Ava Gardner

Biography

Ava Gardner was an American actress who became a leading lady of Hollywood's golden age. Born in Grabtown, North Carolina, she signed with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1941 and played small, often uncredited parts for several years before Robert Siodmak's film noir The Killers (1946) made her name as the femme fatale Kitty Collins. Leading roles followed in Show Boat (1951), Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951), The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952), The Barefoot Contessa (1954) and On the Beach (1959); Mogambo (1953) brought an Academy Award nomination for best actress. She continued working for three more decades, in Seven Days in May (1964), 55 Days at Peking (1963), The Night of the Iguana (1964), which brought Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations, The Bible: In the Beginning... (1966), and Mayerling (1968), in which she played Empress Elisabeth. She made her final screen appearance in the 1986 television film Maggie, and her memoir, Ava: My Story, was published in 1990.

67years old at death

Born December 24, 1922Grabtown
Died January 25, 1990Westminster
Star sign: CapricornThe sign runs December 22 to January 19
Ava Lavinia Gardner (birth name)

Movie Career

Films: 38
Career span: 74 years1943 to 2017

Genres

Drama71%, 27 films
Romance34%, 13 films
Adventure18%, 7 films
Comedy18%, 7 films
Crime18%, 7 films

First and latest

Photos

Did you know?!

First role
At MGM's New York office, Al Altman, who led the talent department there, interviewed Gardner. He had the 18-year-old walk toward the camera, turn, walk off, and arrange flowers in a vase, but skipped recording her voice since her Southern accent was hard for him to follow.
Early training
MGM first gave Gardner a speech coach, since the studio found her Carolina drawl nearly incomprehensible, and also assigned Harriet Lee to teach her singing.

Ava Gardner movies on Netflix

Chavela2017IMDb rating 7.7as Himself
The Kid Stays in the Picture2002IMDb rating 7.3as Herself
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid1982IMDb rating 6.8as Kitty Collins
Priest of Love1981IMDb rating 6.0as Mabel Dodge Luhan
The Kidnapping of the President1980IMDb rating 5.3as Beth Richards
City on Fire1979IMDb rating 4.5as Maggie Grayson
The Sentinel1977IMDb rating 6.3as Helen Logan
The Blue Bird1976IMDb rating 5.4as Luxury
The Cassandra Crossing1976IMDb rating 6.3as Nicole Dressler
Earthquake1974IMDb rating 6.0as Remy
Mayerling1968IMDb rating 6.2as Empress Elisabeth of Austria
The Bible: In the Beginning...1966IMDb rating 6.2as Sarah
Seven Days in May1964IMDb rating 7.8as Eleanor Holbrook
The Night of the Iguana1964IMDb rating 7.5as Maxine Faulk
55 Days at Peking1963IMDb rating 6.7as Baroness Natalie Ivanoff
On the Beach1959IMDb rating 7.1as Moira Davidson
The Little Hut1957IMDb rating 5.7as Lady Susan Ashlow
The Sun Also Rises1957IMDb rating 6.2as Lady Brett Ashley
Bhowani Junction1956IMDb rating 6.4as Victoria Jones
The Barefoot Contessa1954IMDb rating 6.9as Maria Vargas
Knights of the Round Table1953IMDb rating 6.2as Guinevere
Mogambo1953IMDb rating 6.6as Eloise Y. Kelly
Ride, Vaquero!1953IMDb rating 6.1as Cordelia Cameron
The Band Wagon1953IMDb rating 7.4as Ava Gardner
Lone Star1952IMDb rating 6.2as Martha Ronda
The Snows of Kilimanjaro1952IMDb rating 6.1as Cynthia Green
My Forbidden Past1951IMDb rating 6.2as Barbara Beaurevel
Pandora and the Flying Dutchman1951IMDb rating 6.9as Pandora Reynolds
Show Boat1951IMDb rating 6.8as Julie LaVerne
East Side, West Side1949IMDb rating 6.9as Isabel Lorrison
The Bribe1949IMDb rating 6.6as Elizabeth Hintten
One Touch of Venus1948IMDb rating 6.6as Venus
Singapore1947IMDb rating 6.5as Linda Grahame / Ann Van Leyden
The Hucksters1947IMDb rating 6.7as Jean Ogilvie
The Killers1946IMDb rating 7.7as Kitty Collins
Whistle Stop1946IMDb rating 5.5as Mary
Blonde Fever1944IMDb rating 5.5as Minor Role
Ghosts on the Loose1943IMDb rating 5.0as Betty

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

Top

The Killers1946 Crime, Drama, Film-Noiras Kitty Collins
IMDb rating 7.726K votes
Earthquake1974 Action, Drama, Thrilleras Remy
IMDb rating 6.019K votes
On the Beach1959as Moira Davidson
IMDb rating 7.116K votes
The Barefoot Contessa1954as Maria Vargas
IMDb rating 6.915K votes
The Night of the Iguana1964as Maxine Faulk
IMDb rating 7.514K votes
Mogambo1953as Eloise Y. Kelly
IMDb rating 6.610K votes
Seven Days in May1964as Eleanor Holbrook
IMDb rating 7.818K votes
55 Days at Peking1963as Baroness Natalie Ivanoff
IMDb rating 6.78.3K votes

Most often with

John Huston directed two of these films, Mark Robson two and Henry King two. Burt Lancaster appears in four of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

Top

Burt Lancaster

James Mason

Clark Gable

Edmond O'Brien

Robert Taylor

William Conrad

John HustonDirector, 2 films Mark RobsonDirector, 2 films Henry KingDirector, 2 films

Films together

Burt Lancaster4 films together, 1946 to 1982
Burt Lancaster's page
- Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid1982IMDb rating 6.8Gardner as Kitty CollinsLancaster as Swede Anderson
- The Cassandra Crossing1976IMDb rating 6.3Gardner as Nicole DresslerLancaster as Colonel Stephen Mackenzie
- Seven Days in May1964IMDb rating 7.8Gardner as Eleanor HolbrookLancaster as Gen. James Mattoon Scott
- The Killers1946IMDb rating 7.7Gardner as Kitty CollinsLancaster as Ole 'Swede' Anderson
James Mason3 films together, 1949 to 1968
James Mason's page
- Mayerling1968IMDb rating 6.2Gardner as Empress Elisabeth of AustriaMason as Franz Joseph I of Austria
- Pandora and the Flying Dutchman1951IMDb rating 6.9Gardner as Pandora ReynoldsMason as Hendrick van der Zee
- East Side, West Side1949IMDb rating 6.9Gardner as Isabel LorrisonMason as Brandon Bourne
Clark Gable3 films together, 1947 to 1953
Clark Gable's page
- Mogambo1953IMDb rating 6.6Gardner as Eloise Y. KellyGable as Victor Marswell
- Lone Star1952IMDb rating 6.2Gardner as Martha RondaGable as Devereaux Burke
- The Hucksters1947IMDb rating 6.7Gardner as Jean OgilvieGable as Victor Albee Norman
Edmond O'Brien3 films together, 1946 to 1964
Edmond O'Brien's page
- Seven Days in May1964IMDb rating 7.8Gardner as Eleanor HolbrookO'Brien as Sen. Raymond Clark
- The Barefoot Contessa1954IMDb rating 6.9Gardner as Maria VargasO'Brien as Oscar Muldoon
- The Killers1946IMDb rating 7.7Gardner as Kitty CollinsO'Brien as Jim Reardon
Robert Taylor3 films together, 1949 to 1953
Robert Taylor's page
- Knights of the Round Table1953IMDb rating 6.2Gardner as GuinevereTaylor as Lancelot
- Ride, Vaquero!1953IMDb rating 6.1Gardner as Cordelia CameronTaylor as Rio
- The Bribe1949IMDb rating 6.6Gardner as Elizabeth HinttenTaylor as Rigby
William Conrad3 films together, 1946 to 1952
William Conrad's page
- Lone Star1952IMDb rating 6.2Gardner as Martha RondaConrad as Mizette
- East Side, West Side1949IMDb rating 6.9Gardner as Isabel LorrisonConrad as Lt. Jacobi
- The Killers1946IMDb rating 7.7Gardner as Kitty CollinsConrad as Max
John HustonDirector, 2 films, 1964 to 1966
All films by John Huston
- The Bible: In the Beginning...1966IMDb rating 6.2Gardner as Sarah
- The Night of the Iguana1964IMDb rating 7.5Gardner as Maxine Faulk
Mark RobsonDirector, 2 films, 1957 to 1974
All films by Mark Robson
- Earthquake1974IMDb rating 6.0Gardner as Remy
- The Little Hut1957IMDb rating 5.7Gardner as Lady Susan Ashlow
Henry KingDirector, 2 films, 1952 to 1957
All films by Henry King
- The Sun Also Rises1957IMDb rating 6.2Gardner as Lady Brett Ashley
- The Snows of Kilimanjaro1952IMDb rating 6.1Gardner as Cynthia Green