Ava Gardner

[Shejay]

Okay - Now I want this book...

[PiggyTx]

ugh she was so pretty. And I never ever will get what Mickey Rooney had....never got his appeal

[MagneticElectric]

This book looks to be a good read. Mickey Rooney seems like such a creepy bastard...

http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2013/06/ava-gardner-deathbed-confessions-sex-with-sinatra-rooney-mitchum-howard-hughes/

Ava Gardnerâ??s Deathbed Confessions: Raunchy Tale Of Sex With Sinatra, Rooney, Mitchum & Howard Hughes


Ava Gardner was a broke alcoholic when in 1988, in a desperate bid to raise some cash, she decided to write her memoir and made what turned out to be a deathbed confessions detailing her many affairs and marriages.
She died in 1990 after canceling the project and her ghostwriter, Peter Evans, took the tapes to his grave last year.
Now theyâ??ve been compiled in a new book, Ava Gardner: The Secret Conversations and the book is giving new meaning to tell-all.


Her first husband was Mickey Rooney who she revealed had the nickname Mickey Hard-On.
She quotes Rooney as saying, â??I wanted to f**k you the moment I saw you.â?� Gardner was an 18-year-old virgin at the time, and told Evans, â??I was shocked. Heâ??d screw anything that moved.â?�
He even cheated on Ava â?? then one of the most glamorous women in Hollywood â?? within the first months of their marriage while she was in the hospital having her appendix out.


An affair with Howard Hughes followed, and Ava revealed he was a strident racist.
The Barefoot Contessa and Killers star married and divorced band leader Artie Shaw who she called a â??bullyâ?� and then simultaneously dated Frank Sinatra and Robert Mitchum, both of whom were married at the time.
She said she was â??crazy aboutâ?� Mitchum but when she told him she was also seeing the Chairman of the Board, he told her, â??Get into a fight with him, and he wonâ??t stop until one of you is dead.â?�

Not wanting Sinatra to think that he was competition, Mitchum stepped out of the way.
Sinatra left his wife and he and Gardner wed. They had one of the most tumultuous marriages in Hollywood history, and divorced in 1957. It was her last marriage.
Numerous affairs followed including a brutal one with George C. Scott. While co-starring in 1966′s The Bible: In The Beginning, Scott beat her up so badly, Gardner had to be hospitalized.

Ava Gardner: The Secret Conversations is already getting rave reviews. It comes out July 3.

I just read about this new book today as well. I have "My Story" which is already pretty detailed but I guess ol' Ava left some things out.

As far as why Ava married nasty ass Mickey Rooney (ok, he was tolerable from the 1930s to about the late 1940s - don't even get me started on his role in Breakfast at Tiffany's ), I got the impression from her book that she did love the angry little bugger and really didn't use him as a stepping stone to fame. She was 17/18 when she met/married him, had limited experience with men and thought he was a decent guy. Also remember that Mickey Rooney was hot shit back then and women actually wanted to bang him. I guess those Andy Hardy movies really got women going in the 40s. Most of us just know him as the cantankerous weird old coot he is today.

As crappy as Rooney treated her, I think Artie Shaw took the cake. That dude was a class A prick. Why beautiful, famous women kept marrying him is beyond me.

[Everso]

Thanks for letting us know about the new book! I have to say I think Ava is one of the most beautiful women of Hollywood (then and now) and her autobiography is a fascinating look at her life in Hollywood. Two highlights include her jumping into a pool to get away from Howard Hughes (another time she hit him over the head with a heavy object) The other highlight was when she and Frank had a huge argument, and he returned home to find her, Lana Turner and personal assistant having a good old chat. Ava: "I thought you were in Palm Springs f***ing Lana Turner." Apparently the expression on Frank's face was priceless before he kicked them all out. So many more great stories to be found in that book. Buy/borrow it!!

[Mansfield67]

This will be a good read, Ava lived her life and pretty much did what liked, and didn't give a shit what people thought. Can't wait to read it.

[ScarletStarlet]

I think I'll be buying this book. She a beautiful woman, with real personality.

[radiojane]

It will be interesting to read.

Lee Server did a really good bio of Gardner not that long ago. She was so far removed from the Ava she became when she met Rooney, it really makes more sense.
http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/0312312105

[bethj99]

ava and mickey were a mismatched couple

[daddydale]

My favorite actress. And in looking at her bio her going back and forth with her writer because Franks hadn't come out yet, and she didn't want to be the first to say anything negative. Also her comment that it was hard to say anything bad about someone who was "wonderful in the feathers". I haven't heard a comment like that - not "great in bed" but "wonderful in the feathers". What a lady! They don't make them like that anymore. (some of my phrasing may be a little off - except for feathers - I need to buy the book, not just try to remember snippets).

[radiojane]

I downloaded the book from Audible. I'm one chapter in, and I'm loving it!! New fave quote (attributed to Lana Turner by Ava): "life is what happens while the crows feet are fucking up your face".

[Dave62]

Happy 100th Birthday to Ava!!!

[Shejay]

Damn. She was one beautiful woman!

[Mansfield67]

Stars of today have nothing on Ava, she was a movie star in every sense of the word. I wish I could afford her London apartment! https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-000-year.html

[shellc]

Stars of today have nothing on Ava, she was a movie star in every sense of the word. I wish I could afford her London apartment! https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-000-year.html

The way I have seen some people describe it over the years made it seem like it was plain and there is no way she would live there if she had a choice but appearances really can be deceptive. It's gorgeous inside and has so much room. I would love to get my hands on a kitchen that size.

[Mansfield67]

The way I have seen some people describe it over the years made it seem like it was plain and there is no way she would live there if she had a choice but appearances really can be deceptive. It's gorgeous inside and has so much room. I would love to get my hands on a kitchen that size.

This is plain?! Some shots from Architectural Digest shows how it looked when she was still alive and lived there. Plain? The British can be so snobby! Lol.

[shellc]

This is plain?! Some shots from Architectural Digest shows how it looked when she was still alive and lived there. Plain? The British can be so snobby! Lol.

That we can. My aunt's inlaws are some of the worst. They walk around with their noses constantly in the air and refuse to go see their brother because he and my aunt stay in a lower class part of the city and in a flat to boot. The best thing is, like most snobs, it's not even their money. My uncle's dad died and left a fortune and we have literally lost count of the amount of money they have 'borrowed' over the years.

[Dave62]

That we can. My aunt's inlaws are some of the worst. They walk around with their noses constantly in the air and refuse to go see their brother because he and my aunt stay in a lower class part of the city and in a flat to boot. The best thing is, like most snobs, it's not even their money. My uncle's dad died and left a fortune and we have literally lost count of the amount of money they have 'borrowed' over the years.

Sounds like some of your relatives could teach Hyacinth Bucket a thing or two about snobbery, lol. That attitude also reminds me of how Miss Brahms had to defend herself in AYBS: "We live in a detached house!" "Only because they had to pull down all the other ones around it."

Ava didn't have a snobbish bone in her body. Years ago I read an article that (pre-stroke and while living in London) she realized she was going to be late to a friend's wedding, her ride hadn't turned up etc. So she literally waved down whoever was willing to stop and drive her to the church! Some nice truck driver stopped and couldn't believe he was face to face with the famous, beautiful Ava Gardner (remember, she was dressed-up to go a wedding so she really looked like what people expected "Ava Gardner" to look like). She was so grateful and down-to-earth friendly at his kindness that she offered an invite (at his convenience) to her place for a drink, which he gladly accepted. I may've written this already in her thread, I'm too lazy to search - so forgive me if I'm repeating myself.

[shellc]

That we can. My aunt's inlaws are some of the worst. They walk around with their noses constantly in the air and refuse to go see their brother because he and my aunt stay in a lower class part of the city and in a flat to boot. The best thing is, like most snobs, it's not even their money. My uncle's dad died and left a fortune and we have literally lost count of the amount of money they have 'borrowed' over the years.

Sounds like some of your relatives could teach Hyacinth Bucket a thing or two about snobbery, lol. That attitude also reminds me of how Miss Brahms had to defend herself in AYBS: "We live in a detached house!" "Only because they had to pull down all the other ones around it."

Ava didn't have a snobbish bone in her body. Years ago I read an article that (pre-stroke and while living in London) she realized she was going to be late to a friend's wedding, her ride hadn't turned up etc. So she literally waved down whoever was willing to stop and drive her to the church! Some nice truck driver stopped and couldn't believe he was face to face with the famous, beautiful Ava Gardner (remember, she was dressed-up to go a wedding so she really looked like what people expected "Ava Gardner" to look like). She was so grateful and down-to-earth friendly at his kindness that she offered an invite (at his convenience) to her place for a drink, which he gladly accepted. I may've written this already in her thread, I'm too lazy to search - so forgive me if I'm repeating myself.

Nah, no one can beat Hyacinth although it would be fun to watch her grinding them down to nothing though lol.

I can't say I'm a huge fan of Ava's but I have watched a couple of documentaries on her. She definitely seemed like one of the more 'take me as I am' stars back then opposed to those who would dress up to the nines just to take bins out.

[Mansfield67]

My Mum is British from Ealing and all of my family are still there. but they are a down to earth lot. I have always been closer to them then my Dad's family, now they are snobs, pious Catholic snobs! LOL. I have no relationship with them anymore. Speaking of AYBS and Miss Brahms there was an episode where they all came back from vacation and she had taken elocution lessons and spoke with a high tone accent "I must say I don't sound half common". Still funny today. As for Ava she was an "earthy broad" as they would say. She didn't conform to what the studios wanted and was not going to back down. I would not want to have messed with her!