Mitzi Gaynor

At a glance

Born 1931-09-04; died 2024-10-17.

Known as: singer, dancer, film actor, television actor, and stage actor. Citizenship: United States.

Listed as: human.

Who they were

Personal life and death Gaynor was married to Jack Bean from 1954 until his death in 2006; Bean was her manager. In 1960, they acquired the Beverly Hills home in which they lived until Bean's death. Gaynor and Bean had no children. [ 1 ] Gaynor died from natural causes in Los Angeles on October 17, 2024, at age 93. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] ^ a b Huamani, Kaitlyn; Thomas, Bob (October 17, 2024). "Mitzi Gaynor, star of 'South Pacific,' dies at 93" . Associated Press . Retrieved October 17, 2024 .

Francesca Marlene de Czanyi von Gerber, known professionally as Mitzi Gaynor, was an American actress, dancer and singer. Her notable films included We're Not Married! (1952), There's No Business Like Show Business (1954), The Birds and the Bees (1956), and South Pacific (1958) – for which she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical at the 1959 awards.

Early life

Educated at: Hollywood Professional School and Hollywood High School.

Early life Mitzi Gaynor was born Francesca Marlene de Czanyi von Gerber in Chicago on September 4, 1931, [ 1 ] to Henry de Czanyi von Gerber, a violinist, cellist, and music director of Hungarian descent, and his wife Pauline, a dancer. [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 5 ] By her father's second marriage, she became stepsister to antiwar activist Donald W. Duncan . [ 6 ] The family first moved to Elgin, Illinois , [ 7 ] then to Detroit , and later, when she was 11,

Path and career

Awards / honours: star on Hollywood Walk of Fame and Mary Pickford Award.

Career 20th Century Fox Gaynor signed a seven-year contract with 20th Century Fox at age 17. She sang, acted, and danced in a number of film musicals, often paired with some of the male musical stars of the day. A Fox Studio executive thought Mitzi Gerber sounded like the name of a delicatessen, so they came up with a name that used the same initials. [ 1 ] Gaynor made her film debut in the musical My Blue Heaven (1950); [ 2 ] Betty Grable and Dan Dailey starred and she had a supporting role.

Honors and legacy Gaynor in Photoplay 1956 For her contribution to the motion picture industry, Gaynor has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6288 Hollywood Boulevard. [ 1 ] Awards and recognition On October 14, 2006, the NY Alumni "adopted" Gaynor as an official "New Yorker" at Beverly Hills High School . New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg issued a proclamation paying tribute to her distinguished career as a singer, dancer, actress, and writer. [ 2 ] In 2007,

Why this date

Mitzi Gaynor appears on our October 17 calendar for 2024 as a death entry.