AVA GARDNER in The Barefoot Contessa (1954)

AVA GARDNER - the most beautiful woman to ever appear on film! The Iconic actress stars in Joseph L. Mankiewicz's film playing a Spanish dancer Maria Vargas, who became one of the world's most famous actresses. The character of Maria Vargas is said to be based on Rita Hayworth, who was actually offered the part, but turned it down.

Also starring:

Humphrey Bogart ... Harry Dawes
Edmond O'Brien... Oscar Muldoon (won Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role)
Marius Goring... Alberto Bravano
Valentina Cortese... Eleanora Torlato-Favrini
Rossano Brazzi... Count Vincenzo Torlato-Favrini
Elizabeth Sellars... Jerry
Warren Stevens... Kirk Edwards

Ava Gardner (December 24, 1922 January 25, 1990) was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her work in Mogambo (1953). She appeared in several popular films during the 1950s, and received BAFTA Award nominations for her performances in Bhowani Junction (1956), On the Beach (1959) and The Night of the Iguana (1964). Was married to Mickey Rooney and Frank Sinatra.
American Film Institute named Ms. Garner among the greatest female stars of all time.

• Category

  Film & Animation

[PJCoan]

Are you kidding? Ava WAS the barefoot contessa. She was beautiful and wonderful in this role. She made this picture the colorful classic it always will be!

[oentschi]

no she was spanish, her father eduardo cansino was from Sevilla and emigrated to the States...

mankiewicz said himself that the movie was based vaguely on ritas life; legend says that she even was offered the role BEFORE ava gardner, but this remains to be proven...

[Stojanka Jelenic]

Stvarni i za mene je najlepsa bila zena, narocito kad igra u Bosonogoj Kontesi. Muzika mi se svidja.Hvala

[Hans Maier]

Mario Nascimbene's score is - as so many of his works - pure beauty! One of the greatest film composers of all times.

[Al Pal]

I was disappointed by this movie - it dragged on too long & was mostly

in a narrative style. Don't read the reviews because it will spoil the ending.

Still - the acting was much better in those days compared to now.

Those were the Golden Years.

[Dario Witer]

Man, that lady had gorgeous feet, just like Marilyn Monroe, who had the most gorgeous feet of them all, in both Hollywood & human history! YES....YES....YES!!!!! =D

[lray1948]

MGM wanted to circulate the story her real Name was Lucy Johnson and that they came up with the name Ava Gardner. She refused! Insisted it be known it was her real name from day 1

[Raniya]

Unfortunately her spanish was beyond awful, it made no sense and got lost in her accent...I still loved the movie

[gatabella3]

I like Rita very much, but no one compares to Ava for me.

[123benny4]

Your grandmother died more than once?  Do you mean grandmothers' funerals?

[yvesgomez]

They played this music at my grandmother's funerals.

[phillip dietzen]

There s your "STAR"!