Alan Ladd (1913-1964)

Date of Birth
3 September 1913, Hot Springs, Arkansas, USA

Date of Death
29 January 1964, Palm Springs, California, USA (acute overdose of alcohol and sedatives)

Birth Name
Alan Walbridge Ladd







Alan Walbridge Ladd, Jr., the dashing actor who made waves in Hollywood for his portrayal as Raven in the 1942 smash hit This Gun For Hire, was born on September 3, 1913 in Hot Springs, Ark. to
parents Ina Raleigh and Alan Ladd, Sr.
For Ladd, growing up as a young boy in Arkansas was difficult and his family faced a number of obstacles that could have easily sent the young and impressionable boy spiraling towards disaster.
His mother, an English immigrant who came to the United States at the age of 19, did her best to take care of him while his father traveled the country extensively, missing the majority of his son’s formative years. Sadly, tragedy struck the Ladd household for the first time when Ladd’s father unexpectedly passed away, leaving him and his mother financially strapped. Ladd was four years old at the time.
Shortly after his father’s death, Ladd and his mother began picking up the pieces, desperately trying to sort out their future. But tragedy would once again come knocking on the family’s door, when at the age of five, Ladd accidentally burned down his family’s apartment.
Dreaming of a better life, a malnourished and homeless Ladd and his mother moved to Oklahoma City. The family’s stay in the “Sooner” state didn’t last long, however, and soon after re-marrying a local housepainter, Ladd’s mother moved the family to California in search of more lucrative employment opportunities. Ladd’s family continued their journey west, and in California Ladd was forced to find a job in order to help support his family. By the age of eight, he was picking fruit, delivering papers and sweeping floors simply to help his family make ends meet.
Fortunately, High school was a positive experience for Ladd who quickly got involved in sports and participated in theater. Despite his frail appearance, Ladd excelled in swimming and track, and in 1931, he decided to train for the 1932 Olympics. Training didn’t last long, however, as an injury would sideline him and keep him from participating in the Olympic trials.
Despite the stock market crash that affected the entire nation, the early to mid 1930’s were looking up for Ladd. Still a long way from entering the world of Hollywood, he worked a number of odd jobs including work as gas station attendant, hot dog vendor and a lifeguard.

When Ladd finally broke into the entertainment business he played small bit-parts in radio shows, local theatre productions and found himself working as a grip on the Warner Bros. Studio lot. Ladd’s streak of good luck continued and, in October of 1936, he married Marjorie Jane Harrold. A year later, in 1937, the couple gave birth to their first child, Alan Ladd, II.
Ladd’s early film work consisted of mostly minor parts, such as the role of a reporter in Orson Welles’ 1941 classic, Citizen Kane. Despite the initial hardships of getting noticed in the Hollywood community, the persistence of his agent, former screen actress Sue Carol, helped the actor land more important roles. After divorcing his first wife, Ladd and Carol soon became romantically involved and the couple married in 1942. That same year the actor got his big break with Paramount Pictures’ This Gun for Hire, in which he played the paid killer, Raven.
The response to the film was so favorable that Ladd instantly became a star. His co-star in the film, Veronica Lake, matched his look so well that the studio teamed them for several other productions that were extremely popular with moviegoers. Among them were The Glass Key, The Blue Dahlia and Saigon.
Through the mid 1950s, Ladd remained with Paramount, making a number of films where he played dynamic, action-packed roles. The 1953 western film, Shane, gave him the opportunity to play an honest character troubled by conflicting emotions. Ladd’s magnetism and his beautiful portrayal of the character made the movie an instant classic.
After the success of “Shane,” Ladd continued making films, but on January 29, 1964, he suddenly and unexpectedly passed away at the age of 51.
Throughout his career, Ladd’s blonde good looks, charisma and stoic presence were apparent in his films and it is this magnetism that will forever keep him in the memory of the audiences and millions of adoring fans around the world who loved him.

Trivia

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Father of Alan Ladd Jr. with first wife, Marjorie 'Midge' Harrold. Father of Alana Ladd and David Ladd with second wife, Sue Carol. Grandfather of Jordan Ladd.

Interred at Forest Lawn, Glendale, California, USA, in the Freedom Mausoleum, Sanctuary of Heritage.

Owing to a clerical error, Ladd was inaccurately included in the cast credits for Born to the West (1937) in studio publicity material. In fact, he was never in the film, despite the fact that it often shows up in his credits and even on the video box!.

In his movies, suffers two cat-o-nine-tails floggings aboard sailing ships: (1) in Two Years Before the Mast (1946), he receives 10 lashes for striking an officer; (2) in Botany Bay (1953), he receives 50 lashes for attempting to escape from a prison transport ship.

He so badly wanted the title role in Lawrence of Arabia (1962) that he personally pressed his case with director David Lean, but Lean cast Peter O'Toole in the part.

The prisoner he plays in 1953's Botany Bay (1953) is keelhauled, marking what may be the only time a Hollywood leading man suffers this particular form of punishment.

In a 1961 interview Ladd was asked, "What would you change about yourself if you could?" He replied tersely: "Everything."

Father of Alana Ladd and Alan Ladd Jr.

Son with Sue Carol: David Ladd.

Ladd portrayed Dan Holiday on Mutual Radio's "Box 13" (1948-1949). This show was also syndicated.

A photograph of his flogging in Two Years Before the Mast (1946) appears on the cover of the 2004 book: "Lash! The Hundred Great Scenes of Men Being Whipped in the Movies".

Has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 1601 Vine Street.

He and Veronica Lake made seven movies together:

The Blue Dahlia (1946)
Duffy's Tavern (1945)
The Glass Key (1942)
Saigon (1948)
Star Spangled Rhythm (1942)
This Gun for Hire (1942)
Variety Girl (1947)

In Variety Girl (1947), Star Spangled Rhythm (1942) and Duffy's Tavern (1945), they appear as themselves

In 1956, Ladd proposed a television series based on his radio series "Box 13". The idea didn't sell. Ladd himself had played his "Box 13" character Dan Holiday in the "Committed" episode of "General Electric Theater" (1953) on television. In 1963, Ladd said he hoped to reunite several of his 1940s era co-stars, including William Bendix and Veronica Lake, for a big screen version of "Box 13".

His former home in Palm Springs, California, is still on the bus tour of movie stars' homes. An office building also bears his name.

According to his biography, the end of his love affair with June Allyson, his co-star in The McConnell Story (1955), led to his late-life depression.

Discovered Rory Calhoun while riding in Griffith Park, a notorious cruising area.

Turned down James Dean's role in Giant (1956) and Spencer Tracy's role in Bad Day at Black Rock (1955).

Father of Alan Ladd Jr. with first wife; father of David Ladd with second wife.

At the time of his death he had expressed an interest in playing Steve McQueen's role in Nevada Smith (1966).

While he never enjoyed popularity among film critics, Ladd himself and his films were popular with the public. He was mobbed at guest appearances on network radio programs such as "The Lux Radio Theater" and in the 1940s his films grossed almost $55 million.

In 1954 he and Barbara Stanwyck won the top spots in "Modern Screen" magazine's Star of Stars Award competition as the most popular actors among fans in the previous ten years.

He ranked tenth in popularity in a poll of movie fans conducted by the "Motion Picture Herald" in 1947. From 1948-1950, he ranked number one in that poll.

In 1945, he ranked fourth in a "Modern Screen" magazine popularity poll among readers.

In 1943, "Modern Screen" magazine ran sixteen stories on him in its twelve issues that year.

Filmography

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The Carpetbaggers (1964)... Nevada Smith
13 West Street (1962) .... Walt Sherill
Orazi e curiazi (1961) .... Horatio
... aka Duel of Champions (USA)
... aka Horatio (UK)
One Foot in Hell (1960) .... Mitch Garrett
... aka The Last Man
All the Young Men (1960) .... Sgt. Kincaid
Guns of the Timberland (1960) .... Jim Hadley
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
... aka Stampeded (UK)
A Cry in the Night (1956) (voice) .... Opening off-screen narrator
Santiago (1956) .... Caleb 'Cash' Adams
... aka The Gun Runner
Hell on Frisco Bay (1955) .... Steve Rollins
The McConnell Story (1955) .... Capt. Joseph C.'Mac' McConnell, Jr.
... aka Tiger in the Sky (UK)
Drum Beat (1954/I) .... Johnny MacKay
... aka Delmer Daves' Drum Beat (USA: complete title)
The Black Knight (1954) .... John
Saskatchewan (1954) .... Thomas O'Rourke
... aka O'Rourke of the Royal Mounted (UK)
Hell Below Zero (1954) .... Duncan Craig
The Red Beret (1953) .... Canada
... aka Paratrooper (USA)
Shane (1953) .... Shane
Desert Legion (1953) .... Paul Lartal
Botany Bay (1953) .... Hugh Tallant
Thunder in the East (1952) .... Steve Gibbs
The Iron Mistress (1952) .... Jim Bowie
Red Mountain (1951) .... Capt. Brett Sherwood
Appointment with Danger (1951) .... Al Goddard
Branded (1950) .... Choya
Captain Carey, U.S.A. (1950) .... Captain Webster Carey
... aka After Midnight (UK)
Chicago Deadline (1949) .... Ed Adams
The Great Gatsby (1949) .... Jay Gatsby
Eyes of Hollywood (1949)
Whispering Smith (1948) .... Luke 'Whispering' Smith
Beyond Glory (1948) .... Capt. Rockwell 'Rocky' Gilman
Saigon (1948) .... Maj. Larry Briggs
Wild Harvest (1947) .... Joe Madigan
Calcutta (1947) .... Neale Gordon
My Favorite Brunette (1947) (uncredited) .... Sam McCloud
O.S.S. (1946) .... Philip Masson/John Martin
The Blue Dahlia (1946) .... Johnny Morrison - Lt.Cmdr., ret.
Two Years Before the Mast (1946) .... Charles Stewart
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
Letter from a Friend (1943)
Lucky Jordan (1942) .... Lucky Jordan
The Glass Key (1942) .... Ed Beaumont
This Gun for Hire (1942) .... Philip Raven
Joan of Paris (1942) .... Baby
Military Training (1941) (uncredited) .... Lieutenant, Platoon Leader, County Fair
... aka Training Film No. A-3
Cadet Girl (1941) (uncredited) .... Cadet
Great Guns (1941) (uncredited) .... Soldier in Photo Shop
They Met in Bombay (1941) (uncredited) (unconfirmed) .... British Soldier
The Reluctant Dragon (1941) .... Al, Baby Weems storyboard artist
... aka A Day at Disneys (USA: TV title)
... aka Behind the Scenes at Walt Disney Studio
Paper Bullets (1941) .... Jimmy Kelly aka Bill Dugan
... aka Crime, Inc.
... aka Gang War (USA: reissue title)
... aka Gangs, Inc. (USA: reissue title)
The Black Cat (1941) .... Richard Hartley
Citizen Kane (1941) (uncredited) .... Reporter smoking pipe at end
Petticoat Politics (1941) .... Higgins Daughter's Boyfriend
I Look at You (1941)
... aka Soundie #1125
Her First Romance (1940) .... John Gilman
... aka The Right Man (USA: reissue title)
Victory (1940) (uncredited) .... Heyst as an 18-year-old
Meet the Missus (1940) .... John Williams, Betty's boyfriend
The Howards of Virginia (1940) (uncredited) .... Backwoodsman
... aka The Tree of Liberty (UK)
Captain Caution (1940) .... Newton - Mutinous Sailor
Those Were the Days! (1940) .... Keg Rearick
... aka At Good Old Siwash
... aka Good Old Schooldays (UK)
Cross-Country Romance (1940) (uncredited) .... Mr. Williams (ship's First Mate)
Gangs of Chicago (1940) (uncredited)
The Light of Western Stars (1940) .... Danny - Stillwell Ranch Hand
... aka Border Renegade (USA)
In Old Missouri (1940) .... Landlord's Son
Brother Rat and a Baby (1940) (uncredited) .... Cadet in Trouble
... aka Baby Be Good (UK)
The Green Hornet (1940) (uncredited) .... Gilpin, student pilot [Ch. 3]
Blame It on Love (1940)
Unfinished Rainbows (1940) .... Charles Martin Hall
... aka More Worlds to Conquer (USA: new title)
Meat and Romance (1940) .... Bill Allen
American Portrait (1940) .... Young man/Old man
Rulers of the Sea (1939) .... Colin Farrell
Hitler - Beast of Berlin (1939) (as Allan Ladd) .... Karl Bach
The Mysterious Miss X (1939) (uncredited) .... Henchman
Freshman Year (1938) (uncredited) .... Student
Come On, Leathernecks! (1938) (uncredited) .... Club Waiter
The Goldwyn Follies (1938) (uncredited) .... First Auditioning Singer
Hold 'Em Navy (1937) (uncredited) .... Chief Quartermaster
... aka That Navy Spirit (UK)
All Over Town (1937) (uncredited) .... Young Man
The Last Train from Madrid (1937) (uncredited) .... Soldier
Pigskin Parade (1936) (uncredited) .... Student
... aka Harmony Parade (UK)
Saturday's Millions (1933) (uncredited) .... Student
Island of Lost Souls (1932) (uncredited) (unconfirmed) .... Beast
Once in a Lifetime (1932) (uncredited) .... Projectionist
Tom Brown of Culver (1932) (uncredited) .... Cadet