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elvis says on 27/Jan/12
5'4"
Patrick says on 5/Jan/12
Bob karam, I agree with you but precisely, the fact he was short while never giving such an impression plays in his favor. Even not considering tricks they used for him, he had this stature only real stars have, no matter how bad he considered himself. James Cagney was another very big star and man while even shorter. bob karam says on 3/Dec/11
What difference does it make how tall he was? Compared in looks and acting to many of the "tall" guys in movies, particularly modern cinema, Alan Ladd was a giant of a personality. And that's what really counts. BILL says on 14/Nov/11
Last night I watch two movies about Jim Bouie, One with Alan Ladd 5'6,the other with Sterling Haden 6'6. Parker says on 12/Nov/11
Here's a clip which gives the best evidence of Alan's height your going to get - Elisha Cook Jnr (the shorter guy in this scene) enlisted in the US Army and was measured at 5'5 and 123 lbs (check it out on IM DB)
Click Here
Pause and play the above scene at 5 mins. Elisha is the guy putting Alan's Robe on. You can't see his feet so we have to assume he has standard footwear giving him a standing height of approx 5'6. Alan is barefoot.
My own estimate for Alan has been revised after watching this
My guess is 166-168 for Alan . I'll go with 167 a 'weak' 5'6. Parker says on 3/Nov/11
Elvis says on 30/Oct/11
No way near 5'6". He was 5'4" and no more.
Watch the opening few minutes of him dancing with a self confessed 5'5.5 Virginia Mayo. Agreed he has footwear avantage, but even so that's not a 5'4 man.
Click Here Elvis says on 30/Oct/11
No way near 5'6". He was 5'4" and no more. Parker says on 19/Jul/11
Joe Bloggs says on 9/Jul/11
I've even heard as short as 5ft3/1m60. That's why he was in films with Connie Ockelmann(look her up).
That's the first height I ever heard of for Alan from a gf's father many years ago. Sorry, no way was he as short as 5'3. He was 5'6, maybe even a smidge more. He stood on boxes, he made co-stars stand in ditches, because the leading men in hollywood were supposed to be tall, and more often were. Errol Flynn,John Wayne,Gary Cooper......Alan had a complex about his height all his life, but really wasn't that short. Mr. R says on 17/Jul/11
Pearl, I think that Alan Ladd was different from the other actors that you mentioned because he was set as a romantic leading man, while the others were set up as character actors. pearl roberts says on 12/Jul/11
there were more actors then allan ladd,that were short.for example Audi Murpky, Claude Rains James Cagney etc.Who cares ,they were all great actors,and not bad to look at either Joe Bloggs says on 9/Jul/11
I've even heard as short as 5ft3/1m60. That's why he was in films with Connie Ockelmann(look her up). Katya says on 6/Jul/11
Most sites claim 5'5 for Ladd. He was a very good actor but one of the things he was mostly well-known for was his size. Some claim he was the shortest leading man ever but that's probably an exageration. Apparently James Mason refused to stand in a ditch during the filming of Botany Bay to appear closer in height to Ladd. According to this site Mason was 5'11 which sounds likely. Parker says on 22/Jun/11
Robby D says on 17/Jun/11
I would say 5'5" maximum. Definately under 5'6"
An inch more on your estimates Robby, and you'd be spot on. Robby D says on 17/Jun/11
I would say 5'5" maximum. Definately under 5'6". Larry says on 11/May/11
Ha! Ladd was no more than 5 4 seriously and probably lower Anonymous says on 24/Feb/11
Easily 5'4" 1.63m no way taller. guyfrommars says on 21/Feb/11
Exactly. Stevens never shown Ladd and Palance face to face with each other. 5'11" Van Heflin had boots with very minimal heels (0.5 inch?), while Ladd wore lifts with his cowboy boots, and yet, Heflin was still considerably taller. Ladd was a decent 5'6". Misha says on 5/Feb/11
Yes, Ladd was born to play Shane. There is no scene in any western that equals the showdown with Jack Palance. Having Shane ride in and out of town at night over a moon-washed landscape gives the entire sequence a surrealistic ambience.
Naturally George Stevens was perceptive enogh not to let Ladd get any closer than about twenty feet from Jack Palance, who was probably 6'4" in 1953.
Anonymous, how exactly could they have played to his shortness - put him against a gang of midget hoodlums for laughs? Anything like this would surely have backfired. Parker says on 10/Dec/10
Anonymous says on 2/Dec/10
Loren didn't like him cause he was insecure about his height.
Wasn't so much that, its because she had to stand in a ditch for every scene they did together. I heard Michael J Fox once say, A short male actor has to stand on a box. With a short male star,everyone else stands in a ditch lol.
I think Alan was 5'6 or thereabouts - give or take a few cms. Anonymous says on 2/Dec/10
5-5 123 sounds right. They should have played to his shortness instead of hiding it. Anyway he was good looking which should have been enough. Loren didn't like him cause he was insecure about his height. |
