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Ava Gardner

Ava Gardner

Known for: Acting

Born 24/12/1922
Died 1990-01-25
Place of birth Grabtown, North Carolina, USA

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

Knots Landing Series ★ 6,9

Knots Landing

Ruth Sumner Galveston

1979

What's My Line? Series ★ 7,0

What's My Line?

Self

1950

Intimate Portrait Series ★ 4,5

Intimate Portrait

Self

1993

Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields Series ★ 7,4

Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields

Self (archive footage)

2023

A.D. Series ★ 5,4

A.D.

Agrippina

1985

Earthquake Film ★ 6,1

Earthquake

Remy Royce-Graff

1974

The Cassandra Crossing Film ★ 6,3

The Cassandra Crossing

Nicole Dressler

1976

Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid Film ★ 6,7

Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid

(in "The Killers" / "The Bribe") (archive footage)

1982

The Bible: In the Beginning... Film ★ 7,3

The Bible: In the Beginning...

Sarah

1966

55 Days at Peking Film ★ 6,9

55 Days at Peking

Baroness Natalie Ivanoff

1963

The Killers Film ★ 7,4

The Killers

Kitty Collins

1946

The Long Hot Summer Series ★ 5,5

The Long Hot Summer

Minnie Littlejohn

1985

Mogambo Film ★ 6,4

Mogambo

Eloise Y. Kelly

1953

Mayerling Film ★ 6,2

Mayerling

Empress Elisabeth of Austria

1968

The Sentinel Film ★ 6,1

The Sentinel

Helen Logan

1977

That's Entertainment! III Film ★ 7,0

That's Entertainment! III

(archive footage)

1994

Show Boat Film ★ 6,2

Show Boat

Julie LaVerne

1951

Rat Pack Film ★ 9,0

Rat Pack

Self (archive footage)

2022

Lone Star Film ★ 5,7

Lone Star

Martha Ronda

1952

Ride, Vaquero! Film ★ 6,1

Ride, Vaquero!

Cordelia Cameron

1953

Singapore Film ★ 6,1

Singapore

Linda Grahame / Ann Van Leyden

1947

The Barefoot Contessa Film ★ 6,7

The Barefoot Contessa

Maria Vargas

1954

On the Beach Film ★ 6,7

On the Beach

Moira Davidson

1959

The Snows of Kilimanjaro Film ★ 5,9

The Snows of Kilimanjaro

Cynthia Green

1952

Seven Days in May Film ★ 7,3

Seven Days in May

Eleanor Holbrook

1964

Harem Series ★ 5,0

Harem

Kadin

1986

The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean Film ★ 6,5

The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean

Lily Langtry

1972

The Night of the Iguana Film ★ 7,2

The Night of the Iguana

Maxine Faulk

1964

Knights of the Round Table Film ★ 6,0

Knights of the Round Table

Guinevere

1953

That's Entertainment! Film ★ 7,4

That's Entertainment!

(archive footage) (uncredited)

1974

The Hucksters Film ★ 7,1

The Hucksters

Jean Ogilvie

1947

Pandora and the Flying Dutchman Film ★ 6,7

Pandora and the Flying Dutchman

Pandora Reynolds

1951

Harem Film ★ 5,4

Harem

Kadin

1986

John Huston: The Man, the Movies, the Maverick Film ★ 6,0

John Huston: The Man, the Movies, the Maverick

Self (archive footage)

1988

The Band Wagon Film ★ 7,2

The Band Wagon

Ava Gardner (uncredited)

1953

Whistle Stop Film ★ 4,4

Whistle Stop

Mary

1946

The Sun Also Rises Film ★ 5,8

The Sun Also Rises

Lady Brett Ashley

1957

Iconic Couples of Hollywood Series ★ 8,0

Iconic Couples of Hollywood

Self (archive footage)

2015

Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff Film ★ 6,6

Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff

Pandora Reynolds / Maria Vargas (archive footage)

2010

The Blue Bird Film ★ 5,5

The Blue Bird

Luxury

1976

Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood Film ★ 5,9

Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood

Self (archive footage)

2018

City on Fire Film ★ 5,1

City on Fire

Maggie Grayson

1979

Kennedy, Sinatra and the Mafia Film ★ 7,7

Kennedy, Sinatra and the Mafia

Self (archive footage)

2023

The Angel Wore Red Film ★ 5,0

The Angel Wore Red

Soledad

1960

Swing Fever Film ★ 6,0

Swing Fever

Receptionist (uncredited)

1943

The Ballad of Tam Lin Film ★ 5,1

The Ballad of Tam Lin

Michaela Cazaret

1970

Bhowani Junction Film ★ 6,1

Bhowani Junction

Victoria Jones

1956

Reunion in France Film ★ 6,4

Reunion in France

Marie, Parisian shopgirl (uncredited)

1942

Sunday Punch Film ★ 6,0

Sunday Punch

Ringsider (uncredited)

1942

Chavela Film ★ 6,9

Chavela

Self (archive footage)

2017

Twenty Years After Film ★ 8,0

Twenty Years After

(archive footage)

1944

The Great Sinner Film ★ 6,8

The Great Sinner

Pauline Ostrovsky

1949

Shadow of the Thin Man Film ★ 7,0

Shadow of the Thin Man

Passerby at Racetrack (uncredited)

1941

Du Barry Was a Lady Film ★ 6,5

Du Barry Was a Lady

Perfume Girl (uncredited)

1943

3 Men in White Film ★ 6,4

3 Men in White

Jean Brown

1944

La Rabbia Film ★ 7,0

La Rabbia

Self (archive footage)

1963

Calling Dr. Gillespie Film ★ 7,0

Calling Dr. Gillespie

Student (uncredited)

1942

Maisie Goes to Reno Film ★ 6,6

Maisie Goes to Reno

Gloria Fullerton

1944

Blonde Fever Film ★ 3,9

Blonde Fever

Minor Role (uncredited)

1944

Fallout Film ★ 7,0

Fallout

Self (archive footage)

2013

The Little Hut Film ★ 6,4

The Little Hut

Lady Susan Ashlow

1957

We Do It Because Film ★ 7,0

We Do It Because

Lucretia Borgia (uncredited)

1942

The Naked Maja Film ★ 6,2

The Naked Maja

Maria Teresa, duchess of Alba, nicknamed Cayetana

1958

Lost Angel Film ★ 8,0

Lost Angel

Hat Check Girl (uncredited)

1943

The Kidnapping of the President Film ★ 4,8

The Kidnapping of the President

Beth Richards

1980

Priest of Love Film ★ 5,0

Priest of Love

Mabel Dodge Luhan

1981

One Touch of Venus Film ★ 6,7

One Touch of Venus

Venus

1948

Legends of the West Film

Legends of the West

Lily Langtry in 'The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean' (archive footage) (uncredited)

1992

East Side, West Side Film ★ 7,1

East Side, West Side

Isabel Lorrison

1949

The Bribe Film ★ 6,3

The Bribe

Elizabeth Hintten

1949

Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1950s: The Golden Era of the Musical Film

Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1950s: The Golden Era of the Musical

Self (archive)

2009

Joe Smith, American Film ★ 6,5

Joe Smith, American

Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)

1942

Ava Gardner: Life Is Bigger Than the Movies Film ★ 5,8

Ava Gardner: Life Is Bigger Than the Movies

Self (archive footage)

2017

Hitler's Madman Film ★ 5,5

Hitler's Madman

Franciska Pritric (uncredited)

1943

Young Ideas Film ★ 5,3

Young Ideas

Co-ed (uncredited)

1943

Ghosts on the Loose Film ★ 4,2

Ghosts on the Loose

Betty

1943

Regina Roma Film ★ 7,0

Regina Roma

Mama

1982

My Forbidden Past Film ★ 5,5

My Forbidden Past

Barbara Beaurevel

1951

Film ★ 6,3

Screen Actors

Self (uncredited)

1950

Two Girls and a Sailor Film ★ 5,8

Two Girls and a Sailor

Dream Girl (uncredited)

1944

This Time for Keeps Film ★ 8,0

This Time for Keeps

Girl in Car Lighting Cigarette (uncredited)

1942

The Costume Designer Film ★ 10,0

The Costume Designer

Self (archive footage)

1950

Permission to Kill Film ★ 5,8

Permission to Kill

Katina Petersen

1975

H.M. Pulham, Esq. Film ★ 7,1

H.M. Pulham, Esq.

Young Socialite (uncredited)

1941

On the Trail of the Iguana Film ★ 6,7

On the Trail of the Iguana

Self

1964

Året var 1953 Film

Året var 1953

Self (archive footage)

2003

She Went to the Races Film ★ 6,0

She Went to the Races

Hilda Spotts

1945

Beautiful Like a Poem Film

Beautiful Like a Poem

Self (archive footage)

2020

Kolossal - The Magnificent Macisti Film ★ 9,0

Kolossal - The Magnificent Macisti

Self - Maria Cayetana, Duchess of Alba (archive footage)

1977

All Night Long Film ★ 6,7

All Night Long

Self (archive footage)

2010

Frank Sinatra: The Voice of the Century Film ★ 7,7

Frank Sinatra: The Voice of the Century

Self (archive footage)

1998

Ava Gardner, the Gypsy of Hollywood Film ★ 6,9

Ava Gardner, the Gypsy of Hollywood

Self (archive footage)

2018

Mighty Lak a Goat Film ★ 6,5

Mighty Lak a Goat

Girl at Theatre Boxoffice

1942

Kid Glove Killer Film ★ 6,4

Kid Glove Killer

Car Hop (uncredited)

1942

De Madrid a la Luna Film ★ 6,0

De Madrid a la Luna

Self (archive footage)

2006

Fancy Answers Film ★ 7,0

Fancy Answers

Girl at Recital

1941

Strange Testament Film ★ 7,5

Strange Testament

Waitress (uncredited)

1941

Frank Sinatra glömde aldrig Finspång Film

Frank Sinatra glömde aldrig Finspång

Self (archive footage)

2003

I'm a Civilian Here Myself Film ★ 10,0

I'm a Civilian Here Myself

Dream Girl (uncredited)

1945