Film musical legend Mitzi Gaynor dies at the age of 93

Obituaries

Film musical legend Mitzi Gaynor dies at the age of 93

The singer, dancer and actor dominated Hollywood musicals in the 1950s, including film adaptations of South Pacific And Everything is possible.

Film music legend Mitzi Gaynor died on October 17th at the age of 93. The news was shared by the artist’s management team, Rene Reyes and Shane Rosamonda, via a social media post.

“As we celebrate her legacy, we thank her friends and fans and the countless viewers she entertained throughout her long life,” Reyes and Rosamonda’s statement read. “Their love, support and appreciation meant a lot to her and was a lasting gift in her life. She often remarked that her audience was “the sunshine of my life.” You really were.”

Born Francesca Marlene de Czanyi von Gerber in Chicago on September 4, 1931, Ms. Gaynor trained as a ballerina in her childhood and later performed with the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera after moving to Hollywood at age 11. At 17, the Illinois native was accepted into ballet under contract with 20th Century Fox, where she adopted the name she would use throughout her professional life – she had already adopted Mitzi as Marlene’s nickname, and a studio executive reportedly suggested it , replacing Gaynor for Gerber. She made her film debut with a supporting role in My blue sky in 1950, and the following year she took on her first leading role Golden Girl.

Ms. Gaynor quickly starred in a number of film musicals, including the 1952 biography of Eva Tanguay The girl I don’t care about and 1954s There’s no business like show business. In 1956 she starred in a remake of “Broadway.” Everything is possible which deviated largely from the stage version but included many songs by Cole Porter; Ms. Gaynor memorably sang the title number. She celebrated her greatest success in 1958 with the film adaptation of “Rodgers and Hammerstein”. South Pacificwith Ensign Nellie Forbush. Ms. Gaynor was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance.

“I was the one,” Ms. Gaynor told Playbill about her role in the film South Pacific film in 2008, shortly after we saw the Tony Award-winning revival of the musical at the Lincoln Center Theater. “I had that [theatre] Experience. That was important – and I could sing in the same keys that Mary Martin sang in.” Of the stage revival, Ms Gaynor said: “I wish our film was as good.”…It’s a fabulous production!”

Ms. Gaynor’s last film, For love or moneywas released in 1963, after which it focused more on TV variety specials and nightclub acts. Her nine primetime television specials received 17 Emmy nominations.

Although Ms. Gaynor would never make it to Broadway, she returned to the stage in the late ’80s, starring as Reno Sweeney in the Lincoln Center Theater’s national tour Everything is possible Revival.

Ms. Gaynor married talent agent Jack Bean in 1954, a marriage that lasted until Bean’s death in 2006. Bean served as her manager for most of her career. The couple never had children.