Eva Gabor
Encyclopedia
Eva Gabor was a Hungarian-born socialite
and actress. She was widely known for her role on Green Acres
as Lisa Douglas
, the wife of Eddie Albert
's character, Oliver Wendell Douglas
, Duchess in the 1970 Disney film The Aristocats
, and Miss Bianca in Disney
's The Rescuers
and The Rescuers Down Under
. Gabor had success as an actress in film, Broadway and television. Her elder sisters, Zsa Zsa Gabor
and Magda Gabor, were also actresses and socialites. She was also a successful businesswoman who marketed wigs and other beauty products.
, the last daughter of Vilmos Gábor (1884–1962), a soldier, and Jolie Gábor (died 1997), Eva was the first Gabor sister to emigrate to the United States. She moved with her first husband, a Swedish
osteopath, Dr. Eric Drimmer. Her first movie role was a bit part in Forced Landing
at Paramount Pictures
. She acted in movies and on the stage throughout the 1950s.
In 1965, Gabor began playing the role for which she is best-remembered, that of Lisa Douglas
, the spoiled urban hausfrau whose husband (Oliver Wendell Douglas
, played by Eddie Albert
), decides to buy and run a farm in the middle of nowhere, forcing her to leave her beloved New York City
, in the Paul Henning
sitcom
Green Acres
. The show ran for six seasons, ending in 1971.
In 1966, Gabor helped popularize the game Twister
when she got down on all fours to play with Johnny Carson
on The Tonight Show
. Previously, Twister had languished on the B-list of Milton Bradley
games, but after the broadcast, sales took off.
movies, providing the European-accented voices of Duchess in The Aristocats
, Miss Bianca in The Rescuers
and The Rescuers Down Under
, and the Queen of Time in the Sanrio
film, Nutcracker Fantasy
.
From 1983-84 she reunited with Albert on Broadway as Olga in You Can't Take It with You
.
All of the marriages were childless.
in Los Angeles, California
, following an accident in which she lost her balance and fell into her bathtub in Mexico
, where she had been on vacation.
Although the youngest of the three sisters, she was the first to die, Zsa Zsa
is still living. On April 1, 1997, her mother, Jolie, died, unaware of Eva's death. On June 6, 1997, her eldest sister Magda died from renal failure
.
in Westwood
, California. She is buried near Albert, who died on May 26, 2005, at the age of 99.
Socialite
A socialite is a person who participates in social activities and spends a significant amount of time entertaining and being entertained at fashionable upper-class events....
and actress. She was widely known for her role on Green Acres
Green Acres
Green Acres is an American television series starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as a couple who move from New York City to a country farm...
as Lisa Douglas
Lisa Douglas
Lisa Douglas was the leading female character in the 1960s CBS situation comedy Green Acres.Lisa , a glamorous Hungarian immigrant, was the wife of...
, the wife of Eddie Albert
Eddie Albert
Edward Albert Heimberger , known professionally as Eddie Albert, was an American actor and activist. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1954 for his performance in Roman Holiday, and in 1973 for The Heartbreak Kid.Other well-known screen roles of his include Bing...
's character, Oliver Wendell Douglas
Oliver Wendell Douglas
Oliver Wendell Douglas was the major character in the 1960s CBS situation comedy Green Acres. The character's name was inspired by famed Supreme Court justice Oliver Wendell Holmes and possibly also by then-Supreme Court justice William Orville Douglas....
, Duchess in the 1970 Disney film The Aristocats
The Aristocats
The Aristocats is a 1970 American animated feature produced and released by Walt Disney Productions in 1970 and stars Eva Gabor and Phil Harris, with Roddy Maude-Roxby as Edgar the butler, the villain of the story...
, and Miss Bianca in Disney
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
's The Rescuers
The Rescuers
The Rescuers is a 1977 American animated feature produced by Walt Disney Productions and first released on June 22, 1977. The 23rd film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film is about the Rescue Aid Society, an international mouse organization headquartered in New York and shadowing...
and The Rescuers Down Under
The Rescuers Down Under
The Rescuers Down Under is a 1990 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures and Buena Vista Distribution on November 16, 1990...
. Gabor had success as an actress in film, Broadway and television. Her elder sisters, Zsa Zsa Gabor
Zsa Zsa Gabor
Zsa Zsa Gabor is a Hungarian-born American stage, film and television actress.She acted on stage in Vienna, Austria, in 1932, and was crowned Miss Hungary in 1936. She emigrated to the United States in 1941 and became a sought-after actress with "European flair and style", with a personality that...
and Magda Gabor, were also actresses and socialites. She was also a successful businesswoman who marketed wigs and other beauty products.
Career
Born in BudapestBudapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, the last daughter of Vilmos Gábor (1884–1962), a soldier, and Jolie Gábor (died 1997), Eva was the first Gabor sister to emigrate to the United States. She moved with her first husband, a Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
osteopath, Dr. Eric Drimmer. Her first movie role was a bit part in Forced Landing
Forced Landing
Forced Landing is a 1941 film starring Richard Arlen, Eva Gabor , J. Carrol Naish, Nils Asther, and Evelyn Brent. The film was directed by Gordon Wiles, and distributed by Paramount Pictures....
at Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
. She acted in movies and on the stage throughout the 1950s.
In 1965, Gabor began playing the role for which she is best-remembered, that of Lisa Douglas
Lisa Douglas
Lisa Douglas was the leading female character in the 1960s CBS situation comedy Green Acres.Lisa , a glamorous Hungarian immigrant, was the wife of...
, the spoiled urban hausfrau whose husband (Oliver Wendell Douglas
Oliver Wendell Douglas
Oliver Wendell Douglas was the major character in the 1960s CBS situation comedy Green Acres. The character's name was inspired by famed Supreme Court justice Oliver Wendell Holmes and possibly also by then-Supreme Court justice William Orville Douglas....
, played by Eddie Albert
Eddie Albert
Edward Albert Heimberger , known professionally as Eddie Albert, was an American actor and activist. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1954 for his performance in Roman Holiday, and in 1973 for The Heartbreak Kid.Other well-known screen roles of his include Bing...
), decides to buy and run a farm in the middle of nowhere, forcing her to leave her beloved New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, in the Paul Henning
Paul Henning
Paul William Henning was an American producer and writer. Most famous for the successful TV sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies, he was crucial in the development of several "rural" comedies for CBS.-Early life:...
sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
Green Acres
Green Acres
Green Acres is an American television series starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as a couple who move from New York City to a country farm...
. The show ran for six seasons, ending in 1971.
In 1966, Gabor helped popularize the game Twister
Twister (game)
Twister is a game of physical skill produced by Hasbro Games. It is played on a large plastic mat that is spread on the floor or ground. The mat has four rows of large colored circles on it with a different color in each row: red, yellow, blue, and green. A spinner is attached to a square board...
when she got down on all fours to play with Johnny Carson
Johnny Carson
John William "Johnny" Carson was an American television host and comedian, known as host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for 30 years . Carson received six Emmy Awards including the Governor Award and a 1985 Peabody Award; he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987...
on The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
. Previously, Twister had languished on the B-list of Milton Bradley
Milton Bradley Company
The Milton Bradley Company is an American game company established by Milton Bradley in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1860. In 1920, it absorbed the game production of McLoughlin Brothers, formerly the largest game manufacturer in the United States, and in 1987, it purchased Selchow and Righter,...
games, but after the broadcast, sales took off.
Later years
Gabor did voice-over work for DisneyThe Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
movies, providing the European-accented voices of Duchess in The Aristocats
The Aristocats
The Aristocats is a 1970 American animated feature produced and released by Walt Disney Productions in 1970 and stars Eva Gabor and Phil Harris, with Roddy Maude-Roxby as Edgar the butler, the villain of the story...
, Miss Bianca in The Rescuers
The Rescuers
The Rescuers is a 1977 American animated feature produced by Walt Disney Productions and first released on June 22, 1977. The 23rd film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film is about the Rescue Aid Society, an international mouse organization headquartered in New York and shadowing...
and The Rescuers Down Under
The Rescuers Down Under
The Rescuers Down Under is a 1990 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures and Buena Vista Distribution on November 16, 1990...
, and the Queen of Time in the Sanrio
Sanrio
is a Japanese company that designs, licenses and produces products focusing on the kawaii segment of Japanese popular culture. Their products include stationery, school supplies, gifts and accessories that are sold worldwide and at specialty brand retail stores in Japan...
film, Nutcracker Fantasy
Nutcracker Fantasy
Nutcracker Fantasy is an animated film by Sanrio, very loosely based on Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker and E.T.A. Hoffman's story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. It was nominated for the 1980 Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film and the 1980 Young Artist Award for Best Motion Picture...
.
From 1983-84 she reunited with Albert on Broadway as Olga in You Can't Take It with You
You Can't Take It with You
You Can't Take It with You is a comedic play in three acts by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. The original production of the play opened at the Booth Theater on December 14, 1936, and played for 837 performances...
.
Marriages
Like her sisters, Eva Gabor was known for her string of marriages; she had five:- Eric Drimmer (1939–1942) (divorced) osteopath.
- Charles Isaacs (27 September 1943 – 2 April 1949) (divorced) realtor
- John Williams (8 April 1956 – 20 March 1957) (divorced) plastic surgeon
- Richard Brown (4 October 1959–1972) (divorced)
- Frank Gard Jameson (21 September 1973–1983) (divorced)
All of the marriages were childless.
Death
Eva Gabor died on July 4, 1995 from respiratory failure and pneumoniaPneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, following an accident in which she lost her balance and fell into her bathtub in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, where she had been on vacation.
Although the youngest of the three sisters, she was the first to die, Zsa Zsa
Zsa Zsa Gabor
Zsa Zsa Gabor is a Hungarian-born American stage, film and television actress.She acted on stage in Vienna, Austria, in 1932, and was crowned Miss Hungary in 1936. She emigrated to the United States in 1941 and became a sought-after actress with "European flair and style", with a personality that...
is still living. On April 1, 1997, her mother, Jolie, died, unaware of Eva's death. On June 6, 1997, her eldest sister Magda died from renal failure
Renal failure
Renal failure or kidney failure describes a medical condition in which the kidneys fail to adequately filter toxins and waste products from the blood...
.
Interment
Eva Gabor is interred in the Westwood Village Memorial Park CemeteryWestwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
The Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery is a cemetery in the Westwood Village area of Los Angeles, California. It is located at 1218 Glendon Avenue in Westwood....
in Westwood
Westwood, Los Angeles, California
Westwood is a neighborhood on the Westside of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is the home of the University of California, Los Angeles .-History:...
, California. She is buried near Albert, who died on May 26, 2005, at the age of 99.
Stage work
| Plays | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opening Date | Closing Date | Title | Role | Theatre | |
| Jan 24, 1950 | Jul 14, 1951 | The Happy Time The Happy Time (musical) The Happy Time is a musical with music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and a book by N. Richard Nash loosely based on a 1950 hit Broadway play, The Happy Time by Samuel A. Taylor, which was in turn based on stories by Robert Fontaine... |
Mignonette | Plymouth | |
| Mar 26, 1956 | Mar 31, 1956 | Little Glass Clock | Gabrielle | John Golden John Golden Theatre The John Golden Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 252 West 45th Street in midtown-Manhattan. Designed in a Moorish style along with the adjacent Royale Theatre by architect Herbert J. Krapp for Irwin Chanin, it opened as the Theatre Masque on February 24 1927 with the play Puppets of Passion... |
|
| Jan 31, 1958 | Feb 8, 1958 | Present Laughter Present Laughter Present Laughter is a comic play written by Noël Coward in 1939 and first staged in 1942 on tour, alternating with his lower middle-class domestic drama This Happy Breed... |
Joanna Lyppiatt | Belasco Belasco Theatre The Belasco Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 111 West 44th Street in midtown-Manhattan.-History:Designed by architect George Keister for impresario David Belasco, the interior featured Tiffany lighting and ceiling panels, rich woodwork and expansive murals by American artist... |
|
| Mar 18, 1963 | Nov 9, 1963 | Tovarich Tovarich (musical) Tovarich is a 1963 musical play in two acts with book by David Shaw; music by Lee Pockriss and lyrics by Anne Croswell; based on the comedy by Jacques Deval and Robert E... |
Tatiana | Broadway Majestic Winter Garden Winter Garden Theatre The Winter Garden Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 1634 Broadway in midtown Manhattan.-History:The structure was built by William Kissam Vanderbilt in 1896 to be the American Horse Exchange.... |
|
| Apr 4, 1983 | Jan 1, 1984 | You Can't Take It with You You Can't Take It with You You Can't Take It with You is a comedic play in three acts by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. The original production of the play opened at the Booth Theater on December 14, 1936, and played for 837 performances... |
Olga | Plymouth Royale |
|
Select filmography
- Forced Landing (1941)
- New York TownNew York TownNew York Town is a 1941 romantic comedy film directed by Charles Vidor and starring Fred MacMurray, Mary Martin, Akim Tamiroff and Robert Preston...
(1941) - Star Spangled RhythmStar Spangled RhythmStar Spangled Rhythm is a 1943 all-star cast musical film made by Paramount Pictures during World War II as a morale booster. Many of the Hollywood studios produced such films during the war, generally musicals, frequently with flimsy storylines, and with the specific intent of entertaining the...
(1942) - A Royal ScandalA Royal Scandal (film)A Royal Scandal, also known as Czarina, is a 1945 film about the love life of Russian Empress Catherine the Great. It stars Tallulah Bankhead, Charles Coburn, Anne Baxter, and William Eythe...
(1945) - The Mad MagicianThe Mad MagicianThe Mad Magician was a 1954 horror film starring Vincent Price and Eva Gabor. In 1987, it became the first movie shown in 3D on television.-Plot:...
(1954) - The Last Time I Saw ParisThe Last Time I Saw ParisThe Last Time I Saw Paris is a 1954 romantic drama made by MGM. It is loosely based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story "Babylon Revisited." It was directed by Richard Brooks, produced by Jack Cummings and filmed on locations in Paris and the MGM backlot. The screenplay was by Julius J. Epstein,...
(1954) - Artists and ModelsArtists and ModelsArtists and Models is a 1955 Paramount musical comedy in VistaVision and marked Martin and Lewis's fourteenth feature together as a team. The film co-stars Dorothy Malone, Eva Gabor, Anita Ekberg, and Shirley MacLaine.-Plot:...
(1955) - My Man GodfreyMy Man Godfrey (1957 film)My Man Godfrey is a 1957 comedy film starring June Allyson and David Niven. It is a remake of Gregory La Cava's 1936 screwball comedy of the same name....
(1957) - The Truth About WomenThe Truth About WomenThe Truth About Women is a 1957 British comedy film directed by Muriel Box and starring Laurence Harvey, Julie Harris, Mai Zetterling and Diane Cilento...
(1957) - Don't Go Near the WaterDon't Go Near the Water (film)Don't Go Near the Water is a 1957 comedy film about a U.S. Navy public relations unit stationed on an island in the Pacific Ocean during World War II. It is an adaptation of the 1956 novel of the same name by William Brinkley. Glenn Ford and Gia Scala starred...
(1957)
- GigiGigi (1958 film)Gigi is a 1958 musical film directed by Vincente Minnelli. The screenplay by Alan Jay Lerner is based on the 1944 novella of the same name by Colette...
(1958) - It Started with a Kiss (1959)
- A New Kind of LoveA New Kind of LoveA New Kind of Love is a 1963 American romantic comedy film directed by Melville Shavelson and starring Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward.-Plot:A journalist mistakes a woman for a prostitute...
(1963) - Youngblood HawkeYoungblood HawkeYoungblood Hawke is a novel by American writer Herman Wouk about the rise and fall of a young writer. It is based on the life of Thomas Wolfe.-Plot summary:...
(1964) - The AristocatsThe AristocatsThe Aristocats is a 1970 American animated feature produced and released by Walt Disney Productions in 1970 and stars Eva Gabor and Phil Harris, with Roddy Maude-Roxby as Edgar the butler, the villain of the story...
(1970) (voice) - The RescuersThe RescuersThe Rescuers is a 1977 American animated feature produced by Walt Disney Productions and first released on June 22, 1977. The 23rd film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film is about the Rescue Aid Society, an international mouse organization headquartered in New York and shadowing...
(1977) (voice) - Nutcracker FantasyNutcracker FantasyNutcracker Fantasy is an animated film by Sanrio, very loosely based on Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker and E.T.A. Hoffman's story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. It was nominated for the 1980 Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film and the 1980 Young Artist Award for Best Motion Picture...
(1979) (voice) - The Jetsons Meet the FlintstonesThe Jetsons Meet the FlintstonesThe Jetsons Meet the Flintstones is an animated TV movie, featuring the first meeting between the characters from The Flintstones and The Jetsons...
(1987) (voice) - The Princess AcademyThe Princess AcademyThe Princess Academy is a 1987 independent film comedy directed by Bruce A. Block and written by Sandra Weintraub. It was filmed mostly in Yugoslavia.-Plot:...
(1987) - The Rescuers Down UnderThe Rescuers Down UnderThe Rescuers Down Under is a 1990 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures and Buena Vista Distribution on November 16, 1990...
(1990) (voice)
Television work
- The Eva Gabor Show (1953–54)
- JusticeJustice (1954 TV series)Justice is an NBC half-hour drama television series about attorneys of the Legal Aid Society of New York, which aired from April 8, 1954 to March 25, 1956. In the 1954-1955 season, Justice starred Dane Clark as Richard Adams and Gary Merrill as Jason Tyler. In the 1955-1956 season, William Prince...
(1954–55; 2 episodes: "The Blackmailer", "The Intruder") - What's My Line?What's My Line?What's My Line? is a panel game show which originally ran in the United States on the CBS Television Network from 1950 to 1967, with several international versions and subsequent U.S. revivals. The game tasked celebrity panelists with questioning contestants in order to determine their occupations....
(11/17/1957) Season #9, Episode #12 (overall episode #389) as Mystery Guest - Five FingersFive Fingers (TV series)For other uses see 5 Fingers Five Fingers is an NBC adventure/drama series set in Europe during the Cold War loosely based on the 1952 film 5 Fingers, starring James Mason and Danielle Darrieux...
(1959; episode: "Station Break") - Harrigan and SonHarrigan and SonHarrigan and Son is an ABC sitcom about a father-and-son team of lawyers, played by Pat O'Brien and Roger Perry as Jim Harrigan, Sr., and Jim, Jr. In supporting roles, as secretaries, are Georgine Darcy as Gypsy and Helen Kleeb as Miss Claridge. The series aired 34 episodes at 8 p.m. Eastern Time...
(1960–61), two appearances as "Lillian Lovely" - Green AcresGreen AcresGreen Acres is an American television series starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as a couple who move from New York City to a country farm...
(1965–71) as Lisa Douglas - Here's LucyHere's LucyHere's Lucy is Lucille Ball's third network television sitcom. It ran on CBS from 1968 to 1974.-Background:Though The Lucy Show was still hugely popular during the previous season, finishing in the top five of the Nielsen Ratings , Ball opted to end that series at the end of that season and create...
(1968; 1st season, episode #7, as "Eva Von Gronyitz")
- Wake Me When the War Is OverWake Me When The War Is OverWake Me When the War Is Over is a 1969 American comedy made-for-TV film starring Ken Berry and Eva Gabor, and directed by Gene Nelson. It first aired on ABC.-Plot:...
(1969) - Match GameMatch GameMatch Game is an American television game show in which contestants attempted to match celebrities' answers to fill-in-the-blank questions...
(1973–82; recurring panelist) - Ellery QueenEllery Queen (TV series)Ellery Queen is an American television detective mystery series that ran for one season from 1975 to 1976 on NBC. It starred Jim Hutton as Ellery Queen, and David Wayne as his father, Inspector Richard Queen...
(1976 episode: "The Adventure of the Blunt Instrument") - The Edge of NightThe Edge of NightThe Edge of Night is an American television mystery series/soap opera produced by Procter & Gamble. It debuted on CBS on April 2, 1956, and ran as a live broadcast on that network until November 28, 1975; the series then moved to ABC, where it aired from December 1, 1975, until December 28, 1984...
(cast member, 1983) - Return to Green Acres as Lisa Douglas (1990)
- The Legend of the Beverly HillbilliesThe Beverly HillbilliesThe Beverly Hillbillies is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for nine seasons on CBS from 1962 to 1971, starring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer, Jr....
(1993; as herself)
Sources
- Orchids & Salami, by Eva Gabor, Doubleday, 1954.
- Gaborabilia, by Anthony Turtu and Donald F. Reuter, Three Rivers Press, 2001; ISBN 0-609-80759-5