—Ava Gardner—-was a heavy smoker. Probably 2 packs a day for years.
Frank left his wife of 15+ years for Ava. They married in 1951. Fought hammer and tong. Their passion boiled over into jealous fights.
Ava and Frank……..Separated…… Reconciled…….Divorced in 1957.
Ava was a pistol. She moved to Spain. Had torrid affairs with matadors. Loved La Corrida. A life of drinking, smoking, partying and bull fights.
Franco wanted to kick her out of ultra-conservative Spain. But, Ava was good for tourism. He tolerated her wanton ways.
She developed emphysema. She moved to London. Story is Frank paid her expenses. She was dead broke from years of the high life.
Her looks were gone. Her career moribund. Worked sporadically. In 1986, she pulled a stroke. She remained close to Sinatra who called her hospital
room every day and helped with the medical bills. Ava died from pneumonia in 1990 at age 67. Ava burnt her candle from top to bottom.
She called Sinatra “The Love Of Her Life”. These 2 couldn’t live together or apart. Frank paid the funeral expenses including shipping her body back
to North Carolina from England where she is buried next to her parents.
They were fun. Frank and Ava were the life of the party. Together & separately. They don’t make ‘em like Frank and Ava anymore.
Frank and Ava were meant for each other. Two of a kind. A pair of aces.