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Ava Lavinia Gardner (December 24, 1922 - January 25, 1990) was an American actress. She first signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1941 and appeared mainly in small roles until she drew critics' attention in 1946 with her performance in Robert Siodmak's film noir The Killers. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in John Ford's Mogambo (1953), and for best actress for both a Golden Globe Award and BAFTA Award for her performance in John Huston's The Night of the Iguana (1964). She was a part of the Golden Age of Hollywood. During the 1950s, Gardner established herself as a leading lady and one of the era's top stars with films like Show Boat, Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (both 1951). After two ended marriages, Gardner married singer and actor Frank Sinatra. She later said in her autobiography that he was the love of her life. Sinatra left his wife Nancy for Gardner, and their subsequent marriage made headlines, but the Gardner-Sinatra marriage was tumultuous. She became pregnant twice, but aborted both pregnancies. Following their divorce in 1957, Gardner and Sinatra remained good friends for the rest of her life. Gardner continued to act regularly until 1986, when a pneumonia, after a lifetime of smoking, coupled with her underlying condition of lupus erythematosus brought on a stroke that left her partially paralyzed. She died in January 1990, at the age of 67. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Gardner No. 25 on their greatest female screen legends of classic American cinema list.
