Mitzi Gaynor, renowned for her work in Hollywood musicals, died at the age of 93. Her management team confirmed her demise in a statement on X on Thursday, October 17. The South Pacific actress was married to her manager, Jack Bean, from 1954 to 2006, when the latter passed away. They had no children.
According to the statement, the singer cum dancer “passed away peacefully today of natural causes.” Most known as Ensign Nellie Forbush in South Pacific, the role gave Gaynor, born Francesca Marlene de Czanyi von Gerber, a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical at the 1959 awards.
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Mitzi Gaynor was married to Jack Bean from 1952
Mitzi Gaynor married Jack Bean in San Francisco on November 18, 1954. The latter served as a talent agent and public relations executive for MCA at the time. They lived in Beverly Hills, California. The couple never had any children.
Not long after they got hitched, Bean decided to quit MCA and start his publicity firm, Bean & Rose. It was then that he began managing Mitzi Gaynor's career.
In speaking about her married life, she said to Closer in January 2024,
"I think it’s hard to say there’s one secret recipe for a happy marriage. Every marriage is different and has its ups and downs. We were married for 52 years. I knew Jack was in my corner, and he knew that I was in his. He was my champion."
Mitzi was a "glorious human being," a statement from her management team reads
The statement from Mitzi's management team, i.e. Rene Reyes and Shane Rosamonda, added that the actress, whose career spanned eight decades, "enjoyed every moment of her professional career and the great privilege of being an entertainer." The statement continued, reflecting on her personality and life:
"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!"
"As we celebrate her legacy, we offer our thanks to her friends and fans and the countless audiences she entertained throughout her long life. 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."
The letter concluded:
"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."
More about Mitzi Gaynor's life
Mitzi Gaynor was born in Chicago on September 4, 1931. Creativity ran in her blood, given that her father was a violinist, cellist, and music director, while her mother was a dancer. Gaynor entered Hollywood at the age of 11, and by 13, she began a stint with the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera Company.
By the age of 17, she nabbed a contract with Twentieth Century Fox. During her seven-year tenure, she employed all her talents for several musical films. In speaking about how she knew she wanted to perform, Gaynor said to Closer in January 2024:
"When I was 9 years old, my mother and auntie took me to see Carmen Miranda in the stage revue The Streets of Paris. I was mesmerized! I remember telling my mother, ‘I can do that. I want to do that.’ From that moment on, everything became about making ‘Tootie’ — my childhood nickname — a star. I began to study dance, ballet to be specific, and by age 11, I was performing in shows in the Los Angeles area.”
Mitzi Gaynor stepped into the world of film with a supporting role in the musical My Blue Heaven, which came out in 1950. The following year, she was in Take Care of My Little Girl. Not long after, she starred in the 1951 musical Golden Girl.
However, her most famous role to date is arguably in the 1954’s There's No Business Like Show Business, where she starred alongside giants like Ethel Merman, Marilyn Monroe, and Donald O'Connor. In speaking about her co-stars, Mitzi Gaynor told Closer,
"My costars Ethel Merman and Donald O’Connor became lifelong friends. Donald and I worked so well together. He could do anything and do it well. I wish we’d made more films together.”
The last film that saw Mitzi Gaynor star was in 1963, in For Love or Money with Kirk Douglas. After that, she began expanding her television career, having produced Emmy-nominated specials between 1967 and 1978.
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