Many fans thought Eva Gabor was glamorous, but she didn't see it that way

Eva Gabor was not a lady of leisure, but she did enjoy a gold dressing room and a pearl necklace every once in a while.

Image credit: The Everett Collection

Eva Gabor is best known for her role as Lisa Douglas on the hit '60s series Green Acres. Gabor is also pretty well-known for being one of Hollywood's most glamorous actresses, wearing everything from a bright pink fur-lined coat to stacked pearl necklaces. 

She had an outfit for every occasion, it seemed. 

Despite what you may have heard about Gabor, in a 1970 interview with The Greenville News, she said she wasn't the lady of leisure everyone thought she was.

"People think I spend hours in bubble baths and fanning myself, a lady of leisure," Gabor said. "Actually, I work every day from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the studio."

Just in case her Green Acres schedule wasn't enough to tire the actress, she also had a few side hustles. During this interview (1970), Gabor had a decorating business in Palm Springs and a wig franchising company. 

"I don't just lend my name," Gabor said. "I work at the businesses nights and weekends."

Gabor only had three locations opened for her International Wig Boutiques Ltd, but had planned on another 150 to 200 by the end of 1970. She said she had attended every grand opening, and worked with the architect to create the design of the boutiques.

She used her success on Green Acres as a tool to elevate her many side hustles. According to the interview, once Green Acres started to top the ratings, many networks pushed for TV series to reach new demographics across America. 

But Gabor wasn't too concerned about the added pressure of demos. 

"I don't know about demo... what you call it," Gabor said. "I know our whole family, from kids to old people, watches. Our fan mail says ours is a family show."

In a 1966 interview with The Jackson Sun, Gabor said a lot of great opportunities came after Green Acres' ratings made it in the top 10.

And although the dahling actress said she was a "slave of commerce," she still liked a few of the finer things in life. The star's dressing room was a great example.

According to the interview, out of the entire cast of Green Acres, Gabor's dressing room was by far the fanciest. It was described as having thick carpet, swanky furniture, gold-leaf walls and huge mirrors.

"When the show started, dahling, all they gave me was a rented chair," Gabor said. "But when the ratings came out, they even asked me my favorite color scheme."

Gold was her answer, of course.

Gabor swore by the fact that she wasn't the lady of leisure everyone assumed she was, but then again, after six seasons of a highly successful TV show and with 170 episodes under her designer belt, she deserved the finer things in life.

"All my life, I've been in flops. I invented flops, and now this," Gabor said. "I love it. I adore signing autographs. When you'd had so many flops you appreciate something like this."

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26 Comments

ElwooodBlues 13 months ago
Ms. Gabor was undoubtedly a beautiful Lady, much more than her sister. That she used her celebrity to further her “side hustle” shows she was grounded in reality, independent, intelligent and had a strong work ethic by not taking her success for granted.
Adanor 13 months ago
Eva Gabor is described as the following: "Many fans thought Eva Gabor was glamorous, but she didn't see it that way. . . Eva Gabor was not a lady of leisure." So since when does glamorous mean lazy? Yes, she was definitely glamorous, but not lazy! As indicated above, she worked evenings and weekends at her side hustles which incidentally helped others be glamorous. And speaking of being glamorous, it probably took a lot of work for her to maintain her glamor. Lady of leisure? I think not.
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LoveMETV22 13 months ago
I noticed that there two privates on
Gomer Pyle USMC who looked exactly the same -Jim Percell and Frankie
Lombardi
----------------------------------
That's because they are the same individual "Ted Bessell" and it was Purcell.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057752/

Perhaps a little more research, a little less noticing.
BrittReid 13 months ago
Ava on a scale from 1-10, you are a 15!
Mblack 13 months ago
Wasn't she married to Merv Griffin? Or maybe just concubine?

That wouod add to her glamour.
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LoveMETV22 13 months ago
The only character that was written out of HD's was the CC character. The other characters were just part of the storyline for a specified amount of episodes. So HD probably didn't set any records in that regard.
tootsieg 13 months ago
Eva Gabor made glamorous GLAMOROUS!!!
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Runeshaper 13 months ago
Eva Gabor was so talented and so cool. Really a classy lady.
cperrynaples 13 months ago
Well, the problem was everyone confused her with Zsa Zsa, the one who was the prototype for Paris Hilton! Ironically, one of her husbands was Paris' grandfather Conrad, the founder of the hotel chain!
cperrynaples cperrynaples 13 months ago
Also, I think Zsa Zsa got pearl necklaces for her husbands, but not always the ones that came from oysters if you get my drift...LOL!
madvincent 13 months ago
she's the only reason i watch the show.............and Arnold lol
madvincent madvincent 13 months ago
I wish my mother named me "Newt"
madvincent 13 months ago
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madvincent 13 months ago
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justjeff 13 months ago
It's called "gold leaf" NOT "golden leaf" you journaistic wannabes at MeTV! Un;ess the walls were giant leaves that were gold plated, learn to proofread. If I want to see mistakes, I'll look at my poor typing skills!
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Pacificsun justjeff 13 months ago
Definitely has potential for making a memorable impression! In terms of the banner anyway. The lower case letters might benefit from a bit more definition or spacing. As the eye needs to catch the entire message (if for publicity) meaning, then quickly.
justjeff Pacificsun 13 months ago
It's just a work sample.. and by the way, there's no lower case. In the meantime, I've completed three more designs based on other vintage movie posters that I've drawn out for future font consideration... "Blondie Goes Latin" (1941), "Cafe Metropole" (1937) and "Seconds" (1966) designed by Saul Bass...
justjeff 13 months ago
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Pacificsun justjeff 13 months ago
Apologies for the repetition. But I was one to always appreciate typeface (not sure why) except that to me it communicates an additional message (impact, style?)/. I'd search among the few alternatives there used to be when writing to people or creative pieces. I still do today, and sometime should invest in the extended package (android).
Sway 13 months ago
Enterprising and glamorous!
MrsPhilHarris Sway 13 months ago
Indeed. Loved her as Lisa Douglas. Great at comedy.
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