It was just a fluke that ava did not wind up in Grabtown with a redneck husband and half a dozen kids! Read her bio.

I have a book with a photo of a scene from the Warners movie Manpower. It shows Edward G. Robinson marrying Marlene Dietrich as best man George Raft looks on. The caption says: “It was obvious even to the youngest cinemagoer that this marriage was doomed.”

That’s the way I feel about the Gardner-Sinatra nuptials. An obvious mismatch of ego, personality and temprament.

Yes, but mismatched lovers in a passionate but ill-fated affair is the essence of romance.

Looking at the pics she just overpowers him with sheer animal magnetism — obviously he had other charms though — and of course his career was at its low point early in their relationship. If she propped him up at the beginning, he returned the favor later. Evidently he was very kind to her even long their marriage, paying some of her medical bills and like that.

Obviously as Suzi says — it’s the essence of romance, what they had! :-)

The essence of romance?

Hmm, maybe the romance of mutual self-destruction, which can be alluring even when you’re experiencing it–in a delusional sort of way. But, then, anyone who’s ever been burned knows that exists. Of course, I can see how Ava must have been difficult to ignore. And it does seem that Sinatra’s abilities to wring every nuance of meaning from a ballad using his post-Ava voice and psyche soared after this union crashed and burned. So for the resulting albums, such as “Only the Lonely”, many thanks, Cupid.

Ah, but how many photographers in the ’50s were able to make their rent, their alimony and maybe have a few pennies left over after selling these images? I just suspect that “the romance aspect” may have been lost on Sinatra’s wife and kids. Things rarely take on a soft-focus aura when Dad walks out the door, (not that the break wasn’t inevitable).

Medusa, you’ve proven again how evocative an image can be. Excuse me, while I go dig out “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning” to play…

Love, what can you say? They were drawn like moths to the flame .. he, to her beauty and glamour – she, to his power and talent .. I think for both of them it was the great love of their lives. He married a young girl later and she lost herself with young bullfighters .. aaaahhhh! we’ll never see the likes of them again … the walk on the beach and the way he holds her under the elbow just does it for me .. medusamorlock, you old romantic diehard … thanks for the memories.