Zsa Zsa Gabor in serious condition at Los Angeles hospital after traffic accident

<br>LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Zsa Zsa Gabor, hospitalized after an auto accident, was drifting in and out of consciousness but improving as she recovers from her injuries, her husband said. <br><br>The 85-year-old

Friday, November 29th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Zsa Zsa Gabor, hospitalized after an auto accident, was drifting in and out of consciousness but improving as she recovers from her injuries, her husband said.

The 85-year-old Gabor was breathing with the help of a respirator at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after suffering multiple broken bones, cuts and bruises, said Frederic von Anhalt, her husband.

``She can't talk,'' von Anhalt said Thursday night. ``She opens her eyes, but we don't know if she recognizes us.''

Gabor was listed in serious condition Thursday, said hospital spokeswoman Leslie Porras, who declined to give any further information.

Gabor's daughter, Constance Francesca Hilton, said her mother had a broken arm, but no other serious injuries. She denied previous reports from Gerd Birkmann, a spokesman for von Anhalt, that her mother suffered head injuries and had been in a coma.

Gabor was a passenger in the front seat of a car driven by her hairdresser when the car struck a light pole Wednesday evening, said von Anhalt, who was reached at the hospital Thursday. The hairdresser also was hospitalized, but further details were not immediately available.

``The motor went into the front seat,'' he said.

Birkmann had said the accident happened as Gabor and her hairdresser were headed out to shop.

The cause of the accident was unknown, said Sgt. Bruce Thomas of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's department. Gabor was apparently not wearing a seat belt, Thomas said. No arrests were made and it appeared that alcohol and drugs were not involved in the crash, Thomas said.

``She's very strong _ physically strong, emotionally strong _ she's a survivor and she will survive this,'' Gabor attorney William Graysen told KCAL-TV.

Gabor, sisters Eva and Magda, and their mother, Jolie, all emigrated to America around World War II. Zsa Zsa gained notice when she became the wife of hotel millionaire Conrad Hilton, whom she married in 1942.

She has been married eight times, including to Oscar-winning actor George Sanders and prolific inventor Jack Ryan, credited with designing everything from missiles to the Barbie doll. She married von Anhalt in 1986.

The former Miss Hungary frequently appeared on screen. Among her films: John Huston's Toulouse-Lautrec biopic, ``Moulin Rouge,'' 1952; ``The Story of Three Loves,'' 1953; ``The Girl in the Kremlin,'' 1957; and Orson Welles' classic ``Touch of Evil,'' 1958. There were B movies such as ``Queen of Outer Space,'' 1958, and ``Picture Mommy Dead,'' 1966.

For decades, Gabor has epitomized the celebrity who is famous for being famous. Her furs, jewels, looks _ and humor _ kept her in the news long after her film career faded.

``Personally, I know nothing about sex because I have always been married,'' she joked in a 1987 speech to the American Bar Association.

Sister Eva died in 1995 at age 74. Her mother died in April 1997 at age 97 and sister Magda, who lived largely out of the spotlight, died in June 1997 at age 78.

In 1989, Gabor was sentenced to 72 hours in jail for slapping a Beverly Hills police officer. She also was ordered to perform 120 hours of community service at a women's shelter.