Yet another name from the Old Hollywood glamor days has left us. Zsa Zsa Gabor has died at 99, following a long period of ill health. Some media outlets are comparing her to today’s reality stars such as the Kardashians, and saying she was the first celebrity to be “famous for being famous.” But that’s selling her far short.
In her youth, Zsa Zsa was not only a great beauty (Miss Hungary of 1936), but also a stage actress. After coming to America, she appeared in a number of movies, including the classics “A Touch of Evil” and “Moulin Rouge,” and countless TV shows. While she eventually became more famous for her nine marriages than her acting, she also had a quick wit that made her a sought-after guest on talk and game shows, and some of her quotes have entered the vernacular (“I’m a great housekeeper: every time I get divorced, I keep the house.”) It's hard to imagine us still quoting the wit and wisdom of today's reality stars decades from now.
Zsa Zsa Gabor may be remembered more as a “personality” than an actress, but at least she earned that title in a time when “personalities” really had to have personality. Rest in peace.