Alan Ladd Biography

Fast Facts

• Has a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contribution to Motion Pictures
• Opened a hamburger and malt shop after graduating from high school and briefly worked as a studio carpenter
• Unable to find mainstream work as an actor, he found his niche on the radio where he drew the attention of agent Sue Carol who began to find him film work
• His role as a hit man with a conscience in "This Gun for Hire," he played with style and stoicism, made him into an overnight success and helped define the future of the gangster film genre
• Played dynamic roles in action-packed films throughout the 1950s
• When he was 5 years old, he accidentally burned down the apartment where he and his mother lived while playing with matches
• A talented swimmer and track runner in high school, he trained for the 1932 Olympics though an injury kept him for participating in the Olympic trials