Pacifically Dreaming of Ava

[klondike]

Watching The Little Hut . . .
Whoahhhhh -
All I can say is, were I David Niven's character, stranded on a tropical isle with tachycardia-inducing Ms. Gardner, and a stuffed Brit pimento like Stu Granger, I'd arrange a crucial but highly perilous "hunting trip" on about the third day.
And then I'd return on the 5th day, carrying his shattered body, and blubber grievously about how he was so brave to climb that treacherous cliff after those guillemot eggs . .
No insensitive brute, I would allow her a week's mourning, before I started serenading her with my spiffy new tortoise-shell ukulele . .
After all, we're talkin' Venus here, and surely, just one touch would never do . .

[jdb1]

You know Klonny, maybe I should put this post on the "I Wish I Could Get" thread - I just don't get all the hoohah about Ms. Gardner's looks. I think she's rather odd-looking. Her face makes me think of some small and not exotic animal that I can't quite place. A badger, maybe?

Although I like her as an actress, I just don't think she's the hottest thing since griddle cakes. I find it hard to watch some of her movies (like the one in question) because the camera keeps zooming in for closeups of her weird face with its not-quite-human eyes.

Perhaps all the publicity about her wanton ways made people see something onscreen that wasn't there. Or, maybe she was better-looking in person.

I have the same lack of enthusiasm for David Niven's looks (although he does have very nice legs). Stewart Granger's looks can keep me interested, though.

[Ollie]

Ava's always been a dreamy beauty to me. If Women have dreamed of Changing Men, then I suspect my Ava Dream would have been "taming". I also loved her aging, as I do with Bacall's, Myrna Loy's and quite a few others.

[jdb1]

Well, gentlemen, chacun á son goût and all that.

I find Peter Lorre attractive in a bizarre sort of way (I think he looks like a mischievous lemur), so who am I to talk?

[charliechaplinfan]

Judith you make me laugh, I can understand, Peter Lorre's looks are unusual.

I think Ava Gardner was a stunning looking woman.

The one I don't get is Elizabeth Taylor, Ava was far more attractive.

[feaito]

Judith you make me laugh, I can understand, Peter Lorre's looks are unusual.

I think Ava Gardner was a stunning looking woman.

The one I don't get is Elizabeth Taylor, Ava was far more attractive.

Ava Gardner (IMO) was one of the most alluring, sexy beauties of all time. She looked like a female animal....a panther. She had a beautiful body, a beautiful face and a flawless bone-face structure.

Liz Taylor, when young (Pre-1960s) was very pretty, she had flawless face features. On the other hand, her figure could not compare with Ava's.

Dark-haired beauties are my weakness: Hedy Lamarr, Gene Tierney, Linda Darnell, Vivien Leigh, Ava Gardner and Liz Taylor. Although there are exceptionally good looking, gorgeous fair-haired beauties like Grace Kelly and Virginia Grey and those awesome redheads, Deborah Kerr and Maureen O'Hara.

[jdb1]

I see a difference in type among Gardner and most of the others you mention: Gardner had an angled, closed up, feral kind of face (not necessarily a bad thing - I'm just trying to characterize her facial type, since her fans like to think of her as "wild"), whereas most of the others you list, who are more to my liking, have open, large-eyed, full-lipped faces (cf. my avatar of Ina Balin). Also, I'm not a great big fan of the cleft chin. Of the stars you mention, I think Vivien Leigh may be closest in facial type to Ava Gardner, but I like Leigh's looks much better.

Just a matter of personal preference.

[charliechaplinfan]

Vivien Leigh was beautiful but in a more delicate way. I'd describe her as feline looking.

Judith I was laughing at your fondness for Peter Lorre but I see a certain something in the younger James Cagney.

[Ayres]

I've always thought Ava gorgeous, especially singing "Can't Help Lovin' That Man" from Show Boat. (And I know that's not her singing, but she didn't do at all badly in her preserved attempts, and her lip synching was fine.)

But for perfect beauty of face and body: Cyd Charisse. If I were a man... well, I guess I'd be a leg man!

[charliechaplinfan]

I'll second you there Ayres

[The Ingenue]

I find it hard to watch some of her movies (like the one in question) because the camera keeps zooming in for closeups of her weird face with its not-quite-human eyes.

Ava's face strikes me as strange-looking sometimes too. But to me is has a beauty like something "in the raw" (if that makes sense), like those uncut diamonds in King Solomon's Mines (1950), which have a beauty less usual and therefore quite interesting.

[feaito]

Hi CarrieLiz!!

Welcome to these Boards. Remember me from the TCM site where we had some nice chats? If I recall well you used there the nick filmfashions. It's great to see you again!!

[The Ingenue]

Hello feaito!

I'm so happy to talk with you again! Yes, I did once go by filmfashions345 on the TCM boards. It's nice of you to remember me.

Hmmm... That post of mine about Ava made sense to me last night. Now I'm beginning to wonder...

[feaito]

BTW, I've been remembering you quite frequently these last years, because I've had seen for the first time some movie of lovely Frances Dee; ie: "The Gay Deception" (1935), "So Ends Our Night" (1941), etc. I also bought the Lubitsch Set and I hope to see more clearly her face as the telephone operator in "Monte Carlo" (1930). I couldn't see her very well when I tried to identify her in the murky copy I got of "Follow Thru" (1930).

[The Ingenue]

I'm glad you've had the opportunity to see The Gay Deception and So Ends Our Night, feaito. Those are two of my favorites of Frances' films and, I think, two of her best.

Please do write about Frances' appearance in Monte Carlo when you see it. I've often wondered about the movie but have not yet been able to afford it.

Also, I hope you will visit my new Frances Dee web site: http://www.francesdeemccrea.com.