The Best Ava Gardner Movies
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1Richard Burton, Ava Gardner, Deborah KerrLusty defrocked minister Lawrence Shannon (Richard Burton) is a tour guide in Mexico. Leading a tourist group from a Baptist women's college, he finds it difficult to avoid acting on his attraction to Charlotte (Sue Lyon), the young niece of the group's leader, Judith Fellowes (Grayson Hall). When Fellowes swears to ruin him, Shannon strands the bus at a hotel to seek advice from the manager, an old friend. Over the course of one night, the alcoholic Shannon spirals out of control.More The Night of the Iguana
- #63 of 66 onThe Best Cinco De Mayo Movies
- #24 of 46 onThe 45+ Best Movies of 1964
- #3 of 89 onThe 85+ Best Movies About Mexico
2Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Fred AstaireAfter World War III, Australia is the only remaining haven for mankind. However, wind currents carrying lingering radiation all but condemn those on the continent to the same fate suffered by the rest of the world. When the survivors receive a strange signal from San Diego, Cmdr. Dwight Towers (Gregory Peck) must undertake a mission with Lt. Peter Holmes (Anthony Perkins) to see if there is hope for humanity -- leaving behind Moira (Ava Gardner) and Mary (Donna Anderson), the women they love.More On the Beach- #95 of 138 onThe 100+ Best Disaster Movies Of All Time
- #21 of 37 onThe Best Beach Movies Ever Made, Ranked
- #8 of 20 onThe Best Movies About The Atomic Bomb
3Clark Gable, Ava Gardner, Grace KellyVictor Marswell (Clark Gable) is a big-game hunter in Kenya. After Eloise Kelly (Ava Gardner) is stood up by a friend there, she falls in with Marswell. Shortly thereafter, the Nordleys (Grace Kelly, Donald Sinden) arrive for a gorilla safari. Mrs. Nordley, disillusioned with her husband, takes a liking to Marswell, and the two have a brief affair. Kelly grows jealous, and the two women engage in a battle of wills over the hunter, while Mr. Nordley remains oblivious to it all.
4James Mason, Ava Gardner, Nigel PatrickFishermen in 1930s Spain find the bodies of a 17th-century Dutch sea captain (James Mason) and a woman (Ava Gardner) willing to die for him.
5Humphrey Bogart, Ava Gardner, Edmond O'BrienWashed-up film director Harry Dawes (Humphrey Bogart) gets a second chance at stardom when he discovers stunning peasant Maria Vargas (Ava Gardner) dancing in a nightclub in Madrid, Spain. Goaded by his producer, strong-arming Wall Street financier Kirk Edwards (Warren Stevens), Harry convinces her to screen test for, and then star in, his next big picture. But as Edwards' possessive nature and the realities of stardom weigh on Maria, she seeks a genuine lover with whom she can escape.- 6Kirk Douglas, Ava Gardner, Burt LancasterSeven Days in May is a 1964 drama-romance film written by Fletcher Knebel, Charles W. Bailey II and Rod Serling and directed by John Frankenheimer.
7Gregory Peck, Susan Hayward, Ava GardnerThe life of celebrated American writer Harry Street (Gregory Peck) flashes back before his eyes as he lies dying from a wound suffered at the foot of Tanzania's Mount Kilimanjaro. As he is tended to by his traveling companion, Helen (Susan Hayward), he recalls many things: his first wife and Paris literary inspiration, Cynthia Green (Ava Gardner) ; his second wife, Countess Liz (Hildegarde Neff) ; and his formative years with uncle Bill (Leo G. Carroll).
8Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Melvyn DouglasWhen accomplished novelist Fedja (Gregory Peck) becomes enamored of the stunningly beautiful and mysterious Pauline (Ava Gardner) on a train to Paris, he abandons his plans and instead goes with her to a German casino. Fascinated by the people he meets there and wanting to remain near Pauline, he decides to study the gamblers as research for his next book. Pauline, however, is a consummate gambler herself, and her addiction slowly pulls Fedja into a world of corruption and lost luck.
9Burt Lancaster, Ava Gardner, Edmond O'BrienTwo hit men walk into a diner asking for a man called "the Swede" (Burt Lancaster). When the killers find the Swede, he's expecting them and doesn't put up a fight. Since the Swede had a life insurance policy, an investigator (Edmond O'Brien), on a hunch, decides to look into the murder. As the Swede's past is laid bare, it comes to light that he was in love with a beautiful woman (Ava Gardner) who may have lured him into pulling off a bank robbery overseen by another man (Albert Dekker).
10Barbara Stanwyck, James Mason, Ava GardnerWealthy New York City investment broker Brandon Bourne is a compulsive philanderer, much to the consternation of his wife, Jessie (Barbara Stanwyck). When Brandon reignites an affair with his old mistress, Isabel (Ava Gardner), Jessie seeks consolation with Mark Dwyer (Van Heflin), a policeman turned journalist. Then Isabel is found dead, and both Brandon and Jessie are suspected of the murder. Along with his former colleague Lt. Jacobi (William Conrad), Mark tries to solve the case.
11Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, Ava GardnerWhen it comes to music on the Mississippi river, the Cotton Blossom show boat is the place to go. When musical main attraction Julie Laverne (Ava Gardner) and her husband are suddenly forced to leave the show, Cotton Blossom owner Andy Hawks' (Joe E. Brown) own daughter, Magnolia (Kathryn Grayson), takes center stage. She soon falls madly in love with roguish gambler Gaylord Ravenal (Howard Keel), and the two leave the Cotton Blossom on a honeymoon -- only to enter into a tumultuous marriage.
12Tyrone Power, Ava Gardner, Errol FlynnJake Barnes (Tyrone Power), a journalist from the United States, comes out of World War I injured and disillusioned. Rather than return home, he chooses to leave his past behind and move to Paris, where he meets an aimless group of bohemian expatriates. His new friends include the seductive Brett Ashley (Ava Gardner) and her lover, the reckless alcoholic Mike Campbell (Errol Flynn). Together, they pursue a hedonistic, directionless lifestyle until Brett's affection for Jake complicates matters.
13Ava Gardner, Eve Arden, Sara AllgoodOne Touch of Venus is a 1948 black-and-white American romantic musical comedy film directed by William A. Seiter, starring Robert Walker and Ava Gardner, released by Universal-International, and based on the Broadway musical of the same name, book written by S. J. Perelman and Ogden Nash, with music composed by Kurt Weill. However, the film omits most of Weill's music. The actors did their own singing, except for Ava Gardner whose singing was dubbed by Eileen Wilson. In 1945, Mary Pickford announced that she would produce a film version of this musical with the Broadway cast, including Mary Martin, filmed in Technicolor, directed by Gregory La Cava, and released by United Artists. However, Martin got pregnant and Pickford sold the rights to Lester Cowan at Universal in August 1947. Ann Ronell, Cowan's wife, wrote the additional music that replaced much of Weill's material. This movie is the inspiration for the 1987 film Mannequin.
14Robert Taylor, Ava Gardner, Charles LaughtonFederal agent Rigby (Robert Taylor) travels to a Central American island to investigate stolen war surplus. Suspicion falls on veteran Tugwell Hintten (John Hodiak) and his alluring singer wife, Elizabeth (Ava Gardner). But Rigby's situation gets more complicated when he starts an affair with Elizabeth. The brains of the scam -- J.J. Bealer (Charles Laughton) and Carwood (Vincent Price) -- offer the lawman a bribe. When he refuses it, both lovers' lives are jeopardized.
15Ava Gardner, Stewart Granger, Bill TraversVictoria Jones (Ava Gardner) is a half-Indian, half-British woman living in India on the verge of its independence. She is torn between her Indian and her British heritage, just as she is torn between two men. One, Patrick Taylor (Bill Travers), is her childhood sweetheart and fellow Anglo-Indian, while the other is Col. Rodney Savage (Stewart Granger), a British officer assigned to stop demonstrators from preventing the trains from departing the local station on time.
16Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, David NivenThis historical epic dramatizes the Battle of Peking, a turning point of the Boxer Rebellion in China in 1900. When Dowager Empress Tzu-Hsi (Flora Robson) orders the Boxers, a group of Chinese secret societies, to massacre foreigners within China, a group of ambassadors, their families and staff hole up in a diplomatic compound. Major Matt Lewis of the United States Marine Corps (Charlton Heston) leads the defense while romancing Russian baroness Natalie Ivanoff (Ava Gardner).More 55 Days at Peking- #128 of 163 onThe Best Political Films Of All Time
- #23 of 59 onThe 55+ Best Movies of 1963
- #18 of 28 onThe Best Charlton Heston Movies
17Robert Taylor, Ava Gardner, Mel FerrerMedieval tales of love and war as the gallant Sir Lancelot rides into battle beside King Arthur while harboring a secret love for his Queen. After successfully defending his beloved country, Arthur rewards his loyal soldier Lancelot by making him Queen Guinevere's champion, but Lancelot's happiness is shattered when Sir Mordred informs the King of his wife's clandestine relationship.- #79 of 198 onThe Best Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Movies List
- #68 of 119 onThe 100+ Best Medieval Movies
- #7 of 17 onThe Best King Arthur Movies
18Ava Gardner, Ian McShane, Stephanie BeachamTam-Lin, also known as The Ballad of Tam-Lin, The Devil's Widow and The Devil's Woman, is a 1970 British film made by Commonwealth United Entertainment, Winkast Film Productions Ltd. and distributed by American International Pictures. It was directed by Roddy McDowall and produced by Alan Ladd, Jr. and Stanley Mann, from a screenplay by William Spier based on the traditional Scottish poem The Ballad of Tam Lin. The film had original music by Stanley Myers and was photographed by Billy Williams. It was the only film directed by McDowall. The film stars Ava Gardner and Ian McShane with Richard Wattis, Cyril Cusack, Stephanie Beacham, Sinéad Cusack and Joanna Lumley. A newer release of this film re-cut the film to be closer to Roddy McDowall's intention. McDowall's direction of this film precluded him from reprising his role as Cornelius in Beneath the Planet of the Apes, the only one of the original five Planet of the Apes films from which he is absent.
19Peter O'Toole, Ava Gardner, Richard HarrisThe Bible: In the Beginning... is a 1966 American-Italian religious epic film produced by Dino De Laurentiis and directed by John Huston. It recounts the first 22 chapters of the biblical Book of Genesis, covering the stories from Adam and Eve to the binding of Isaac. Released by 20th Century Fox, the film was photographed by Giuseppe Rotunno in Dimension 150, a variant of the 70mm Todd-AO format. It stars Michael Parks as Adam, Ulla Bergryd as Eve, Richard Harris as Cain, John Huston as Noah, Stephen Boyd as Nimrod, George C. Scott as Abraham, Ava Gardner as Sarah, and Peter O'Toole as the Three Angels. In 1967, the film's score by Toshiro Mayuzumi was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score. The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures included the film in its "Top Ten Films" list of 1966. De Laurentiis and Huston won David di Donatello Awards for Best Producer and Best Foreign Director, respectively.
20Ava Gardner, Dirk Bogarde, Joseph CottenArturo (Dirk Bogarde), a priest on the run from the Loyalists during the Spanish Civil War, meets up with cabaret dancer Soledad (Ava Gardner), who hides him in her apartment. Already struggling with his faith, Arturo falls in love with Soledad and contemplates leaving the priesthood. However, when an important religious relic is lost, Arturo decides to find and guard the heirloom. Soledad must decide whether or not to side with Arturo, even though he may return to the religious life.
21Sophia Loren, Richard Harris, Ava GardnerTerrorists have planted a deadly virus on a transcontinental train. On board are the glamorous Jennifer Chamberlain (Sophia Loren) and her ex-husband, Dr. Jonathan Chamberlain (Richard Harris), as well as Nicole Dressler (Ava Gardner) and her young lover, Robby (Martin Sheen). They can't get off, and one solution proposed is to quarantine them by rerouting the train over the Cassandra Crossing -- an unstable bridge. Dr. Chamberlain wants to save them, but has to battle the terrorists first.
22Robert Mitchum, Ava Gardner, Melvyn DouglasWhen Barbara Beaurevel (Ava Gardner) inherits a large amount of money from her grandmother, the community is curious about its suspicious origins. But Barbara is focused on her love for Mark Lucas (Robert Mitchum), a local doctor who also happens to be married. She bribes her cousin Paul (Melvyn Douglas) to romance Corinne (Janis Carter), Mark's wife, to free up the doctor's affections. The plan works at first, but a fatal altercation sets the stage for a revealing courtroom finale.
23Robert Taylor, Ava Gardner, Howard KeelAfter the Civil War, King Cameron (Howard Keel) moves to Texas, purchases a cattle ranch and settles down with his wife, Cordelia (Ava Gardner). They find themselves at the mercy of Jose Esqueda (Anthony Quinn), a local bandit who has terrorized the town with his adoptive brother, Rio (Robert Taylor). Rio is kidnapped when he tries to mount an attack on the ranch and agrees to work for Cameron so he can be close to Cordelia. Though he's incensed at Rio's betrayal, Jose vows to get him back.
24Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, George KennedyWhen a major earthquake hits Los Angeles, the various residents of the city cope with the chaos and destruction. Successful architect Stewart Graff (Charlton Heston) argues with his demanding wife, Remy Royce-Graff (Ava Gardner), as the disaster hits. Later, when he checks in on his flirtatious friend Denise Marshall (Geneviève Bujold), they begin an affair. As the personal dramas continue, the city is threatened by aftershocks and possibly even greater quakes.
25Ava Gardner, Stewart Granger, David NivenThe lovely Susan (Ava Gardner) dates Henry (David Niven), but before any serious romance develops, Susan quits him and gets hitched to his close friend, the ambitious Philip (Stewart Granger). The trio then embark on a lavish boat trip. But after running into treacherous weather, they become stranded on an island. Oddly, even in this exotic locale, Philip's attention turns to his finances. An annoyed Susan tries to rouse her husband's interest by letting romantic sparks fly with Henry.
26Paul Newman, Victoria Principal, Anthony PerkinsSaved from near death by a young Mexican girl, a former outlaw sets himself up as sole arbiter of the law in a small town. The town prospers as Judge Bean robs and hangs anyone with money that comes through it, but his haven becomes less secure when his Mexican companion dies and the townsfolk begin to turn against him.
27Clark Gable, Deborah Kerr, Sydney GreenstreetEager to reestablish his advertising career after the war, Vic Norman (Clark Gable) convinces an executive (Adolphe Menjou) that he can secure the challenging Evans Beauty Soap account. Despite the grating eccentricity of the company head (Sydney Greenstreet) Vic pitches a campaign that includes war widow Kay Dorrance (Deborah Kerr) and tells her the ad will be aboveboard. Falling for the proper Kay, however, Vic grows uncomfortable with the increasingly slick shenanigans necessary to succeed.
28Omar Sharif, Catherine Deneuve, Ava GardnerMayerling is a 1968 romantic tragedy film starring Omar Sharif, Catherine Deneuve, James Mason, Ava Gardner, Geneviève Page, James Robertson Justice and Andréa Parisy. It was written and directed by Terence Young. The film was made by Les Films Corona and Winchester and distributed by MGM. It was based on the novels Mayerling by Claude Anet and L'Archiduc by Michel Arnold and the 1936 film Mayerling, directed by Anatole Litvak, which dealt with the real-life Mayerling Incident. Although not completely historically accurate, the movie was well received, in part because of its lavish sets and costumes.
29The Long Hot Summer
Ava Gardner, Don JohnsonA Mississippi patriarch pays a dangerous drifter to court his daughter.
30Clark Gable, Ava Gardner, Broderick CrawfordIn the early 1840s, cattle baron Devereaux Burke (Clark Gable) is tasked by President Andrew Jackson (Lionel Barrymore) with an important diplomatic mission. Devereaux must convince soldier Sam Houston (Moroni Olsen) to help bring about the addition of Texas to the union. Along the way, Devereaux battles a pair of senators (Broderick Crawford, Ed Begley) who would rather create their own republic, and locks horns with a feisty newspaper reporter, Martha Ronda (Ava Gardner).
