Mitzi Gaynor

Mitzi Gaynor was born Francesca Marlene von Gerber in 1931. Her father was a Hungarian musician and her mother a ballroom dancer. Mitzi's parents toured the United States, giving performances in the evening and giving Mitzi dancing lessons by day. Apparently Mitzi was an accomplished dancer by the age of eleven. During her mid-teens, Edwin Lester signed her to dance with the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera. Mitzi appeared in revivals of musicals like "The Great Waltz" and "Roberta."

Eventually her work was noticed by 20th Century Fox who gave her a role in "My Blue Heaven" when Mitzi was still in her teens. For three years Mitzi was kept busy in small, undistinguished movies. Major movies followed. Here's a list:

For Love or Money (1963)
Surprise Package (1960)
Happy Anniversary (1959)
South Pacific (1958)
Les Girls (1957)
The Joker Is Wild (1957)
Anything Goes (1956)
The Birds and the Bees (1956)
There's No Business Like Show Business (1954)
Three Young Texans (1954)
Down Among the Sheltering Palms (1953
The I Don't Care Girl (1953)
Bloodhounds of Broadway (1952)
We're Not Married! (1952)
Golden Girl (1951)
Take Care of My Little Girl (1951)
My Blue Heaven (1950)
It's Your Health (1949)