Alan Ladd

Birth Name:

Alan Walbridge Ladd

Birth Date:

September 3, 1913

Birth Place:

Hot Springs, Arkansas

Death Date:

January 29, 1964

Place of Death:

323 Camino Norte, Palm Springs, California

Age:

Cause of Death:

Cerebral edema caused by accidental overdose of drugs and alcohol

Cemetery Name:

Forest Lawn Memorial Park

Claim to Fame:

Show Business

Alan Ladd was an American actor became an overnight star by playing Raven, a sensitive hit man, in "This Gun for Hire" (1942). Ladd continued his success in film in the 1940s and early 1950s in Westerns such as the classic Shane (1953). He was often paired with Veronica Lake in noirish films The Glass Key (1942), and The Blue Dahlia (1946). His other notable credits include Two Years Before the Mast (1946), Whispering Smith (1948), which was his first Western and color film, and The Great Gatsby (1949). His popularity diminished in the mid 1950s, though he continued to appear in numerous films, including his first supporting role since This Gun for Hire in the smash hit The Carpetbaggers in 1963.

Not So Fun Fact

Alan Ladd had been raised dirt-poor in Los Angeles by a booze-soaked single mother. After his father died suddenly, he and his mother were left destitute, and Ladd was forced to work at whatever odd jobs he could find. From the age of eight, he picked fruit and sold snacks at concession stands. The underside of the glamorous city was familiar indeed to Ladd.

The up-and-comer was working steadily as a grip and an extra at Warner Brothers by the late 1930s. But in 1937, tragedy struck. Ladd’s mother, after asking to borrow money from him, bought poison and drank it in the backseat of his car. She effectively committed suicide in front of her son.

Cemetery Information:

Final Resting Place:

Forest Lawn Memorial Park

1712 S Glendale Avenue

Glendale, California, 91205

USA

North America

Map:

Grave Location:

Freedom Mausoleum, Faith of Our Fathers Terrace, Faith of Our Fathers Corridor, Sanctuary of Heritage, Crypt 20358

Grave Location Description

As you enter the cemetery gates ignore the guard shack and drive through like you own the place. Drive straight ahead and make your way to the top of the cemetery. On your left will be the Freedom Mausoleum. Entering on the top floor (Faith of Our Fathers Terrace) turn right and look to your left for the Sanctuary of Heritage. Allan’s crypt is on the right on the third row from the bottom. Be sure to look around because nearly every single one of his neighbors is famous.