Mitzi Gaynor, the renowned star of musical films, has passed away at the age of 93
She gained widespread recognition for her role in the 1958 film adaptation of "South Pacific." However, her time in Hollywood was relatively short-lived, leading her to redirect her career towards Las Vegas and television.
Mitzi Gaynor, the vivacious actress, singer, and dancer renowned for securing one of the most sought-after film roles of the mid-20th century as the female lead in "South Pacific," passed away on Thursday at her residence in Los Angeles. She was 93 years old.
Her representatives, Rene Reyes and Shane Rosamonda, have confirmed her passing.
Gaynor portrayed the character of Nellie Forbush, a Navy nurse during World War II and, as described in a song lyric, a "cockeyed optimist" in the acclaimed 1949 Broadway musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein. This role was originally created and popularized by Mary Martin. However, when the time came to cast the 1958 film adaptation of "South Pacific," some believed that Ms. Martin was too advanced in age (in her 40s) and perhaps too powerful a vocalist for any actor who would be cast alongside her, especially following the death of her Broadway co-star, Ezio Pinza.
Doris Day was among those considered for the role, and Mike Todd expressed a desire for his wife, Elizabeth Taylor, to take on the part. Ultimately, Ms. Gaynor was the sole candidate willing to participate in a screen test, a fact she reflected on years later, despite her established career, which included a dozen films, seven of which were musicals.
She was, in fact, filming "The Joker Is Wild" (1957), a musical drama featuring Frank Sinatra, when Oscar Hammerstein II visited the area and requested to hear her sing. Ms. Gaynor consistently acknowledged Sinatra's pivotal role in enabling her most famous performance, as he requested an alteration in the shooting schedule that allowed her a day off to audition.
The film "South Pacific" achieved significant commercial success, and Ms. Gaynor's portrayal alongside Rossano Brazzi garnered positive acclaim. Notably, she was the sole star of the film to perform her own vocalizations. However, she went on to appear in only three additional films, all of which were comedies devoid of musical elements; the final one, "For Love or Money," featuring Kirk Douglas, premiered in 1963. Subsequently, she shifted her focus to Las Vegas, where she headlined performances at prominent resorts for over ten years, as well as engaging in television work.
A particularly memorable moment in her television career occurred during her performance of the Oscar-nominated song “Georgy Girl” at the 1967 Academy Awards. This presentation featured intricate choreography, four male backup dancers dressed in white suits, and a dramatic costume change that included a striptease element. This performance paved the way for a decade of Emmy Award-winning variety specials, such as “Mitzi and a Hundred Guys” and “Mitzi Zings Into Spring.”
However, her most significant television experience may also have been her least successful. On February 16, 1964, Ms. Gaynor was the featured performer on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” She delivered a rendition of “It’s Too Darn Hot” along with a medley of blues songs, yet she was completely eclipsed by another act that evening: the Beatles, who were making their second appearance on American television. During a cast dinner afterward, she recounted that Paul McCartney requested her autograph.
Francesca Marlene de Czanyi von Gerber was born in Chicago on September 4, 1931, into a family deeply rooted in the entertainment industry. Her father, Henry, was a cellist and orchestra conductor of Hungarian descent, while her mother, Pauline (Fisher) von Gerber, was a dancer. When Frances, as she was affectionately called, was three years old, the family relocated to Detroit, and by the time she was eleven, they had moved to Southern California.
At the age of 13, she became a member of the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera. It was during one of the performances with this company that she caught the attention of executives from 20th Century Fox, who subsequently offered her a contract. Initially, she was known as Mitzi Gerber, with Mitzi being a diminutive of Marlene; however, studio officials requested that she adopt a new name, taking inspiration from the silent film actress Janet Gaynor.
Mitzi Gaynor made her film debut in "My Blue Heaven" (1950), a musical drama featuring Betty Grable and Dan Dailey.
Numerous musicals soon followed, such as “Golden Girl” (1951), “Bloodhounds of Broadway” (1952), and “The I Don’t Care Girl” (1953), which depicted the life of vaudeville star Eva Tanguay. She shared the screen with notable figures including Ethel Merman, Marilyn Monroe, Donald O’Connor, and Dan Dailey in “There’s No Business Like Show Business” (1954); collaborated with Donald O’Connor and Bing Crosby in “Anything Goes” (1956); and performed alongside Gene Kelly in “Les Girls” (1957).
In her later years, Ms. Gaynor spoke fondly of Marilyn Monroe, with whom she starred in the 1952 romantic comedy “We’re Not Married,” reflecting on the differences in their careers. “I had more talent. I could do more things,” she remarked with a touch of sweetness in a 2013 video interview with The Hollywood Reporter. However, she candidly admitted, “I wasn’t — sexy.”
When discussing her favorite male dancers, Ms. Gaynor frequently expressed that Donald O’Connor was the finest solo dancer she had ever collaborated with, while Gene Kelly stood out as her best partner.