Ava's First Leading Lady Role

Several year's before Ava was loaned out by MGM to major studios, she worked on a Monogram production as a leading lady. It was her first starring role and the first time she saw her name on a marquee, something she would never forget.

Ghost on the Loose starred Bela Lugosi and featured the East Side Kids, who were featured in Monogram films from 1940-45.

The film took just seven days to shoot, (February 8-15, 1943), and it received fair to good reviews. The Film Daily, on June 14, 1943 gave it a good review and had this to say about Ava, “The leading lady Ava Gardner, is as lovely - and in a few short scenes - seems as talented as almost any of the younger crop of glamour gals in town.”

Below are some photos from the museum's archives.