Nation and world news in brief for October 18
Mitzi Gaynor, leading lady of movie musicals, is dead at 93
(NYT) — Mitzi Gaynor, the bubbly actor, singer and dancer who landed one of the most coveted movie roles of the mid-20th century, the female lead in “South Pacific,” but who abandoned film as the era of movie musicals came to an end, died Thursday at her home in Los Angeles. She was 93.
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Her managers, Rene Reyes and Shane Rosamonda, confirmed the death.
The role of Nellie Forbush, a World War II Navy nurse and (in the words of a song lyric) a “cockeyed optimist” in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s hit 1949 Broadway musical, had been originated and defined by Mary Martin. But when it came time to cast the 1958 movie of “South Pacific,” some considered Martin too old (she was in her 40s) and perhaps too strong-voiced for any actor who might be cast opposite her.
Gaynor was shooting “The Joker Is Wild” (1957), a musical drama with Frank Sinatra, when Oscar Hammerstein II came to town and asked to hear her sing.
“South Pacific” was a box-office smash, and Gaynor’s performance, opposite Rossano Brazzi, was well received. But she made only three more films, all comedies without music; the last of them, “For Love or Money” with Kirk Douglas, was released in 1963. She turned instead to Las Vegas, where she headlined shows at major resorts for more than a decade, and to television.
Fox News interview with Vice President Kamala Harris scores 7.1 million viewers
(TNS) — Vice President Kamala Harris’ combative interview on Fox News delivered an average of 7.1 million viewers Wednesday, the Democratic presidential nominee’s most-watched TV news appearance so far.
The Democratic presidential nominee’s conversation with the conservative-leaning network’s chief political anchor Bret Baier delivered the largest audience for his program, “Special Report,” since 2020, according to Nielsen data.
The audience also surpassed Harris’ interview on the CBS news magazine “60 Minutes,” which was watched by 5.7 million on Oct. 10, and her chat with anchor Dana Bash on CNN alongside running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, which drew 6.3 million viewers on Aug. 29.
Trump blames Zelenskyy for starting war with Russia
WASHINGTON (Reuters) — Donald Trump on Thursday blamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for helping start that nation’s war with Russia, a comment that further suggests Trump is likely to radically shift U.S. policy toward Ukraine if he wins the Nov. 5 election.
The Republican former president has frequently criticized Zelenskyy on the campaign trail, repeatedly calling him “the greatest salesman on Earth” for having solicited and received billions of dollars of U.S. military aid since the war broke out in 2022.
Trump has also slammed the Ukrainian leader for failing to seek peace with Moscow, and he has suggested Ukraine may have to cede some of its land to Russia to make a peace deal, a concession Kyiv considers unacceptable.
Trump’s comments on the PBD Podcast on Thursday with Patrick Bet-David went a step further than his previous criticism. He said Zelenskyy was to blame not just for failing to end the war, but for helping start it, even though the conflict broke out when Russia invaded Ukrainian sovereign territory.
