Braveheart producer Alan Ladd Jr, who greenlit such classics as Star Wars and Alien, dies at 84
- His daughter Amanda Ladd-Jones, who directed the documentary Laddie: The Man Behind The Movies,’ announced his passing at his Los Angeles home on the film’s Facebook page
- He was the son of actor Alan Ladd, who died at the age of 50 in 1964, and Marjorie Jane, Ladd’s first wife, whom he met in high school
- His father found success in the 1940s and early 1950s, particularly in the Western genre, with such films as This Gun for Hire (1942), The Glass Key (1942), The Blue Dahlia (1946) and Shane (1953)
- Despite his father’s success in Hollywood, Ladd Jr. would go on to have an even more successful career, which included numerous accolades
- His began his career in Hollywood as an agent in the early 1960s, representing for the likes of Robert Redford and Judy Garland at CMA under Freddie Fields
- The Ladd Company saw its success soar with Academy Award winners Chariots Of Fire (1981), The Right Stuff (1983), and more recently, Gone Baby Gone (2007)
- Ladd Jr. received the 2,348th star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame on September 28, 2007
- Ladd is survived by his three remaining children: Ladd-Jones and her sisters, Kelliann and Tracy Ladd. Sadly, his daughter Chelsea died peacefully in her sleep on March 28, 2021 at the age of 34
Alan Ladd Jr., who won an Academy Award as. producer on Braveheart, died Wednesday at the age of 84.
His daughter Amanda Ladd-Jones, who directed the documentary Laddie: The Man Behind The Movies,’ announced his passing at his Los Angeles home on the film’s Facebook page.
‘With the heaviest of hearts, we announce that on March 2, 2022, Alan Ladd, Jr. died peacefully at home surrounded by his family. Words cannot express how deeply he will be missed. His impact on films and filmmaking will live on in his absence.’
So far there’s no official word on a cause of death.
RIP: Longtime film producer Alan Ladd Jr. died at his Los Angeles home on Wednesday
Ladd Jr.’s brother, David Ladd, shared a brief statement, where he described him as a loyal sibling, when he posted the news of his passing on Facebook.
‘My brother, my friend, my hero, who always stood by my side. We will stand together again on the other side! I love you Laddie,’ he wrote, as reported by the New York Post.
He was the son of actor Alan Ladd, who died at the age of 50 in 1964, and Marjorie Jane, Ladd’s first wife, whom he met in high school.
His father found success in the 1940s and early 1950s, particularly in the Western genre, with such films as This Gun for Hire (1942), The Glass Key (1942), The Blue Dahlia (1946) and Shane (1953).
In mourning: Ladd Jr.s daughter Amanda Ladd-Jones, who directed the documentary Laddie: The Man Behind The Movies,’ announced his passing on the film’s Facebook page
Despite his father’s success in Hollywood, Ladd Jr. would go on to have an even more successful career, which included numerous accolades.
His began his career in Hollywood as an agent in the early 1960s, representing for the likes of Robert Redford and Judy Garland at CMA under Freddie Fields.
But then, in 1969, he had moved to London to produce nine films that included The Walking Stick (1970), A Severed Head (1970) and Villain (1971).
He eventually returned to the U.S. in 1973 to become Head of Creative Affairs at 20th Century Fox, and within three years the Los Angeles, California native was promoted from worldwide production head to president of Fox’s film division.
Risk well rewarded: It was Ladd Jr. who would bring George Lucas’ Star Wars to Fox President Gordon Stulberg for consideration, despite it being widely deemed as a risky endeavor; He is pictured (left with Lucas (center) and Director Ron Howard on the set of the film Willow (1988)
It was Ladd Jr. who would bring George Lucas’ Star Wars to Fox President Gordon Stulberg for consideration. And despite being perceived as a risky endeavor, Stulberg would approve the production, which was plagued by location difficulties, story problems and budgetary disagreements.
In the end, Star Wars (1977) would go on to become a critical and commercial success, earning the title of highest-grossing film of all time, up to that point, and spawning an array of sequel and prequel films, television, video games and franchise merchandise.
Ladd Jr. would also help greenlight and produce Ridley Scott’s classic sci-fi horror film Alien (1979), which also turned into a franchise, among a few others during his tenure at 20th Century Fox.
Accolades: Ladd Jr.(producer), Bruce Davey (producer), and Mel Gibson (director and lead role) won Best Picture Oscars for Braveheart (1995)
By 1979, Ladd Jr. decided to move on and create his own production company, The Ladd Company, a move that saw quick results with the success of such films as Outland (1981), Night Shift (1982), Blade Runner (1982) and PoliceAcademy (1984).
The Ladd Company saw its success soar with Academy Award winners Chariots Of Fire (1981), The Right Stuff (1983), and more recently, Gone Baby Gone (2007).
Ladd Jr. received the 2,348th star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame on September 28, 2007.
Ladd is survived by his three remaining children: Ladd-Jones and her sisters, Kelliann and Tracy Ladd. Sadly, his daughter Chelsea died peacefully in her sleep on March 28, 2021 at the age of 34.
Career gets a cherry on top: The Los Angeles native received the 2,348th star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame on September 28, 200
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