Alan Ladd Jr, who commissioned George Lucas to write Star Wars, won a Best Picture Oscar for producing Braveheartand was an influential executive for Fox and MGM/United Artists, died March 2, his family said. He was 84.
His daughter Amanda Ladd-Jones, who directed the 2017 feature documentary Laddie: The Man Behind the Movies wrote on social media: “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.”
Watch a trailer for her documentary below.
Along with Star Wars and Braveheart, Ladd was responsible for such Hollywood classics as a producer and studio boss, including Alien,Blade Runner, The Omen, All That Jazz, Norma Rae, Chariots of Fire, Thelma & LouiseandYoung Frankenstein.
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Overall, his films earned more than 50 Academy Awards — including two Best Picture wins — and more than 150 nominations.
“If you gotta work for a studio boss, he was it,” Brooks said in Laddie.
Ladd was born on October 22, 1937, in Los Angeles and grew up in the industry as the son of Shaneand The Great Gatsby star Alan Ladd. He began producing films in the early 1970s after getting his start in the business as a motion picture talent agent at Creative Management Associates. His client list included such heavyweights as Judy Garland, Warren Beatty and Robert Redford. Ladd later relocated to London, where he produced nine features in four years.
A man of few words relative to the industry’s chattering norms and with a low-key style, Ladd was in his mid-30s when he returned to Los Angeles in 1973 to serve as Head of Creative Affairs at Twentieth Century Fox. He rose through the ranks quickly and was named studio president in 1976. Soon after joining Fox, he was intrigued by a then-unreleased American Graffitiand sought a meeting with its young director, George Lucas, to see if he has any ideas for another film.
Lucas outlined a character-driven outer-space epic. Despite little precedent for such a movie, Ladd loved the idea and commissioned Lucas to write what would become Star Wars.
“Laddie was one of the few people that actually said, ‘I trust the artist,” Lucas said in the documentary.
Ladd later would greenlight and/or shepherd such smash Fox films as Return of the Jedi, Alien, The Omen, The Towering Inferno, Young Frankenstein, Norma Rae, All That Jazz, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Silver Streak, The Rose and The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
During his tenure at Twentieth Century Fox, the studio’s profits went to another galaxy, and its stock rocketed by 1,600%. During the mid-’70s, Ladd would name Ashley Boone as Fox’s President of Marketing — making him the first Black person to be president of a studio division. His sister Cheryl Boone-Isaacs later became the first Black president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Ladd made the cover of Esquiremagazine in April 1978, with the headline “Triumph of the Laid-Back Style.”
He left Fox in 1979 to returning to producing and formed The Ladd Company. It was a quick success, scoring a Palme d’Or at Cannes for Akiro Kurosawa’s Kagemusha (1980) and a Best Picture Oscar win for Chariots of Fire(1981). The company followed with such popular and acclaimed films as Blade Runner (1982) — starring Star Wars and American Graffiti‘s Harrison Ford — The Right Stuff(1983), Once Upon a Time in America(1984) and the lucrative if loopy Police Academymovies.
He hired an child actor-turned-action star-turned aspiring director to helm the 1982 morgue-set comedy Night Shift. Ron Howard would go on to win a pair of Oscars and become one of Hollywood’s biggest players.
“That kind of risk taking is somewhat absent,” Howard said in 2017.
Night Shift featured Howard’sHappy Days co-star alongside a young TV actor named Michael Keaton — launching the latter’s feature career. A pre-CheersShelley Long also starred.
Fast-forward to 1985, when Ladd took over MGM/United Artists. Ladd dissolved his production company to become Chairman and CEO of the studio, scoring a quick hit with Rocky IV (1985). He went on to shepherd such MGM/UA classics as Norman Jewison’s Moonstruck (1987), Mel Brooks’Spaceballs(1987), John Cleese’s A Fish Called Wanda(1988), Howard’s Willow(1980) and 1991’s Thelma and Louise, from Alienhelmer Ridley Scott.
Alienstar Sigourney Weaver said in the Laddiedocumentary, “The objective was to help these incredibly creative people make the best possible movie they could.”
Ladd would quit the executive life in 1993, resurrecting The Ladd Company at Paramount Pictures. There, he rolled the dice on another action star-turned-filmmaker. Mel Gibson had helmed only the 1993 dramaThe Man Without a Facewhen he went behind the camera to direct himself inBraveheart. The 1995 tale of fabled Scottish warrior William Wallace went on to win five Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director.
“There’s guys who just do it,” Gibson said inLaddie. “He is one of those guys, and that’s what you want.”
The Ladd Company later madeThe Brady Bunchfilms andThe Man in the Iron Mask,the latter starring Leonardo DiCaprio in is first post-Titanicrole.
The company exited Paramount in 1999, and his first film afterward would beLasse Hallstrom’s 2005 An Unfinished Lifefor Miramax, starring Redford, Jennifer Lopez and Morgan Freeman. The Ladd Company followed that up with Gone Baby Gone,the 2007 thriller directed by Ben Affleck.
Ladd is survived by his three daughters, film producer Kelliann Ladd (John Gatti), Tracy Ladd (David Hall) and Amanda Ladd (Dan Jones); former wives Patty Ladd and Cindra Pinco*ck; brother David Ladd and step-sister Carol Lee Veitch; and six grandchildren: Alexandra and Isabelle Gatti, Shane, Reagan and Dylan Hall and Iola Jones.
Here is the full trailer for Laddie: The Man Behind the Movies:
As someone deeply entrenched in the world of film history and industry intricacies, I mourn the passing of Alan Ladd Jr., a luminary figure whose impact on the cinematic landscape is immeasurable. My extensive knowledge stems from an in-depth exploration of filmography, industry dynamics, and the intersections of creativity and business.
Alan Ladd Jr.'s legacy is profoundly woven into the fabric of Hollywood, and his death on March 2, 2022, marks the end of an era. Born on October 22, 1937, in Los Angeles, Ladd Jr. grew up in the industry as the son of Alan Ladd, the iconic star of "Shane" and "The Great Gatsby." His journey into film production began in the early 1970s after a stint as a motion picture talent agent at Creative Management Associates, where he represented luminaries like Judy Garland, Warren Beatty, and Robert Redford.
One of the hallmarks of Ladd's career was his tenure at Twentieth Century Fox, where he ascended rapidly to become the studio president in 1976. During this time, he played a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of contemporary cinema. His keen eye for talent and innovative projects led to the commissioning of George Lucas to write "Star Wars" after being impressed by Lucas's earlier work, "American Graffiti."
The impact of Ladd's decisions at Fox extended far beyond "Star Wars." He greenlit and shepherded iconic films like "Alien," "Blade Runner," "The Omen," "All That Jazz," "Norma Rae," "Chariots of Fire," "Thelma & Louise," and "Young Frankenstein." The studio's profits skyrocketed, and its stock rose by an astounding 1,600% during his leadership.
In 1979, Ladd left Fox to establish The Ladd Company, a venture that swiftly garnered success. Notable achievements include winning the Palme d'Or at Cannes for Akira Kurosawa's "Kagemusha" (1980) and the Best Picture Oscar for "Chariots of Fire" (1981). The company also produced acclaimed films like "Blade Runner," "The Right Stuff," "Once Upon a Time in America," and the lucrative "Police Academy" series.
Ladd's journey continued as he took over MGM/United Artists in 1985, steering the studio towards hits like "Rocky IV," "Moonstruck," "Spaceballs," "A Fish Called Wanda," and "Thelma and Louise." His career culminated with his role as Chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures, where he backed Mel Gibson's directorial venture, "Braveheart," a film that earned five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director.
Even in his later years, Ladd remained active, resurrecting The Ladd Company at Paramount Pictures, taking risks on emerging talents like Mel Gibson and Ben Affleck. His legacy lives on through the impact of the more than 50 Academy Awards earned by the films he shepherded, with over 150 nominations.
Alan Ladd Jr. leaves behind a cinematic tapestry that has enriched the lives of audiences worldwide. His contributions to the film industry are not only visible in the accolades garnered by the films he championed but also in the creative risks he took and the careers he nurtured. His passing is a profound loss, but his influence will endure as a testament to the power of a visionary in shaping the world of cinema.
