Mitzi Gaynor facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mitzi Gaynor
Gaynor, c. 1954
Born	Francesca Marlene de Czanyi von Gerber (1931-09-04)September 4, 1931 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died	October 17, 2024(2024-10-17) (aged 93) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress, dancer, entertainer
Years active	1949–2024
Known for	South Pacific There's No Business Like Show Business The Birds and the Bees We're Not Married!
Spouse(s)	Jack Bean ​ ​ (m. 1954; died 2006)​

Mitzi Gaynor, born Francesca Marlene de Czanyi von Gerber, was a famous American actress, singer, and dancer. She was born on September 4, 1931, and passed away on October 17, 2024. Mitzi Gaynor starred in many well-known movies, including We're Not Married! (1952), There's No Business Like Show Business (1954), and The Birds and the Bees (1956). Her most famous role was in South Pacific (1958), which earned her a nomination for a Golden Globe Award.

Early Life and Training

Mitzi Gaynor was born in Chicago, Illinois. Her father, Henry de Czanyi von Gerber, was a musician. Her mother, Pauline, was a dancer. When Mitzi was young, her family moved often, living in Elgin, Illinois, and Detroit. When she was 11, they moved to Hollywood.

Mitzi started training as a ballerina when she was a child. She began her career dancing in a group called the corps de ballet. By age 13, she was already singing and dancing with the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera company. She even stretched the truth about her address so she could attend Le Conte Junior High in Hollywood.

A Star is Born: Her Career

Starting at 20th Century Fox

When Mitzi Gaynor was 17, she signed a seven-year contract with Twentieth Century-Fox, a big movie studio. She sang, acted, and danced in many movie musicals. She often performed alongside popular male stars of that time. A studio executive thought her birth name, Mitzi Gerber, sounded like a food shop. So, they gave her the stage name Mitzi Gaynor, keeping the same first letters.

Mitzi's first movie was the musical My Blue Heaven (1950). She had a supporting role, while Betty Grable and Dan Dailey were the main stars. Next, she appeared in a college drama called Take Care of My Little Girl (1951). In this film, she played the roommate of Jeanne Crain.

Becoming a Movie Star

Mitzi Gaynor in There's No Business Like Show Business (1954)

After her early roles, Fox gave Mitzi Gaynor a starring part. She played Lotta Crabtree in the musical movie Golden Girl (1951). This movie was quite successful. Mitzi was one of several stars in the comedy We're Not Married! (1952). Then, she was the top-billed star in the musical Bloodhounds of Broadway (1952).

She also starred as Eva Tanguay in The I Don't Care Girl (1952). Mitzi Gaynor then played a South Sea island girl in Down Among the Sheltering Palms (1953). She was the main female lead in Three Young Texans (1954). Mitzi's most popular film while at Fox was Irving Berlin's There's No Business Like Show Business (1954). She shared the screen with many famous actors like Ethel Merman and Marilyn Monroe.

Marriage to Jack Bean

Mitzi Gaynor with her husband Jack Bean, around 1955

Mitzi Gaynor married Jack Bean on November 18, 1954, in San Francisco. Jack was a talent agent and public relations executive. Their home was in Beverly Hills, California. Mitzi had just finished her contract with Twentieth Century-Fox. Since she had some time off, she decided to get married. They did not have any children. After they married, Jack Bean left his job and started his own company. He then managed Mitzi's career.

Working with Paramount and MGM

In 1956, Mitzi Gaynor appeared in the Paramount movie Anything Goes. She co-starred with Bing Crosby and Donald O'Connor. Paramount also cast her in The Birds and the Bees (1956). Her third film for Paramount was The Joker Is Wild (1957), where she played the main female role alongside Frank Sinatra. In 1957, Mitzi also appeared in MGM's Les Girls, directed by George Cukor, with Gene Kelly.

South Pacific and Beyond

Mitzi Gaynor became internationally famous for her starring role as Ensign Nellie Forbush in the movie South Pacific. This film was based on the popular musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein. Her performance earned her a nomination for a Golden Globe Award in 1959.

After South Pacific, Mitzi starred in Happy Anniversary (1959) with David Niven. She also appeared in the British movie Surprise Package (1960), a musical comedy. Her co-stars were Yul Brynner and Noël Coward. Mitzi sang and danced a duet with Noël Coward in this film. Her last movie role during this period was For Love or Money (1963), starring Kirk Douglas.

Later Career and Television Specials

Gaynor with Johnnie Ray in 1954

After her film career, Mitzi Gaynor performed in other ways. She appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 16, 1964, performing between two sets by The Beatles. She sang "Too Darn Hot" and a blues medley. At the 1967 Academy Awards ceremony, she sang the theme song from the movie Georgy Girl.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Mitzi starred in nine television specials. These shows were very popular and received 16 Emmy nominations. During her time performing in nightclubs, Mitzi would practice her routines at a club in Vancouver, Canada. She loved the city and often appeared on local TV. "Mitzi's back in town" became a yearly saying when she visited Vancouver to prepare her Las Vegas shows.

Mitzi Gaynor recorded two albums for the Verve Records label. She is believed to have earned more money from the South Pacific soundtrack album than from her salary for the movie itself. For many years, Mitzi performed regularly in Las Vegas and at concert venues across the United States and Canada. In the 1990s, she also wrote columns for The Hollywood Reporter magazine.

On December 4, 2006, Jack Bean, Mitzi's husband of 52 years, passed away at age 84. In 2008, a documentary called Mitzi Gaynor Razzle Dazzle: The Special Years was released. This film celebrated her TV specials from the 1960s and 1970s. It included parts of her original shows and new interviews with her friends and colleagues. Mitzi also toured the United States and Vancouver with her one-woman show, Razzle Dazzle: My Life Behind the Sequins, from 2009 to 2014.

Personal Life

Mitzi Gaynor was married to Jack Bean from 1954 until his death in 2006. Jack also worked as her manager. In 1960, they bought a home in Beverly Hills, California, where they lived until Jack passed away. Mitzi and Jack did not have any children.

Mitzi Gaynor passed away in Los Angeles on October 17, 2024, at the age of 93.

Awards and Recognition

Mitzi Gaynor has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6288 Hollywood Boulevard. This star honors her contributions to the movie industry.

In 2006, the NY Alumni group made Mitzi an "official New Yorker." The mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, honored her for her amazing career as a singer, dancer, actress, and writer. In 2007, the Museum of Television & Radio in Los Angeles held a special evening to celebrate her television specials. The event included a screening and a discussion with Mitzi and her costume designer, Bob Mackie. The museum also displayed Bob Mackie's Emmy-winning costumes from her specials.

Mitzi Gaynor received many other awards throughout her life. In 2009, she was honored with the Boston Youth Moves lifetime achievement award. She also received Chapman University's lifetime achievement in the arts award. In 2010, she won the Bob Harrington Lifetime Achievement Award. That same year, she won an Emmy Award for her public television documentary, Mitzi Gaynor: Razzle Dazzle! The Special Years. In 2016, she received the first-ever Legend Award from the Dizzy Feet Foundation. In 2017, Mitzi Gaynor was inducted into the Great American Songbook Hall of Fame. This honor celebrates artists who helped create the "soundtrack of our lives" through American popular song.

Television Specials

Mitzi Gaynor starred in many popular television specials. Her first special, Mitzi, aired on October 14, 1968. In shows like Mitzi – The First Time and Mitzi ... Zings into Spring, she showed off her amazing talents. These were the same talents she used in her theater performances, movies like There's No Business Like Show Business and South Pacific, and her live concerts.

List of Television Specials

• The Kraft Music Hall: The Mitzi Gaynor Christmas Show (1967) (NBC)
• Mitzi (1968) (NBC)
• Mitzi's 2nd Special (1969) (NBC)
• Mitzi...The First Time (1973) (CBS)
• Mitzi...A Tribute to the American Housewife (1974) (CBS)
• Mitzi...and a Hundred Guys (1975) (CBS)
• Mitzi...Roarin' In the 20's (1976) (CBS)
• Mitzi...Zings Into Spring (1977) (CBS)
• Mitzi...What's Hot, What's Not (1978) (CBS)
• Mitzi Gaynor: Razzle Dazzle! The Special Years (2008) (PBS)

Filmography

Images for kids

• 

  Gaynor in Photoplay 1956

See also

In Spanish: Mitzi Gaynor para niños