Mitzi Gaynor, the celebrated singer, dancer, and actress known for her captivating performances in movie musicals such as “South Pacific,” passed away on Thursday at the age of 93. Her representatives announced that she died of natural causes in Los Angeles.
Over an impressive eight-decade career, Gaynor starred in a multitude of musicals during the 1950s, including “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” “Anything Goes,” “Les Girls,” and the film adaptation of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s iconic “South Pacific.” She secured the role of Nellie Forbush in “South Pacific” after competing against acclaimed actresses such as Doris Day, Elizabeth Taylor, and Susan Hayward, a performance that catapulted her to international fame and earned her a Golden Globe nomination.
Despite the declining popularity of musicals after the 1960s, which culminated in her last film role in the 1963 comedy “For Love or Money” with Kirk Douglas, Gaynor found great success in live performances. Her breakthrough nightclub show at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas in 1961 shattered box office records during her four-week stay.
In addition to her stage career, Gaynor made significant appearances on television, including a memorable guest spot on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” which famously hosted The Beatles’ second U.S. TV appearance, drawing an audience of seventy million viewers. She also featured in numerous variety shows led by entertainment icons such as Frank Sinatra, Jack Benny, and Danny Thomas, while becoming known for her extravagant TV specials where her charisma shone through.
She garnered a New York Emmy for her documentary “Mitzi Gaynor: Razzle Dazzle! The Special Years.” Even at the age of 88 in 2019, Gaynor continued to perform, although she needed to sit while singing due to a leg injury, expressing her desire to dance again.
Mitzi Gaynor was born Francesca Mitzi Marlene de Czanyi von Gerber on September 4, 1931, in Chicago, Illinois, to parents Henry von Gerber, a Hungarian musical director, and Pauline Fisher Gerber, a former vaudeville dancer. After her parents divorced, she relocated to Detroit with her mother, where she began training in classical ballet. Her early aspirations in dance led her to Hollywood, where she performed alongside the prima ballerina of the Ballet Russe during high school.
She made her Broadway debut at the age of 15 in “Gypsy Lady” and soon transitioned to film, signing a contract with 20th Century Fox. A producer there suggested she adopt the name Gaynor after actress Janet Gaynor, which her father liked. Gaynor’s film career featured hits like “My Blue Heaven” and “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” though her contract ended prematurely.
Following her marriage to manager Jack Bean, she signed with Paramount, appearing in musicals such as “Anything Goes” and collaborating with director George Cukor in “Les Girls.” Gaynor’s last film roles included comedies and she later became Las Vegas’ top-earning female entertainer, winning “Star Entertainer of the Year” in 1970 and launching the career of costume designer Bob Mackie.
In 2017, she was honored with induction into The Great American Songbook Hall of Fame. Gaynor also reflected on a brief relationship with billionaire Howard Hughes, revealing he proposed to her while simultaneously courting dozens of other women. She ultimately ended the romance with a substantial gift of land in Las Vegas, which she sold for a significant profit years later.