| Ava Gardner | |
|---|---|
 from Bhowani Junction (1956) |
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| Born | Ava Lavinia Gardner December 24, 1922 Brogden, North Carolina, USA |
| Died | January 25, 1990 (aged 67) Westminster, London, England, UK |
| Years active | 1941 - 1986 |
| Spouse(s) | Mickey Rooney (1942-1943) Artie Shaw (1945-1946) Frank Sinatra (1951-1957) |
Ava Lavinia Gardner (December 24, 1922 – January 25, 1990) was an Academy Award-nominated American actress. Bhowani Junction is a 1956 Film adaptation of the 1952 novel Bhowani Junction by John Masters made by MGM. Events 563 - The Byzantine church Hagia Sophia in Constantinople is dedicated for the second time after being destroyed by Earthquakes Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Brogden is a Census-designated place (CDP in Wayne County, North Carolina, United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 41 - After a night of negotiation Claudius is accepted as Roman Emperor by the Senate Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) Westminster is an area of Central London, within the City of Westminster. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule Jr; September 23, 1920) is an American Film Actor and Entertainer whose Arthur Jacob Arshawsky ( May 23, 1910 &ndash December 30, 2004) better known as Artie Shaw, was an American Jazz Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra (December 12 1915 &ndash May 14 1998 was an American singer and actor Events 563 - The Byzantine church Hagia Sophia in Constantinople is dedicated for the second time after being destroyed by Earthquakes Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 41 - After a night of negotiation Claudius is accepted as Roman Emperor by the Senate Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the She is listed as one of the American Film Institute's greatest stars of all time. The American Film Institute ( AFI) is an independent Non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 Part of the AFI 100 Years series, AFI's 100 Years 100 Stars is a list of the top 50 stars of American cinema
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Biography
Early years
Ava Gardner was born in 1922 in the small farming community of Brogden, Johnston County, North Carolina, the youngest of seven children (she had two brothers; Raymond and Melvin, and four sisters; Beatrice, Elsie Mae, Inez and Myra) of poor cotton and tobacco farmers; her mother, Molly, was a Baptist of Scots-Irish and English descent, while her father, Jonas Bailey Gardner, was a Catholic of Irish American and American Indian (Tuscarora) descent. Grabtown North Carolina (Bertie County Grabtown (formerly Quitsna, the name of a nearby settlement is an Unincorporated community in Bertie County Johnston County is a County located in the US state of North Carolina. Cotton is a soft staple Fibre that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant ( Gossypium sp Tobacco is an Agricultural product recognized as an addictive drug processed from the fresh Leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. Baptist is a term describing individuals belonging to a Baptist church or a Baptist denomination. The English people (from the adjective in Englisc) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to England who predominantly speak English Irish Americans (Gael-Mheiriceánach are citizens of the United States who can claim ancestry originating in Ireland. The Tuscarora ("hemp gatherers" are an American Indian tribe with members in New York, Canada, and North Carolina. When the children were still young, the Gardners lost their property, forcing Jonas Gardner to work at a sawmill and Molly to begin working as a cook and housekeeper at a dormitory for teachers at the nearby Brogden School.
When Ava was thirteen years old, the family decided to try their luck in a bigger town, Newport News, Virginia, where Molly Gardner found work managing a boardinghouse for the city's many shipworkers. Newport News is an Independent city in Virginia. It is at the south-western end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River That job did not last long, and the family moved to the Rock Ridge suburb of Wilson, North Carolina, where Molly Gardner ran another boarding house. Gardner's father died of bronchitis in 1935. Ava and some of her siblings attended high school in Rock Ridge and she graduated from there in 1939. She then attended secretarial classes at Atlantic Christian College in Wilson for about a year. Barton College is a private Liberal arts college located in Wilson North Carolina.
Gardner, who by age eighteen had become a stunning, green-eyed brunette, was visiting her sister Beatrice in New York in 1941 when Beatrice's husband Larry, a professional photographer, offered to take her portrait. He was so pleased with the results that he displayed the finished product in the front window of his Fifth Avenue studio.
Early career
In 1941, a Loews Theatres legal clerk, Barnard "Barney" Duhan, spotted Gardner's photo in the Tarr Photography Studio on 5th Avenue in New York. Loews Theatres, aka Loews Incorporated, founded in 1904 by Marcus Loew, was the oldest theater chain operating in North America until it merged with The photo had been taken in 1939 by the proprietor, Ava's brother-in-law Larry Tarr, who was married to Ava's older sister, Bappie (Beatrice). At the time, Duhan often posed as an MGM talent scout to meet girls, using the fact that MGM was a subsidiary of Loews. Duhan entered Tarr's and tried to get Ava's number, but was rebuffed by the receptionist. Duhan made the offhand comment, "Somebody should send her info to MGM", and the Tarrs did so immediately. Shortly after, Ava, who at the time was a student at Atlantic Christian College, traveled to New York to be interviewed at MGM's New York office. Barton College is a private Liberal arts college located in Wilson North Carolina. The City of New York She was offered a standard contract by MGM, and Ava left school for Hollywood in 1941 with her sister Bappie accompanying her. MGM's first order of business was to provide her a voice coach, as her Carolina drawl was nearly incomprehensible. [1]
Oscar nomination
Gardner was nominated for an Academy Award for Mogambo (1953), however she lost to Audrey Hepburn for Roman Holiday. Mogambo ("Passion" in Swahili) is a 1953 film directed by John Ford, featuring Clark Gable, Ava Gardner, and Audrey Hepburn ( &ndash) was an English/Dutch Academy Award - Emmy Award - Tony Award - and Grammy Award -winning film and stage actress Roman Holiday is a 1953 Romantic comedy. The film introduced American audiences to Belgian-born actress Audrey Hepburn, who won the Academy Many thought Gardner's finest performance was as Maxine Faulk in The Night of the Iguana (1964), for which she was not nominated. The Night of the Iguana is a 1964 film based on the play by Tennessee Williams. (Grayson Hall, as the repressed Judith Fellowes, however, was nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category). Grayson Hall ( September 18 1922 – August 7 1985) was an Oscar -nominated American actress.
Other films include The Hucksters (1947), Showboat (1951), The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952), 1954's The Barefoot Contessa (which some consider to be her "signature film" which famously mirrored her normal real life custom of going barefoot), Bhowani Junction (1956), The Sun Also Rises in which she played party-girl "Brett Ashley", 1957), and the film version of Neville Shute's best-selling On the Beach, co-starring Gregory Peck. The Barefoot Contessa is a 1954 film about the life and loves of fictional Spanish sex symbol Maria Vargas For people with the name Barefoot see Barefoot (surname Going barefoot (also barefoot ed) means for a person not to use or
Gardner also showed her depth as an actress in 55 Days at Peking (1963). 55 Days at Peking is a 1963 historical Epic film made by Samuel Bronston Productions and released by Allied Artists
"Off-camera, she gave off sparks of wit, as in her assessment of John Ford, who directed her in Mogambo: 'The meanest man on earth. Thoroughly evil. Adored him!'"[2]
Later life
She moved to London, England in 1968, undergoing a hysterectomy to allay her worries of contracting the uterine cancer that had killed her mother. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. A hysterectomy (from Greek hystera "womb" is the surgical removal of the Uterus, usually performed by a gynecologist. That year she made what some consider to be one of her best films, a technicolor, English-language remake of Mayerling, in which she played the Austrian Empress Elisabeth opposite James Mason as Emperor Franz Joseph. Mayerling is a 1936 French historical film drama directed by Anatole Litvak and produced by Seymour Nebenzal from a Screenplay James Neville Mason ( 15 May 1909 – 27 July 1984) was a three-time Academy Award -nominated British Actor who
Marriages and relationships
Mickey Rooney
Soon after her arrival in Los Angeles, Gardner met fellow MGM contract player Mickey Rooney; they married on January 10, 1942 in Ballard, California. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule Jr; September 23, 1920) is an American Film Actor and Entertainer whose Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signaling the start of civil war. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. She was 19 years old. Gardner made several movies before 1946, but it wasn't until she starred in The Killers opposite Burt Lancaster, that she became known as a movie star and sex symbol. The Killers ( 1946) is an American Film noir about the investigation of a mob murder Burton Stephen "Burt" Lancaster ( 2 November &ndash 20 October) was an American film Actor and star noted for his athletic physique A sex symbol is a famous person of either gender typically an Actor, Musician, model, Teen idol, or Sports star (Rooney and Gardner divorced in 1943, mainly because Rooney wouldn't give up his partying ways). Rooney later rhapsodized about Gardner's performance in bed, though upon hearing this Gardner retorted "Well, honey, he may have enjoyed the sex, but [goodness knows] I didn't. " She once characterised their marriage as "Love Finds Andy Hardy". Love Finds Andy Hardy is a 1938 romantic comedy film which tells the story of a teenage boy who becomes entangled with three different girls all at the
Artie Shaw
Her second marriage was to jazz musician and band leader Artie Shaw, from 1945 to 1946 and it was even more disastrous than the first. Arthur Jacob Arshawsky ( May 23, 1910 &ndash December 30, 2004) better known as Artie Shaw, was an American Jazz It was during this marriage that Gardner began to drink and take refuge in therapy.
Frank Sinatra
Her third and last marriage (1951-1957) was to singer and actor Frank Sinatra. Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra (December 12 1915 &ndash May 14 1998 was an American singer and actor
Sinatra left his wife, Nancy, for Ava and their subsequent marriage made headlines. Sinatra was savaged by gossip columnists Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons, the Hollywood establishment, and by his fans for leaving his "good wife" for this exotic femme fatale. Hedda Hopper ( May 2, 1885 – February 1, 1966) was an American actress and Gossip columnist, whose Louella Parsons ( August 6, 1881 &ndash December 9, 1972) was an American Gossip columnist. His career suffered, while Ava's prospered -- the headlines only solidified her sexy screen siren image. The marriage to Sinatra was stormy -- passionate fighting, jealousy, at least one suicide attempt (by Sinatra), and numerous separations.
Gardner used her considerable clout to get Sinatra cast in his Oscar-winning role in From Here to Eternity (1953). Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts From Here to Eternity is a 1953 Drama film based on the novel of the same name by James Jones. That role and the award revitalized both Sinatra's acting and singing careers. Ava said of her relationship with Sinatra, "We were great in bed. It was usually on the way to the bidet when the trouble began. " (This quote inspired the song "Frank and Ava" by Suzanne Vega. Suzanne Nadine Vega (born 11 July 1959 in Santa Monica, California) is an American Songwriter and Singer ) During their marriage Ava became pregnant, but she had an abortion due to the volatility of her marriage. She had always wanted children, but she said years later, "We couldn't even take care of ourselves. How were we going to take care of a baby?" Gardner and Sinatra remained good friends for the rest of her life.
Howard Hughes
She began dating billionaire aviator Howard Hughes in the early to mid-1940s, a relationship that lasted into the 1950s. Howard Robard Hughes Jr (December 24 1905 – April 5 1976 was an American Aviator, Industrialist, Film producer / director, Philanthropist Despite his initial claims that she would be an easy catch, they were never intimate.
Ernest Hemingway
She divorced Sinatra in 1957 and headed to Spain where her friendship with famed writer Ernest Hemingway led to her becoming a fan of bullfighting and bullfighters such as Luis Miguel Dominguín (who was currently with China Machado), with whom she had a tempestuous affair. Divorce or dissolution of marriage is the termination of a Marriage. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21 1899 — July 2 1961 was an American novelist short-story writer, and Journalist. Luis Miguel González Lucas ( November 9, 1926 - May 8, 1996) was a famous bullfighter from Spain, better known as "It was a sort of madness, honey", she said later of the time.
Final years
After a lifetime of smoking, Gardner suffered from emphysema, in addition to an autoimmune disorder (which may have been lupus). Emphysema is a chronic obstructive Pulmonary disease ( COPD) formerly termed a chronic obstructive Lung disease (COLD After two strokes in 1986, which left her partially paralyzed and bedridden, Frank Sinatra paid the cost of her ($50,000) medical expenses. Her last words (to her housekeeper Carmen), were, "I'm so tired", before she died of pneumonia at the age of 67. After her death, one of Frank Sinatra's daughters found him slumped in his room, crying, and unable to speak. Ava was not only the love of his life but also the inspiration for one of his most personal and magical songs, "I Am a Fool to Want You", recorded after their separation. Reportedly, a lone black limousine parked behind the crowd of 500 mourners at Ava's funeral. No one exited the vehicle, but it was assumed that the anonymous mourner was indeed Frank Sinatra. A floral arrangement at Ava's graveside simply read: "With My Love, Francis".
Gravesite
Gardner was buried in the Sunset Memorial Park, Smithfield, North Carolina, next to her brothers and their much-loved parents, Jonah (1878-1938) and Mollie Gardner (1883-1943). Smithfield is a town in Johnston County, North Carolina, United States. The town of Smithfield now has an Ava Gardner Museum. The Ava Gardner Museum is located in historical downtown Smithfield North Carolina and holds an extensive collection of artifacts from Ava Gardner 's career and private
Filmography
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References
- ^ Cannon, Dorris Rollins, "Grabtown Girl: Ava Gardner's North Carolina Childhood and Her Enduring Ties to Home" ISBN 1-878086-89-8
- ^ [1] "Movie Stars: The odd and amazing careers of Ava Gardner, Barbra Streisand, Patricia Neal and Ed Sullivan", short reviews by Dennis Drabelle, Washington Post Book World, Sunday, July 2, 2006; Page BW08, "One Woman Riot" section, reviewing Lee Server's "Ava Gardner: 'Love Is Nothing'"
External links
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Gardner, Ava |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | American actress |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 24 December 1922 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Brogden, Johnston County, North Carolina |
| DATE OF DEATH | 25 January 1990 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | London, England |
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