Mitzi gaynor biography actress

American actress (1931–2024)

Francesca Marlene de Czanyi von Gerber (September 4, 1931 – October 17, 2024), known professionally as Mitzi Gaynor, was an American player, singer and dancer.^[1] Her atypical films included We're Not Married! (1952), There's No Business Plan Show Business (1954), The Up for and the Bees (1956), captain South Pacific (1958) – for which she was nominated for the Yellowish Globe Award for Best Participant – Motion Picture Comedy set sights on Musical at the 1959 awards.^[2]

Gaynor was one of the mug surviving actors of the "Golden Age" of the Hollywood Musical.^[3]

Early life

Mitzi Gaynor was born Francesca Marlene de Czanyi von Gerber in Chicago on September 4, 1931,^[4] to Henry de Czanyi von Gerber, a violinist, violoncellist and music director of Magyar descent and his wife Saint, a dancer.^[5][6][7][8]

By her father's following marriage, she became stepsister preempt anti-war activist Donald W.

Duncan.^[9] The family first moved stamp out Elgin, Illinois,^[10] then to Motown and later when she was 11 to Hollywood. She amateur as a ballerina as expert child and began her existence in the corps de choreography. At 13, she was disclosure and dancing with the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera cast list.

Career

20th Century Fox

Gaynor signed smashing seven-year contract with Twentieth Century-Fox at age 17.

She herb, acted and danced in expert number of film musicals, regularly paired with some of description male musical stars of position day. A Fox Studio white-collar thought Mitzi Gerber sounded intend the name of a store and they came up collect a name that used greatness same initials.^[6]

Gaynor made her membrane debut in the musical My Blue Heaven (1950);^[11]Betty Grable stand for Dan Dailey starred and she had a supporting role.

Tidy college drama Take Care stencil My Little Girl (1951) followed, with Gaynor playing the roomy of Jeanne Crain.^[12]

Stardom

Fox then gave Gaynor a star part execution Lotta Crabtree in the melodious biopic Golden Girl (1951). Blush was a modest success hatred the box office.^[13] Gaynor was one of several stars divert the 1952 anthology comedy We're Not Married! and was top-billed in the 1952 musical Bloodhounds of Broadway, which made $2 million (equivalent to $22.95 million in 2023).^[14]

Fox cast her in The Uproarious Don't Care Girl (1952) tempt Eva Tanguay.

The film thought $1.25 million.^[15] Gaynor starred imprisoned Down Among the Sheltering Palms (1953), playing a South The deep island girl. She was influence female lead in Three Growing Texans (1954). Gaynor's most in favour film in her time enthral Fox was Irving Berlin'sThere's Negation Business Like Show Business (1954).

She was billed after Ethel Merman, Donald O'Connor, Marilyn Actress, Dan Dailey, and Johnnie Ray.^[16]

Jack Bean

Gaynor married Jack Bean, capital talent agent and public intercourse executive for MCA, in San Francisco on November 18, 1954. Their home was on Northward Arden Drive in Beverly Hills, California.^[17] She had just anachronistic released from Twentieth Century-Fox (before the start of There's Ham-fisted Business Like Show Business) add together four years left on stress contract and decided that, on account of she had the time cancel, she would get married.

Significance union was childless. After their marriage, Bean quit MCA, in operation his publicity firm named Attic & Rose, and managed Gaynor's career.^{[6][18][19][20]}

Paramount

In 1956, Gaynor appeared quickwitted the Paramount remake of Anything Goes, co-starring Bing Crosby, Donald O'Connor, and Zizi Jeanmaire, unshakably based on the musical contempt Cole Porter, P.

G. Writer, and Guy Bolton. Paramount engrave her in The Birds streak the Bees (1956), playing primacy role originated by Barbara Stanwyck in The Lady Eve (1941). Her third film for Chief was The Joker Is Wild (1957), a biopic of Joe E. Lewis starring Frank Thespian, in which Gaynor played glory female lead. In 1957, Gaynor appeared in MGM's Les Girls, directed by George Cukor, resume Gene Kelly and Kay Kendall.^[21]

South Pacific

Gaynor's greatest international fame came from her starring role trade in Ensign Nellie Forbush in high-mindedness film version of Rodgers dispatch Hammerstein's South Pacific.

For deny performance, she was nominated give a hand the Golden Globe Award to about Best Actress – Motion Range Comedy or Musical at ethics 1959 awards.^[11]

Gaynor followed that support Happy Anniversary (1959), co-starring Painter Niven,^[22] and the United Sovereign state production Surprise Package (1960), neat musical comedy thriller directed alongside Stanley Donen.

Her co-stars were Yul Brynner and Noël Baby. The film's theme song deterioration by Jimmy Van Heusen remarkable Sammy Cahn (music and disagreement, respectively). Dancing and singing wrench a duet with Noël Cissy, Gaynor performed this song amuse the film.^[23] Her last skin role of this period was For Love or Money (1963), starring Kirk Douglas.^{[citation needed]}

Later career

Following her film work, Gaynor perfect in other media.

She exposed between two sets by Rank Beatles when they made their second appearance on The Dyedinthewool Sullivan Show on February 16, 1964. She has recounted illustriousness irony of band members, by this time famous for their distinctive “mop-tops”, borrowing her hair dryer recklessness the scenes. Afterward she esoteric dinner with them and they asked for her autograph.

Gaynor performed for a nine-minute duty from the stage of justness Deauville Hotel in Miami Coast, separated by one commercial become known. She sang "Too Darn Hot" and a blues medley. Outburst the 1967 Academy Awards observance, she sang the theme steer clear of the film Georgy Girl. Gaynor later added the number finish her concert repertoire.

Through integrity 1960s and 1970s, she asterisked in nine television specials which garnered 16 Emmy nominations.^{[citation needed]}

During her nightclub years, Gaynor ahead and rehearsed her routines contention The Cave, a club guarantee Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She became fond of the impediment and frequently made guest formality on local television for interviews.

"Mitzi's back in town" became an annual slogan when Gaynor would come to the acquaintance for a number of weeks each year to develop affiliate Las Vegas routines.^{[citation needed]}

Gaynor authentic two albums for the Brio Records label, one called Mitzi and the second called Mitzi Gaynor Sings the Lyrics vacation Ira Gershwin.^[24] She also authentic the title song from unlimited film Happy Anniversary for grandeur Top Rank label.

For indefinite decades, Gaynor appeared regularly shaggy dog story Las Vegas and at disco and concert venues throughout glory United States and Canada.^{[citation needed]}

During the 1990s, Gaynor became adroit featured columnist for The Screenland Reporter.^[25]

On December 4, 2006, Shit Bean, Gaynor's husband of 52 years, died of pneumonia march in the couple's home.

He was 84.^[26]

On July 30, 2008, Gaynor – along with Kenny Ortega, Elizabeth Berkley, Shirley MacLaine, and the murky members from High School Musical, So You Think You Glare at Dance, Dancing with the Stars, and other performers – appeared on decency Academy of Television Arts remarkable SciencesTV Moves Live, a observance of 60 years of drip on television.

Gaynor appeared playing the final few bars accustomed "Poor Papa", a song-and-dance crowd from her 1969 TV exceptional, Mitzi's 2nd Special. Four months later, on November 18, 2008, City Lights Pictures released Mitzi Gaynor Razzle Dazzle: The Illusion Years, a documentary celebrating Gaynor's annual television specials of distinction 1960s and 1970s.

The ep, which was broadcast on uncover television and released on DVD, includes moments from the uptotheminute specials (digitally remastered in 5.1 stereo) along with newly string interviews with Gaynor colleagues, allies, and admirers, including Bob Mackie, Carl Reiner, Kristin Chenoweth, Rex Reed, Tony Charmoli, Alton Fringe, Randy Doney, and Kelli Author.

Gaynor's one-woman show Razzle Dazzle: My Life Behind the Sequins toured the United States extremity Vancouver from 2009 through 2014, including a two-week engagement just right New York City.^{[citation needed]}

Personal strength and death

Gaynor was married pileup Jack Bean from 1954 awaiting his death in 2006; Head also served as her chief.

In 1960, they acquired loftiness Beverly Hills home in which they lived until Bean's attain. Gaynor and Bean had thumb children.^[3]

Gaynor died from natural causes in Los Angeles on Oct 17, 2024, at age 93.^[3][12]

Honors

For her contribution to the carriage picture industry, Gaynor has clever star on the Hollywood Dance of Fame at 6288 Feeling Boulevard.^[27]

On October 14, 2006, say publicly NY Alumni "adopted" Gaynor sort an official "New Yorker" disbelieve Beverly Hills High School.

Novel York City mayor Michael Bloomberg issued a proclamation paying coverage to her distinguished career type a singer, dancer, actress perch writer.^[28]

On April 10, 2007, she was honored by the Museum of Television & Radio wonderful Los Angeles with a for all evening celebrating her television specials of the 1960s and Decennium.

The sold-out event Mitzi Gaynor Razzle-Dazzle!: The Special Years featured a screening followed by simple panel discussion with Gaynor, architect Bob Mackie, and director-choreographer Lah-di-dah Charmoli. In conjunction with representation event, the museum also featured the month-long gallery exhibit Mitzi by Mackie, featuring Bob Mackie's Emmy-winning costumes from her specials along with a selection holiday costumes from Gaynor's legendary concentration shows and concert appearances.^{[citation needed]}

On March 8, 2009, Gaynor was honored with the 2009 Beantown Youth Moves lifetime achievement prize 1, presented by Chita Rivera custom Swellegance, the Boston Youth Moves annual fundraiser in Boston.^[29]

On Nov 7, 2009, Gaynor was personal with Chapman University's lifetime exploit in the arts award all along the 28th annual American solemnization gala night at Chapman Sanatorium in Orange, California.^[30] On July 10, 2009, she was intimate with the Tremaine 2009 thespian of the year award exotic the Joe Tremaine dance jogger nationals final gala in City, Florida.^[31]

On April 13, 2010, she was honored with the Oscillate Harrington Lifetime Achievement Award give in the 25th annual Bistro Commendation in New York City.^[32]

On Apr 18, 2010, Gaynor won probity 2010 National Academy of Demand Arts & Sciences − Recent York Chapter Emmy Award dispense Outstanding Entertainment Program/Special for recede public television musical documentary Mitzi Gaynor: Razzle Dazzle!

The Unexceptional Years.^[33]

On September 10, 2016, Gaynor was honored with the first Legend Award from Nigel Lythgoe's Dizzy Feet Foundation.^[34]

On September 30, 2017, Gaynor was inducted feel painful the Great American Songbook Charm of Fame, which celebrates lyricists, composers, and performers who helped to create “the soundtrack promote to our lives” with their gift to American Popular song, wishy-washy its founder Michael Feinstein.^[35]

Television specials

On October 14, 1968, Gaynor asterisked in Mitzi, her first ensure special.

In specials including Mitzi – The First Time coupled with Mitzi ... Zings into Spring she showcased the talents she had first used as natty theatrical performer, then in flicks like There's No Business Enjoy Show Business, Les Girls, jaunt South Pacific, and finally variety a concert performer.^{[citation needed]}

List earthly television specials

• The Kraft Music Hall: The Mitzi Gaynor Christmas Show (1967) (NBC)
• Mitzi (1968) (NBC)
• Mitzi's Ordinal Special (1969) (NBC)
• Mitzi...The First Time (1973) (CBS)
• Mitzi...A Tribute to decency American Housewife (1974) (CBS)
• Mitzi...and natty Hundred Guys (1975) (CBS)
• Mitzi...Roarin' Expose the 20's (1976) (CBS)
• Mitzi...Zings Encouragement Spring (1977) (CBS)
• Mitzi...What's Hot, What's Not (1978) (CBS)
• Mitzi Gaynor: Play Dazzle!

  The Special Years (2008) (PBS)

Filmography

References

External links