By the time Ava Gardner took on the role of Eloise "Honey Bear" Kelly in 1953's "Mogambo," she had already been a top-billed actress for nearly a decade. However, in that time, she never earned any accolades for her roles, despite often earning high praise from fans and critics alike.
In the film, Gardner plays opposite Clark Gable and Grace Kelly. Her role is that of a woman who arrives in Africa hoping to meet up with a rich acquaintance. The trio, along Donald Sinden (who plays Donald Nordley, the husband of Kelly's character, Linda), go on safari in the African jungle.
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As they travel through the bush, they face many dangers from both animals and natives, all amid budding romances between the characters.
Arguably Gardner's best performance to date, she earned her one and only Academy Award nomination for the movie. She was nominated for a New York Film Critics Circle Award for the roles as well. She earned high praise from critics at the time of its release.
Here is a look at some of the quotes about her performance as "Honey Bear."
1. "Mr. Gable is beautifully commanding, in his vicious, sardonic way, and Miss Gardner, as we say, is as enticing as any calculated vampire can be."
The New York Times film critic Bosley Crowther, discussing the chemistry that oozes throughout the film.
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2. "Ava Gardner more than holds her own against Jean Harlow's original performance, lending her dusky energy to a tritely conceived part: she's the international call girl who falls for the great white hunter (Clark Gable, far more interesting than he was in the first version)."
Chicago Reader film critic Dave Kehr, comparing the 1953 remake favorably compared to the original film, "Red Dust," made in 1932.
3. "'Mogambo' represents the peak of Ava Gardner's career: She had never given a more natural, spontaneous, sexier, or funnier performance than this one, and the Academy showed its respect with a Best Actress nod."
Online movie critic Emanuel Levy, noting that Gardner was in peak form during her performance in "Mogambo."
4. "The director found his secret weapon with Gardner, and tends to focus the story's point of view from her ... it could be Gardner's finest hour." Combustible Celluloid film critic Jeffrey M. Anderson, remarking how Gardner's performance drove the film's story forward.
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