Born in Arkansas in September 1913, Alan Ladd had a difficult start in life. His impoverished family suffered many setbacks, most notably the death of his father in 1918. As a youth he worked many odd jobs while his family worked its way west, and he excelled at sports in high school. At age 22 Ladd married his first wife and welcomed a son the following year. Tragically, Ladd's mother committed suicide at about this time.
In the 1930s Ladd entered films but had little luck in the business; his roles were usually small and the movies lacked production values. However, he had some success in radio. His film fortunes improved in the late 1930s when he met actress-turned-agent Sue Carol, who took on Ladd as a client. Carol aggressively promoted the young actor and soon his film career picked up; he landed respectable roles at RKO and Republic and also appeared in an early 'Soundie.' In 1941 Ladd's marriage tanked, and the following year Ladd married Carol, with whom Ladd had two more children. Carol's efforts eventually netted him a contract with Paramount Pictures, where Ladd was cast in a meaty role in the film noir release This Gun for Hire (1942; with Veronica Lake). The film was tailored for Ladd's acting style and proved such a smash that Paramount used Ladd and costar Veronica Lake in several films throughout the 1940s. By the early 1950s Ladd left Paramount and freelanced for the remainder of his career; his production companies Warwick and Jaguar produced a number of his 1950s films, often released through Warner Bros.
Ladd as the title character in Paramount's film noir drama Salty O'Rourke
The Blue Dahlia (1946)
With frequent co-star Veronica Lake in the film noir thriller The Blue Dahlia
O.S.S. (1946)
From the Paramount war drama O.S.S. with Geraldine Fitzgerald
Two Years Before the Mast (1946)
With Barry Fitzgerald and Brian Donlevy in the excellent Paramount sea adventure Two Years Before the Mast
Wild Harvest (1947)
From the Paramount drama Wild Harvest. LEFT: Fighting Robert Preston. RIGHT: Romancing Dorothy Lamour
Beyond Glory (1948)
From the Paramount drama Beyond Glory
Saigon (1948)
From the Paramount drama Saigon, the final film in which Ladd costarred with Veronica Lake
Chicago Deadline (1949)
From the Paramount film noir drama Chicago Deadline
Red Mountain (1952)
From Paramount's Civil War drama Red Mountain with Lizabeth Scott
Shane (1953)
Shane is probably Alan Ladd's most famous film and definitely his best. Also pictured are Van Helfin, Jean Arthur, and Brandon De Wilde. This Paramount release was Arthur's last film
The McConnell Story (1955)
With June Allyson in the Warner Bros. drama The McConnell Story
Santiago (1956)
With Rossana Podesta, Lloyd Nolan, and Paul Fix in the Warner Bros. release Santiago
The Deep Six (1958)
With Dianne Foster in the Warner Bros. war flick The Deep Six
The Man in the Net (1959)
In the film noir thriller The Man in the Net, Alan Ladd is set up for a crime he didn't commit; the children of the town assist him in finding the real killer
13 West Street (1962)
From the Columbia drama 13 West Street. LEFT: With Chris Robinson, Rod Steiger, Arnold Merritt, and Jeanne Cooper. RIGHT: With Michael Callan and Rod Steiger
later years
Starring in a number of 'A' and 'B' vehicles in the 1950s, Alan Ladd's career slowed considerably with the onset of the 1960s, as the film noir and western genres began to wane. A heavy drinker, his consumption of alcohol took its took on his good looks and career ambitions. In January 1964, Ladd died at his Palm Springs home as a result of mixing alcohol and sedatives; he was just 50 years old. His final film was released posthumously, which was the steamy drama The Carpetbaggers (1964; with Martha Hyer), making its debut only two months after his death. He was survived by his wife, Sue Carol, a daughter, and two sons. Carol passed away in 1982 at the age of 75.
The Light Of Western Stars (1940)/The Fighting Phantom [DVD](1933) DVD "The Light of Western Stars" is about a ranch foreman who is saved from becoming an outlaw by the love of a good woman. With his newfound confidence, he goes to bat against the criminal element in this exciting adaptation of Zane Grey's novel. Victor Jory, Jo Ann Sayers, Russell Hayden star; look for an early role for Alan Ladd. AKA: "Border Renegade." And, when Arizona ranchers are driven from their homes by ruthless land barons, an idealistic cowpoke decides to help them out, only to be framed by the thugs and subsequently imprisoned. But when a mysterious masked man gets involved in the crisis, it sets in motion a chain of events that will make everything right. Kent Taylor, Lona Andre, Warren Hymer star in "The Fighting Phantom." The Great American Western, Vol. 22 [DVD] DVD A ranch foreman is saved from becoming an outlaw by the love of a good woman and uses his newfound confidence to go to bat against the criminal element, in "The Light of Western Stars" (1940). Victor Jory, Jo Ann Sayers star. AKA: "Border Renegade." Buster Crabbe stars as Billy the Kid in "The Kid Rides Again" (1943), wrongfully accused of a train robbery and determined to track down the real thieves. AKA: "Billy the Kid Rides Again." Crabbe is back as Billy, once more put in the position of producing the real varmint or being guest of honor at a necktie party, in "Frontier Outlaws" (1944). And, Patricia Medina plays "The Buckskin Lady" (1957), a gambling gal who uses her earnings to support her father. Richard Denning, Gerald Mohr also star. 4 hrs. total. Her First Romance(1940) VHS One of Alan Ladd's earliest efforts finds him entangled in a plot involving two sisters who want to use him to get to another man. When Ladd believes the man is actually after his girl, he takes matters into his own hands. Edith Fellows, Wilbur Evans also star. AKA: "The Right Man." 75 min. Gangs Inc. [DVD](1941) DVD After a woman (Jean Woodbury) takes the rap for her boyfriend in a hit-and-run accident and is sent to jail, she comes out seeking revenge on the cad's wealthy father, a political "reformer." Compelling crime thriller also stars Jack LaRue, John Archer, and Alan Ladd as a reporter. AKA: "Ballot Blackmail," "Paper Bullets." 68 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English mono; scene access. Plays All Regions. Citizen Kane [DVD](1941) DVD Director/co-writer/star Orson Welles' landmark debut film, a sweeping chronicle of the rise and fall of fictitious newspaper tycoon Charles Foster Kane and the mystery surrounding his dying word, is recognized as one of the greatest and most innovative movies of all time. The "Mercury Players" cast includes Dorothy Comingore, Joseph Cotten, Everett Sloane, and Ruth Warrick. 119 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby mono; Subtitles: English, French, Portuguese, Spanish; audio commentary by Peter Bogdanovich, Roger Ebert; premiere newsreel; photo gallery; ad campaign; production notes; documentary "The Battle Over Citizen Kane" (1996); interviews with Welles, cast; rare footage of San Simeon; biographies; theatrical trailers; more. Two-disc set. My Favorite Blonde (1942)/Star Spangled Rhythm [DVD](1942) DVD Rip-roaring comic yarn starring Bob Hope as a wise-cracking entertainer who becomes involved with beautiful British agent Madeleine Carroll, who is carrying secret military plans the Nazis are after, and joins her in dodging the bad guys in a cross-country chase. Gale Sondergaard and George Zucco co-star. Then, a parade of Hollywood's biggest names appear in a tuneful comedy starring Eddie Bracken as a sailor who brings his pals to the Paramount Studios lot. Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Betty Hutton, Alan Ladd, Mary Martin and Dick Powell are all featured; songs include "Hit the Road to Dreamland." 178 min. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English mono. This Gun For Hire [DVD](1942) DVD The movie that made Alan Ladd a star. He's a cold-blooded killer out to get back at a double-crossing nightclub owner. Secret formulas, Nazis and vicious chauffeurs pop up in this "film noir" classic based on Graham Greene's thriller. Veronica Lake is the beautiful femme fatale; with Laird Cregar, Robert Preston. 81 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: French, Spanish; theatrical trailer. My Favorite Brunette [DVD](1947) DVD While looking after his detective neighbor's office, baby photographer Bob Hope's dream of being a private eye lands him on Death Row in this laugh-a-minute spoof. Hired by lovely Dorothy Lamour to track down her missing uncle, Hope tangles with crooks Charles Dingle, Lon Chaney, Jr. and Peter Lorre and winds up framed for murder. 87 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English mono; scene access. Bob Hope & Bing Crosby Collector's Edition [DVD] DVD In addition to "My Favorite Brunette," "Road to Bali" and "Road to Hollywood," this two-disc set also includes "Going Spanish" (1934), a hilarious short that finds Bob Hope, his fiancee, and future mother-in-law getting themselves out of--and back into--trouble while singing at a South American festival; "Hollywood Victory Caravan" (1945), a short produced to entertain the troops during World War II featuring Bob and Bing, along with Humphrey Bogart, Barbara Stanwyck, Alan Ladd, Robert Benchley, and more; and the star-studded short "Hollywood Canteen" (1944). 4 2/3 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital 5.1; biography; photo gallery; trivia; more. Whispering Smith [DVD](1948) DVD Alan Ladd is the titular character, a railroad detective investigating a string of train robberies. A railroad executive fingers employee Robert Preston, Ladd's pal, for looting a wrecked train. After Preston is fired, he joins forces with gangster Donald Crisp to continue his criminal activities. Ladd must now stop Preston, while romantic interest from Preston's wife complicates matters. With Brenda Marshall, John Eldredge. 88 min. Branded [DVD](1950) DVD Alan Ladd is a ball of jangling spurs in this classic sagebrush saga. He's a strong, silent type who agrees to help some crooks out by impersonating a rancher's long-lost son. Complications arise when Ladd falls for the rancher's daughter. Mona Freeman and Charles Bickford co-star. 94 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English. Shane [DVD](1953) DVD Western saga with Alan Ladd as a former gunfighter who defends homesteaders and is idolized by a young boy. Two-fisted action and a tearful finale mark this George Stevens classic. Van Heflin, Brandon De Wilde, Jack Palance, Jean Arthur. 118 min. Standard; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital mono, French Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English; audio commentary; theatrical trailer; scene access. The Proud Rebel [DVD](1958) DVD Alan Ladd plays a tough, fists-a-flying man who sets out to find a doctor who can help his mute son. Exciting, heartfelt drama with young David Ladd as his son, Olivia de Havilland as the woman who tries to help him. Michael Curtiz directs. 103 min. Standard; Soundtracks: English; scene access. Duel Of The Champions (Duel Of Champions) [DVD](1961) DVD In this historical adventure set in Ancient Rome, Alan Ladd plays a Roman soldier who, along with his brothers, must battle a trio of Alban siblings in a duel to the death. Directed by Terence Young ("Dr. No") and Ferdinando Baldi ("Comin' at Ya!"), the film also stars Franca Bettoja. 90 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono. Duel Of Champions(1961) VHS In this gladiator adventure, Alan Ladd plays a Roman soldier involved in a battle with the Curiatii triplets. Directed by Terence Young ("Dr. No") and Ferdinando Baldi ("Comin' at Ya!"), the film also stars Franca Bettoja. 91 min. The Carpetbaggers [DVD](1964) DVD Screen version of the Harold Robbins novel stars George Peppard as a wealthy plane manufacturer of the 1920s who has numerous adventures in moviemaking and with the ladies. Also starring Alan Ladd (his final film), Carroll Baker, Bob Cummings. 150 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital mono, French Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English. George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey [DVD](1985) DVD A special look at the life and career of one of Hollywood's most revered directors, put together by his son. Interviews with friends and colleagues, clips from such movies as "Alice Adams," "Gunga Din," "A Place in the Sun," "Shane" and "Giant," and never-before-shown WWII footage shot by Stevens with the Army Signal Corps are featured in this remarkable documentary. 111 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French.
FILM The Carpetbaggers (1964) with George Peppard, Robert Cummings, Martha Hyer, Martin Balsam, Lew Ayres, Carroll Baker, Ralph Taeger, Leif Erickson, and Arthur Franz 13 West Street (1962) with Rod Steiger, Michael Callan, Chris Robinson, and Jeanne Cooper Duel of the Champions (1961) with Jacques Sernas and Alana Ladd One Foot in Hell (1960) with Don Murray, Dan O'Herlihy, and Barry Coe All the Young Men (1960) with Sidney Poitier, James Darren, Glenn Corbett, Mort Sahl, Richard Davalos, and Lee Kinsolving Guns of the Timberland (1959) with Jeanne Crain, Gilbert Roland, Frankie Avalon, Lyle Bettger, and Noah Beery Jr. The Man in the Net (1959) with Carolyn Jones, Diane Brewster, John Lupton, Charles McGraw, and Susan Gordon The Badlanders (1958) with Ernest Borgnine and Katy Jurado The Proud Rebel (1958) with Olivia de Havilland, Dean Jagger, Cecil Kellaway, John Carradine, and Harry Dean Stanton The Deep Six (1958) with Dianne Foster, William Bendix, Keenan Wynn, James Whitmore, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., and Joey Bishop Boy on a Dolphin (1957) with Clifton Webb and Sophia Loren The Big Land (1957) with Virginia Mayo and Edmond O'Brien Santiago (1956) with Rossana Podestà, Lloyd Nolan, and Chill Wills Hell on Frisco Bay (1955) with Edward G. Robinson, Joanne Dru, William Demarest, and Fay Wray The McConnell Story (1955) with June Allyson, James Whitmore, Frank Faylen, Gregory Walcott, Dabbs Greer, and Edward Platt Drum Beat (1954) with Audrey Dalton, Robert Keith, Charles Bronson, and Elisha Cook Jr. The Black Knight (1954) with Patricia Medina and Peter Cushing Saskatchewan (1954) with Shelley Winters, J. Carrol Naish, Hugh O'Brian, Richard Long, Jay Silverheels, and Antonio Moreno Hell Below Zero (1954) The Red Beret (1953) Shane (1953) with Jean Arthur, Van Heflin, Jack Palance, Edgar Buchanan, and Elisha Cook Jr. Desert Legion (1953) with Richard Conte and Arlene Dahl Botany Bay (1953) with James Mason, Patricia Medina, and Cedric Hardwicke Thunder in the East (1952) with Deborah Kerr, Charles Boyer, Corinne Calvet, and Cecil Kellaway The Iron Mistress (1952) with Virginia Mayo and Phyllis Kirk Red Mountain (1951) with Lizabeth Scott, Arthur Kennedy, John Ireland, Neville Brand, Whit Bissell, and Jay Silverheels Appointment with Danger (1951) with Phyllis Calvert, Jan Sterling, and Jack Webb Branded (1950) with Mona Freeman, Charles Bickford, Selena Royle, and Tom Tully Captain Carey, U.S.A. (1950) with Wanda Hendrix, Francis Lederer, and Russ Tamblyn Chicago Deadline (1949) with Donna Reed, June Havoc, Irene Hervey, and Arthur Kennedy The Great Gatsby (1949) with Betty Field, Macdonald Carey, Ruth Hussey, Barry Sullivan, Shelley Winters, and Elisha Cook Jr. Whispering Smith (1948) with Robert Preston, Donald Crisp, and William Demarest Beyond Glory (1948) with Donna Reed, George Macready, Tom Neal, Audie Murphy, Conrad Janis, and Margaret Field Saigon (1948) with Veronica Lake Wild Harvest (1947) with Dorothy Lamour, Robert Preston, and Lloyd Nolan Calcutta (1947) with Gail Russell and William Bendix Two Years Before the Mast (1946) with Brian Donlevy, William Bendix, Barry Fitzgerald, and Albert Dekker O.S.S. (1946) with Geraldine Fitzgerald, Patric Knowles, and John Hoyt The Blue Dahlia (1946) with Veronica Lake, William Bendix, Howard Da Silva, and Hugh Beaumont Salty O'Rourke (1945) with Gail Russell, William Demarest, Bruce Cabot, and Spring Byington And Now Tomorrow (1944) with Loretta Young, Susan Hayward, Barry Sullivan, Beulah Bondi, and Cecil Kellaway China (1943) with Loretta Young and William Bendix Star Spangled Rhythm (1942) with Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Fred MacMurray, Franchot Tone, and Ray Milland Lucky Jordan (1942) with Sheldon Leonard and Marie McDonald The Glass Key (1942) with Brian Donlevy, Veronica Lake, Bonita Granville, Richard Denning, William Bendix, and Frances Gifford This Gun for Hire (1942) with Veronica Lake, Robert Preston, and Laird Cregar Joan of Paris (1942) with Michele Morgan, Paul Henreid, and Laird Cregar Paper Bullets (1941) with Joan Woodbury, Jack La Rue, and John Archer The Black Cat (1941) with Basil Rathbone, Hugh Herbert, Broderick Crawford, Bela Lugosi, Gale Sondergaard, and Anne Gwynne Petticoat Politics (1941) with Roscoe Karns American Portrait (1940) Meat and Romance (1940) Unfinished Rainbows (1940) Her First Romance (1940) with Julie Bishop Victory (1940) with Fredric March Meet the Missus (1940) with Roscoe Karns Wildcat Bus (1940) with Fay Wray Those Were the Days (1940) with William Holden, Bonita Granville, Richard Denning, and Phillip Terry In Old Missouri (1940) The Light of Western Stars (1940) with Victor Jory, Russell Hayden, Morris Ankrum, Noah Beery Jr., and Tom Tyler Rulers of the Sea (1939) with Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Saturday's Millions (1933) with Robert Young, Andy Devine, and Johnny Mack Brown Tom Brown of Culver (1932) with Ben Alexander, Andy Devine, and Eugene Pallette
