Alan Ladd’s Top 10 Western Movies: Ranked

Throughout his tragically short career, Alan Ladd starred in some of the most popular western movies of the Hollywood Golden age. A mainstay of action, adventure, and noir films throughout the ’40s and ’50s, Ladd was a bona fide movie star in every sense of the word, and a major box office draw.

Before his sudden death at only 50, Ladd had amassed an impressive list of credits, though award success eluded him. Like a lot of stars from his time period, Ladd made his biggest mark on the western, though classic noir films like The Glass Key remain must-see staples of the hard-boiled crime genre.

Ladd often acted alongside fellow Golden Age icon Veronica Lake, and their noir films together were remarkably consistent. However, his western movies are a disparate lot, with Ladd never being typecast into one particular role. Though he isn’t as well known as a Wayne or Eastwood, Alan Ladd’s contributions to western cinema are noteworthy.

Drum Beat (1954)

Alan Ladd Produced His Own Hit Movies

Drum Beat

Release Date

November 10, 1954

Runtime

111 minutes

Writers

Delmer Daves

Producers

Alan Ladd

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  Robert Keith

  Bill Satterwhite

By 1954, Alan Ladd’s Jaguar Productions was finding success making their own films, and Drum Beat was a result of a partnership with Warner Bros. Ladd is in rare form as Johnny MacKay, a gunslinger who hopes to negotiate a peaceful end to the Modoc War. The movie is perhaps most notable for being an early role for Charles Bronson.

Unfortunately, the movie reflects contemporary interpretations of indigenous people, and the cast is largely whitewashed. Looking past that, the action is crisp and exciting, and Bronson’s role as Charlie is one of the more dynamic villains in western films. The historical backdrop is also interesting, though it doesn’t stick too closely to the facts.

The Iron Mistress (1952)

A Western Biopic About Jim Bowie

The Iron Mistress

Release Date

November 19, 1952

Runtime

110 minutes

Director

Gordon Douglas

Writers

James R. Webb

Producers

Henry Blanke

Cast

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  Virginia Mayo

  Judalon de Bornay

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  Joseph Calleia

  Juan Moreno

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  Phyllis Kirk

  Ursula de Varamendi

The Iron Mistress is a unique specimen in the western genre, not because it’s a biopic, but because of how narrow its focus is. Ladd stars as Jim Bowie, but the film only covers a small portion of the man’s fascinating life. Bowie’s eventual death at the Alamo is left out, and it is more about his romantic entanglements.

Despite lacking many of the elements found in most westerns, The Iron Mistress has great character interplay, and beautiful costume design. Its environs are also a change of pace, and hearkens back to an even earlier period when the West was closer East. It also has a fairy-tale quality, focusing in on the more fantastical elements of the Bowie mythos.

Red Mountain (1951)

Ladd Teams Up With Another Noir Veteran

Red Mountain

Release Date

November 1, 1951

Runtime

84 minutes

Director

John Farrow

Writers

John Meredyth Lucas

Producers

Hal B. Wallis

Cast

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  Alan Ladd

  Capt. Brett Sherwood

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  Arthur Kennedy

  Lane Waldron

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  John Ireland

  Gen. William Quantrill

The style and form of the westerns of the 1950s helped to cement the genre forever, but Red Mountain is different from its glossy contemporaries. Loosely based around the real-life events of General Quantrill’s Raiders at the end of the Civil War, Red Mountain is gritty and unflinching for a film from the early ’50s.

Ladd is paired up with fellow film noir veteran Lizabeth Scott, and the movie has a lot of the hard-edged trademarks of noir instead of westerns. The dialogue is blunt and snappy, and supporting stars like John Ireland turn in stellar performances. Its stagey low-budget quality is enhanced by a well-written script and a strong cast.

A Most Unique Revenge Western

One Foot in Hell

Release Date

September 11, 1960

Runtime

90 minutes

Director

James B. Clark

Writers

Aaron Spelling

Producers

Sydney Boehm

Cast

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  Dan O’Herlihy

  Sir Harry Ivers

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  Dolores Michaels

  Julie Reynolds

One Foot in Hell doesn’t sound like a conventional western on paper, and in many ways it’s nothing like the idealized portraits of the American West. The film stars Ladd as a traveler who is made the sheriff of a small town as repayment for the death of his pregnant wife.

What follows is a horrific descent into revenge and madness, as Ladd’s character plots to destroy the townspeople. Ladd was known for his darker characters, but his turn as Mitch Barrett is more sinister than any noir antihero. Though it isn’t perfect, One Foot in Hell is a precursor to the anti-western movement that popped up a few years later.

The Big Land (1957)

A Quintessential Western In Style & Themes

The Big Land

Release Date

March 1, 1957

Runtime

92 minutes

Director

Gordon Douglas

Writers

David Dortort

Producers

Alan Ladd

Cast

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  Virginia Mayo

  Helen Jagger

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  Edmond O’Brien

  Joe Jagger

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Alan Ladd made a ton of films for Warner Bros. throughout his career, and The Big Land is the most opulent western the partnership ever produced. Filled with common tropes of the genre, The Big Land casts Ladd as a man on a mission who hopes to bring big business to the prairies of Kansas.

The movie has everything, from copious ranching jargon to corrupt businessmen, and plenty of beautiful color photography. What it lacks in a compelling plot, it compensates with atmosphere, and Ladd is his usual charming self as a bona fide cowboy. The Big Land is a great next step for the western fan who has already seen the classics.

The Badlanders (1958)

A Classic Caper Set In The Old West

The Badlanders

Release Date

September 3, 1958

Runtime

85 minutes

Director

Delmer Daves

Writers

Richard Collins

Producers

Aaron Rosenberg

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  Alan Ladd

  Peter Van Hoek (The Dutchman)

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  Ernest Borgnine

  John McBain

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Adapted from a more modern story, The Badlanders combines a classic crime caper with the familiar dressings of the western genre. Alan Ladd appears opposite Ernest Borgnine as a wannabe mine robber, and the duo concoct a convoluted scheme of revenge. There’s a bit of silliness to the film, though it isn’t really a comedy.

The heist elements are well-crafted, and it blends nicely with a lot of what’s expected from westerns. Borgnine and Ladd play off one another brilliantly, and it’s one of the most underrated pairings in classic westerns. Because of its source material, The Badlanders often feels like a noir story, and has plenty of gritty dialogue to match the tone.

The Proud Rebel (1958)

Surprisingly Complex For A Film From The ’50s

The Proud Rebel

Release Date

July 1, 1958

Runtime

103 minutes

Director

Michael Curtiz

Writers

Joseph Petracca

Producers

Samuel Goldwyn Jr.

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  Olivia de Havilland

  Linnett Moore

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  Dean Jagger

  Harry Burleigh

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  David Ladd

  David Chandler

Though its title implies otherwise, The Proud Rebel isn’t a celebration of the Confederacy, and is more of an understated drama. Set after the Civil War, Ladd plays a grieving veteran who must relocate to the Midwest with his ailing son. The story then evolves into a study of character, as Ladd’s John Chandler must overcome his neighbors’ prejudices.

The Proud Rebel is a surprising film because it rarely takes the easy path. It handles its darker themes sensitively, and Ladd gives one of his best performances as a dramatic actor. Some of the drama is a bit melodramatic, but it reflects the Hollywood style of the time. Overall, it’s an interesting departure from the typical western formula.

Whispering Smith (1948)

A Role That Helped Put Alan Ladd On The Map

Whispering Smith

Release Date

December 9, 1948

Runtime

89 minutes

Director

Leslie Fenton

Writers

Frank Butler

Cast

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  Alan Ladd

  Whispering Smith

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  Robert Preston

  Murray Sinclair

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  Brenda Marshall

  Marian Sinclair

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  Donald Crisp

  Barney Rebstock

Already more than a decade into his acting career, Whispering Smith was one of the movies that helped put Alan Ladd on the map. The classic early western involves train robbers and the mostly-silent man who is tasked with bringing them to justice. Ladd’s charm shines through immediately, and it has a quaint vibe that makes for pleasant viewing.

While it’s hardly the most groundbreaking movie ever, Whispering Smith gets all the clichés right, and has some fun performances too. Ladd isn’t the only notable name in the cast, and Robert Preston lends his booming voice to the movie too. It’s safe to say that Whispering Smith is a true hidden gem from the Golden Age of Hollywood westerns.

Branded (1950)

A Morally-Grey Adventure Flick

Branded

Release Date

November 3, 1950

Runtime

104 minutes

Director

Rudolph Maté

Writers

Cyril Hume

Producers

Mel Epstein

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  Charles Bickford

  Mr. Lavery

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  Robert Keith

  T. Jefferson Leffingwell

One thing that makes Alan Ladd’s westerns stick out is that he often plays complex characters in films that aren’t morally black-and-white. Branded is a quintessential example, and sees Ladd’s character transform from a hardened criminal to a good man before the end of the story. The 1950 flick is a tightly-plotted thriller that eschews the grandeur of its contemporaries.

Rarely did Ladd play a conventional hero, and Branded‘s Choya is a classic anti-hero. Though it’s smaller-scale than a lot of other ’50s westerns, the beautiful color photography is still a sight to behold. There’s a larger-than-life quality to every aspect of the production, and it comes through in the performances as well.

Shane (1953)

Alan Ladd’s Defining Role Is A Western Gem

Shane

Release Date

August 14, 1953

Runtime

118 Minutes

Director

George Stevens

Writers

A.B. Guthrie Jr., Jack Sher, Jack Schaefer

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Few actors are as synonymous with one western role as Alan Ladd, and his turn as the title character in Shane has always been his lasting legacy. Shane is a reluctant gunslinger just looking to settle down, but his increasing attachment to a local family spurs him back into battle.

Giving audiences a reason to care is crucial to telling a good story, and Shane does that in spades. Alan Ladd‘s performance is appropriately complex and multi-faceted, and Shane is every bit the hardened killer with a soft heart. It’s fair to say that Shane is an archetypal western, and many other films have borrowed liberally from the 1953 classic.