Mitzi Gaynor
![Mitzi Gaynor](https://prod-images.tcm.com/Master-Profile-Images/MitziGaynor.jpg)
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Biography
This blonde dancer and light actress appeared in Hollywood musicals beginning in the early 1950s. Among her more notable efforts were "There's No Business Like Show Business" (1954), the 1956 remake of "Anything Goes," with Bing Crosby and Donald O'Connor, and "Les Girls" (1957), opposite Gene Kelly. Gaynor had two outstandig screen roles: as a girlfriend of nightclub comedian Joe E Lewis (played by Frank Sinatra) in "The Joker Is Wild" (1957) and as Nellie Forbush in the the screen version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "South Pacific" (1958).
Beginning in the late 1950s, Gaynor began to appear on various variety series, eventually headlining her own NBC special in 1968, "Mitzi." Between 1973 and 1978, she appeared annually on CBS in a series of high-concept, entertaining variety specials.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Music (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Life Events
1942
Member of the corps de ballet of the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera
1946
Toured in "Song of Norway"
1949
Breakthrough stage role in the San Francisco stage production of "The Great Waltz"
1950
Feature film debut, "My Blue Heaven"; adopted stage name of Mitzi Gaynor
1951
Cast as Lotta Crabtree in the musical biography "Golden Girl"
1954
Portrayed Eva Tanguay in the fictional biopic "The 'I Don't Care' Girl"
1956
Appeared opposite Bing Crosby in the remake of "Anything Goes"
1957
Supported Frank Sinatra as his neglected wife in "The Joker Is Wild"
1958
Starred in the feature version of the hit stage musical "South Pacific"
1963
Last film to date "For Love or Money"
1968
Headlined her first TV variety special, "Mitzi" (NBC)
1973
Began five year affiliation with CBS; first special, "Mitzi ... the First Time"
1978
Last variety special to date, "Mitzi ... What's Hot, What's Not"
1989
Played Reno Sweeney in national tour of "Anything Goes"
1992
Hosted "Comedy Classics" on the cable channel American Movie Classics (AMC)
Photo Collections
Videos
Movie Clip
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/v5cache/TCM/Images/Dynamic/i442/lesgirls_iveseenyoudance_FC_470x264_061420170403.jpg?w=400)
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/v5cache/TCM/Images/Dynamic/i442/lesgirls_whyamisogoneaboutthatgal_FC_470x264_061420170407.jpg?w=400)
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/v5cache/TCM/Images/Dynamic/i490/southpacific_imgonnawashthamanrightouttamyhair_FC_470x264_021220190541.jpg?w=400)
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/v5cache/TCM/Images/Dynamic/i490/southpacific1958_cockeyedoptimist_FC_470x264_021220190646.jpg?w=400)
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/v5cache/TCM/Images/Dynamic/i490/southpacific_nothinglikeadame_FC_470x264_021220190546.jpg?w=400)
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/v5cache/TCM/Images/Dynamic/i490/southpacific_openrodgersandhamerstein_FC_470x264_021220190545.jpg?w=400)
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/v5cache/TCM/Images/Dynamic/i447/theresnobusinesslikeshowbusiness_heatwave_FC_470x264_080120170621.jpg?w=400)
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/v5cache/TCM/Images/Dynamic/i342/forloveormoney_youandyourhelpless_vd_223x104_08142014103022.jpg?w=400)
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/v5cache/TCM/Images/Dynamic/i329/jokeriswild57_heinzandthetomato_vd_223x104_05082014023019.jpg?w=400)
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/v5cache/TCM/Images/Dynamic/i153/anythinggoes_titletune_vd_223x104_112220110448.jpg?w=400)
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/v5cache/TCM/Images/Dynamic/i153/anythinggoes_yourethetop_vd_223x104_112220110451.jpg?w=400)
Trailer
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/v5cache/TCM/Images/Dynamic/i20/SouthPacific_TR_188x141_111320031025.gif?w=400)
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/v5cache/TCM/Images/Dynamic/i310/jokeriswild_tr_223x104_12092013082523.jpg?w=400)
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/v5cache/TCM/Images/Dynamic/i245/lesgirls1957_tr_223x104_10232013064213.jpg?w=400)
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/v5cache/TCM/Images/Dynamic/i152/theresnobusinesslikeshowbusiness_tr_223x104_102820111137.jpg?w=400)
Family
Companions
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com//img/global/logo-AFI.png)