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