Many of our favorite films owe a debt, and even their existence, to Alan Ladd, Jr. That’s certainly true of Star Wars, which Ladd greenlit, produced, and championed as president of Twentieth Century Fox.
On March 2, 2022, Ladd’s family announced that he had passed away peacefully at home. He was 84.
Ladd — or Laddie, as he was commonly known — first came to know of George Lucas in 1973, when friends heaped praise upon the director’s still-unreleased American Graffiti. Ladd organized a screening for himself, and came away so impressed that he scheduled a meeting with the young filmmaker. It was during this discussion that Lucas pitched his idea for a space fantasy film called The Star Wars; Ladd, believing in Lucas’ burgeoning talent, quickly made a deal