Ava Gardner Arrives in Hollywood
I was recently treated to a screening of “Pandora and the Flying Dutchman” and it reminded me why Ava Gardner is widely considered to be one of the most beautiful and memorable actresses of Hollywood’s golden age. Cinematographer Jack Cardiff brings her beauty out in stunning technicolor, and her acting in the film, and the film itself is charming.
I’ve always been a fan of Ava and the way she lived her life on her own terms even in an age when the studio sought to control every aspect of a star’s existence. Her three husbands were some of the most famous men of the era: Mickey Rooney, Artie Shaw, and Frank Sinatra. Beginning with “The Killers” she began to make an impression on Hollywood and her career began its meteoric rise, culminating in an Academy Award nomination for “Mogambo.”
The photograph that set Ava on the path to fame.
Ava was discovered from this portrait in the window of a New York photography studio, and a smitten MGM scout made a test of her. Her North Carolina accent created a bit of concern, and it was decided that a silent version of the test be sent to MGM. Ava was signed, and came to Hollywood in 1941 accompanied by her older sister, affectionately known as “Bappie.”
She was given the “New Discovery” build-up by the studio during her first week in Hollywood, complete with a suite at the Plaza Hotel at the intersection of Hollywood and Vine. However, after her promotional week was up, Ava’s $50 per week starlet contract kicked in. This hardly covered expenses at the Plaza, and so Ava and Bappie packed up and moved to the more practical Wilcox Hotel.
Both the Plaza and the Wilcox Hotel still exist in modern day Hollywood. The Plaza sign is still a part of the Hollywood skyline, and is now a senior housing facility. The Wilcox Hotel recently underwent a renovation and is now a hotel, “Mama Shelter,” with a rooftop featuring some of the best views of Hollywood in the city. You can also spot both locations in the Hollywood in Miniature Diorama, featured on the Old Hollywood Walking Tour.
The Wilcox Hotel, Ava Gardner’s first Hollywood Home. Image via www.historicconsultants.com
