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.
108 acting credits
Acting · 108
Citizen Kane
1941
Shane
1953
The Bob Cummings Show
1955
General Electric Theater
1953
The Glass Key
1942
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
1982
Los Angeles Plays Itself
2004
The Movie Orgy
1968
Drum Beat
1954
The Red Beret
1953
The Blue Dahlia
1946
This Gun for Hire
1942
The Reluctant Dragon
1941
The Proud Rebel
1958
Santiago
1956
The Great Gatsby
1949
Boy on a Dolphin
1957
The Iron Mistress
1952
The Black Cat
1941
Saskatchewan
1954
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
1983
The Badlanders
1958
Rat Pack
2022
The Howards of Virginia
1940
The Deep Six
1958
Botany Bay
1952
Great Guns
1941
Souls at Sea
1937
Duffy's Tavern
1945
Branded
1950
The Black Knight
1954
Gangs Inc.
1941
The Last Train from Madrid
1937
Thunder in the East
1952
Appointment with Danger
1950
My Favorite Brunette
1947
Whispering Smith
1948
Victory
1940
The Man in the Net
1959
Red Mountain
1951
Hell on Frisco Bay
1955
Variety Girl
1947
The Big Land
1957
A Star Is Born World Premiere
1954
Saigon
1947
The McConnell Story
1955
All the Young Men
1960
13 West Street
1962
The Carpetbaggers
1964
Calcutta
1946
Star Spangled Rhythm
1942
And Now Tomorrow
1944
Two Years Before the Mast
1946
The Mysterious Miss X
1939
Hitler: Beast of Berlin
1939
China
1943
Walt Disney's Fables - Vol.6
2004
Pigskin Parade
1936
O.S.S.
1946
Secrets of a Nurse
1938
Joan of Paris
1942
Saturday's Millions
1933
A Cry in the Night
1956
Captain Carey, U.S.A.
1950
The Green Hornet
1940
Guns of the Timberland
1960
Duel of Champions
1961
Those Were the Days!
1940
Lucky Jordan
1942
Hell Below Zero
1954
Wild Harvest
1947
Petunia Natural Park
1939
Hollywood Victory Caravan
1945
Brother Rat and a Baby
1940
Captain Caution
1940
In Old Missouri
1940
Wildcat Bus
1940
Beyond Glory
1948
One Foot in Hell
1960
Rulers of the Sea
1939
Desert Legion
1953
Sauce for the Gander
1940
The Light of Western Stars
1940
Freshman Year
1938
Murder at the Vanities
1934
Chicago Deadline
1949
American Portrait
1940
Come On, Leathernecks!
1938
All Over Town
1937
Cadet Girl
1941
Cross-Country Romance
1940
Salty O'Rourke
1945
Ellery Queen, Master Detective
1940
Blame It on Love
1940
Hold 'Em Navy
1937
Petticoat Politics
1941
Once in a Lifetime
1932
Skirmish on the Home Front
1944
Unfinished Rainbows
1941
Alan Ladd: The True Quiet Man
1999
Meet the Missus
1940
Tom Brown of Culver
1932
Her First Romance
1940
Photographic Intelligence for Bombardment Aviation
1943
The Goldwyn Follies
1938
Military Training
1941
I Look at You
1941
Meat and Romance
1940