Alan Ladd Jr.

Alan Ladd Jr. (born October 22, 1937 in Los Angeles; died March 2, 2022 in Los Angeles) was liked and respected in Hollywood, first as an agent, then a studio executive and a producer. He became head of creative affairs at Fox. Under his tenure, the studio took big gambles on Star Wars (1977) and Alien (1979). In 1979, Ladd left his position as president at Fox to found his own production company, The Ladd Company. He enjoyed great successes with films including Body Heat (1981), Chariots of Fire (1981), Night Shift (1982), The Right Stuff (1983) and Police Academy (1984). In 1985, Ladd joined MGM/UA, eventually becoming chairman-CEO of Pathe Entertainment.