- Home
- Alan Ladd
Alan Ladd
Known for: ActingAlan 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 39
Shane
+1
as Shane 
The Reluctant Dragon
+2
as Baby Weems Storyboard Artist 
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
as (in "This Gun For Hire") (archive footage) 
Boy on a Dolphin
as Dr. James 'Jim' Calder 
This Gun for Hire
+1
as Philip Raven 
The Blue Dahlia
+1
as Johnny Morrison 
Drum Beat
as Johnny MacKay 
Two Years Before the Mast
as Charles Stewart 
The Man in the Net
as John Hamilton 
Hell Below Zero
as Duncan Craig 
Red Mountain
+1
as Capt. Brett Sherwood 
The Black Cat
as Richard Hartley 
The Black Knight
+1
as John 
The Glass Key
as Ed Beaumont 
The Proud Rebel
+5
as John Chandler 
Guns of the Timberland
as Jim Hadley 
Thunder in the East
+1
as Steve Gibbs 
The Badlanders
as Peter Van Hoek (The Dutchman) 
One Foot in Hell
as Mitch Barrett 
Captain Caution
as Newton 
Appointment with Danger
+1
as Al Goddard 
The Carpetbaggers
+1
as Nevada Smith 
The Big Land
as Chad Morgan 
All the Young Men
as Sgt. Kincaid 
Duel of Champions
as Horatius 
Captain Carey, U.S.A.
+1
as Captain Webster Carey 
Joan of Paris
as "Baby" 
The McConnell Story
as Capt. Joseph C. 'Mac' McConnell, Jr. 
Desert Legion
as Paul Lartal 
Branded
as Choya 
Santiago
as Caleb 'Cash' Adams 
Hitler: Beast of Berlin
as Karl Bach 
The Last Train from Madrid
as Soldier (uncredited) 
Murder at the Vanities
as Chorus Boy (uncredited) 
13 West Street
as Walt Sherill 
The Light of Western Stars
as Danny 
The Goldwyn Follies
as First Auditioning Singer (uncredited) 
China
as David Jones 
Alan Ladd: The True Quiet Man
as Self (archive footage)