In the 40s of the twentieth century, films with the participation of Gardner began to appear on the screens for the first time. Ava became a real embodiment of the beauty and femininity of the cinematography of that time. She entered the list of the greatest stars in the history of Hollywood. Many film critics to this day call her the most beautiful woman of the 20th century.
Years of childhood and youth
Before winning millions of viewers' hearts, the actress was an ordinary girl with the then unknown name of Ava Gardner. Her biography begins in a small town located in the American state, where she was born on a cold December day - the 24th, 1922. In those days, the country was in the Great Depression, so the family lived very modestly. Parents raised seven children, among whom Ava was the youngest.
Her mother worked in cooking and baked various muffins, so she was a plump woman, but with a strict outlook on life. The girl's father was an ordinary worker on a tobacco plantation. Parents were too pious and religious, they brought up their children in severity. Because of this, none of the Gardner children, including Ava, could attend cinemas and dances. Listening to the radio was considered the greatest entertainment on the holiday.
Ava barely had timeto celebrate her sixteenth birthday, as her father suddenly died of bronchitis. This led to the fact that her mother became even stricter towards her daughter. Such a dreary situation choked Gardner, Ava waited for her 18 years and left for another small town, where at least she could live independently by her own rules.
What changed the life of an angel-faced woman?
One seemingly insignificant trip in 1941 played a very big role in my life. Ava decided to visit her sister, who lived in New York City, whose husband was a wonderful photographer. By a happy coincidence, at that time he designed the window of his photo studio. Everyone knows that the actress had not only an excellent body, but also a beautiful face that had no common features with anyone from the Gardner family. Ava became a model for this very reason, decorating the shop windows with her portraits, which made a splash.
Then everything developed at a rapid pace. Her photos began to decorate the covers of glossy magazines, and the girl woke up a real celebrity. Once, an employee from the famous film studio Metro Goldwyn Mayer saw her photographs, after which he offered the actress a contract for as many as seven years, and for this he sent her to study acting classes. And so her career began.
Roles and films
Actress Ava Gardner's first film was a short film, and the girl was given a role with only eight words, but her bright appearance and acting style just don'tcould go unnoticed. Therefore, in the next film, "Ghosts Unleashed," she was given the main role. This picture was shot in just a week and was released in 1943.
The actress spent the next decade of her life on film sets and managed to successfully play in eighteen films. Particularly popular among them are those that were based on the wonderful stories of Hemingway. By the way, he knew Ava personally and treated her with fatherly warmth.
Thanks to the resounding success, furore and impressions that the film “The Snows of Kilimanjaro”, filmed in 1952, made on the public, the handprints of the actress appeared on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
From 1953 to 1976, Ava Gardner starred in many films. Filmography is as follows:
- In 1953, the film of the adventure genre "Mogambo" was released, in which the actress took part along with the famous actor Clark Gable.
- In 1954, a picture was released in which, according to fans of the actress, she played herself - "The Barefoot Countess".
- In 1958, the magnificent historical melodrama "Naked Maja" was released, where the actress played the role of an amazing and intelligent duchess, who had an affair with the artist.
- 1963 became the date of the military drama 55 Days in Beijing, in which Ava appeared as Baroness Natalie Ivanova.
- In 1968, the historical film "Mayerling" appeared, where the actress played Empress Catherine.
- She evenstarred in a 1975 Soviet-American production called The Blue Bird.
- In 1976, the actress tried herself in the lead role in the detective genre and starred with the stunning Sophia Loren in the film "Cassandra's Pass".
These are perhaps the most successful roles and pictures of a Hollywood actress. You can also note such as "On the Shore" and "Night of the Iguana", but they did not bring such success as other films with her participation.
A career as an actress lasted for 43 years, during this period Ava Gardner managed to show an excellent performance in different genres and roles.
Hollywood Nymph Men
Ava's first husband was the famous actor Mickey Rooney in those years. He was a real womanizer and heartthrob and at the beginning of his courtship with the actress was slightly amazed that she rejected him. He had not yet had to make acquaintances with girls of such strict views and morals as Ava. Mickey could not even get a kiss from her until they entered into a legal marriage, which for Gardner turned out to be just an illusion of happiness. After 17 months, she left her new husband.
Then Ava meets her new love, billionaire aircraft designer Howard Hughes. He was a peculiar personality with his own oddities, but at that time a little-known actress really needed such a strong and rich patron. They started living together. Hughes used to control everything in his life, so the artist was constantly watcheddifferent detective agencies. But it could not last so long, and the young woman left her chosen one.
She went to Artie Shaw, who was a well-known leader of the jazz band in those days. Their marriage did not last long, because the actress was bored and dreary with him.
In 1950, an acquaintance took place in the life of a woman, which led to a stormy romance. The whole public then knew that these famous personalities became lovers, and after some time husband and wife - Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner. Photos with their happy faces could be seen on the pages of many newspapers and magazines. Their marriage lasted six years.
Final Years
The last roles played by the actress were not as successful as the others. This led to depression, and subsequently to a reclusive lifestyle. She lived in London, and her social circle was kept to a minimum.
This famous actress passed away at the age of 67 from pneumonia. She had suffered a stroke two years earlier. All expenses related to her illnesses were paid by Frank Sinatra. But when she passed away, none of her husbands or lovers attended the funeral.
Interesting facts
It turns out that Frank Sinatra idolized her so much that he even kept a statue of the actress in his garden.
She was acquainted with the great-grandson of Charles Darwin, who said: "Ava Gardner is the most perfect specimen of human nature."
There is a biography book dedicated to this famous actress, authored byis her ardent admirer and biographer Server.
Undoubtedly, it was the legendary personality and actress - Ava Gardner. Photos with her amazingly beautiful face and divine body still amaze with their originality.
