Debbie Reynolds Biography
Date of Birth
1 April 1932, El Paso, Texas, USA
Birth Name
Mary Frances Reynolds
Nickname
Princess Leia's Mom
Frannie
Aba Dabba
Height
5' 2" (1.57 m)
Mini Biography
Debbie Reynolds' film career began at MGM after she won a beauty contest at age 16 impersonating Betty Hutton. Most of her film work has been in MGM musicals, as perky, wholesome young women. She continues to use her dancing skills with stage work. Nearly all the money she makes is spent toward her goal of creating a Hollywood museum. Her collection numbers more than 3000 costumes and 46,000 square-feet worth of props and equipment.
IMDb Mini Biography By: Ray Hamel
Mini Biography
Debbie Reynolds wasn't a dancer until she was selected to be Gene Kelly's partner in Singin' in the Rain (1952). Not yet twenty, she was a quick study. Twelve years later, it seemed like she had been around forever. She was only 31 when she gave an Academy Award nominated performance in The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964). She survived losing first husband Eddie Fisher to Elizabeth Taylor following the tragic death of Michael Todd. Her second husband, shoe magnate Harry Karl, gambled away his fortune as well as hers. With her children as well as Karl's, she had to keep working and turned to the stage. She had her own casino in Las Vegas with a home for her collection of Hollywood memorabilia until it's closure in 1997. She took the time to personally write a long letter that is on display in the Judy Garland museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota and to provide that museum with replicas of Garland's costumes. The originals are in her newly-opened museum in Hollywood.
IMDb Mini Biography By: Dale O'Connor <daleoc@worldnet.att.net> and Anonymous
Spouse
Richard Hamlett (25 May 1984 - May 1996) (divorced)
Harry Karl (25 November 1960 - 1973) (divorced)
Eddie Fisher (26 September 1955 - May 1959) (divorced) 2 children
Trade Mark
Most of her roles contains musical performances.
Trivia
. Filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for her Las Vegas hotel. [July 1997]
Mother of actress Carrie Fisher and of Todd Fisher.
She appeared as Dan's mother, fresh out of the mental ward, during an episode of the sitcom "Roseanne" (1988). When she later appeared on Roseanne's talk show, she revealed that during the filming of that episode, while she and Roseanne were wrestling in the back yard, Roseanne, quite unknowingly, accidentally broke one of her ribs.
In 1984, with friends like Shelley Winters and Terry Moore, she made a rather restrained exercise video for "women of a certain age".
Won the 1948 Miss Burbank contest and was offered a screen test by Warner Bros. the day after her win. She initially entered the contest because everyone who entered received a silk scarf, blouse and free lunch.
Ex-mother-in-law of Paul Simon.
She made her first appearance at the Hollywood Collectors & Celebrities Show on April 6th & 7th, 2002, at Beverly Garland's Holiday Inn in North Hollywood, California.
In 1975, she sold the Beverly Hills mansion that she had lived in with Harry Karl. The house was reputed to be worth over $1,000,000. The buyer was Jim Randall, an industrialist who made aircraft rivets. When he married actress Marisa Berenson, the wedding was held in the redecorated home and his best man was his friend George Hamilton.
Considers herself a "movie-oholic" and has an extensive collection of memorabilia, with over 4,000 costumes from the silent screen period to the 1970s. She has been known to gather posters from her collection of 3,000 and drive to homes of actor pals for autographs. In the 1990s she turned her collection into a Las Vegas movie museum, but had to shut it down in 1997 because of financial problems. Recently she has looked into the possibility of opening up a hall of fame museum in Hollywood near Grauman's Chinese Theatre.
At one particularly low point in her career, she confessed to literally living in her car, a Cadillac.
April 2002: Opened the Hollywood Motion Picture Collection near the new Kodak Theatre. The collection, which was collected and preserved primarily by Reynolds herself, features over 3,000 costumes including Carmen Miranda's turbans, a pair of Judy Garland's ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz (1939), John Wayne's guns and Marilyn Monroe's windswept dress from The Seven Year Itch (1955).
Made her Broadway debut in 1973 in the revival of "Irene". Although the reviews for the show itself were mixed, hers were all raves and she wound up with a Tony Award nomination the following year for Best Actress in a Musical. The production ultimately ran some 20 months. In 1976, she appeared in a one-woman, short-run (10 days - 14 performances) review named "Debbie!" at the Minskoff Theatre. Her only other Broadway appearance to date came when she succeeded Lauren Bacall in "Woman of the Year" in 1983.
In one of her guest appearances on "Will & Grace" (1998), she enters a room humming a bit of "Good Morning", which was a song she sang in her most famous musical, Singin' in the Rain (1952).
Was a member of the International Order of Job's Daughters. Is a past honored Queen of Bethel No. 97, Burbank, California.
Had planned to go into the education field (teaching physical education) before she won the Miss Burbank contest.
Is a Past Honored Queen of Bethel No. 97, Burbank, California.
Is a Majority Member in California.
In 1969, she followed Doris Day and some of her contemporaries in launching a TV sitcom bearing her name. When the debut episode included an advertisement for cigarettes, a direct violation of one of her contractual stipulations, she made such a fuss about it that NBC ended up cancelling the series.
Is portrayed by Judith Jones in Liz: The Elizabeth Taylor Story (1995) (TV).
President of The Thalians, an organization for the treatment of mental health at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles. Ruta Lee is the chairman. Both have been actively involved in building this celebrity run organization for over 30 years.
Her first appearance on "Will & Grace" (1998) was in the episode entitled "The Unsinkable Mommy Adler", a play on the title of the movie The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964). She played both title roles.
While wanting to be in show-business, Reynolds' family Nazarene church forbade acting. However, Reynolds' father saw her talent and gave his support, seeing it as a means of paying Debbie's college costs. Reynolds' mother then gave her support knowing that there is no evil going on in her movies. Reynolds' mother knew her daughter had talent, but understand why it was happening to her own daughter.
Close friend of Hugh O'Brian. Serenaded O'Brien and his bride, Virginia, at their wedding on June 25, 2006.
Her father entered her in a beauty pageant once when she was very young. She wore a bathing suit that her mother had mended that morning and a pair of her sister's high heels.
In 1964, she went into the hospital business, purchasing Oceanside Hospital in Oceanside, California for $1,000,000 with plans to turn it into a profitable business venture.
In January 1996, Debbie Reynolds dedicated the Holland-America Line cruise ship the MS Veendam.
Campaigned for the part of Doris Mann in Postcards from the Edge (1990), but Shirley MacLaine was cast instead.
One of the few actresses to have danced with both Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly on screen. Other actresses who have done this include: Judy Garland, Cyd Charisse, Vera-Ellen, Rita Hayworth, and Leslie Caron.
Played the English horn in college.
Secondary school studies in Burbank.
Personal Quotes
Singin' in the Rain (1952) and childbirth were the two hardest things I ever had to do in my life.
I stopped making movies because I don't like taking my clothes off. Maybe it's realism but, in my opinion, it's utter filth.
When asked what her favorite movie is: I think one of my favorite films is Dark Victory (1939) with Bette Davis. Why? She was so wonderful in that film. And... maybe I just want a good cry once in a while without having to go through a divorce.
Daddy had got us rooms in a motel until he could find us a house. There were not a lot of places available for a young family on our budget. Daddy went around to dozens of places. Nobody wanted kids. Finally, he found one in the hills south of Glendale. As usual, the landlady asked if he had kids. "Yep,' he replied. 'A boy and a girl.' 'Well, whatta you going to do about them?' she wanted to know, implying that she didn't allow children. 'I'm gonna take'em out and drown them in the Los Angeles River, and come back tomorrow.' That was my father - ask a silly question and just wait. She must have had the same sense of humor: we moved in the next day.
I do twenty minutes every time the refrigerator door opens and the light comes on.
[on the death of Tony Curtis] Nobody had a better time than Tony. He loved the ladies. He loved art. He loved this business more than anything. He was a great looking guy, handsome. We were all very close friends when we were young, a long, long time ago. But he had a wonderful life. He had a full life. He was a great, marvellous actor.
Salary
Bundle of Joy (1956) $150,000
Where Are They Now
(February 2001) Has currently reconciled with old enemy, Elizabeth Taylor, to work on TV movie These Old Broads (2001) (TV), written by Debbie's daughter, Carrie Fisher, with Taylor, Shirley MacLaine and Joan Collins. Debbie and Taylor were friends until the late 1950s when Debbie's then- husband, Eddie Fisher, began having an affair with Taylor and then married her. When they began working on These Old Broads (2001) (TV) together, Taylor told Debbie, "I owe you a lot". Debbie said, "I just got a lump in my throat when she said that". Miss Reynolds has truly proven to be unsinkable and an individual of great character.
(July 2004) In the process of relocating her museum to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. A new Hollywood Motion Picture Museum is being constructed there by Debbie and her children Carrie Fisher and Todd Fisher. It is set to open in April of 2005.
(1988) Release of her autobiography, "Debbie--My Life" by Debbie with David Patrick Columbia.
Date of Birth
1 April 1932, El Paso, Texas, USA
Birth Name
Mary Frances Reynolds
Nickname
Princess Leia's Mom
Frannie
Aba Dabba
Height
5' 2" (1.57 m)
Mini Biography
Debbie Reynolds' film career began at MGM after she won a beauty contest at age 16 impersonating Betty Hutton. Most of her film work has been in MGM musicals, as perky, wholesome young women. She continues to use her dancing skills with stage work. Nearly all the money she makes is spent toward her goal of creating a Hollywood museum. Her collection numbers more than 3000 costumes and 46,000 square-feet worth of props and equipment.
IMDb Mini Biography By: Ray Hamel
Mini Biography
Debbie Reynolds wasn't a dancer until she was selected to be Gene Kelly's partner in Singin' in the Rain (1952). Not yet twenty, she was a quick study. Twelve years later, it seemed like she had been around forever. She was only 31 when she gave an Academy Award nominated performance in The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964). She survived losing first husband Eddie Fisher to Elizabeth Taylor following the tragic death of Michael Todd. Her second husband, shoe magnate Harry Karl, gambled away his fortune as well as hers. With her children as well as Karl's, she had to keep working and turned to the stage. She had her own casino in Las Vegas with a home for her collection of Hollywood memorabilia until it's closure in 1997. She took the time to personally write a long letter that is on display in the Judy Garland museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota and to provide that museum with replicas of Garland's costumes. The originals are in her newly-opened museum in Hollywood.
IMDb Mini Biography By: Dale O'Connor <daleoc@worldnet.att.net> and Anonymous
Spouse
Richard Hamlett (25 May 1984 - May 1996) (divorced)
Harry Karl (25 November 1960 - 1973) (divorced)
Eddie Fisher (26 September 1955 - May 1959) (divorced) 2 children
Trade Mark
Most of her roles contains musical performances.
Trivia
. Filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for her Las Vegas hotel. [July 1997]
Mother of actress Carrie Fisher and of Todd Fisher.
She appeared as Dan's mother, fresh out of the mental ward, during an episode of the sitcom "Roseanne" (1988). When she later appeared on Roseanne's talk show, she revealed that during the filming of that episode, while she and Roseanne were wrestling in the back yard, Roseanne, quite unknowingly, accidentally broke one of her ribs.
In 1984, with friends like Shelley Winters and Terry Moore, she made a rather restrained exercise video for "women of a certain age".
Won the 1948 Miss Burbank contest and was offered a screen test by Warner Bros. the day after her win. She initially entered the contest because everyone who entered received a silk scarf, blouse and free lunch.
Ex-mother-in-law of Paul Simon.
She made her first appearance at the Hollywood Collectors & Celebrities Show on April 6th & 7th, 2002, at Beverly Garland's Holiday Inn in North Hollywood, California.
In 1975, she sold the Beverly Hills mansion that she had lived in with Harry Karl. The house was reputed to be worth over $1,000,000. The buyer was Jim Randall, an industrialist who made aircraft rivets. When he married actress Marisa Berenson, the wedding was held in the redecorated home and his best man was his friend George Hamilton.
Considers herself a "movie-oholic" and has an extensive collection of memorabilia, with over 4,000 costumes from the silent screen period to the 1970s. She has been known to gather posters from her collection of 3,000 and drive to homes of actor pals for autographs. In the 1990s she turned her collection into a Las Vegas movie museum, but had to shut it down in 1997 because of financial problems. Recently she has looked into the possibility of opening up a hall of fame museum in Hollywood near Grauman's Chinese Theatre.
At one particularly low point in her career, she confessed to literally living in her car, a Cadillac.
April 2002: Opened the Hollywood Motion Picture Collection near the new Kodak Theatre. The collection, which was collected and preserved primarily by Reynolds herself, features over 3,000 costumes including Carmen Miranda's turbans, a pair of Judy Garland's ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz (1939), John Wayne's guns and Marilyn Monroe's windswept dress from The Seven Year Itch (1955).
Made her Broadway debut in 1973 in the revival of "Irene". Although the reviews for the show itself were mixed, hers were all raves and she wound up with a Tony Award nomination the following year for Best Actress in a Musical. The production ultimately ran some 20 months. In 1976, she appeared in a one-woman, short-run (10 days - 14 performances) review named "Debbie!" at the Minskoff Theatre. Her only other Broadway appearance to date came when she succeeded Lauren Bacall in "Woman of the Year" in 1983.
In one of her guest appearances on "Will & Grace" (1998), she enters a room humming a bit of "Good Morning", which was a song she sang in her most famous musical, Singin' in the Rain (1952).
Was a member of the International Order of Job's Daughters. Is a past honored Queen of Bethel No. 97, Burbank, California.
Had planned to go into the education field (teaching physical education) before she won the Miss Burbank contest.
Is a Past Honored Queen of Bethel No. 97, Burbank, California.
Is a Majority Member in California.
In 1969, she followed Doris Day and some of her contemporaries in launching a TV sitcom bearing her name. When the debut episode included an advertisement for cigarettes, a direct violation of one of her contractual stipulations, she made such a fuss about it that NBC ended up cancelling the series.
Is portrayed by Judith Jones in Liz: The Elizabeth Taylor Story (1995) (TV).
President of The Thalians, an organization for the treatment of mental health at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles. Ruta Lee is the chairman. Both have been actively involved in building this celebrity run organization for over 30 years.
Her first appearance on "Will & Grace" (1998) was in the episode entitled "The Unsinkable Mommy Adler", a play on the title of the movie The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964). She played both title roles.
While wanting to be in show-business, Reynolds' family Nazarene church forbade acting. However, Reynolds' father saw her talent and gave his support, seeing it as a means of paying Debbie's college costs. Reynolds' mother then gave her support knowing that there is no evil going on in her movies. Reynolds' mother knew her daughter had talent, but understand why it was happening to her own daughter.
Close friend of Hugh O'Brian. Serenaded O'Brien and his bride, Virginia, at their wedding on June 25, 2006.
Her father entered her in a beauty pageant once when she was very young. She wore a bathing suit that her mother had mended that morning and a pair of her sister's high heels.
In 1964, she went into the hospital business, purchasing Oceanside Hospital in Oceanside, California for $1,000,000 with plans to turn it into a profitable business venture.
In January 1996, Debbie Reynolds dedicated the Holland-America Line cruise ship the MS Veendam.
Campaigned for the part of Doris Mann in Postcards from the Edge (1990), but Shirley MacLaine was cast instead.
One of the few actresses to have danced with both Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly on screen. Other actresses who have done this include: Judy Garland, Cyd Charisse, Vera-Ellen, Rita Hayworth, and Leslie Caron.
Played the English horn in college.
Secondary school studies in Burbank.
Personal Quotes
Singin' in the Rain (1952) and childbirth were the two hardest things I ever had to do in my life.
I stopped making movies because I don't like taking my clothes off. Maybe it's realism but, in my opinion, it's utter filth.
When asked what her favorite movie is: I think one of my favorite films is Dark Victory (1939) with Bette Davis. Why? She was so wonderful in that film. And... maybe I just want a good cry once in a while without having to go through a divorce.
Daddy had got us rooms in a motel until he could find us a house. There were not a lot of places available for a young family on our budget. Daddy went around to dozens of places. Nobody wanted kids. Finally, he found one in the hills south of Glendale. As usual, the landlady asked if he had kids. "Yep,' he replied. 'A boy and a girl.' 'Well, whatta you going to do about them?' she wanted to know, implying that she didn't allow children. 'I'm gonna take'em out and drown them in the Los Angeles River, and come back tomorrow.' That was my father - ask a silly question and just wait. She must have had the same sense of humor: we moved in the next day.
I do twenty minutes every time the refrigerator door opens and the light comes on.
[on the death of Tony Curtis] Nobody had a better time than Tony. He loved the ladies. He loved art. He loved this business more than anything. He was a great looking guy, handsome. We were all very close friends when we were young, a long, long time ago. But he had a wonderful life. He had a full life. He was a great, marvellous actor.
Salary
Bundle of Joy (1956) $150,000
Where Are They Now
(February 2001) Has currently reconciled with old enemy, Elizabeth Taylor, to work on TV movie These Old Broads (2001) (TV), written by Debbie's daughter, Carrie Fisher, with Taylor, Shirley MacLaine and Joan Collins. Debbie and Taylor were friends until the late 1950s when Debbie's then- husband, Eddie Fisher, began having an affair with Taylor and then married her. When they began working on These Old Broads (2001) (TV) together, Taylor told Debbie, "I owe you a lot". Debbie said, "I just got a lump in my throat when she said that". Miss Reynolds has truly proven to be unsinkable and an individual of great character.
(July 2004) In the process of relocating her museum to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. A new Hollywood Motion Picture Museum is being constructed there by Debbie and her children Carrie Fisher and Todd Fisher. It is set to open in April of 2005.
(1988) Release of her autobiography, "Debbie--My Life" by Debbie with David Patrick Columbia.
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Debbie Reynolds, Gene Kelly & Donald O'Connor - Good Morning (With Hun Sub)
Debby Reynolds "I Wanna Be Loved By You"
Debbie Reynolds - Tammy
Lana Turner, Ezio Pinza And Debbie Reynolds In Mr. Imperium (1951 Movie)
