Ava Gardner

Celebrity   , ,
Ava Lavinia Gardner

Name: Ava Lavinia Gardner

Introduction: Ava Gardner was an American film actress who became one of Hollywood’s biggest stars in the 1940s and 1950s. Renowned for her striking beauty and sensual screen presence, she was often dubbed “The World’s Most Beautiful Animal.” Despite her iconic image as a femme fatale, she was also a talented actress capable of portraying complex characters, and her personal life, particularly her marriages to Mickey Rooney, Artie Shaw, and Frank Sinatra, garnered significant public attention.

Date of Birth: December 24, 1922

Height: 5 ft 6 (1.68 m)

Place of Birth: Grabtown, North Carolina, U.S. (a small rural community near Smithfield in Johnston County).

Family:

  • Parents: Jonas Bailey “J.B.” Gardner (father, a tobacco farmer and sawmill operator) and Mary Elizabeth “Mollie” Baker Gardner (mother, a homemaker and boarding house manager).
  • Spouse(s):
    • Mickey Rooney (married 1942; divorced 1943)
    • Artie Shaw (married 1945; divorced 1946)
    • Frank Sinatra (married 1951; divorced 1957)
  • Children: None. She stated she did not want to bring children into an unstable family environment and wished to raise them herself rather than relying on nannies.
  • Siblings: She was the youngest of seven children. She had two brothers (Raymond and Jonas Melvin “Jack”) and four sisters (Beatrice “Bappie”, Elsie Mae, Edna Inez, and Myra Merritt).

Profession: Actress.

Nationality: American

Religion: She was raised in the Baptist faith of her mother.

College or University Attended:

  • Rock Ridge High School (graduated 1939).
  • Atlantic Christian College (now Barton College) in Wilson, North Carolina (attended secretarial classes for about a year).

Biography and What Famous For:
Ava Gardner grew up in rural North Carolina in a financially struggling farming family. Her beauty was discovered by chance when her brother-in-law, Larry Tarr, a professional photographer, displayed her portrait in the window of his New York City studio. This led to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) talent scouts spotting her and offering her a screen test in 1941, at the age of 18. Despite an initial assessment that she “can’t act” and “can’t talk” (due to her thick Southern drawl), her stunning looks secured her a contract.

Gardner spent her first few years in Hollywood receiving acting, poise, and elocution coaching, primarily appearing in bit parts. Her breakout role came in 1946 when MGM loaned her to Universal Pictures for the film noir classic The Killers, where she played the seductive femme fatale Kitty Collins opposite Burt Lancaster. This performance catapulted her to stardom.

She went on to star in numerous successful films, establishing herself as a leading lady and one of the most glamorous stars of the “Golden Age of Hollywood.” Her notable films include:

  • The Hucksters (1947)
  • One Touch of Venus (1948)
  • Show Boat (1951)
  • Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951)
  • The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952)
  • Mogambo (1953), for which she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.
  • The Barefoot Contessa (1954)
  • Bhowani Junction (1956)
  • The Night of the Iguana (1964), earning Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations.
  • Seven Days in May (1964)
  • The Bible: In the Beginning (1966)

Gardner’s personal life was as captivating as her on-screen presence. Her three marriages, particularly her tumultuous and passionate relationship with Frank Sinatra, were highly publicized and became legendary Hollywood romances. She also had associations with other famous figures, including Howard Hughes and Ernest Hemingway.

Known for her independent spirit, earthy sensuality, and no-nonsense attitude, Gardner successfully resisted being solely typecast as a sex symbol, proving her acting abilities in various dramatic roles. She spent many years living abroad, first in Spain and later in London, where she died in 1990 at the age of 67. The American Film Institute ranked her among the greatest American screen legends.

Have participated:

  • Films (Selected):
    • The Killers (1946)
    • The Hucksters (1947)
    • One Touch of Venus (1948)
    • The Bribe (1949)
    • The Great Sinner (1949)
    • East Side, West Side (1949)
    • Show Boat (1951)
    • Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951)
    • The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952)
    • Lone Star (1952)
    • Mogambo (1953)
    • Knights of the Round Table (1953)
    • The Barefoot Contessa (1954)
    • Bhowani Junction (1956)
    • The Sun Also Rises (1957)
    • On the Beach (1959)
    • 55 Days at Peking (1963)
    • Seven Days in May (1964)
    • The Night of the Iguana (1964)
    • The Bible: In the Beginning (1966)
    • Mayerling (1968)
    • Tam Lin (1970)
    • The Cassandra Crossing (1976)
    • The Blue Bird (1976)
    • Priest of Love (1981)
    • Regina Roma (1982)
    • A.D. (1985, TV miniseries)
    • Knots Landing (1985, TV series)
  • Awards and Honors:
    • Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress (Mogambo, 1953)
    • Nominated for Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama (Mogambo, 1953; The Night of the Iguana, 1964)
    • Nominated for BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Bhowani Junction, 1956; On the Beach, 1959; The Night of the Iguana, 1964)
    • Ranked No. 25 on the American Film Institute’s list of the greatest female screen legends.