Despite having the name of his father – the famous actor from the golden age of cinema – Alan Ladd, Jr is an unassuming, self-effacing chap but is worthy of the biggest respect and accolades possible. Directed by his daughter, Amanda, who speaks to many of the filmmakers her father worked with – and there are many big names – as well as the man himself, affectionately known to people as Laddie.

The story of Laddie’s rise from being an agent to the top job at 20th Century Fox is an interesting one, but it’s his ability to believe in projects that no one else did that cemented his place in history. He was the man who almost singlehandedly got Star Wars made when the studio were ready to shut it down.

It’s not all success, though. When he left Fox and founded The Ladd Company, the number of failures outnumbered the massive hits. Hearing him talk – reluctantly – about The Right Stuff underlines his passion for doing things right and disappointment at the meddling of others.

The level of talking heads is testament to the respect Laddie commands in the industry. George Lucas, Ron Howard, Ridley Scott, Mel Brooks, Morgan Freeman, Mel Gibson, Ben Affleck among others have great stories to tell about working with him. His response to the adoration: “I was just doing my job”.

The documentary is as much about the film industry of the seventies as it is about Laddie, which we’re sure he would appreciate greatly. However, his importance to the world of genre cinema can’t be understated. The fact his daughter is discovering things about her father is as touching as anything people say about him. A beautiful story about a fantastic life.

Release Date: Out Now (Digital)