and immediatelywas discovered by talent scouts from Universal Studios. He was graduated from North Hollywood High School, where he had been a swimming and track star. 3, 1913, in Hot Springs, Ark., but his family moved to North Hollywood when he was 7. Ladd appeared in about 150 movies.Īlan Walbridge Ladd was born on Sept. He became an Instant success in.1941 when he appeared as a psychopathic killer in a low budget sleeper, “This Gun for Hire,” which also starred Veronica Lake, who was to be his screen romantic interest in many other pictures. That the old fashioned motion picture gangster with his ugly face, gaudy cars and flashy clothes was replaced by a smoother, better looking and better dressed bad man was largely the work of Mr. The Ladd screen smile was never gay, always cynical and cool, and one studio press agent wrote that his eyes “go through you like two icicles.” As an actor he was famous for being a cold, calm killer or a cold, calm good guy, who was nearly a bad guy.
