Reflecting upon the remarkable life of Debbie Reynolds, a woman whose journey mirrors the very glitz and glamour of Hollywood itself, I am left in awe and inspired by her resilience, talent, and indomitable spirit. Born to a family of artists in Chicago, she danced her way through adversity, transforming every challenge into an opportunity for growth and success.
The vivacious and attractive performer, Mitzi Gaynor, known for her long legs, passed away at the age of 93. Famous for her roles in films like South Pacific, on stages in Las Vegas, and in special TV programs, her charm and blonde beauty illuminated the screen.
On February 16, 1964, Gaynor, who shared the spotlight with The Beatles on ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’, and was Bob Mackie’s inaugural celebrity client as a renowned costume designer, passed away peacefully on October 17 due to natural causes, her representatives confirmed in an official statement.
In honor of her remarkable life, we express our gratitude to her friends, followers, and all those she enthralled during her lengthy career,” Rene Reyes and Shane Rosamonda from Gaynor’s management team stated on her X platform (previously known as Twitter.)
Her affection for you, your encouragement, and your admiration held significant importance to her and served as a vital source of strength during her journey. Frequently, she would refer to her fans as ‘the radiance that illuminates my life.’ Indeed, you embodied this sentiment. It brings us solace to acknowledge that Mitzi’s artistic influence will persist through the numerous enchanting performances immortalized on film and video, her recordings, but above all, through the affection and support her global audience has showered upon her throughout her life and career. Let us remember Mitzi in our thoughts and prayers.
— Mitzi Gaynor (@TheMitziGaynor) October 17, 2024
With her warm hazel eyes, bouncy curls, and energetic performances in singing and dancing, the spirited Gaynor was a standout figure in films such as “My Blue Heaven” (1950), alongside Betty Grable and Dan Dailey; she also shone in Irving Berlin’s “There’s No Business Like Show Business” (1954) opposite Ethel Merman, and later became the successor of Marilyn Monroe at 20th Century Fox. Additionally, Gaynor graced the screen in the Cole Porter MGM musical “Les Girls” (1957), alongside Gene Kelly.
Additionally, Gaynor appeared in the films “Anything Goes” from 1956 alongside Bing Crosby and Donald O’Connor, “The Joker Is Wild” in 1957 featuring Frank Sinatra, and “Happy Anniversary” in 1959 with David Niven and Patty Duke.
1957 saw Gaynor contending fiercely to secure the part of Navy nurse Nellie Forbush in Joshua Logan’s rendition of the much-anticipated screen adaptation of the hit Broadway musical, South Pacific, by Rodgers & Hammerstein.
In 2013, she shared with Michael Phillips from the Chicago Tribune that she was simultaneously filming ‘The Joker Is Wild’ alongside Frank Sinatra, and received a call for an audition at the ballroom of the Beverly Hills Hotel for ‘South Pacific.’ During the audition, she sang ‘Honey Bun,’ ‘A Cockeyed Optimist,’ nearly everything except stripping.
“Oscar’s way, way at the other side of the ballroom. Why? I don’t know. But he walked over afterward. … You know when you do good? You feel like, ‘Well, at least I didn’t make a fool of myself.’ Oscar took my hand and said: ‘Thank you very much, Miss Gaynor. You’ve been a wonderful sport.”
In the 1958 film, she notably performed songs such as “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair” and “Some Enchanted Evening,” which was an enchanting World War II-themed musical. This movie ended up being the third highest-grossing film of the year ($17.5 million, equivalent to $147 million today). Additionally, she received a nomination for a Golden Globe in the best actress (comedy or musical) category.
In the year 1960, I graced the silver screen for the last time in Stanley Donen’s musical comedy, “Surprise Package,” where I shared the limelight with Yul Brenner. As the Hollywood musical started to lose its shine, I decided to hang up my acting boots after one final flick, “For Love or Money,” starring the legendary Kirk Douglas. At that time, I was barely in my 30s.
In a 2012 interview with the TV Academy Foundation, she stated that the film industry no longer had roles suitable for her. She compared herself to Marilyn Monroe, who once played musical roles at Fox, and felt she wouldn’t be part of productions like ‘My Fair Lady’ or singing ‘The Hills Are Alive With the Sound of Music,’ because there were no opportunities left for her.
Alongside her spouse or manager Jack Bean, she strategically set her sights on Las Vegas. Clad in shimmering Mackie costumes and accompanied by an attractive troupe of male dancers, she started performing music, dance routines, and telling jokes in Las Vegas as early as 1961. Over time, she even managed to secure a share in the Flamingo Hotel.
Following what was referred to as a “provocative” 13-minute performance of hers on the Sullivan show, she was announced as “Hollywood’s Mitzi Gaynor!!!”. It was during this show, which was broadcast from a Miami hotel and watched by approximately 70 million viewers, that the Beatles requested her autograph. Prior to the live airing, they had also asked to borrow her hair dryer during rehearsals. A week prior, Sullivan had introduced the Beatles to America for the first time.
In the year of 1968, it’s said that Mitzi was earning approximately $45,000 per week in Las Vegas. Notably, this was also the year when she made her debut on television with her first special titled “Mitzi” for NBC.
Five years on, she began hosting an annual series of six special programs for CBS. These included “Mitzi and a Hundred Guys”, “A Tribute to the American Housewife (Mitzi)”, “Mitzi… Springtime Blossoms”, and “Mitzi… What’s In Fashion, What’s Not”.
Gaynor often got offers to headline a weekly network variety show, but she always turned them down. Gene Kelly had once advised her, “Stick to special TV events.
After many years of television work, she ultimately received an Emmy award in the year 2008, for her PBS production titled “Mitzi Gaynor: Razzle Dazzle! The Special Years.
Francesca Marlene de Czanyi von Gerber was born in Chicago on the 4th of September, 1931. Her mother was a professional dancer, and her father was a skilled cellist. At the age of eight, she began taking dance lessons. Being an only child, she and her parents relocated from Chicago to Elgin, Illinois, then to Detroit, and eventually to Los Angeles when she was 11 years old, following her dance instructor’s lead.
When she was thirteen, going by the name Mitzi Gerber, she managed to persuade Edwin Lester, the head of the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera, that she was sixteen. This deception resulted in her securing a role in the musical “Song Without Words”.
Subsequently, she performed a dance routine within a humorous act during the West Coast presentation of Jerome Kern’s “Roberta,” featuring Tom Ewell. This opportunity paved the way for her to secure roles in traveling versions of “The Fortune Teller” (broadway-renamed as “Gypsy Lady”), “Song of Norway” where she made her debut as a speaking character, “Naughty Marietta” alongside Susanna Foster, and portraying Katie in the 1949 production of “The Great Waltz.
In “The Great Waltz,” she was noticed by a Fox producer, offered a contract by studio head Darryl F. Zanuck and had her surname transformed to Gaynor. In “My Blue Heaven,” she made an impact with her portrayal of several TV commercial spoofs within the movie.
The fox was preparing her for the role that Marilyn Monroe would eventually fill, and in quick succession, she appeared in several films. First, she starred in “Take Care of My Little Girl” (1951), a story about sororities, then “Golden Girl” (1951) set during the California Gold Rush. After that, she was in the comedy “We’re Not Married!” (1952) alongside Monroe, followed by “Bloodhounds of Broadway” (1952). Next, she starred in “Down Among the Sheltering Palms” (1953), “The I Don’t Care Girl” (1953), “Three Young Texans” (1954), and finally “The Birds and the Bees” (1956), which was a remake of “The Lady Eve.
1966 saw Gaynor crossing paths with costume designer Ray Aghayan during a Danny Thomas TV special. He presented her with a collection of designs he had created, which left her quite impressed. Eager to work with him for her upcoming performance, she found that Aghayan was preoccupied with Judy Garland at the time. However, Aghayan recommended his partner, Mackie, as an alternative. This kick-started a successful and enduring partnership between Gaynor and Mackie.
Gaynor frequently graced the stage at the Academy Awards, leaving audiences spellbound with her renditions of “The Moon Is Blue” alongside host O’Connor in 1954, a repeated performance of “There’s No Business Like Show Business” to fill time gaps in 1959, and “Georgy Girl” in 1967.
Gaynor disclosed that she went out with Howard Hughes for approximately eight months before ending the relationship when she turned 19. She mentioned that he implored her to become his wife, but she discovered that he had also proposed marriage to around 400 other women, as she stated. (She revealed that he suggested she purchase land in Las Vegas, which she did for $25 per acre and later sold it for a profit of two million dollars; she shared this information with Mo Rocca during an interview on CBS Sunday Morning in October 2019.)
In September of 2022, she was honored with a Legacy Award at the Cinecon Classic Film Festival held in Hollywood.
She was wedded to Bean, who initially worked as a public relations officer at MCA, from 1954 till his passing in 2006.
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2024-10-17 18:25