Ava Gardner Biography

MARITAL STATUS
Profession Actress
American nationality
Birth December 24, 1922 (Grabtown, North Carolina – United States)
Death January 25, 1990
BIOGRAPHY
The daughter of farmers, Ava Gardner spent her childhood on the family tobacco plantation. When she moved to New York at the age of 18, her beauty was immortalized by a photographer who shot her from every angle and exhibited her in his galleries. A member of MGM, who came across the photos, suggested that he take a few tests. This was the turning point in her career: in 1941, she signed a seven-year contract with the American major.

Between 1941 and 1945, MGM only employed her for her beauty: she made numerous appearances, most of them uncredited, and only her union with the actor Mickey Rooney gave a little echo to a very modest start to her career. It was not until 1946 and his role as charming vamp Burt Lancaster in the film noir The Killers , produced by Universal, that his career really began, his femme fatale physique then illuminating films like Merchants of Illusions (1947), Passion fatale (1949), Show Boat (1951) and Pandora (id.).

The 1950s established Ava Gardner, who was quickly considered, through her public successes, as one of the most beautiful women in the world. Partner of Gregory Peck in The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952) and Clark Gable in Mogambo (1953), the actress is Guinevere in The Knights of the Round Table (1953) then, above all, The Barefoot Countess by Joseph L. Mankiewicz , in 1954. A role – an Iberian dancer making a career in Hollywood – which, added to her relationship with Frank Sinatra , ended up establishing her as one of the most glamorous stars of American cinema.

The rest of his career followed a winding path. The actress, in disagreement with MGM, went to live in Spain but still vampirized the screen ( The Fifty-Five Days of Beijing , 1963; Seven Days in May , 1964; The Night of the Iguana , id.). Until the beginning of the 80s, her career was uneven but Ava Gardner was still very active, showing eclecticism with the historical films The Bible (1966) and Mayerling (1968), the western Judge and Outlaw ( 1972) or the disaster film Earthquake (1974).

Legend of the seventh art whose stunning beauty gave Hollywood glamor its credentials, Ava Gardner is ending her career on the small screen. Affected by illness, she died in London in 1990.