Ava

 

Ava

4×2, Acrylic on Luan

Ava Gardner was born in the small farming community of Grabtown, North Carolina to poor cotton and tobacco farmers.  Gardner was visiting her sister in New York in 1941 when, Larry Tarr, a professional photographer, offered to take her portrait. He was so pleased with the results that he displayed the finished product in the front window of his studio.  A Loews Theatres legal clerk, Barnard Duhan, spotted Gardner’s photo in Tarr’s studio. Duhan often posed as an MGM talent scout to meet girls. Duhan entered Tarr’s and tried to get Gardner’s number, but was rebuffed by the receptionist. Duhan made the offhand comment, “Somebody should send her info to MGM”, and the Tarrs did so immediately. Shortly after, Gardner, who at the time was a student at Atlantic Christian College, traveled to New York to be interviewed at MGM’s New York office.  MGM’s first order of business was to provide her a speech coach, as her Carolina drawl was nearly incomprehensible to them.