Ritz-Carlton Magazine - Summer 2012 - (Page 132)

H e r i ta g e Ava Gardner & Mickey Rooney t H e r i t z - C a r lt o n , B o s t o n , J a n u a r y 1 9 4 2 132 w w w. r i t z c a r lt o n . c o m EvErEtt CollECtion The 19-year-old Ava Gardner married the 21-year-old Mickey Rooney on Jan. 10, 1942, just outside Santa Barbara, Calif. As was then the Hollywood custom, permission first had to be given by the studio they were signed to, MGM; its colorful chief, Louis B. Mayer, was none too happy that his biggest box-office attraction, Rooney, had taken up with one of his unknown bit players. Having failed to squelch the union, he proceeded to make sure that he oversaw every detail of the wedding — which included sending an MGM publicist to accompany them on the honeymoon. Not surprisingly, the honeymoon became something of a national publicity tour, with stops in San Francisco, Boston, New York and Fort Bragg. In Boston, the mayor put on a luncheon for the couple that introduced them to the heights of local society. In her autobiography, Gardner recalls her knees trembling under the tablecloth for fear of making a social faux pas. Just six months earlier, she had been living the life of a penniless farmer’s daughter in rural North Carolina. Her ascent is one of Hollywood’s great legends: A set of photographs found their way to a talent scout; an audition followed, and then a modest movie contract. On her first day on the MGM lot, she brushed shoulders with Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland, filming “Babes on Broadway.” Rooney was smitten on sight and pursued her until she accepted his proposal. The marriage was less blessed, however, ending the following year. Gardner would go on to become one of the postwar era’s greatest screen stars, as well as the wife of Frank Sinatra. Rooney would marry seven more times, and still makes occasional public appearances. Given that his first performance onstage was at 17 months, in his parents’ vaudeville act, he holds the unique distinction of having been in show business for 90 years. http://WWW.RITZCARLTON.COM

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Ritz-Carlton Magazine - Summer 2012

Ritz-Carlton Magazine - Summer 2012
Table of Contents
Contributors
Editor’s Letter
President’s Letter
Falling in Love With ... Boston
Technology
Design
On the Boulevards
Shopping
Jewelry
Watches
Family Travel
Wellness
Outdoors
Barcelona
Istanbul
Fashion
Culinary
Let Us Stay With You
Heritage

Ritz-Carlton Magazine - Summer 2012