Ava Gardner
Ava Lavinia Gardner (December 24, 1922 – January 25, 1990) was an American actress popular in the 1940s and 1950s. Considered one of the most iconic stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood, she was ranked as the 25th greatest female screen legend by the American Film Institute. Initially cast in minor roles, her breakthrough came with the classic film noir The Killers (1946), which established her as a leading lady. Her career flourished in the 1950s with notable performances in films like Mogambo (1953), for which she received an Academy Award nomination, The Barefoot Contessa (1954), and The Night of the Iguana (1964), which earned her a BAFTA nomination. Off-screen, Gardner's personal life and progressive politics attracted significant attention. Her marriages to Mickey Rooney and Artie Shaw were gossiped about, but her tumultuous relationship with Frank Sinatra particularly headlined. Gardner was a strong supporter of racial equality and desegregation, and became a member of the NAACP in 1968. Gardner was a heavy smoker, which deteriorated her health as she grew older. She continued acting in minor roles in the 1980s before she suffered a stroke in 1986 and retired. Gardner moved to Spain and England, where she spent her final years before passing away from bronchopneumonia on January 25, 1990.
Filmography
Kennedy, Sinatra and the Mafia
as Self (archive footage)
Kennedy, Sinatra and the Mafia
as Self (archive footage)
Rat Pack
as Self (archive footage)
Rat Pack
as Self (archive footage)
Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood
as Self (archive footage)
Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood
as Self (archive footage)
Ava Gardner, the Gypsy of Hollywood
as Self (archive footage)
Ava Gardner, the Gypsy of Hollywood
as Self (archive footage)
Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff
as Pandora Reynolds / Maria Vargas (archive footage)
Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff
as Pandora Reynolds / Maria Vargas (archive footage)
Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1950s: The Golden Era of the Musical
as Self (archive)
Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1950s: The Golden Era of the Musical
as Self (archive)
Howard Hughes: His Women and His Movies
as archive footage
Howard Hughes: His Women and His Movies
as archive footage
That's Entertainment! III
as (archive footage)
That's Entertainment! III
as (archive footage)
Legends of the West
as Lily Langtry in 'The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean' (archive footage) (uncredited)
Legends of the West
as Lily Langtry in 'The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean' (archive footage) (uncredited)
Maggie
as Diane Webb
Maggie
as Diane Webb
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
as (in "The Killers" / "The Bribe") (archive footage)
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
as (in "The Killers" / "The Bribe") (archive footage)
Regina Roma
as Mama
Regina Roma
as Mama
Kolossal - The Magnificent Macisti
as Self - Maria Cayetana, Duchess of Alba (archive footage)
Kolossal - The Magnificent Macisti
as Self - Maria Cayetana, Duchess of Alba (archive footage)
The Cassandra Crossing
as Nicole Dressler
The Cassandra Crossing
as Nicole Dressler
The Blue Bird
as Luxury
The Blue Bird
as Luxury
Earthquake
as Remy Royce-Graff
Earthquake
as Remy Royce-Graff
That's Entertainment!
as (archive footage) (uncredited)
That's Entertainment!
as (archive footage) (uncredited)
55 Days at Peking
as Baroness Natalie Ivanoff
55 Days at Peking
as Baroness Natalie Ivanoff
La Rabbia
as Self (archive footage)
La Rabbia
as Self (archive footage)
On the Beach
as Moira Davidson
On the Beach
as Moira Davidson
The Naked Maja
as Maria Teresa, duchess of Alba, nicknamed Cayetana
The Naked Maja
as Maria Teresa, duchess of Alba, nicknamed Cayetana
The Sun Also Rises
as Lady Brett Ashley
The Sun Also Rises
as Lady Brett Ashley
The Barefoot Contessa
as Maria Vargas
The Barefoot Contessa
as Maria Vargas
Knights of the Round Table
as Guinevere
Knights of the Round Table
as Guinevere
The Band Wagon
as Ava Gardner (uncredited)
The Band Wagon
as Ava Gardner (uncredited)
Ride, Vaquero!
as Cordelia Cameron
Ride, Vaquero!
as Cordelia Cameron
The Snows of Kilimanjaro
as Cynthia Green
The Snows of Kilimanjaro
as Cynthia Green
Show Boat
as Julie LaVerne
Show Boat
as Julie LaVerne
The Great Sinner
as Pauline Ostrovsky
The Great Sinner
as Pauline Ostrovsky
One Touch of Venus
as Venus
One Touch of Venus
as Venus
The Killers
as Kitty Collins
The Killers
as Kitty Collins
Blonde Fever
as Minor Role (uncredited)
Blonde Fever
as Minor Role (uncredited)
Maisie Goes to Reno
as Gloria Fullerton
Maisie Goes to Reno
as Gloria Fullerton
Two Girls and a Sailor
as Dream Girl (uncredited)
Two Girls and a Sailor
as Dream Girl (uncredited)
3 Men in White
as Jean Brown
3 Men in White
as Jean Brown
Twenty Years After
as (archive footage)
Twenty Years After
as (archive footage)
Lost Angel
as Hat Check Girl (uncredited)
Lost Angel
as Hat Check Girl (uncredited)
Swing Fever
as Receptionist (uncredited)
Swing Fever
as Receptionist (uncredited)
Young Ideas
as Co-ed (uncredited)
Young Ideas
as Co-ed (uncredited)
Hitler's Madman
as Franciska Pritric (uncredited)
Hitler's Madman
as Franciska Pritric (uncredited)
Calling Dr. Gillespie
as Student (uncredited)
Calling Dr. Gillespie
as Student (uncredited)
Sunday Punch
as Ringsider (uncredited)
Sunday Punch
as Ringsider (uncredited)
This Time for Keeps
as Girl in Car Lighting Cigarette (uncredited)
This Time for Keeps
as Girl in Car Lighting Cigarette (uncredited)
Joe Smith, American
as Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
Joe Smith, American
as Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
H.M. Pulham, Esq.
as Young Socialite (uncredited)
H.M. Pulham, Esq.
as Young Socialite (uncredited)
Fancy Answers
as Girl at Recital
Fancy Answers
as Girl at Recital