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25 January 2022

32 times Ava!

Today, it's exactly 32 years ago that Ava Gardner (1922-1990) passed away. She was considered one of the most beautiful women of her day. In 1941, 19-years-old Ava signed a contract with MGM. After her screen test, the director had clapped his hands gleefully and yelled, "She can't talk! She can't act! She's sensational!" Ava appeared in small roles and on pin-up photos until she drew everybody's attention in The Killers (1946). She became one of Hollywood's most glamorous stars but was also nominated for the Oscar for Best Actress for Mogambo (1953). From then till the 1970s, she appeared in several high-profile films, both in Hollywood and Europe. On 25 January 1990 she died at the age of 67.

Ava Gardner
Italian postcard by Bromofoto, Milano, no. 224.

Ava Gardner
Dutch postcard, no. 3265. Photo: Universal International.

Ava Gardner
Spanish postcard, no. 261.

Ava Gardner
French postcard by Editions P.I., no. 13D. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1953.

Ava Gardner
French postcard by Editions P.I., Paris, no. 424. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Ava Gardner
Spanish collectors card, no. 3868.

Ava Gardner
British Greetings card, no. D. Photo: Virgil Apger / Metro Goldwyn Mayer.

Ava Gardner
British postcard in the Picturegoer Series, London, no. D 77. Photo: Metro Goldwyn Mayer.

Ava Gardner
French postcard by Editions P.I., La Garenne-Colombes, no. 208, 1950. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Ava Gardner
Vintage autograph card.

Ava Gardner in Pandora and The Flying Dutchman
German postcard. Photo: Universal International Pictures. Ava Gardner in One Touch of Venus (William A. Seiter, 1948).

Ava Gardner
Belgian collectors card by Kwatta, Bois d'Haine, no. C 234. Photo: M.G.M. Publicity still for East Side, West Side (Mervyn LeRoy, 1949).

Ava Gardner
Dutch postcard.

Ava Gardner
French postcard, no. 116. Photo: Virgil Apger.

Ava Gardner
Italian postcard by B.F.F. (Casa Edit. Ballerini & Fratini), Milano, no. 2659. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Publicity still for Show Boat (George Sidney, 1951).

Ava Gardner and Gregory Peck in The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952)
West-German postcard by Rüdel-Verlag, Hamburg-Bergedorf, no. 507. Photo: 20th Century Fox. Ava Gardner and Gregory Peck in The Snows of Kilimanjaro (Henry King, 1952).

Robert Taylor and Ava Gardner in Knights of the Round Table (1953)
Yugoslavian postcard by Sedma Sila. Photo: IOM, Beograd. Robert Taylor and Ava Gardner in Knights of the Round Table (Richard Thorpe, 1953).

Robert Taylor and Ava Gardner in Knights of the Round Table (1953)
Spanish postcard by Celuloide Stars. Robert Taylor and Ava Gardner in Knights of the Round Table (Richard Thorpe, 1953).

Ava Gardner
Italian postcard by Bromofoto, Milano, no. 881. Photo: Dear Film. Publicity still for The Barefoot Contessa (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1954).

Ava Gardner
Vintage collectors card. Photo: MGM. Publicity still for The Barefoot Contessa (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1954).

Ava Gardner
Italian postcard by Rotalcolor, Milano, no. 124.

Ava Gardner
American postcard by Silvercraft, West Nyack (N.Y.). Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Publicity still for Bhowani Junction (George Cukor, 1956).

Ava Gardner
Italian postcard. Photo: DEAR Film.

Ava Gardner
French postcard by Editions P.I., Paris, offered by Les Carbones Korès 'Carboplane, no. 885. Photo: 20th Century Fox.

Ava Gardner
Italian postcard in the series Artisti di Sempre by Rotalfoto, Milano, no. 299.

Ava Gardner
Small Spanish postcard by La Revista Florita, no. 6.

Ava Gardner
French postcard by E.D.U.G., no. 48.

Ava Gardner
Italian postcard by Rotalcolor (Rotalfoto), Milano (Milan), no. 13.

Ava Gardner
Vintage Postcard.

Ava Gardner
German postcard by ISV, no. D 4. Photo: Civiani.

Ava Gardner
French postcard by E.D.U.G., no. 126.

Oleg Popov (1930-2016)
Russian postcard. Photo: Oleg Popov, Ava Gardner, and Todd Lookinland in The Blue Bird (George Cukor, 1976).

1 comment:

  1. Truly one of the most beautiful women---and a very talented actress with an amazing screen presence. She was simply superb in THE BAREFOOT CONTESSA https://everythingcroton.blogspot.com/2021/09/and-now-barefoot-contessa-mgm-1954.html

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