I would have loved to look at all the clothes they have there that she's worn in her films. I'm glad she's buried where she was born, with her family, i know she lived in London towards the end of her life. I love the fact that she had spark to her and enjoyed a drink. It's a shame she's not around anymore, there's not much, if any, footage of televised interviews that she has done. I loved reading her biography, it's good she told it from her point of view she must have had a great life :)
I regret that I was not able to meet her. From what I came to later understand, she was actually ill and confined to her home at the time. I hung around a bit at Hyde Park, where I believe she walked her dog. I was carrying on me a pin that showed Sinatra at he height of his snap-brim hat/Rat Pack days with the words "It's Sinatra's World, We Just Live In It" written thereon, and was hoping to approach her saying "Excuse me, Ma'am...did you drop this?" : )
Thank you, Ritchie. I tried looking for her when I visited London in 1988. I spent a whole day, getting one bad lead after another from taxi drivers, shop owners, etc. Would do it all over again. They'll never be another like her...
fantastic pics! and great to see another younger fan.
i went to the museum in 2003. They've added more to it!
it was a very emotional experience visiting the museum, then her grave. Ava's been one of my favorites since I was a kid. I saw One Touch of Venus (when I was 13, not long before she passed away) and thought she was breathtaking. Later I saw Night of the Iguana and realized how forceful a presence she was on film. She had gravitas. She was amazing...
As for it being in Smithfield, I think the reason is that this is the main town(the county seat) in Johnston County. It wasn't even Brogden that she was from, it was actually Grabtown that was a few miles away that she was from. But of course many of these are tiny and merely unincorporated farming communities.
nice...I went here for the first time this past weekend and I looks exactly the same, considering and elapsed 2 years.
It was a nice collection and was pleased. It was amazing to think this amazingly beautiful movie star was born and bred in this tiny farming community. Although it closed promptly at 5pm and I didn't have enough time to see it all, it was a delight and I hope to go back one day.
I met Ava Gardner once when I was a teen. She sat in the back of a long limousine. I watched her through the window, which was partly down. She smiled, I smiled, and then we each waved at each other. It was as if she knew I knew her and she must have seen something in me that reminded her of herself living there in those days. This was at the Teacherage, the TRUE HOME OF THE MUSEUM! That's where her spirit resides in my opinion. Even as an elderly woman, she had balls and class like no other.
I really want to give thanks to all of you for taking a moment to remember Ava watching this litle video that its not so much. Your give so much more whith information that I dont knew. Thak you very much!!
Yes-thank you - I've been there (Show Boat) back in 2005 the first festival.yhgbd the Smithfield florist place flowers on her gravesite and on her parents' graveside as well. My humble way of saying thank you for the wonderful movies, books, music, photos and for just having the opportunity to see a STAR from the Golden Age of Movies.I'm an Ava Advocate of her museum.The staff there is just wonderful.you know they care and cared for Ava.I actually saw a couple of her movie scripts!!AWESOME.
It was much better in the teacherage. I sat for hours in that building watching her movies and going through the things she gave to the museum. My SIL actually modeled Ava's dresses once for some function long before the town of Smithfield got it's grubby paws on the museum's pieces. My SIL modeled the clothes because she is one of the few women tiny enough in the waist to fit in Ava's dresses and do them justice.
I've visited the museum and graveside several times; an unforgettable experience for an Ava Gardner fan. Of which I am one. I always thought Ava had such a presence in her films, and that same presence can be felt in the museum. She was the greatest.
The original museum was in a small community called Brogden, which is where she actually lived. It wasn't until the town of Smithfield began making noise that the museum pieces were taken out of Ava's hometown community and moved into the city limits of Smithfield to increase the town's tax base and take away from the small community that sheltered her family.
The Brogden Ava Museum was owned by private collectors (Tom & Lorraine Banks) who died in the early'90s. The museum property was sold by the Bank's relatives and what was left of the collection was given to the town. The Museum is a now non-profit organization that is self funded through admissions, donations and gift shop sales and in any way does any of the money go to the Town of Smithfield. Also most of Ava's family lived in Smithfield (and still do), not Brogden where she was born.
With all due respect, the property which formerly housed the Ava collection was in Brogden, seven miles east of Smithfied, NC. The property and former teacherage were willed by my Aunt, Lorrain Banks to a long dedicated friend and associate of Tom & Lorraine Bank whom without her endearing support, the Ava Gardner museum in its Brogden or present location, would not have come to fruition. With the generosity and hard works of others, the musueum should give Smithfield reason to be proud.
What a great comment.Wasn't Tom Banks the one who waited for Ava after school,teased her, called her his girlriend! She chased him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. When he discovered she had gone to Hollywood, he started his famous Ava Gardner collection. I had one myself, including photos of Burt Lancaster, Farley Granger, Montgomery Clift, et al)but lost the collection.I remember the photos (all free in b/w) and still miss them.
One day I'll grow up but I'll still be an Ava Advocate fan.
The tourists who come to visit the museum have to rent a hotel, they have to eat, and they have to buy gas so yes, the town of Smithfield IS MOST DEFINITELY BENEFITING GREATLY off having the museum OUT OF BROGDEN and INTO SMITHFIELD. I'm not an idiot. I took accounting and business and have run multiple businesses throughout my life. The town of Smithfield saw a golden goose. They may not have the goose but they certain have the eggs it lays.
Lovely video! Must have been a fun experience!
thoserubyslippers 4 months ago
@thoserubyslippers yeap! It really was. Thanks for watching :)
ritchie318 4 months ago
I would have loved to look at all the clothes they have there that she's worn in her films. I'm glad she's buried where she was born, with her family, i know she lived in London towards the end of her life. I love the fact that she had spark to her and enjoyed a drink. It's a shame she's not around anymore, there's not much, if any, footage of televised interviews that she has done. I loved reading her biography, it's good she told it from her point of view she must have had a great life :)
mrchazman123 7 months ago
I regret that I was not able to meet her. From what I came to later understand, she was actually ill and confined to her home at the time. I hung around a bit at Hyde Park, where I believe she walked her dog. I was carrying on me a pin that showed Sinatra at he height of his snap-brim hat/Rat Pack days with the words "It's Sinatra's World, We Just Live In It" written thereon, and was hoping to approach her saying "Excuse me, Ma'am...did you drop this?" : )
Lolabelle59 11 months ago
Thank you, Ritchie. I tried looking for her when I visited London in 1988. I spent a whole day, getting one bad lead after another from taxi drivers, shop owners, etc. Would do it all over again. They'll never be another like her...
Lolabelle59 11 months ago
@Lolabelle59 Thanks t you 4 watching and coment. So cute, but tell us, finally you looked at her? :)
ritchie318 11 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
I planning on going to that museum next year. I am excited
margaritasalt1 1 year ago
I plan on goingt o that museum in the near future,
margaritasalt1 1 year ago
fantastic pics! and great to see another younger fan.
i went to the museum in 2003. They've added more to it!
it was a very emotional experience visiting the museum, then her grave. Ava's been one of my favorites since I was a kid. I saw One Touch of Venus (when I was 13, not long before she passed away) and thought she was breathtaking. Later I saw Night of the Iguana and realized how forceful a presence she was on film. She had gravitas. She was amazing...
mnmcv 1 year ago
A great tribute to a mesmerizingly beautiful lady, and a local NC girl as well. :o) Hope to visit there someday and thanks for posting.
RushProbeSix 1 year ago
I love this
TheNaomiengland 1 year ago
The only actress that did not need false crap to make her look great. She was a natural
creolelady182 1 year ago 3
amazing video! very thoughtful and classy! thanx for being so kind to share for all us ava admiers out here:)
snowwhitecore 1 year ago 3
@snowwhitecore thanks 2u! for see it and coment :)
ritchie318 1 year ago
@ritchie318 youre very welcome hon:)
snowwhitecore 1 year ago
I really want to visit there, my dream since age at 17... thanx so much for posting this.
maduixeta73 2 years ago
Ava makes you long for the old days when Hollywood stars had class. Beautiful & not so trashy like todays stars.
999Atwood 2 years ago 3
I love her! I can't wait to go there! thank you for putting this up!
redrosebutterfly13 2 years ago
COOL :D
MegaAvaG 2 years ago
As for it being in Smithfield, I think the reason is that this is the main town(the county seat) in Johnston County. It wasn't even Brogden that she was from, it was actually Grabtown that was a few miles away that she was from. But of course many of these are tiny and merely unincorporated farming communities.
andeaver1937 2 years ago
Grabtown is the nickname for Brogden.
PhillyLucky7 1 year ago
nice...I went here for the first time this past weekend and I looks exactly the same, considering and elapsed 2 years.
It was a nice collection and was pleased. It was amazing to think this amazingly beautiful movie star was born and bred in this tiny farming community. Although it closed promptly at 5pm and I didn't have enough time to see it all, it was a delight and I hope to go back one day.
andeaver1937 2 years ago
Thank you so much from Spain!!
pereznuix 2 years ago
Gracias a ti por verlo y comentarlo. Me alegra que haya sido de tú agrado.
ritchie318 2 years ago
I met Ava Gardner once when I was a teen. She sat in the back of a long limousine. I watched her through the window, which was partly down. She smiled, I smiled, and then we each waved at each other. It was as if she knew I knew her and she must have seen something in me that reminded her of herself living there in those days. This was at the Teacherage, the TRUE HOME OF THE MUSEUM! That's where her spirit resides in my opinion. Even as an elderly woman, she had balls and class like no other.
PaisleyPlace 3 years ago
I really want to give thanks to all of you for taking a moment to remember Ava watching this litle video that its not so much. Your give so much more whith information that I dont knew. Thak you very much!!
ritchie318 3 years ago
It must be wonderful to visist this museum and walk through Ava's life.. :)
Thanks for sharing your visit!
ClassicFilmFan 3 years ago 5
Yes-thank you - I've been there (Show Boat) back in 2005 the first festival.yhgbd the Smithfield florist place flowers on her gravesite and on her parents' graveside as well. My humble way of saying thank you for the wonderful movies, books, music, photos and for just having the opportunity to see a STAR from the Golden Age of Movies.I'm an Ava Advocate of her museum.The staff there is just wonderful.you know they care and cared for Ava.I actually saw a couple of her movie scripts!!AWESOME.
Kaboomvs 3 years ago
It was much better in the teacherage. I sat for hours in that building watching her movies and going through the things she gave to the museum. My SIL actually modeled Ava's dresses once for some function long before the town of Smithfield got it's grubby paws on the museum's pieces. My SIL modeled the clothes because she is one of the few women tiny enough in the waist to fit in Ava's dresses and do them justice.
PaisleyPlace 3 years ago
I wish one day to visit too.Beautiful tribute.The song goes so well with the video.Thank you its was so sweet to watch.
bscarlette 3 years ago
I've visited the museum and graveside several times; an unforgettable experience for an Ava Gardner fan. Of which I am one. I always thought Ava had such a presence in her films, and that same presence can be felt in the museum. She was the greatest.
Constanceg58 4 years ago
Gracias! Los dos muy simpaticos.
vistaestrada 4 years ago
aww thats sweet...now if the town would promote our civil war history too!!
iluvzanessa2896 4 years ago
The original museum was in a small community called Brogden, which is where she actually lived. It wasn't until the town of Smithfield began making noise that the museum pieces were taken out of Ava's hometown community and moved into the city limits of Smithfield to increase the town's tax base and take away from the small community that sheltered her family.
PaisleyPlace 4 years ago
Yes...thats true, but, believe me...you can feel her spirit there, her scence....was nice.
Thanks for watching and coment...hugs.
ritchie318 4 years ago
The Brogden Ava Museum was owned by private collectors (Tom & Lorraine Banks) who died in the early'90s. The museum property was sold by the Bank's relatives and what was left of the collection was given to the town. The Museum is a now non-profit organization that is self funded through admissions, donations and gift shop sales and in any way does any of the money go to the Town of Smithfield. Also most of Ava's family lived in Smithfield (and still do), not Brogden where she was born.
avainfo 4 years ago
With all due respect, the property which formerly housed the Ava collection was in Brogden, seven miles east of Smithfied, NC. The property and former teacherage were willed by my Aunt, Lorrain Banks to a long dedicated friend and associate of Tom & Lorraine Bank whom without her endearing support, the Ava Gardner museum in its Brogden or present location, would not have come to fruition. With the generosity and hard works of others, the musueum should give Smithfield reason to be proud.
tomcat28563 3 years ago
What a great comment.Wasn't Tom Banks the one who waited for Ava after school,teased her, called her his girlriend! She chased him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. When he discovered she had gone to Hollywood, he started his famous Ava Gardner collection. I had one myself, including photos of Burt Lancaster, Farley Granger, Montgomery Clift, et al)but lost the collection.I remember the photos (all free in b/w) and still miss them.
One day I'll grow up but I'll still be an Ava Advocate fan.
Kaboomvs 3 years ago
The tourists who come to visit the museum have to rent a hotel, they have to eat, and they have to buy gas so yes, the town of Smithfield IS MOST DEFINITELY BENEFITING GREATLY off having the museum OUT OF BROGDEN and INTO SMITHFIELD. I'm not an idiot. I took accounting and business and have run multiple businesses throughout my life. The town of Smithfield saw a golden goose. They may not have the goose but they certain have the eggs it lays.
PaisleyPlace 3 years ago
I'll definitely visit Ava Gardner's museum.
Od3tt301 4 years ago
Great! Thank you!
gatabella 4 years ago
Bravo!!!!
27jul69 4 years ago