The Autographs of Alan Ladd

Alan Ladd was born on September 3, 1913 in Hot Springs, Arkansas. His family moved to California, and as a teen he worked odd jobs for the Hollywood movie studios. In the early 1930's he began landing small parts on local radio, in theater and in the movies.

By the early 1930's he was getting bigger roles in B movies. He played a small role as a reporter in "Citizen Kane." His big break came in 1940 as a hit man with a heart in "This Gun For Hire" with Veronica Lake. Ladd and Lake were a good match; both were very good looking, but small (Ladd was only 5'5" tall).They teamed up for a string of very successful movies - The Glass Key (1942), The Blue Dahlia (1946) and Saigon (1948). Ladd was listed on Top Ten Box-Office attractions list in 1947, 1953, and 1954.

By 1961, Ladd's career had been in decline for some time. Alcohol and depression and been problems for him for most of his adult life. On November 2 1962, he was found hanging onto life after a bullet entered his heart from a gun that he later claimed accidentally fired.

He bounced back in 1963 with a role in “The Carpetbaggers.” He was happy for awhile, but then depression got the better of him once again. He was found dead on January 29, 1964 from a drug overdose.

I bought a small lot of Alan Ladd material on eBay awhile back. The items were a part of Francisco "Chico" Day's estate, the brother of Gilbert Roland. The lot includes a letter to Day. In the letter, he thanks Day for a chair that Day gave him for a birthday present. The chair was used in a movie that the two of them worked on.

Dealers list his signed letters for around $100. They aren't offered for sell often. Signed photos list for about $200. This one is 5 x 7" so it would probably be offered for less. I bought the entire package for considerably less than the sum of the parts.

Ladd was not a critically acclaimed actor, but he was a fan favorite and a top movie star for years. If it were only for his role in the classic "Shane," his signed material will always be collected.





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