Celebrating Mitzi Gaynor By Greg Schreiner
Celebrating Mitzi Gaynor
By Greg Schreiner
Mitzi Gaynor celebrates her birthday this month, on September 4th , and what better way honor her than to show her in one of her most fantastic costumes. Mitzi is known ,of course, for her wonderful movies, including “South Pacific”, “The Birds and the Bees”, “Les Girls” and “There’s No Business Like Show Business”.
She was also known for your spectacular TV specials which featured her wearing incredible costumes designed by Bob Mackie. This amazing costume was created by Mr. Mackie for a number in Mitzi’s special in 1969 called “Hello Charlotte” which was a takeoff on “Gone With the Wind”. In it, Ross Martin ,of “The Wild Wild West” fame, impersonates Clark Gable and Mitzi appears in this daring Southern Belle costume to entice him. Needless to say, the costume seems to be missing some important parts and, as intended, shows off beautifully Mitzi’s fabulous figure. The costume is made with such care and features a bodice of sparkling fuchsia fabric and a hoop skirt covered with lace and studded with jewels. When I purchased this costume, the fuchsia ostrich feathers had been removed from the hoop skirt and the hat and arm bands were also missing. Thanks to the brilliant work of seamster, Chuck Marsoe, I was able to create the missing hat and arm bands. And a wonderful feather store in Georgia was able to recreate the fuchsia feathers for me to sew on again. Now this treasure has a chance to live again through Hollywood Revisited.
Please visit Hollywood Revisited - A Tribute in Costume and Song
I own a huge collection of over 500 movie costumes worn by the great stars of the golden age Hollywood and have been asked to feature something special befitting the month of September. I also utilize my costumes in a show, Hollywood Revisited (www.hollywoodrevisited.com).
Photos of costumes above courtesy of Greg Schreiner. Greg Schreiner is the pianist, narrator and producer of Hollywood Revisited. He has appeared on numerous television programs including AMC's Hollywood Fashion Machine, A&E's The Incurable Collector, Entertainment Tonight, Hard Copy and The Montel Williams Show. All have featured various movie costumes from his vast personal collection. Some of these costumes are on display at the new Hollywood Museum in Hollywood, California. Mr. Schreiner serves on the piano faculty at Cerritos College and Santa Monica College, has several recordings in release and was composer/performer for the educational television series Masters of the Silent Screen. Greg also is an active participant in the music community of Southern California as the accompanist for the Mansfield Chamber Singers of Beverly Hills. He is also the president of Marilyn Remembered, a club devoted to preserving the memory of Marilyn Monroe. Greg Schreiner is truly a renaissance man!
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