Alan Ladd

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Alan Ladd (late 1950s)

Alan Walbridge Ladd (born September 3, 1913 in Hot Springs , Arkansas , † January 29, 1964 in Palm Springs , California ) was an American film actor , who was primarily known for his portrayal of silent, tough characters in westerns and film noirs . One of his most famous appearances is the title role in the western classic My Great Friend Shane .

Veronica Lake and Alan Ladd: Scene from The Scarred Hand ; Wall painting at the former location of Kino 46 in the Walle district of Bremen

Career

For a long time Alan Ladd tried in vain to gain a foothold in the film business. From 1932 he was initially seen mainly in supporting roles.

His wife, agent Sue Carol, got him a contract with Paramount in 1942 , where he rose to star thanks to his role in the gangster film The Scarred Hand alongside Veronica Lake . The two actors made several films together, including The Glass Key and The Blue Dahlia . Ladd stayed with Paramount throughout the decade, making mostly adventure and dramatic romance films. One of his greatest successes was appearing alongside Dorothy Lamour in Wild Harvest , a love story between a harvest worker and an overseer, whose open portrayal of exploitation and sexual harassment appears in many ways like a preliminary study for the Italian film Bitter Rice .

Ladd got his best-known roles under the current contract in 1949 in the film adaptation of the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and in the western classic My Great Friend Shane , which was shot in 1951 and only came to cinemas in 1953, and him alongside Jean Arthur shows. He then ended his contract with Paramount Pictures and shot mostly westerns, but his career had already passed its zenith. In 1963, Die Insatiable , a film adaptation of a novel by Harold Robbins , was the last film with him.

Death and personal life

Before the premiere of The Insatiable , the actor was found dead in his bed. According to several sources, the circumstances surrounding his death are vague. He died a year and a half after attempting suicide from an overdose of sedatives mixed with alcohol.

Alan Ladd was married twice: from 1936 until his divorce in 1941 with Marjorie Jane Harrold, and from 1942 until his death in 1964 with actress and talent agent Sue Carol . He is the origin of the Ladd film family . His children are Alan Ladd Jr. , who is a successful film producer, and the actors Alana Ladd Jackson and David Ladd . The latter was married to Cheryl Ladd , their daughter Jordan Ladd is also an actress.

He is honored with a star on the Walk of Fame at 1601 Vine Street.

Filmography

literature

  • Gregor Hauser, Peter L. Stadlbaur: Prairie bandits: The gripping world of B-Westerns . Verlag Reinhard Marheinecke 2018, ISBN 978-3-932053-98-6 . Pp. 167-169.

Web links

Commons : Alan Ladd  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Zauberspiegel Online Alan Ladd
personal data
SURNAME Ladd, Alan
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Ladd, Alan Walbridge (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American film actor
DATE OF BIRTH September 3, 1913
PLACE OF BIRTH Hot Springs , Arkansas
DATE OF DEATH January 29, 1964
Place of death Palm Springs , California