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Ava Gardner: The Secret Conversations
by
The wickedly candid New York Times bestesller that Ava Gardner dared not publish during her lifetime - the heartbreaking memoir of the ultimate heartbreaker - (Philadelphia Inquirer).
Ava Gardner was one of Hollywood's biggest and brightest stars during the 1940s and '50s, an Oscar-nominated leading lady who co-starred with Clark Gable, Burt Lancaster, and Humphrey Bogart, ...more
Ava Gardner was one of Hollywood's biggest and brightest stars during the 1940s and '50s, an Oscar-nominated leading lady who co-starred with Clark Gable, Burt Lancaster, and Humphrey Bogart, ...more
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Hardcover, 304 pages
Published
July 2nd 2013
by Simon Schuster
(first published January 1st 2013)
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Start your review of Ava Gardner: The Secret Conversations
When I was about 18 or 19 I had the (perhaps not-too-well-thought-out)idea of taking the train up to London and walking through Kensington Gardens in the hope of catching a glimpse of Ava Gardner as she walked her corgi, Morgan. Being rather shy at the time I would have been too nervous even to say hello, whatever I thought her reaction might have been. I was just a fan, who couldn't believe that she only lived 35 miles away from my home in Kent. Of course I didn't do it, but it did become a bit
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This is not your ordinary, straight-up Hollywood star bio. Rather, it’s an account of the making of a Hollywood star bio...or at least the attempted making of one, for it was never completed. All that remains of Peter Evan’s efforts to write a candid biography of Ava Gardner are the transcripts of his taped mid-1980s conversations with her. It’s this source material that forms the backbone of “The Secret Conversations.”
The conversations between Gardner and Evans, while containing lots of graphic ...more
The conversations between Gardner and Evans, while containing lots of graphic ...more
AVA GARDNER : THE SECRET CONVERSATIONS
Peter Evans
If you are a fan of the golden age of movies and the fascinating personalities of the era, this will not appear as new material. Mr. Evans conversations with The Most Beautiful Animal in the world are very repetitive, and there are whole chapters of her life he didn't even touch on. Ava Gardner was her own woman and lived a life most of us can only imagine. Yes, she cursed, yes, she spoke her mind and yes she was a sex symbol who lived it to the h ...more
Peter Evans
If you are a fan of the golden age of movies and the fascinating personalities of the era, this will not appear as new material. Mr. Evans conversations with The Most Beautiful Animal in the world are very repetitive, and there are whole chapters of her life he didn't even touch on. Ava Gardner was her own woman and lived a life most of us can only imagine. Yes, she cursed, yes, she spoke her mind and yes she was a sex symbol who lived it to the h ...more
Back in the late 1980s, Ava hired a ghostwriter and spilled the dirt on Mickey Rooney, Lana Turner, Frank Sinatra, Howard Hughes, and more. But by the end, she got cold feet and called it off. In 2013, her story finally made its way into the world, and, boy, is it juicy.
I think too many people are disappointed by this book, because they were expecting it to be something that nobody ever claimed it was. This is not an Ava Gardner autobiography. Neither is it a biography or a tell-all book. It IS a brief glimpse of the real Ava - HER actual words, her personality at that time of her life, insecurities, fears, etc. Through Peter Evans, all of us who will never have the pleasure of meeting her or spending time with her get to do so vicariously through the author. Y
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I really loved this book! As a long time fan of classic movies, reading about film stars from way back when is a lot of fun for me. Sometimes I come across memoirs that are bland, self-righteous, and basically a huge disappointment but Ava Gardner: The Secret Conversations delivered. Ava Gardner is down-to-earth, humorous, outspoken, and bawdy. She is very open throughout the entire book and tells all the juicy stories about her marriages, affairs, and movies that I as a fan wanted to hear--what
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I read this after finishing The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, because the author said if Evelyn was based on any real-life actress, it was Ava Gardner. (Ava only had three husbands, though.)
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I think it's hard to find a better opening line to a chapter than: "The size of Frank Sinatra's penis had been on my mind for weeks."
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... not enough to be in love . . .
- Suzanne Vega, Frank and Ava, Beauty and Crime.
Ava Gardner's legend and story is not advanced or degraded with this book. A collection of transcriptions and anecdotal telling of conversations between author Peter Evans and AG about two years prior to Garner's death this book doesn't go anywhere. Part of the reason is that Evans was hired to 'ghost' her memoirs and then she pulled the plug. AG went on to write another memoir prior to her death that was publish ...more
The highlight of actor Ben Gazzara's memoir was his mention that no woman ever drove men crazy like Ava Gardner. 3 marriages to Mickey Rooney (at the height of his popularity, so she was effectively hidden from his female fans), bandleader Artie Shaw, and of course Frank Sinatra (who was at the low point of his career and relied on Ava financially). Also linked to Howard Hughes, George C Scott (brutal when drunk), bullfighters, etc. The influence of MGM studio head Louis B Mayer cannot be overst
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Conversation. Evans. "Please say something salacious, Ava". Ava " ok but then again maybe I don't want this book." Evans " but my publisher wants details". Ava. " forget it". Book published after death of Ava and Evans both. Of the two, Ava, in her choice to reject the work Evans did was the classiest.
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I have recently finished Ava Gardner: The Secret Conversations which I thought was going to be a biography but it was more about the construction of the book – mostly focusing on the interplay between the subject and the writer. There is way too much Peter Evans in this book –not enough Ava.
The book covers a series of interviews that Ava did in the late 1980s in preparation for a ghostwritten biography. An epilogue at the end tells the reader that that Evans’ biography of Ava was never finished; ...more
The book covers a series of interviews that Ava did in the late 1980s in preparation for a ghostwritten biography. An epilogue at the end tells the reader that that Evans’ biography of Ava was never finished; ...more
A fascinating but incomplete account of Ava Gardner's life. The author attempted to ghost write Ava's autobiography in the final years of her life. This book is as much his story of trying to get a coherent history out of her as it is her story of coming to Hollywood. Her story ends here with Frank Sinatra, who probably interfered with her continuation with the author, who she discovered has once been sued in the 50s by Sinatra for libel. But even before Sinatra probably paid her off, she was ti
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wild. i knew very little about ava befor this book and i loved it. honest and a little bitter and rough and entertaining. didnt know the story behind the book until the end. i liked it that way. i talked so much shit about mickey rooney during the read. found robert mitchum hotter too.
In the 1940's and 1950's Ava Gardner was the epitome of Hollywood glamour. Volatile marriages to Mickey Rooney, Artie Shaw and Frank Sinatra kept her in the gossip columns and there have been many books written about her life.
This was an interesting take on a biography. Not so much a traditional memoir as it is the story of the relationship between the author and the actress trying to write it down. It's not real heavy on gossip so those looking for juicy tidbits may be a bit disappointed but it ...more
A very good book regarding Ava Gardner and her life in and around Hollyweird. I didn't know too much about her because she was " before my time " other than the fact that she was a major star in Hollywood. People, like me think that all or most celebrities i.e. - movie stars, musicians, artists, sport players et al live glamorous and successful lives but for the most part this ain't true. A lot of them live depressing lives once their star begins to fade, when their career is at it's apex and go
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Although I'm a big Ava Gardner fan, this collaboration of data is really not one of my favorites to say the least.
This is not a complete story of Ava Gardner's life - I mean, so much information is missing that it is pitiful! I think it will be obvious to the reader that there are partial stories told here in the pages of this book, and also that there are stories that are started, maybe one or two lines, that are never completed, and I wondered why they were even included in the final manuscrip ...more
This is not a complete story of Ava Gardner's life - I mean, so much information is missing that it is pitiful! I think it will be obvious to the reader that there are partial stories told here in the pages of this book, and also that there are stories that are started, maybe one or two lines, that are never completed, and I wondered why they were even included in the final manuscrip ...more
I'd been looking forward to reading this since publication but was greatly disappointed - very poorly written as pretty much a transcript of some late night rambling conversations with scant information, let alone the salacious gossip I was hoping for. The book centres around the single question of whether Ava will allow Peter access to her memories and then to publish them - the answer to both of which we know and is not remotely interesting as a narrative. The best anecdote had to be stolen fr
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worth a read. Ava was beautiful, tempestuous and lonely. The only other person who has ever struck me as this insecure and unfulfilled with her life was Marilyn. Sad read, but ultimately, an informative and lively documentation of the parts of her life we never really knew.
Pictures at the end of the book (kindle) were a pleasant surprise. Glamour and celebrity--come with a price.
Would like to see her movies.
Would like to see her movies.
Added 10/14/13.
I listened to this book in August or September, 2013.
It's a juicy autobiography of the actress, Ava Gardner. Compelling! ...more
I listened to this book in August or September, 2013.
It's a juicy autobiography of the actress, Ava Gardner. Compelling! ...more
Published after both subject and author were, as she had often phrased it, "pushing clouds around," this emotionally vivid book recaptures honest conversations with Ava Gardner about her early life, family, and career; her passionate, difficult relationships with men; and the difficulties of being part of a studio system that placed image above everything else, even personal happiness. For anyone who remembers the stunning Ava Gardner, and for even those who don't, this book will touch your hear
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This entertainingly candid portrait of Ava Gardner through her conversations with her one-time biographer Peter Evans suffers only from the circumstances that led to the initial book's abrupt termination. Incredibly readable, it left me wanting more and may have benefited from more context, picking up on Ava's life after her project with Peter ended... though the material included is still a very worthy read.
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Dec 29, 2020
Liza
added it
So fascinating to hear about Ava Gardner, I knew practically nothing, so it was super exciting. I've always been curious about that time period and it was great to hear it from a perspective like hers.
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Published after her and the author’s death, half finished without either of their permission...I kind of feel this book it a bit disrespectful to everyone involved. It’s also very repetitive. Meh.
I always have found old Hollywood fascinating and classic. But I was aware that behind the dreamy black and white pictures and dance numbers and songs that their were probably sad and intense stories to tell. This is such a unique book, Peter Evans had such a fire hose of crazy stories from Ava through phone calls and meetings where he just listened to her go off on discombobulated stories. I found it incredibly sad to read, as well as entertaining. Her phone calls to Peter toward the end about
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Though Ava's back and forth was tiring at times, it definitely brought the legend of Ava to life. It was interesting to read about her life and I found myself laughing at loud of several of her comments to Peter Evans. Overall, this is a great book, not really a completed biography, but rather the retelling of authoring an almost-biography that paints a bright picture of who Ava was.
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The Epilogue to this book should have been an Introduction or Prologue. It explains why the book is presented as it is. Of course, putting the information at the end does add a sort of "shock value" so loved by the UK's sensationalist arm of the press, but does the text a great disservice.
Why? Because without the information in the Epilogue, it doesn't seem like a real "ghostwritten" autobiography at all. A ghost writer by definition is not apparent in the text, but lends the necessary skills to ...more
Why? Because without the information in the Epilogue, it doesn't seem like a real "ghostwritten" autobiography at all. A ghost writer by definition is not apparent in the text, but lends the necessary skills to ...more
"Grabtown Girl" - lil boogie's diary - April 18, 2006.
On my way to South Carolina I stop in Smithfield, N.C. to go to the Ava Gardner museum. I pull Grannie Mae's pearls out of my bag to infuse the moment with requisite glamour, but I drank too much Diet Coke and pulled through on the one-hitter too many times on the way and my hands shake. I am standing in front of this ghost theatre on a DOA Main Street USA and the miniature octogenarian museum patron ogles me through the window. I can tell sh ...more
On my way to South Carolina I stop in Smithfield, N.C. to go to the Ava Gardner museum. I pull Grannie Mae's pearls out of my bag to infuse the moment with requisite glamour, but I drank too much Diet Coke and pulled through on the one-hitter too many times on the way and my hands shake. I am standing in front of this ghost theatre on a DOA Main Street USA and the miniature octogenarian museum patron ogles me through the window. I can tell sh ...more
This is fun. And I had stressful things happening, so I needed something light. This did kind of read like a stack of People magazines, lots of gossip about Ava and her husbands, Mickey Rooney ("Andy Hard-On"), Artie Shaw (a "sadistic bastard"), and of course, Frank Sinatra (about whom Ava might have said something like, "Frank's only 120 pounds, but 110 pounds of it is c**k.") Ava was a mouthy, impetuous broad with a forthright enjoyment of sex that was refreshing to read about, but I felt kind
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