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Zsa Zsa Gabor: A Hollywood Icon and Socialite
Zsa Zsa Gabor was a well-known celebrity and socialite, renowned more for her glamorous lifestyle and vivacious personality than for her acting career. Gabor made her mark in films and television alongside stars like Fred Allen, José Ferrer, and Orson Welles. Her television credits spanned from Gilligan’s Island and Batman to The Love Boat, along with numerous talk show appearances. Over the course of her life, she was married nine times, most notably to hotel magnate Conrad Hilton and later to Prince Frederick von Anhalt. Gabor passed away on December 18, 2016, at the age of 99.
Early Life
Born Sari Gabor on February 6, 1917 (though some sources suggest 1918) in Budapest, Hungary, Zsa Zsa grew up in a life of privilege. Her father, Vilmos Gabor, was a soldier, and her mother, Jolie Gabor, was the heiress to a European jewelry business. Along with her two sisters, Eva and Magda, Zsa Zsa was raised in luxury, attended prestigious boarding schools, and enjoyed frequent vacations. Zsa Zsa began calling herself by this name in her youth.
At the age of 13, Gabor was sent to a Swiss boarding school, where she was discovered by operatic tenor Richard Tauber, who invited her to perform in his operetta Der singende Traum (The Singing Dream). After a short stint at the Vienna Acting Academy, Gabor made her stage debut. She was crowned Miss Hungary in 1936 but later disqualified for lying about her age. In 1937, she married her first husband, Burhan Asaf Belge, a Turkish diplomat, although their marriage ended in 1941. Gabor then moved to the United States to join her sister Eva, and soon after arriving, she filed for divorce.
Hollywood Career
Gabor’s striking looks and charisma soon landed her a career in Hollywood. She made her film debut in 1952 with Lovely to Look At and went on to appear in films like We’re Not Married! and Moulin Rouge. She shared the screen with acting legends such as José Ferrer, Ginger Rogers, and Orson Welles, appearing in films like Touch of Evil (1958). Despite her film roles, Gabor’s presence on television was equally prominent, with guest appearances on shows such as The Life of Riley, Gilligan’s Island, and Batman.
However, Gabor was as famous for her personality and wit as she was for her screen appearances. She was a regular guest on talk shows, where her lively, flirtatious manner, coupled with her trademark phrase “dahlink,” captivated audiences.
Scandals and Personal Life
Gabor’s personal life often overshadowed her professional achievements. Her nine marriages, including her union with Conrad Hilton, with whom she had her only child, Francesca Hilton, kept her in the public eye. She embodied European glamour and often attracted attention for her opulent lifestyle.
In 1989, Gabor became infamous for slapping a police officer during a traffic stop, resulting in a conviction for assault. The incident, widely covered by the media, led to a three-day jail sentence and a slander suit filed by the officer. Gabor also made headlines for her long-standing feud with actress Elke Sommer, which ended in a libel lawsuit in the 1990s.
Legal troubles continued into the 2000s, with lawsuits involving her daughter and financial losses in the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme, where Gabor reportedly lost $7 million.
Legacy
Despite her tumultuous personal life, Gabor left an indelible mark on Hollywood and popular culture. Her wit, elegance, and bold approach to life made her a beloved figure in entertainment, with a career that spanned over six decades. Zsa Zsa Gabor was, in many ways, a pioneer of modern celebrity culture, more famous for her public persona than any single performance.
Health Problems
Zsa Zsa Gabor’s health struggles began in 2002 when she was severely injured in a car accident. She sustained broken bones, multiple cuts and bruises, and fell into a coma for several days. Although she eventually recovered, the injuries confined her to a wheelchair. In 2005, Gabor suffered further complications when she had a stroke.
Her condition worsened in 2010 after she broke her hip and underwent hip replacement surgery. Following the surgery, she developed serious complications, including being placed in critical condition after a blood transfusion. In January 2011, doctors were forced to amputate her right leg due to a gangrenous infection caused by an untreated blood clot.
Gabor’s health continued to decline, and in March 2011, she was hospitalized for high blood pressure after learning about the death of her friend, Elizabeth Taylor. Her publicist, John Blanchett, revealed that Gabor was deeply shaken by the news, reportedly saying, “I’m next.” She faced another health scare in May of the same year due to a stomach infection, followed by a surgery in October to replace her feeding tube.
Her fragile health led to a legal dispute between her daughter, Francesca Hilton, and her husband, Prince Frederic von Anhalt. The dispute was settled in 2012, with von Anhalt appointed as Gabor’s conservator and Hilton gaining visitation rights. The court also mandated von Anhalt to provide monthly updates on Gabor’s health and financial status.
Personal Life and Spouses
Zsa Zsa Gabor, once hailed as “the most successful courtesan of the 20th century,” was known for her romantic entanglements with prominent figures such as Sean Connery, Richard Burton, Frank Sinatra, and Henry Kissinger. Gabor was married nine times, although she claimed she had only eight husbands.
After divorcing her first two husbands, Burhan Belge and hotel magnate Conrad Hilton, she married actor George Sanders. This union lasted six years, and Sanders later married Gabor’s sister, Magda, out of spite. Gabor’s subsequent marriages included financier Herbert Hutner, oil magnate Joshua Cosden, inventor Jack Ryan, attorney Michael O’Hara, and actor Felipe de Alba. In 1986, Gabor married her ninth and final husband, Prince Frederic von Anhalt, who was 30 years her junior. Through this marriage, Gabor adopted the title Princess von Anhalt, Duchess of Saxony, although the legitimacy of this title was questioned after it was revealed that von Anhalt had obtained it through adult adoption by Princess Marie-Auguste of Anhalt.
Death
Zsa Zsa Gabor passed away from heart failure on December 18, 2016, at the age of 99.
In 2018, nearly 1,000 items from Gabor’s estate were auctioned off, including a 104-piece Champagne set, a saddle gifted by Ronald Reagan, and several pieces of her jewelry. The highest-selling item was a Margaret Keane portrait of Gabor, which sold for $45,000.