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Ava Gardner

Page 67

by Lee Server


  At Bloomsbury, I am very happy and very grateful to have an editor as wise and sympathetic as Alexandra Pringle, from the beginning offering all the support and freedom any author could desire.

  I am beholden to two wonderful agents: To Roslyn Targ in New York City, my longtime friend and associate, always there with advice and care, keeping the light burning. And to Mary Clemmey in London, with her diligence and discernment and great ideas and instincts.

  I send my love to Elizabeth Server, always and forever.

  And to Terri, collaborator, spiritual adviser, press agent, femme fatale.

  Blessings on Ava Gardner, where it all began.

  Have I forgotten anybody? Well thank you, too.

  Lee Server

  LServ500@aol.com

  INDEX

  Abrams, Berdie, 57, 67

  Alam, Shah Ran, 315

  Albert, Eddie, 343

  Aldon, Mari, 284

  Allan, Rupert, 333

  Allen, Angela, 195, 196, 197, 423

  Allen, Frank Maurice “Bunny,” 253, 257, 260

  Allenberg, Bert, 337

  Altman, Al, 45–49

  Altman, Diana, 46, 48

  American International Pictures, 461–62

  Anderson, Donna, 367

  Angel Wore Red, The, 379–81

  Annenberg, Walter, 477

  Appointment with Death, 490

  Arce, Jose, 390

  Ardrey, Robert, 315

  Astaire, Fred, 367, 475

  Astor, Mary, 128

  Attenborough, Dick, 212

  Aubrey, James, 474

  Autry, Gene, 42

  Ayres, Lew, 97

  Babes on Broadway, 51, 59, 71

  Bacall, Lauren, 146, 287

  Bacon, James, 230, 423

  Bailey, Charles, II, 411

  Baker, David (maternal grandfather), 15

  Baker, Mary Elizabeth “Mollie” (mother), 15, 16, 22–24, 29–30, 32, 42–43, 49, 68, 75, 83–84, 87, 92

  Baldwin, James, 392, 435

  Banks, Polan, 165

  Barbato, Nancy, 172

  Barcelona, Spain, 194

  Barefoot Contessa, The, 269–70, 277–80, 284–87, 318, 342, 477, 491 Ava’s promotional tours, 300–303, 309 premiere and critical reaction, 307–9

  Barnett, Vince, 120

  Barquette, Nelly, 422, 429–30

  Barrymore, Lionel, 78, 97

  Batts, Peninah, 13

  Beacham, Stephanie, 455

  Beatty, Lady Adele, 354

  Beaudine, William, 89

  Bennett, Joan, 128

  Bergman, Ingrid, 184, 365

  Bergryd, Ulla, 440

  Berkeley, Busby, 51

  Berle, Milton, 237

  Berman, Pandro, 263, 321–22

  Bernstein, Walter, 308

  Bey, Turhan, 141, 150

  Bhowani Junction, 310–22, 492 critical reviews, 336

  Bible, The, 439–44

  Birmingham, Nan, 433, 438, 441, 444–46

  Birmingham, Stephen, 433–36, 444–46

  Blake, Robert, 77

  Blue Bird, The, 476–77

  Blythe, Peter, 470–71

  Boetticher, Budd, 215

  Bogarde, Dirk, 380, 381, 476

  Bogart, Humphrey, 7, 146, 284–85, 491

  Bogle, Donald, 217

  Borgnine, Ernest, 262

  Bose, Lucia, 303, 336, 384

  Bowman, Lee, 79

  Boyd, Bill, 310

  Boyd, Stephen, 440

  Bradshaw, Rev. Francis, 4, 7, 499

  Brahm, John, 149

  Brazzi, Rossano, 280, 284

  Bredell, Elwood, 120, 122–23, 125, 127

  Bresson, Robert, 439

  Breton, Andre, 192

  Bribe, The, 157–59

  Brogden, S.C., 17, 18–24

  Bronston, Samuel, 393–400

  Brooks, Jack, 124

  Brooks, Leslie, 121

  Brooks, Louise, 129

  Brooks, Richard, 115

  Brown, Phil, 125

  Brute Force, 115

  Bryan, John, 196, 208

  Buck, Jules, 136

  Bujold, Genevieve, 472

  Bull, Clarence Sinclair, 57

  Burgess, Alan, 494

  Burns, Lillian, 54–56

  Burton, Richard, 413–14, 419–21, 423, 425

  Bushkin, Joe, 225, 226

  Bussenius, Yvette, 376–77

  Cabre, Mario, 202–4, 206–10, 231, 262

  Callas, Maria, 474

  Calling Dr. Gillespie, 78

  Campbell, Judy, 408

  Capra, Frank, 116

  Capucine (starlet), 402

  Carbine Williams, 19

  Cardiff, Jack, 193, 196, 201, 203, 211, 213, 280, 297

  Cardiff, Julie, 211

  Cardinale, Claudia, 401

  Caruso, Paul, 489

  Cassandra Crossing, The, 479

  Cass Timberlane, 153

  Castro, Fidel, 377

  Chagall, Marc, 194

  Champion, Marge, 217, 219, 220, 475

  Chaplin, Charles, 439

  Chapman, Edward, 319

  Charisse, Cyd, 475

  Chenel (matador), 292

  Chertok, Jack, 79

  Chevalier, Anne, 279

  Chiari, Walter, 335–36, 337, 340, 347, 348, 356, 360, 372, 373–74, 402–3

  Christmas Holiday, 119

  Citizen Kane, 116

  Civil War, 13

  Clemens, Paul, 164, 256

  Clift, Montgomery, 262

  Clooney, Rosemary, 232, 240

  Cohen, Mickey, 143, 179

  Cohn, Harry, 256–57, 262

  Cohn, Joan, 256

  Cole, Art, 379

  Cole, Ben, 247–48

  Collison, Wilson, 250

  Comden, Betty, 295

  Comfort, Maddy, 164

  Confidential magazine, 305–7

  Connolly, Cyril, 322

  Connolly, Peggy, 334

  Conrad, William, 120

  Conway, Jack, 148

  Conway, Tom, 107

  Cooke, Alistair, 471

  Cooney, Alberta, 30–33, 35, 42, 482

  Cooper, Jackie, 475

  Corey, Jeff, 121

  Cortese, Valentina, 284

  Corwin, Norman, 353

  Courtship of Andy Hardy, The, 78

  Cowan, Lester, 154

  Coward, Noel, 212, 213

  Craft, Hy, 108

  Craig, James, 105

  Crawford, Broderick, 227–28

  Crawford, Joan, 22, 44, 46

  Cregar, Laird, 149

  Crosby, Bing, 22, 172, 205

  Crowther, Bosley, 129

  Cuba, Ava’s visits to, 237, 377–78

  Cukor, George, 285, 311, 314, 315–16, 321–22, 337, 392, 476–77, 481

  Culver City studio, 50–51, 338–39

  Curtis, Tony, 435

  Cusack, Cyril, 455

  Cusack, Sinead, 455

  Dagmar, 226–27

  Dali, Salvador, 194, 435

  Damone, Vic, 145

  Dandridge, Dorothy, 163, 217

  Daniels, Bebe, 211

  Darnell, Linda, 88, 142, 279

  Darwin, Francis, 11 On.

  Davies, Marion, 22

  Davis, Bette, 86, 166, 352, 413

  Davis, Miles, 378

  Davis, Sammy, Jr., 303–7

  Dead End, 89

  De Carlo, Yvonne, 152, 241, 270

  Dekker, Albert, 120

  De Laurentiis, Dino, 439

  Delevanti, Cyril, 425 de Moraes, Vinicius, 151

  Deneuve, Catherine, 450

  Devane, William, 485

  Dewhurst, Colleen, 440, 446

  Dietrich, Marlene, 173

  Dilda, Mary (grandmother), 13

  Dillinger, John, 61

  Domergue, Faith, 93–95, 99

  Dominguin, Luis Miguel, 262, 265–66, 281–83, 284, 288–92, 296–97, 303, 336, 384–85

  Dorsey, Tommy, 137, 138, 171

 
Dostoyevsky, Fyodor, 159

  Douglas, Kirk, 151, 355, 410–12

  Dove, Billie, 86

  Duff, Howard, 151–53, 156, 178, 485

  Duhan, Barney, 40–41

  Dunleavy, Steve, 372–73

  Dunne, Irene, 35

  Earthquake, 471–74

  East Side, West Side, 158

  Ebbins, Milton, 271

  Eccles, William, 230

  Ed Sullivan Show, 409

  Edwards, Blake, 401–2

  Ekberg, Anita, 362

  Eldridge, Roy, 103, 104–5

  Elizabeth Forbes (grandmother), 13, 15

  Ennismore Gardens, London home, 468, 500

  Entratter, Jack, 180

  Erskine, Norm, 372

  Esponosa de la Peni, Agustin, 348

  Etting, Ruth, 292–93

  Evans, George, 180–81, 182, 198

  Evans, Peter, 494, 496

  Farouk, King, 332, 361

  Farrow, John, 243, 447, 481

  Farrow, Mia, 447–48, 451

  Faulk, Maxine, 418

  Feld, Rudi, 107

  Feldman, Charles, 131, 137–38, 141, 151, 402

  Fellini, Federico, 359, 362

  Fenton, Frank, 243

  Ferber, Edna, 216

  Fernandez, Emilio “El Indio,” 415–16

  Ferrer, Mel, 263

  Fidler, Jimmie, 66

  55 Days at Peking, 151, 393–400

  critical reviews, 400

  Figaro, Inc., 277

  film noir, 115, 119, 128

  flamenco music, 330, 389

  Flynn, Errol, 167, 343, 344–45, 346

  Fogler, Gertrude, 53–54

  Folsey, George, 160

  Fonda, Henry, 39, 46

  Fonda, Jane, 476

  Fontana sisters, 278, 286, 287, 362

  Fonteyn, Margot, 213

  Ford, John, 251, 254–55, 261

  Fordham, J. M. “Ace,” 38–40, 42, 43

  Forever Amber, 110, 140

  Fort Bragg, N.C., 75

  Fox, George, 472

  Fox Movietone News, 46–47

  Franciosa, Tony, 355, 357, 358–59, 363–64

  Franco, Francisco, 329, 390, 448

  Frankenheimer, John, 411

  Frank Sinatra Show, The, 221

  Freed, Arthur, 58, 71, 214, 216

  From Here to Eternity, 256, 262, 263, 295

  Fry, Christopher, 439

  Fuller, Samuel, 342

  Gable, Clark, 22, 56, 146–48, 227–28, 250–56, 258, 261, 265, 337, 339

  Garbo, Greta, 22, 192, 346

  Garcia, Raul “Chupetas,” 229

  Gardner, Ava Lavinia

  (1922) birth (December 24), 11, 17

  (1922–1934) childhood in rural North Carolina, 20–24

  (1939) high school graduation, 35–40

  (1940–1941) first visits to New York City, 34–37, 39–40, 43

  (1940–1941) secretarial studies, 37–38, 42

  (1941) screen test in New York, 45–49

  (1941) train trip to Hollywood, 49–59

  (1941) Hollywood screen test, 52–53

  (1941) first short, 65–66

  (1941) wooed by Mickey Rooney, 68

  (1942) Christmas visit home to N.C., 83–84

  (1942) first speaking part, 78–79

  (1942) marriage to Rooney, 71–76, 80–82

  (1943) divorce from Rooney, 84, 92, 96–97

  (1943) and Howard Hughes, 85–88, 92–96

  (1943) at Monogram studio, 88–89

  (1945) marriage to Artie Shaw, 107–12

  (1949) first date with Sinatra, 174–77

  (1950) public outrage over Sinatra affair, 183–89

  (1950) retreats to Europe, and filming, 185–86, 189, 190, 192–93, 194–98, 201–16

  (1951) marriage with Sinatra, 224–50

  (1951) popular forgiveness of, after Show Boat, 1B-14

  (1953) overseas assignments, 262–64, 270–73, 277–87

  (1953) troubled marriage with Sinatra, 264, 266–69, 283–84

  (1954) prepares to divorce Sinatra, 293–99

  (1954) scandal re Sammy Davis Jr., 305–7

  (1954) tours Latin America, 300–303

  (1955) moves to Spain, 322–26

  (1956) at Grace Kelly wedding, 332–34

  (1956) visit from Sinatra, 334–35

  (1957) bullring injury to face, 348–50

  (1957) finalizes divorce from Sinatra, 348

  (1958) returns Sinatra’s ring, 355–56

  (1959) drifting period and dissolute life, 376–79, 383–91

  (1959) filming in Australia, 368–76

  (1959) meets Fidel Castro, 377–78

  (1959) visits family in N.C., 378

  (1960) moves to Madrid, 383–84

  (1964) filming in Mexico, 414–29

  (1966) hysterectomy, 448

  (1966) leaves Spain, 448–49

  (1966) move to London, 449, 452–54, 462–64

  (1970s) London houses, 467–71

  (1976) visits family in N.C., 481–82

  (1980s) television acting, 485

  (1982) last movie, 484–85

  (1984) last trip to Spain, 486–87

  (1986–1989) final illnesses, 487–91, 492–93, 494–98

  (1989) jewels sold at auction, 495

  (1990) death of, 498

  (1990) funeral, 3–4, 7, 499

  (1990) obituaries and remembrances, 498–99

  acting ability, 5–7, 55, 79–80, 97, 112–13, 128, 147, 149, 160–61, 197, 217–19, 285–86, 320, 352, 358, 370, 394, 399, 411, 438, 450, 459, 473

  acting coaches at MGM, 53–56

  acting on stage not allowed by studio, 160–61

  ancestry, 11–16, 162n.

  appearance deterioration and loss of selfconfidence, 193, 345–46, 349–52, 354, 356, 365–66, 382, 399, 400, 426–27, 458–59, 472–73, 490

  automobile accident, 341

  barefootedness of, 4–5, 20, 31, 277, 362, 377, 406

  barred from clubs and hotels, 385, 387

  beauty of, 4, 19, 26, 27, 32–33, 36–39, 41, 46, 57, 138, 153, 197, 214, 243, 309, 328, 388–89, 411, 424

  brothel-hopping, 194, 261, 318, 347

  chess prowess, 160

  dancing, love of, 32, 38, 286, 323, 330, 358, 389

  dating, in teenage years, 27–28, 37–40

  disliked being alone, 257–58

  dog pets of, 222, 325, 452, 464, 470, 482–83, 500

  drinking habit, 4, 80–81, 113, 144–45, 152, 175, 231, 347, 371, 372–73, 376, 384–86, 389, 394–99, 411, 416–17, 426–27, 434–35, 438, 442, 453–54, 459, 460–61, 481, 494

  drugs, dislike of, 144, 167, 340

  early personality, 21–22

  early schooling, 19–20

  facial bruise from bullring episode, 348–52, 354, 365–66

  feelings of inferiority, 5–7, 19–20, 24–25, 26, 55, 57, 79–80, 97, 101, 109–11, 112–13, 130–31, 147, 149, 160–61, 192–93, 197, 217–19, 285, 351–52, 354, 371, 392, 394, 399, 411, 438, 450, 459, 473

  film set prima donna behavior, 239, 242, 252, 258, 292–93, 338–39, 344, 365, 369–70, 394–400, 401, 411–12, 426–27

  first sex, with Mickey on honeymoon, 73–74

  foul mouth of, 4, 21, 144, 164, 249, 290, 373, 401, 411, 448, 487

  friendships with writers, 391–92

  homosexual friendships, 131, 194, 246, 453

  illnesses, 77, 289, 448, 487–98

  Jeckyll-and-Hyde syndrome, 81, 137, 152, 181, 347, 369–70, 375–76, 394–96, 404–7, 411–12, 434–35

  libido and sexual prowess, 5, 26, 73–74, 76–77, 97–98, 141–42, 150–51, 177, 201–2, 216, 267, 340–41, 422–23

  loneliness of, 374, 376, 389, 395–400,

  462–63, 486, 491

  love of animals, 4, 86, 452, 469, 470, 482–83 memoir (Ava: My Story), 40, 77–78, 494

  music in life of, 4, 21–22, 39–40, 101, 102, 138, 139, 217–19, 292, 330, 389
>
  nakedness in public, 138, 220, 300, 314

  night-owl metabolism of, 4, 39, 105, 138–39, 143–44, 167, 177, 194, 201, 211, 286, 323, 328, 332, 358–59, 365, 376, 384–88, 389, 401, 404–7, 413, 416–17

  paranoia of, 354, 361, 368–69, 375–76, 416

  pregnancies and abortions, possible, 244–45, 258–60, 364

  press and photographers, bad relations with, 181–83, 212, 224, 227, 228, 229–30, 233–34, 237, 251, 318–19, 327, 345, 361–62, 368, 411–12, 425–26, 486

  progressive politics of, 163–64, 249, 329, 357

  quotes about, 134–35, 168, 499

  racial prejudice lacking in, 20, 22, 162–64, 417

  rebelliousness and contrariness, 6, 20, 158, 164, 219–20, 225, 258, 380, 396

  religious indifference of, 496

  restlessness, 4, 17, 137, 139, 150, 211, 300, 376, 386–88, 404–7, 416–17

  self-destructive behaviors, 7, 80–81, 145, 164, 257–58, 354, 384–88, 433–34, 442–47, 453, 469, 487–90

  sexual allure of, 4–6, 26–27, 38, 39, 48, 53, 57, 121, 129, 140–41, 214, 357, 404–5, 413–14

  sexuality muted in AG’s early years, 25–28, 32, 37–40

  shy nature of, 24–25, 28, 144, 327, 365, 371, 469, 481, 483

  star quality, MGM’s first awareness of, 44–46, 48

  temper tantrums, 81, 90, 91, 152, 181, 186–88, 225, 231, 232, 246–49, 256, 266–67, 268, 296–97, 354, 376, 387, 394–96, 397–99, 411, 415–17, 426–27, 442, 446

  tomboy nature, 20–21, 31, 473

  a virgin until marriage, 67, 73–74

  wealth of, in later years, 471, 493–94

  Gardner, Ava Virginia (aunt), 13–14

  Gardner, Beatrice Elizabeth (Bappie) (sister), 15, 33–37, 41, 43, 49–50, 56, 63, 67–68, 72, 74, 75, 81, 83–84, 90–91, 92, 95, 108, 137, 151, 161, 189, 192, 201, 215, 233, 234, 247, 271, 284, 288, 325, 328–29, 347, 352, 353, 368, 379, 403, 410, 447, 463, 472, 481, 493, 497, 497n.

  Gardner, Benjamin (uncle), 13

  Gardner, Charles (uncle), 13

  Gardner, Cynthia (aunt), 13

  Gardner, Edith Inez (sister), 15

  Gardner, Elsie Mae (sister), 15, 26

  Gardner, Inez (sister), 26, 49, 75, 83–84

  Gardner, James Bailey (grandfather), 13–14

  Gardner, Jonas Bailey (father), 13, 14–16, 17, 20, 23, 29, 30

  Gardner, Jonas “Jack” (brother), 16, 17, 21, 27, 37, 348, 482

  Gardner, Myra (sister), 4, 16, 22

  Gardner, Raymond (brother, died young), 16

  Gardner, Warren (uncle), 13

  Gardner family, 23–24, 378

  Garland, Judy, 58, 65, 71–72, 217

  Garrett, Murray, 228, 249

  Garson, Greer, 146

  Ghosts on the Loose, 88–89

  Giancana, Momo Salvatore (“Sam”), 408–10

 

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