The youngest of the Gabor sisters, Eva came first to the United States in the thirties, establishing a fluffy career in films and later on Broadway. Fluffy best delineates the difference between the two sisters. Despite her jump on Zsa Zsa, her publicity was based more on mere sophistication, continental understanding and sweetness; she lacked the tartness and bite of Zsa Zsa. In the 1950's, when publicity aspired to its peak for cynicism and zaniness, Zsa Zsa was destined to be the public favorite, just as she was Mama Jolie's favorite at home.
But Eva paved the way, especially in early television's live dramatic series that came out of New York ("GE Theater", "Philco Playhouse", "Climax", etc.) and later guesting enough in the 1960s to keep herself moderately known. As Zsa Zsa's career outstripped itself in the 60s on "Hollywood Squares", Eva received a plum series opportunity on the inane, but popular, "Green Acres". As Lisa Douglas, Manhattan socialite turned farmer's wife ("I gad allergic smalling hay") she was the Desi/Ricky figure opposite Eddie Albert's supposed Lucy, drifting through chicken coops and hogpens in her eternal maribou negligees, blank but childlike, trusting and sweet. Middle America tuned in for a surprising five years and 170 episodes.
Her charm remained intact guesting on such happening series as "The Love Boat" and "Fantasy Island" and showing up to chat amicably on Merv Griffin and Mike Douglas, the former of which was engaged to her in some press agent's dream. She smiled glamorously from the covers of her wig catalog, bewigged in the usual lookalike Gabor style, causing more confusion about who's-who than ever.
Family
FATHER: Vilmos Gabor.
MOTHER: Jolie Gabor. Jewelry store owner. Survived her; born on September 29, 1900; died on April 1, 1997.
SISTER: Zsa Zsa Gabor. Actor. Born on February 6, 1917; survived her.
SISTER: Magda Gabor. Survived her; born on June 11, 1918; died on June 6, 1997 of kidney failure.
Companion
HUSBAND: Frank Gard Jameson. Aerodynamics industrialist. Married in 1973; divorced c. 1983; fifth husband.
COMPANION: Merv Griffin. TV host, entrepreneur.
Milestone
1939: Moved to Hollywood
1941: US film debut, "Forced Landing"
Broadway stage debut in "The Happy Time"
1950: TV debut, "Uncle Vanya" on Masterpiece Playhouse"
1950 - 1952: Hosted own TV variety series, "The Eva Gabor Show"
Starred in long-running TV series, "Green Acres"
1986: Final feature appearance, "The Princess Academy"
1990: Final film, provided voice for Disney's animated feature, "The Rescuers Down Under"
1990: Final TV-movie, "Return to Green Acres"
1995: Final TV guest spot, "Dream On", in a John Landis directed episode, "The Second Greatest Story Ever Told"
Education
Forstner Girls Institute - Budapest, Hungary
Notre Dame de Sion - Lausanne, Switzerland
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