Many of us remember the 1960s, even if we haven’t lived through that decade. We remember it because of the awesome movies and the beautiful movie stars who were part of that era.
Although there were many memorable movie stars in the 1960s, there was one particular redhead who captivated audiences worldwide. She had an undeniable charm and charisma about her that would make her one of the top names in Hollywood.
She spoke about her youth and being brought up in a small Swedish village. She said: “From when I was 4 years old in Sweden, I would get up and harmonize with my mother to Swedish songs.
“We lived in the same house with Mormor, my mother’s mother, and my uncle, who played the accordion. It was quite a group! My first musical memory was of the accordion. It was during World War II, and there were a lot of beautiful songs.”
When she was six years old, her family immigrated to America and they settled in Illinois. She had a love for performing and it wasn’t long before she was studying at Northwestern University.
Even though Ann Margret was getting her education at the time, she was discovered by George Burns and her reputation began to build in Hollywood. She was an absolute sensation by the 1960s.
She also was quite a singer, and she had a hit single, ‘I Just Don’t Understand.’ That talent, along with her acting allowed her to star in a number of roles, including “Viva Las Vegas” opposite Elvis Presley and ‘Bye-Bye Birdie’.
There was no doubt that she had a lot of chemistry with Elvis Pressley on the screen and the two of them dated for a while. The relationship never really took off, but they stayed friends until he passed away.
She once said: “Everyone knows how I felt about him and the friendship that we had all these years. It was very, very private.”
As she became more famous, she was typecast as a risqué figure. Many people didn’t give her the credit that she deserved for her abilities on the screen. During the late 1960s, she started to get involved with European projects because her career in the United States had slowed.
When she met Roger Smith, it seemed as if everything was right. He was also an actor with roles in a number of films and on television that were very popular.
He was married before to an Australian actress, Victoria Shaw and they had three children together. What his marriage ended in divorce, he soon met Ann Margaret.
They had an instant connection. She once said: “I knew I was going to marry him on the third date. I knew he would protect me. I knew that I could depend on him.”
They got married in 1967 and she did well as a stepmother. She spoke about the children, saying “I met them when they were 3, 6, and 7.” They made a nice family.
For 13 years, she tried to conceive a child of her own but wasn’t successful. Eventually, they stop trying. She said: “The point is, if I am meant to have a child, I will have one. Whatever my higher power feels is right for me, I will accept.”
Eventually, Smith left his job to become her manager and helped her to get rid of the image she had developed over the years. He offered a lot of support and eventually, she was in a number of other successful films.
In 1972, Margaret spoke about her husband, saying: “Now in Roger, I’ve found all the men I need rolled into one — a father, a friend, a lover, a manager, a businessman. It’s perfect for me. I couldn’t exist without a strong man.”
Unfortunately, Smith was eventually diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and his health began to decline. As a result, Ann started turning down offers to care for her ailing husband.
She said: “If you’re a spouse, if one of you has a broken wing, the other takes over.”
She did continue to have a number of roles as her career slowed down, including “The Two Mrs. Grenvilles” and “Who Will Love My Children?”
Unfortunately, her husband passed away in 2017 at 84 years of age. She continues to honor his life by cherishing what they had built with each other.
We don’t know if she will continue to work but we are thankful for all that she has left to us in the way of entertainment.
