Mitzi Gaynor, Star of ‘South Pacific,’ Dies at 93

Mitzi Gaynor

LOS ANGELES – Mitzi Gaynor, the vivacious dancer and actress known for her role as Nellie Forbush in the 1958 film adaptation of “South Pacific” and her appearances in musicals alongside Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Gene Kelly, has passed away. She was 93 years old.

Gaynor, one of the last remaining figures from the so-called golden age of entertainment, died of natural causes in Los Angeles on Thursday morning. Her long-time managers, Rene Reyes and Shane Rosamonda, confirmed the news in a statement to The Associated Press.

“As we celebrate her legacy, we offer our thanks to her friends and fans and the countless audiences she entertained throughout her long life,” Reyes and Rosamonda stated jointly. “Your love, support and appreciation meant so very much to her and was a sustaining gift in her life.”

Her career in entertainment spanned eight decades across film, television, and theater. She appeared in several notable films, including “We’re Not Married!” and “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” but she is best remembered for her performance in “South Pacific.”

The film adaptation of “South Pacific” received three Academy Award nominations, winning for best sound. Gaynor was nominated for a Golden Globe for best actress for her role in the film.

The role of the lovesick nurse Nellie, originally created on Broadway by Mary Martin, had been highly sought after by Hollywood stars. Sinatra helped Gaynor secure the role.

She was starring with Sinatra in “The Joker Is Wild” when she had a one-day opportunity to audition for lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II. It was the same day she was scheduled for her biggest scene with Sinatra. When she explained her dilemma, he told her, “Don’t worry, I’ll change the schedule.”

Hammerstein was impressed with Gaynor, who had already gained the approval of director Josh Logan and composer Richard Rodgers. She was cast opposite Rossano Brazzi, about whom she sang “I’m in Love with a Wonderful Guy.”

“South Pacific” did not become the turning point in Gaynor’s career that she had hoped for. She shifted her focus from film to television, making early appearances on Donald O’Connor’s variety series “Here Comes Donald,” and on CBS’ “The Jack Benny Hour.” In October of 1959, she was the sole female guest star alongside Sinatra, Crosby, Dean Martin, and Jimmy Durante on ABC’s “The Frank Sinatra Timex Show” special.

Later in her career, Gaynor reinvented herself as a performing entertainer. Working with her husband and manager, Jack Bean, she starred in her own musical revue that became a major attraction in theaters across the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Australia.

Gaynor became a fixture in Las Vegas for several years, performing in weeks-long residencies for over a decade, notably at the Flamingo Hotel and the Riviera Hotel.

When touring with a full orchestra, a corps of dancers, and backstage personnel became too cumbersome and expensive, Gaynor streamlined the production, eventually transforming it into a one-woman show. They continued touring annually until 2002 when Bean’s illness necessitated a hiatus.

“I love touring; I’ve been doing it much of my life,” Gaynor said in a 2003 interview. “We go back to the same places; it’s like visiting friends. After the show, people come backstage to the dressing room, and we renew friendships. We send out almost 3,000 Christmas cards every year.”

“Off stage, she was a vibrant and extraordinary woman, a caring and loyal friend, and a warm, gracious, very funny and altogether glorious human being. And she could cook, too!” the statement from Rosamonda and Reyes stated, referencing a song from the musical “On the Town” that Gaynor sang in one of her revue shows.

Gaynor also starred in several television variety specials, including “Mitzi…Zings Into Springs” and “Mitzi…Roarin’ in the 20’s.” Many of the specials received nominations for Emmy Awards, with wins for choreography, lighting, art design, and costume design, the last of which was awarded to Gaynor’s longtime collaborator, . The specials were the subject of the 2008 documentary “Mitzi Gaynor: Razzle Dazzle! The Special Years.”

Born Francesca Marlene de Czanyi von Gerber (Mitzi is diminutive for Marlene) in Chicago on Sept. 4, 1931, she was part of a musically inclined family and began singing and dancing at a young age.

In a 2003 AP interview, Gaynor said she has a clear memory of her stage debut. She had been taking ballet and tap lessons, and at age 7, she was scheduled for a tap routine at the dance school recital. She had neglected to use the bathroom, and when she faced the audience, a puddle formed on the stage.

“I ran kicking and screaming off the stage,” she recalls. “But I got huge applause. So I dried off and put some lipstick on. After the next girl did a hula with batons and slipped on the wet floor, I went out and said, ‘I’m OK now. Can I do it?’ And I got cheers!”

Gaynor and Bean married in 1954 and in 1960 bought a spacious house in Beverly Hills that became their home until his death in 2006. They rarely appeared at Hollywood events, preferring to entertain a few close friends. The couple had no children.