Biography
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 move…
Movies & TV Shows
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Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982) — (in "The Killers" / "The Bribe") (archive footage)
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The Killers (1946) — Kitty Collins
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Earthquake (1974) — Remy Royce-Graff
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The Bible: In the Beginning... (1966) — Sarah
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The Barefoot Contessa (1954) — Maria Vargas
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On the Beach (1959) — Moira Davidson
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The Band Wagon (1953) — Ava Gardner (uncredited)
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The Cassandra Crossing (1976) — Nicole Dressler
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The Sentinel (1977) — Helen Logan
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Seven Days in May (1964) — Eleanor Holbrook
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55 Days at Peking (1963) — Baroness Natalie Ivanoff
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Mogambo (1953) — Eloise Y. Kelly
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The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972) — Lily Langtry
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The Night of the Iguana (1964) — Maxine Faulk
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Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951) — Pandora Reynolds
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Shadow of the Thin Man (1941) — Passerby at Racetrack (uncredited)
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The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952) — Cynthia Green
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Knights of the Round Table (1953) — Guinevere
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Show Boat (1951) — Julie LaVerne
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That's Entertainment! (1974) — (archive footage) (uncredited)
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Mayerling (1968) — Empress Elisabeth of Austria
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Knots Landing (1979) — Ruth Sumner Galveston
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Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood (2018) — Self (archive footage)
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City on Fire (1979) — Maggie Grayson
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That's Entertainment! III (1994) — (archive footage)
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Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields (2023) — Self (archive footage)
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Bhowani Junction (1956) — Victoria Jones
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One Touch of Venus (1948) — Venus
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Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff (2010) — Pandora Reynolds / Maria Vargas (archive footage)
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The Sun Also Rises (1957) — Lady Brett Ashley
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The Bribe (1949) — Elizabeth Hintten
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Ghosts on the Loose (1943) — Betty
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The Blue Bird (1976) — Luxury
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La Rabbia (1963) — Self (archive footage)
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What's My Line? (1950) — Self
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Whistle Stop (1946) — Mary
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Chavela (2017) — Self (archive footage)
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East Side, West Side (1949) — Isabel Lorrison
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Lone Star (1952) — Martha Ronda
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Kid Glove Killer (1942) — Car Hop (uncredited)