Alan Ladd

Alan Ladd got married to Majorie Jane Harrold in 1936, who was his sweetheart since high school. However, the couple divorced just five years later. They had a son named Alan Ladd Jr, who is now a film producer and producer of the ‘Alan Ladd Company’.

In 1942, he married his agent Sue Carol, who helped Ladd get his first break. The couple had two children named Alana and David Alan. Both Alana and David acted with their father on a few projects.

On January 29, 1964, Ladd succumbed to a condition called ‘Cerebral Edema’, which is caused due to excessive consumption of alcohol and drugs.

Ladd was born on September 3, 1913 to Ina Raleigh and Alan Ladd, in the Arkansas region of the United States. His father, who worked as a freelance accountant, died when Ladd was hardly four years old.

After his father’s death, Ina Raleigh got married to a painter Jim Beavers. The couple relocated to the North Hollywood locality of California. It is here where Ladd pursued his primary education.

The days Ladd spent at the ‘North Hollywood High School’, are said to be some of the best days of his childhood and early teens. He actively participated in sports, and went on to become the swimming and diving champion. He all took part in dramatics during his time at this institution.

Since Ladd had tasted success with sports during his school days, he decided to try his luck at the 1932 Olympics. However, his efforts failed.

Post his graduation in 1934, Ladd started his own shop named ‘Tiny’s Patio’. The business involved selling hamburgers and malt. He later worked as a carpenter at a movie studio, just like his stepfather. He even became a coastguard to make ends meet.

Ladd learnt his first few lessons in acting from the ‘Universal Pictures’ school. He tried his best to bag an opportunity to work in the films produced by the banner. However, he was rejected on grounds of being ‘extremely blonde’ and short.

Ladd worked with small theatre groups, with an intention of keeping his passion for acting alive. He later took up short time jobs with motion picture studios such as ‘MGM’ and ‘RKO’, and moved to radio.

One of the shows on radio, where Ladd spoke, grabbed the attention of an agent named Sue Carol. Carol collaborated with Alan Ladd for few of her books, after which she even helped the man bag his first movie - ‘Rulers of The Sea’, which released in 1939. Ladd was remembered for the role of ‘Colin Farrell’, which he played in this movie.

He was later seen in ‘Citizen Kane’, considered to be one of the most iconic movies of all times, which released in 1941. Ladd played the role of a Newspaper reporter who appears towards the end of the film.

Though he had appeared in several movies but he got noticed for his role in ‘Joan of Paris’, which released in 1942. His role was well appreciated, and soon he was flooded with offers for many small roles in films.

Ladd’s most memorable role in his long career was that of ‘Raven’, which he played in the movie ‘Rulers of The Sea’. The reason why the character remains memorable even today is because of the unconventional portrayal of a killer. Unlike the ugly faced, filthy rich villains of those days, Ladd’s version seemed far better and realistic. The movie also marked the beginning of one of the best Hollywood pairs of that time, Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake.