt. Rockwell 'Rocky' Gilman
Saigon
1947 · Major Larry Briggs
Wild Harvest
1947 · Joe Madigan
Variety Girl
1947 · Alan Ladd
My Favorite Brunette
1947 · Sam McCloud (uncredited)
Calcutta
1946 · Neale Gordon
Two Years Before the Mast
1946 · Charles Stewart
O.S.S.
1946 · John Martin / Lt. (j.g.) Philip Masson, U.S.N.R. / Philippe Martine
The Blue Dahlia
1946 · Johnny Morrison
Hollywood Victory Caravan
1945 · Alan Ladd
Duffy's Tavern
1945 · Alan Ladd
Salty O'Rourke
1945 · Salty O'Rourke
And Now Tomorrow
1944 · Doctor Merek Vance
Skirmish on the Home Front
1944 · Harry W. Average
China
1943 · David Jones
Photographic Intelligence for Bombardment Aviation
1943 · Capt. Smith
Lucky Jordan
1942 · Lucky Jordan
The Glass Key
1942 · Ed Beaumont
This Gun for Hire
1942 · Philip Raven
Star Spangled Rhythm
1942 · Alan Ladd
Joan of Paris
1942 · "Baby"
Unfinished Rainbows
1941 · Charles Martin Hall
Military Training
1941 · Lieutenant, Platoon Leader, County Fair
Cadet Girl
1941 · Harry - Musician (uncredited)
Great Guns
1941 · Soldier in Photo Shop (uncredited)
The Reluctant Dragon
1941 · Baby Weems Storyboard Artist
Gangs Inc.
1941 · Jimmy Kelly aka Bill Dugan
The Black Cat
1941 · Richard Hartley
Citizen Kane
1941 · Reporter Smoking Pipe at End (uncredited)
I Look at You
1941 · Himself
Petticoat Politics
1941 · Higgins Daughter's Boyfriend
The Basic Principles of Skiing
1941 · Self
Her First Romance
1940 · John Gilman
Victory
1940 · Heyst as an 18-Year-Old (uncredited)
Ellery Queen, Master Detective
1940 · Elevator Passenger (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Meet the Missus
1940 · John Williams
Meat and Romance
1940 · Bill Allen
The Howards of Virginia
1940 · Backwoodsman (uncredited)
Wildcat Bus
1940 · (uncredited)
Captain Caution
1940 · Newton
American Portrait
1940 · Young man / Old man
Those Were the Days!
1940 · Keg Rearick
Cross-Country Romance
1940 · Mr. Williams
Blame It on Love
1940 · TV Director (uncredited)
In Old Missouri
1940 · John Pittman Jr.
The Light of Western Stars
1940 · Danny
Sauce for the Gander
1940 · Man on the Spot Reporter
Brother Rat and a Baby
1940 · Cadet in Trouble
The Green Hornet
1940 · Gilpin - Student Pilot (uncredited)
Rulers of the Sea
1939 · Colin Farrell
Hitler: Beast of Berlin
1939 · Karl Bach
The Mysterious Miss X
1939 · Henchman
Petunia Natural Park
1939 · Narrator (uncredited)
Secrets of a Nurse
1938 · Hospital Orderly (uncredited)
Freshman Year
1938 · Student (uncredited)
Come On, Leathernecks!
1938 · Club Waiter (uncredited)
The Goldwyn Follies
1938 · First Auditioning Singer (uncredited)
Hold 'Em Navy
1937 · Chief Quartermaster (uncredited)
Souls at Sea
1937 · Sailor (uncredited)
All Over Town
1937 · Young Man (uncredited)
The Last Train from Madrid
1937 · Soldier (uncredited)
Pigskin Parade
1936 · Student (uncredited)
Murder at the Vanities
1934 · Chorus Boy (uncredited)
Saturday's Millions
1933 · Student
Once in a Lifetime
1932 · Projectionist (uncredited)
Tom Brown of Culver
1932 · Cadet
