The great Mitzi Gaynor of “South Pacific” fame and star of annual television spectaculars has died at age 93

I had a big ol’ crush on Mitzi Gaynor, the legendary star of South Pacific.

Miss Gaynor, whose other films include Les Girls and There’s No Business Like Show Business, died today at the age of 93.

Her entertainment career spanned eight decades across film, television and the stage, and appeared in several other notable films including We’re Not Married! and There’s No Business Like Show Business. But the most glorious showcases of her magnificent talents were annual CBS television specials that were dazzling and were the subject of the 2008 documentary Mitzi Gaynor: Razzle Dazzle! The Special Years. She also became a mainstay in Las Vegas for several years, performing in weeks-long residencies for over a decade, notably at the Flamingo Hotel and the Riviera Hotel.

I’d had a few encounters with the charming Miss Gaynor over the years including in 2009 at the LA Tony Award Party. I’ll never forget it. I was sort of staring at her after we finished an interview but not in a way that I wanted her to notice.

She gives me a sideways glance and says: “You’re checking me out aren’t you!”

It was so funny! And great. She is great.

We had previously done interview to promote the DVD release of all of her dazzling TV specials from the 60s and 70s which were highly-anticipated annual events.

Here are some numbers from her films and TV specials.

She will never be forgotten!