Mitzi Gaynor, the effervescent actress, singer, and dancer who captured hearts as the lead in the 1958 film adaptation of South Pacific, passed away on Thursday (17) at her Los Angeles home. She was 93. The news was confirmed by her managers, Rene Reyes and Shane Rosamonda.
Gaynor’s most iconic role was that of Nellie Forbush, the optimistic Navy nurse in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific. While many actresses were considered for the role, including Doris Day and Elizabeth Taylor, it was Gaynor who ultimately secured the part.
The role, created by Mary Martin on Broadway in 1949, required a fresh face for the film adaptation, and Gaynor, already a well-established actress by then, fit the bill perfectly. South Pacific went on to be a box office hit, cementing her place in Hollywood history.
Despite her success in South Pacific, Gaynor’s film career was surprisingly short. She appeared in just three more films after her performance as Nellie Forbush. These final film roles were in comedies, not musicals, with her last movie, For Love or Money, opposite Kirk Douglas, being released in 1963.
As the golden era of movie musicals began to fade, Gaynor pivoted her focus toward live entertainment, particularly in Las Vegas and on television.
Mitzi Gaynor’s star power was not limited to the silver screen. After her brief but impactful Hollywood career, she found great success on the Las Vegas stage, headlining shows at major resorts for over a decade.
In a time when Vegas was the epicenter of live entertainment, Gaynor’s charisma, vibrant performances, and undeniable talent made her a fixture on the scene.
Her presence on television was equally remarkable. A notable appearance came when she performed the Oscar-nominated song Georgy Girl at the 1967 Academy Awards. Her energetic number, complete with backup dancers and a costume change, left an impression and eventually led to her hosting a series of Emmy Award-winning variety specials.
These specials, with catchy titles like Mitzi and a Hundred Guys and Mitzi Zings Into Spring, showcased her diverse talents as a performer and introduced her to a whole new audience.
However, Gaynor’s most famous television moment was perhaps her most overshadowed. In February 1964, she headlined The Ed Sullivan Show, where she performed the sultry number “It’s Too Darn Hot” and a medley of blues songs. Unfortunately for her, it was the night of the Beatles’ second U.S. television appearance, which captivated the nation.
At a cast dinner afterward, Paul McCartney asked for her autograph, a testament to her own star power despite the Beatles’ historic moment.
Mitzi Gaynor was born Francesca Marlene de Czanyi von Gerber on September 4, 1931, in Chicago. Her parents were steeped in the arts, with her father, Henry, being a Hungarian-born cellist and conductor, and her mother, Pauline, a dancer.
The family moved to Detroit when Gaynor was three and then to Southern California when she was 11, where she joined the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera at the age of 13. It was there that she caught the attention of executives from 20th Century Fox, which eventually led to her first film role in My Blue Heaven (1950), a musical drama starring Betty Grable and Dan Dailey.
Over the next decade, Gaynor appeared in several musicals, including Golden Girl (1951), Bloodhounds of Broadway (1952), and The I Don’t Care Girl (1953), a biopic about vaudeville star Eva Tanguay. One of her most famous early roles was in the ensemble musical There’s No Business Like Show Business (1954), where she starred alongside screen legends Ethel Merman, Donald O’Connor, and Marilyn Monroe. She also worked with Bing Crosby in Anything Goes (1956) and Gene Kelly in Les Girls (1957).
While her career in Hollywood was cut short, Gaynor never lost her place in the spotlight. She maintained a positive attitude about her journey through the entertainment industry. In a 2013 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, she reflected on Marilyn Monroe’s fame, saying, “I had more talent. I could do more things.” However, Gaynor acknowledged, “I wasn’t — sexy.” Her humility and humor shone through her interviews, making her a beloved figure even in her later years.
Her marriage to Jack Bean, an agent at MCA, lasted from 1954 until his death in 2006. Bean also managed Gaynor’s career, but not without a few missteps. Early in their marriage, George Abbott offered Gaynor the role of Lola in the Broadway musical “Damn Yankees.” However, Bean had already committed her to a four-film contract in Hollywood, leading the role to go to Gwen Verdon, who won a Tony Award for her performance. Gaynor, though, forgave Bean, and while she never made it to Broadway, she continued to thrive on stage and screen.
Even in her later years, Gaynor stayed connected to show business. She made her New York nightclub debut at 78, performing Razzle Dazzle! My Life Behind the Sequins at Feinstein’s Cabaret in 2010. Her infectious energy and timeless grace made her a favorite of audiences and interviewers alike.
Reflecting on her long career, Gaynor once said, “Just think about how lucky I am.” Indeed, Mitzi Gaynor’s legacy as a multi-talented performer who embraced every stage of her career with joy and optimism will live on in Hollywood history.
