Biography
When so inclined, entertainer Mitzi Gaynor has claimed to be descended from Hungarian nobility; on these occasions, she has stated that her real name is Francesca Mitzi von Gerber, rather than merely Gerber. The daughter of a ballerina, Gaynor made her own terpsichorean debut when she was barely a toddler; by age 12, she had joined the dancing chorus of the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera. In 1950, Gaynor was signed by 20th Century Fox as yet another potential
Betty Grable replacement. She sang and danced her way quite prettily through such Technicolor confections as
Golden Girl (1951, as Lotta Crabtree),
Bloodhounds of Broadway (1952), and
There's No Business Like Show Business (1954). Unfortunately, her films were not sufficiently successful to warrant renewal of her contract after 1954.
After being dropped by Fox, Gaynor married talent agent Jack Bean, who wisely perceived that his new bride was a far more effective performer on a live stage rather than a cold movie set. Gaynor co-starred with
Bing Crosby and
Donald O'Connor in
Anything Goes (1956), with
George Gobel and
David Niven in
The Birds and the Bees (1956), and with
Frank Sinatra in
The Joker Is Wild (1957). Her best work during this period was while on loan to MGM for
George Cukor's
Les Girls (1957), in which she shared star billing with
Gene Kelly,
Kay Kendall, and
Taina Elg. In 1957, Gaynor was tapped for the plum role of Nellie Forbush in
Joshua Logan's film version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's
South Pacific (1958). Except for a few scattered appearances in such modest comedies as
Happy Anniversary (1959) and
Surprise Package (1960), Gaynor's film career was over. Happily, Mitzi Gaynor continued to be a major draw on the nightclub and summer-musical circuit, and for several years in the 1960s and 1970s she headlined a top-rated annual TV special. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide