Alan Walbridge Ladd Jr. (October 22, 1937 – March 2, 2022) was an American film industry executive and producer. He was president of 20th Century Fox from 1976 to 1979, during which he approved the production of Star Wars, based on his confidence in George Lucas, which proved well-founded. He later established The Ladd Company and headed MGM/UA. Ladd won an Academy Award for Best Picture in 1996 for producing Braveheart.
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Early life
Ladd was born in Los Angeles, California, on October 22, 1937. He was the only child of Alan Ladd and Marjorie Jane (née Harrold), who divorced when he was two years old. He initially stayed with his mother, but lived with his father at his estate in Holmby Hills due to her poor health. He later recounted how the time he spent with his father was sparse, and described their relationship as "basically nonexistent". Ladd served in the U.S. Air Force and was called up as a reservist during the Berlin Crisis of 1961, before being employed by his stepfather's business for a brief period. He subsequently joined Creative Management Associates as an agent in 1963 and worked under Freddie Fields. Among Ladd's clients were Robert Redford and Judy Garland. His paternal half-brother is actor and producer David Ladd.
Career
Ladd relocated to London at the end of the 1960s to work as an independent producer. There, he established a film venture with Jay Kanter and Jerry Gershwin. Ladd made nine films during his sojourn there, including The Walking Stick, A Severed Head, Villain, The Nightcomers, and X Y & Zee. He eventually returned to the United States in 1973 to become vice president of creative affairs at 20th Century Fox. Three years later, he was promoted from worldwide production head to president of Fox's film division.