biography
Born Sari Gabor on February 6, 1917, in Budapest, Hungary (some sources cite 1916 and 1919 as her date of birth), actress Zsa Zsa Gabor was the second of
three daughters born to a Hungarian soldier and his much younger wife, Jolie. Along with sister Eva, Gabor began acting as a child, and by the time she
was a teenager she had considerable stage experience. An early marriage at age 20 to a much older man lasted just a few years; in 1941, Gabor followed
her sister Eva to the U.S. and left him behind. Instead of working on her acting career, the Gabor sisters became socialites in Hollywood, and Zsa Zsa
met and quickly married hotel king Conrad Hilton in 1942. The union lasted about five years and produced her only child, Francesca Hilton, born just
months before their 1947 divorce. 
Gabor married again in 1949, this time to actor George Sanders. After a few early television appearances on such game
shows as The Name's the Same and Place the Face and on variety shows including The Frank Sinatra Show, she made her film debut
in the musical Lovely to Look At (1952; with Kathryn Grayson and Red Skelton). In the 1950s Gabor's career began to eclipse that of Sanders,
and the couple divorced in 1954. Gabor remained single for eight years and stayed focused on her career until the early 1960s, acting in many
films including Moulin Rouge (1952; with Jose Ferrer), We're Not Married! (1952; with Ginger Rogers, Fred Allen, and Marilyn Monroe),
and Lili (1953; with Leslie Caron, Mel Ferrer, and Jean-Pierre Aumont). With the death of the studio system and musicals in the second half of the 1950s, Gabor's promising career began sliding, and soon she was acting in such B-movie fare as The Girl in the Kremlin (1957; with Lex Barker), The Man Who Wouldn't Talk (1958; with Anthony Quayle, and Queen of Outer Space (1958; with Eric Fleming and Paul Birch); the latter was a campy sci-fi film that, interestingly, is the film that Gabor is best known for. |
the films of zsa zsa gaborWe're Not Married! (1952)
As Eve Melrose in the 20th Century Fox comedy We're Not Married!Moulin Rouge (1952)
As Jane Avril in the MGM musical Moulin RougeLili (1953) 
Jean-Pierre Aumont portrays a magician who makes Zsa Zsa Gabor's clothes disappear in the MGM musical LiliThe Most Wanted Man (1953)
With Fernandel in the French comedy The Most Wanted ManThe Story of Three Loves (1953)
From the Warner Bros. romance The Story of Three Loves with Farley Granger3 Ring Circus (1954) 
LEFT: With Joanne Dru and Dean Martin in the comedy 3 Ring Circus, released by Paramount. RIGHT: Gabor puts the moves on Dean MartinDeath of a Scoundrel (1956)
With George Sanders in the RKO crime drama Death of a ScoundrelThe Girl in the Kremlin (1957)
From Universal-International's The Girl in the Kremlin with Lex BarkerCountry Music Holiday (1958)
Gabor portrays herself in the Paramount musical Country Music HolidayThe Man Who Wouldn't Talk (1958)
With Anthony Quayle in the British Lion crime drama The The Man Who Wouldn't TalkQueen of Outer Space (1958)  
From the campy Allied Artists science fiction film Queen of Outer Space, which has earned its place as a cult classic. LEFT: Astronaut Eric Fleming hooks up with Zsa Zsa Gabor. CENTER: With Paul Birch and Eric Fleming. RIGHT: Gabor as Talleah leads a revolt against the evil queenFor the First Time (1959)
With Mario Lanza in the MGM musical For the First Time. This film was released just a few weeks before Lanza's untimely deathArrivederci, Baby! (1966)
With Tony Curtis in the Paramount comedy crime caper Arrivederci, Baby!Picture Mommy Dead (1966)
From Bert I. Gordon's horror flick Picture Mommy Dead with Don AmecheJack of Diamonds (1967)
From the MGM crime drama Jack of DiamondsThe Mike Douglas Show (1961-1982 Syndicated TV Series)
Gabor served as co-host of The Mike Douglas Show for a week in October 1972Jack of Diamonds (1967)
From the MGM crime drama Jack of DiamondsThe Mike Douglas Show (1961-1982 Syndicated TV Series)
Gabor served as co-host of The Mike Douglas Show for a week in October 1972Dinah! (1974-1980 CBS TV Series)
From a 1977 appearance on Dinah! with Dinah Manoff, Lee Grant, Francesca Hilton, Diana Canova, Judy Canova, and Dinah Shorelater yearsBy the 1960s, Gabor's film career had been reduced to smaller roles and, in some cases, cameo appearances as herself. Yet she made up for it with numerous television appearances and a well-received Las Vegas act. Her film output during this period included Picture Mommy Dead (1966; with Don Ameche, Martha Hyer, and Susan Gordon) and Arrivederci, Baby! (1966; with Tony Curtis and Rosanna Schiaffino). Increasingly, rather than being known as an actress, Gabor was identified as the archetypal celebrity, and her public persona took over her career to such great effect that, from the 1970s onward, she often appeared in television series and films as herself.After a well-publicized run-in with a policeman in Beverly Hills in 1989, Gabor's career came to a close in the 1990s. A 2002 car accident compromised her health, and she had a stroke in 2005. During her final years, Gabor was very ill and on life support until her death on December 18, 2016 at age 99. Married a total of nine times, she was married to ninth husband Frederic von Anhalt for 30 years; he survived her. Her daughter, Francesca Hilton, died on January 5, 2015 at age 67. |
filmographyFILM
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