, and then band leader Artie Shaw) and a notorious pursuit (by mogul Howard Hughes,
whom she refused) before she became involved with crooner Sinatra. When he left
his wife to marry Gardner in 1951, he was vilified by gossip columnists for
deserting his marriage to wed the actress. His movie contract with MGM was also
coming to an end, adding to the sense that Sinatra's star was falling as his
wife's ascended. Passionate fights, separations and reconciliations marked their
combustible union, and although Gardner was reportedly instrumental in landing
Sinatra his breakthrough dramatic role in 1953's "From Here to Eternity," which earned him a supporting actor
Oscar and reversed his career fortunes, the couple parted ways soon after. That
dark period also suggests that Gardner may have unwittingly helped Sinatra's
musical comeback as well: Signing with Capitol Records, he recorded a classic
album, "In the Wee Small Hours," that was a de facto concept album
about romantic loss, far darker than his earlier hits and haunted by heartbreak.
They finally divorced in 1957. Gardner died in 1990 and Sinatra passed away in
1998.
(Doc Pele/Stills/Retna Ltd.)
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