biography

Francesca Marlene de Czanyi von Gerber (September 4, 1931 – October 17, 2024), known professionally as Mitzi Gaynor, was an American actress, singer, and dancer of Hungarian descent. A leading lady of light musicals, the bright-eyed star is best remembered for South Pacific (1958) – for which she earned a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical. She also hosted a string of successful annual musical TV specials in the late 1960s and early 1970s. She was added as a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960.