Mary Gardner was a model with the Ford Modeling Agency. She was offered acting contracts with the major Hollywood studios. (before meeting Otto) She turned down the offers, preferring to focus on her art career. Mary would preview Otto`s film scipts and was a major influnce on his choices as to what films he would produce. Hope, (Otto`s other wife) was a close friend to Mary during their modeling days. Mary always made sure that Otto hired Hope on some of his productions. Mary had a Son from a previous marriage: Gilbert Gardner. Otto was a wonderful stepfather to Gilbert. Mary loved Otto`s intelligence and sense of humor. They lived in Malibu and New York. Otto`s affairs with other women troubled Mary. She filed for divorce in hopes that would persuade Otto to stop seeing other women. His counter divorce filing suprised Mary, she thought her threat of divorce would end Otto`s affairs. She did not want the divorce, but it proceeded due to Otto. Information source: direct quote from Mary to Patrick - her closest friend of thrity years