Born Alan Walbridge Ladd in Hot Springs, Arkansas, to English parents on September 3, 1913, this American film actor was known for his small stature and indifferent affect. His mother emigrated from England at the age of 19, and his father, an accountant by profession, died when he was four years old. At the age of five, while playing with matches, he set fire to the family home and his mother moved the family to Oklahoma City. There she met and married a house painter and they moved again when Alan was eight, this time to California. He worked at odd jobs from a very early age: picking fruit, delivering newspapers and sweeping floors.
He discovered track and swimming in high school and by 1931 was training for the 1932 Olympics. An accidental injury closed the door on that particular dream. In 1936 he married his friend, Midge, and they had one son, Alan Ladd, Jr. At one point, his destitute mother moved in with the couple and a few months later committed suicide by ingesting ant poison in front of Alan! He and Midge divorced, and in 1939, Alan was discovered by talent scout, Sue Carol, whom he later married.
He became a star after his performance as a hit man with a conscience in “This Gun For Hire,” but perhaps his most famous role is that of a gunfighter in the film, “Shane” (1953). He made seven films with Veronica Lake who was his favorite co-star because she was a petite woman and made him seem taller than his 5’5” frame. Their films together included: “The Blue Dahlia” (1946), Duffy’s Tavern,” (1945), “The Glass Key” (1942), “Saigon” (1948), “Star Spangled Rhythm” (1942), “This Gun For Hire,” (1942) and “Variety Girl” (1947).
In a 1961 interview Ladd was asked, “What would you change about yourself if you could?” He replied: “Everything.” He began to drink very heavily in the mid 1950s and on January 29, 1964, at the age of 50, was found dead from an accidental overdose of alcohol and sedatives. He left three children (two sons and one daughter) and a legacy of many fine films.
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