‘Laddie: The Man Behind The Movies’ Highlights The Life Of The Ultimate Film Lover

Star Wars, Alien, Blade Runner, The Omen, and Chariots of Fire are a few of history’s greatest films, but they all have one thing in common: producer Alan Ladd, Jr. He was the man whose love of films and belief in young filmmakers, women, and new talent made him one of the most successful producers in Hollywood history. In the new documentary, Laddie: The Man Behind the Movies, Ladd’s daughter, Amanda Ladd-Jones, explores her father’s career.

Synopsis:

Laddie: The Man Behind the Movies is the story of the Alan Ladd Jr. the Oscar-winning producer and his daughter’s journey to get to know her father not just as Dad, but the way his collaborators do—as a doyen of modern American cinema.

Through interviews with George Lucas, Ridley Scott, Sigourney Weaver, Ben Affleck, Ron Howard, Morgan Freeman, Mel Brooks, Richard Donner, and more, Amanda Ladd-Jones endeavors to better understand her father, Alan Ladd, Jr.

Alan Ladd, Jr. was the son of actor Alan Ladd and felt immediately that he needed to escape from the shadow of his father. He decided instead to work behind the camera, eventually ending up as a film producer. As a passionate film lover, he would fight hard for the projects he believed in, including a space cowboy western helmed by a relatively unknown director named George Lucas. Ladd, Jr. continued to fight the studio to make sure the project, Star Wars, got finished and distributed. The rest, as they say, is history.

Ladd, Jr. would also influence other great films such as Alien, Blade Runner, Thelma and Louise, Braveheart, and Young Frankenstein. Laddie: The Man Behind the Movies is shot by his daughter (who spent time with him on many movie sets) and explores not only his love of films but also how his career affected his personal life.

This is an absolute must see for any film lover. There is no doubt that we owe a debt to Alan Ladd, Jr., as many of the greatest films of all time wouldn’t exist without his passionate belief. To think of a world without Star Wars as a cultural touchstone seems unimaginable, but it was very nearly so. We all owe him a debt. So, on behalf of film lovers everywhere, thank you. Available to rent and buy on digital download on April 26!