Mitzi Gaynor, the star of South Pacific and one of the last remaining icons of Hollywood’s golden age, has passed away at the age of 93.
As an actress, singer and dancer who became a star in the 1950s and 1960s, Gaynor was beloved for her vibrant personality, versatile talents and performances in musical films. The legendary triple threat entertainer was born as Francesca Marlene de Czanyi von Gerber on Sept. 4, 1931, in Chicago, Illinois.
Gaynor signed a contract with 20th Century Fox in the late 1940s, and her first film role was in My Blue Heaven (1950).
Throughout the 1950s, she starred in a string of successful musicals alongside Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly.
Gaynor’s most famous role is as “Ensign Nellie Forbush” in the film adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific (1958). Her performance earned critical praise, especially for her rendition of songs like “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair.”
The Hollywood Reporter has more on the blonde bombshell, whose later career was defined by performances on Las Vegas stages and TV specials, once a staple of entertainment:
Gaynor, who received top billing over The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show on Feb. 16, 1964, and was famed costume designer Bob Mackie‘s first celebrity client, died Oct. 17 of natural causes, her team announced in a statement.
“As we celebrate her legacy, we offer our thanks to her friends and fans and the countless audiences she entertained throughout her long life,” Rene Reyes and Shane Rosamonda of Gaynor’s MGMT team said in a statement shared on the entertainer’s X (formerly known as Twitter.)
“Your love, support and appreciation meant so very much to her and was a sustaining gift in her life. She often noted that her audiences were ‘the sunshine of my life.’ You truly were. We take great comfort in the fact that her creative legacy will endure through her many magical performances captured on film and video, through her recordings and especially through the love and support audiences around the world have shared so generously with her throughout her life and career. Please keep Mitzi in your thoughts and prayers.”
With her hazel eyes, tight curls and exuberant singing and dancing, the feisty Gaynor stood out in such movies as My Blue Heaven (1950) with Betty Grable and Dan Dailey; in Irving Berlin’s There’s No Business Like Show Business (1954), opposite Ethel Merman and Marilyn Monroe, her eventual successor at 20th Century Fox; and in the Cole Porter MGM musical Les Girls (1957) with Gene Kelly.
To this day, Gaynor is still celebrated as a trailblazing entertainer whose work continues to inspire lovers of musicals and classic film.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
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You were one of my all-time favorites, starting with the movie that started my movie watching, South Pacific. You were the biggest reason for the success of that original movie, you stood out amongst all the famous stars who were in it. RIP Mitzi, thank you for all the years you contributed to Americans love of cinema, there is no business like showbusiness. God Bless you, the purely gates are opening up for you as I write this.
See movie South Pacific on DVD or streaming