David Ladd (born February 5, 1947) is an actor who appeared in the film A Dog of Flanders in the 1960s.

Ladd was born in Los Angeles, California. He is the son of Alan Ladd and Sue Carol, half-brother of Alan Ladd, Jr., ex-husband of Cheryl Ladd and father of Jordan Ladd.

David Ladd (born February 5, 1947) has had a career in the entertainment industry that has spanned six (6) decades. Ladd was born in Los Angeles, California. He is the son of Alan Ladd and Sue Carol. His siblings include Carol Lee Veitch, Alan Ladd Jr., and Alana Ladd Jackson. He has two daughters, Jordan Ladd and Shane Ladd. Jordan from a prior marriage to Cheryl Ladd and Shane from his marriage to Dey Young.

Ladd’s professional career in Hollywood began in 1957 with a supporting role in a film starring his father entitled “the Big Land”. As a result of that film, he was offered a role playing a mute, by Samuel Goldwyn Jr. in “The Proud Rebel”, once again playing opposite his father, Alan Ladd and Olivia de Havilland. For this role he won many awards including a Golden Globe Award as the Best Newcomer of 1958 and a nomination as the Best Supporting Actor as well as inclusion in Film Daily’s Filmdom’s Famous Five critic’s award. He followed that with a series of film and television appearances including starring roles in: “The Sad Horse” (1959 ); “Dog of Flanders” (1960) and again Film Daily’s Famous Five award; “Raymie” (1960); “Misty” (1961) and numerous television appearances including: “Bonanza”; “Zane Grey Theatre”; “Wagon Train”; “Pursuit”; Shirley Temple’s “Story Book Theatre” (as Tom Sawyer) amongst others.

He attended Harvard School in Los Angeles and following the death of his father (1964) went on to attend and graduate from the University of Southern California where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. During this time he put his acting career in abeyance, occasionally making guest star appearances on several television shows including: “Gunsmoke” and “Ben Casey”, until fulfilling his military obligation in the Air Force Reserves.

He resumed his acting career having completed college and his military duty. Starting back he resumed acting by doing numerous roles on television including: “Police Story”; “Medical Center”; “Kojak”; “Love American Style” (pilot); “Emergency” (spin-off pilot); “Quest”; “Family Affair”; “Fantasy Island”. He began doing further motion picture work, as well, including: “RPM”; “The Day of the Locusts”; “Catlow”, “Jamaica Reef”; “The Wild Geese”; “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” “Deathline” (aka “Raw Meat”).

In 1972, he met his wife to be Cheryl (Stoppelmoor) Ladd while working as an actor on the “Treasure of Jamaica Reef”. They married and had a daughter, Jordan. During this time, Cheryl became a star, replacing Farrah Fawcett on “Charlie’s Angels” and David, having always been interested in the behind- the- scenes of the industry, began to turn his attention toward producing. His first productions were for ABC and included specials as well as movies of the week most notably,”When She Was Bad” starring Cheryl and Robert Urich. In 1980, they divorced and Ladd began to focus on the motion picture side of the business.

In 1982, he married actress, Dey Young. They had a child together Shane Ladd. Also, in the same year, he began working at Columbia Pictures as a creatve executive. Shortly thereafter, his brother-in –law, John Veitch stepped down as president of Columbia and asked Ladd to join him in establishing a new production company based at Columbia.

Ladd’s first solo producing credit came on a motion picture, “The Serpent and the Rainbow” (1987) based on Wade Davis’ non- fiction book of the same name. The film was quite successful and as a result he was asked to join his brother Alan Ladd Jr. in forming Pathe Films (1988). While there they produced many films before acquiring the venerable MGM.

Ladd became a senior production executive at MGM and was part of the key team that was responsible for the resurgence of the studio (1989 – 1997). He shepherded, worked on and was responsible for a variety of films including the smash hit, “Get Shorty” (1995).

Leaving MGM as an executive in 1998, Ladd signed a deal to produce movies for them. His first production was a re-imagining of the hit TV series “The Mod Squad” which he shared an Executive Producer credit with Aaron Spelling, who he had first worked with on “The Zane Grey Theatre” in 1961.

During this time, MGM changed hands a couple of times but Ladd was able to forge ahead with his productions. He found a manuscript written by John Katzenbach and developed it as a screenplay. Subsequently, he was able to attach Gregory Hoblit to direct and Colin Farrel, Bruce Willis and Terrence Howard to star. He followed that with “A Guy Thing” directed by Chris Koch and starring Jason Lee, Julia Stiles and Selma Blair.

Shortly thereafter, MGM was sold and Ladd went out into the world as an independent. He is currently developing projects for Fox, Universal and Paramount as well as projects for the independent market place. In 2008, he helped shepherd Kevin Sheridan’s “Leaving Barstow” which won numerous awards on the film festival circuit.

Ladd spent part of 2007 teaching producing for film at the Savannah College of Art and Design.

Ladd is a member of the Producers Guild of America, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and an emeritus member of the Screen Actors Guild. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Southern California.

[edit] External links

• David Ladd at the Internet Movie Database

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