"Loverly" soprano Marni Nixon has ensured herself a proper place in film history although most moviegoers would not recognize her if they passed her on the street. But if you heard her, that might be a horse of a different color. Marni is one of those unsung heroes .
Hosted "Boomerang," a Seattle childrens TV show.
Children with Ernest Gold : Andrew Gold , Martha Gold Carr (b. July 22, 1953), and Melanie Gold.
Provided the singing voice for Natalie Wood in West Side Story . She also was Deborah Kerr s singing voice in both An Affair to Remember and the musical classic The King and I .
Started out at the age of four as a violinist and had a singing act with her sisters by age eight.
Earned her reputation as "Singing Voice of the Stars" by "ghosting" other film luminaries as well, including Margaret OBrien , Janet Leigh , and Jeanne Crain in some of their song sequences. She even touched up some singing parts for Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes , dubbing the phrase "These rocks dont lose their shape" and some higher notes in the "Diamonds Are a Girls Best Friend" number.
She starred in her own local childrens TV show in Seattle entitled "Boomerang" in the late 70s and early 80s and won four Emmys for her efforts.
Toured extensively with both Liberace and Victor Borge.
Of her three children, Andrew Gold is a rock musician, composer and producer; daughter Martha Gold Carr is a psychologist; and Melanie Gold is a singer and songwriter.
Has appeared in one film with Julie Andrews : The Sound of Music . She also provided Eliza Doolittles singing voice for Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady - a role originated on the stage by Andrews.
Also dubbed the singing voice of Anita (Rita Moreno ) in West Side Story for the song "Tonight" when Betty Wand developed bronchitis at the last moment.
When Harvey Fierstein was asked who should play the lead in a film adaptation of the musical "La Cage Aux Folles", he replied: "Me! Dubbed by Marni Nixon!".
(May 2001) Replaced Joan Roberts as Heidi Schiller (who sings "One More Kiss") in the Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheims "Follies"
(July 2006) Performed as the Mother Superior in The Sound of Music at the Hollywood Bowl with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
(June 2003) Performed in a concert run (The Voice of Hollywood) that toured the US.
(March 2008) Playing Mrs. Higgins (Prof. Higgins mother) in a touring production of My Fair Lady.
Although she never dubbed the voice of Julie Andrews, Marni Nixon sang the role of Mary Poppins on the kids version (Disneyland label) of the music from the film.
Twentieth Century-Fox insisted Marni Nixon sign a contract that she would not reveal that she dubbed any part of Deborah Kerrs vocals in "The king and I". Were she to do so, the studio threatened that they would see to it that she never worked "in this town (i.e., Hollywood) again." Deborah Kerr, who worked extremely closely - and extremely well - with Nixon thought this was very unfair and it was Miss Kerr herself who revealed the secret of the dubbing in an interview with the popular syndicated columnist Earl Wilson.
