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Ava Gardner

Ava Gardner (December 24, 1922January 25, 1990) was an American actress.

Ava Lavinia Gardner was born in the small farming community of Grabtown, Johnston County, North Carolina, the last of 7 children of poor tobacco farmers.

She was married to Mickey Rooney from 1941 to 1943, to Artie Shaw from 1945 to 1946, and to Frank Sinatra from 1948 to 1957. She was regarded as one of the most beautiful actresses in Hollywood. She also had an affair with Howard Hughes.

She met author J.R.R. Tolkien at Oxford University in November 1964. Neither was aware of the fame of the other.

She died of pneumonia in London, England.

Ava Gardner is interred in the Sunset Memorial Park, Smithfield, North Carolina; the town of Smithfield now has an Ava Gardner Museum.

Gardner is portrayed by Kate Beckinsale in The Aviator (2004), a film by Martin Scorsese about Howard Hughes.

Selected filmography

External links

  • Ava Gardner on movietreasures.com http://www.movietreasures.com/main/Ava_Gardner/ava_gardner.html
  • Ava Gardner Museum http://www.avagardner.org/





Last updated: 02-07-2005 05:33:58
Last updated: 05-03-2005 02:30:17