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Biography
Other persons|Debbie Reynolds|Deborah Reynolds (disambiguation)BLP sources|date=August 2011Infobox person| name = Debbie Reynolds| image = Debbie Reynolds Allan Warren.jpg| imagesize =| caption = Reynolds in 1986| alt =| birth_name = Mary Frances Reynolds| birth_date = birth date and age|1932|04|01| birth_place = El Paso, Texas | death_date =| death_place =| death_cause =| spouse = Eddie Fisher (singer)|Eddie Fisher (m.19551959; divorced) Harry Karl (m.19601973; divorced) Richard Hamlett (m.19841996; divorced)| other_names =| occupation = Actress, dancer, singer| years_active = 1948present| parents = Raymond Francis Reynolds Maxine& nbsp;N. Harmon| website = http://www.debbiereynolds.com debbiereynolds.com| children = Todd Fisher Carrie Fisher Debbie Reynolds (born April& nbsp;1, 1932) is an American actress, singer, and dancer.
Initially signed at age sixteen by Warner Bros. , Reynolds' career got off to a slow start. When her contract was not renewed, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) gave her a small but significant part in the film Three Little Words (film)|Three Little Words (1950), then signed her to a seven-year contract. In her next film, Two Weeks with Love (1950), she had a hit with the song " Aba Daba Honeymoon ". However, it was her first leading role, in '' Singin' in the Rain (1952), that set her on the path to fame. By the mid 1950s, she was a major star.
Other notable successes include Tammy and the Bachelor (1957), in which her rendering of the song " Tammy (song)|Tammy " reached number one on the music charts; and The Unsinkable Molly Brown (film)|The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964), for which she received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress . She continues to perform successfully on stage, television and film to the present day.
Reynolds' first marriage, to popular singer Eddie Fisher (singer)|Eddie Fisher , produced a son and a daughter, actress/author Carrie Fisher , but ended in divorce in 1959 when Fisher and her former (and later) friend Elizabeth Taylor fell in love. Her second and third marriages also ended in divorce, each time ruining her financially.
She is a noted collector of film memorabilia , beginning with the landmark 1972 MGM auction. In June 2011, unable to find a suitable home for her large collection, she began auctioning it off.
Early life
Reynolds was born Mary Frances Reynolds in El Paso, Texas , the second child of Maxine& nbsp;N. ( married and maiden names|nιe Harmon; 1913& ndash;1999) and Raymond Francis Reynolds (1903& ndash;1986), who was a carpenter for the Southern Pacific Railroad . http://www.filmreference.com/film/87/Debbie-Reynolds.html Debbie Reynolds Biography (1932-) http://www.genealogy.com/famousfolks/carrie-fisher/index.htm#sxb Genealogy.com - Ancestry of Carrie Fisher She has Scotch-Irish and English ancestry.Byrne, James Patrick. Coleman, Philip. King, Jason Francis.'Ireland and the Americas: culture, politics, and history : a multidisciplinary encyclopedia, Volume 2'. P. 804. ABC-CLIO, 2008. ISBN 1-85109-614-0; ISBN 978185109614 Please check ISBN|reason=Invalid length.. Reynolds was a Girl Scouts of the USA|Girl Scout and a troop leader (a scholarship in her name is offered to high-school age Girl Scouts). Her family moved to Burbank, California|Burbank , California , in 1939, and she was raised in a strict Church of the Nazarene|Nazarene faith. At age& nbsp;16, while a student at Burbank's John Burroughs High School , Reynolds won the Miss Burbank beauty contest|Beauty Contest , a contract with Warner Bros., and acquired a new first name.
Career
Reynolds regularly appeared in musical film|movie musical s during the 1950s and had several hit records during the period. Her song " Aba Daba Honeymoon " (featured in the film Two Weeks with Love 1950 as a duet with Carleton Carpenter ) was a top-three hit in 1951. Her most high-profile film role was in '' Singin' in the Rain (1952) as Kathy Selden. In Bundle of Joy (1956) she appeared with her then-husband, Eddie Fisher (singer)|Eddie Fisher .
Her recording of the song " Tammy (song)|Tammy " (from her film Tammy and the Bachelor (1957)) earned her a Music recording sales certification|gold record ,cite book | author = Murrells, Joseph | year= 1978 | title= The Book of Golden Discs | edition= 2nd | publisher= Barrie & Jenkins | location= London | page= 95 | isbn= 0-214-20512-6 and was the best-selling single (music)|single by a female vocalist in 1957. It was number one for five weeks on the Billboard magazine|Billboard pop charts. In the movie (the first of the Tammy (film series)| Tammy film series ), she co-starred with Leslie Nielsen .
In 1959, Reynolds recorded her first album for Dot Records, simply called Debbie , which included her own selection of twelve standards including "S'posin'", "Moonglow", "Mean To Me", and "Time After Time". Bing Crosby paid tribute to Reynolds in the sleeve notes accompanying the album thus:
Someone recently said, and with reasonable accuracy I would think, that good singers make good actors. Evidence in support of this belief is available in the recent performances of Frank Sinatra|Sinatra and Dean Martin|Martin , for instance, but I would like to put forth also the proposition that the reverse is quite true: good actors make good singers. Assuming they can carry a tune. We all know that Debbie is better than a good actress& mdash;she's VERY good, and we all know she can sing with a lilt and a listenable quality that's genuinely pleasant and agreeable. Witness "Tammy". It was small surprise to me then that when I listened to this beautiful album she has etched for Dot, I found myself captivated and enchanted. Quite obviously Debbie had spent a great deal of time selecting the songs to be included, because she's made them her own, and invested them with a sincerity that's inescapable& mdash;of contrasting moods to be sure, but the moods are there, and to me, mighty effective. And that, mes amis, is artistry.
Reynolds also scored two other top-25 Billboard hits with "A Very Special Love" (1958) and " Am I That Easy to Forget " (1960) a pop music|pop-music version of a country music|country-music hit made famous by both songwriter s Carl Belew (in 1959), Skeeter Davis (in 1960), and several years later by singer EngelbertHumperdinck (singer)|Engelbert Humperdinck . She has released several albums of both her vintage performances and her later recordings.
During these years, she also headlined in major Las Vegas Valley|Las Vegas showroom#Entertainment venue|showrooms .
Her starring role in The Unsinkable Molly Brown (film)|The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964) led to a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress . She then portrayed Jeanine Deckers in The Singing Nun (film)|The Singing Nun (1966).
In what Reynolds has called the "stupidest mistake of my entire career",Reynolds, Debbie (with Columbia, David Patrick) (1988). Debbie: My Life . William Morrow and Company , p. 309. ISBN 978-0-688-06633-8 she made headlines in 1970 after instigating a fight with the NBC television network over cigarette advertising on her the Debbie Reynolds Show|eponymous television series ; NBC cancelled the show.
Reynolds made her Broadway debut in 1973 in a revival of Irene (musical)|Irene , a musical first produced 60 years before. For that production, she received a Tony nomination. She toured with Harve Presnell in Annie Get Your Gun (musical)|Annie Get Your Gun , then wrapped up the Broadway run of Woman of the Year in 1983. In the late 1980s, Reynolds repeated her role as Molly Brown in the stage version of The Unsinkable Molly Brown , first opposite Presnell (repeating his original Broadway and movie role) and later with Ron Raines .
Reynolds continues to make appearances in film and television. She played Wings (NBC TV series)#Helen Chappel Hackett|Helen Chappel Hackett 's mother, Deedee Chappel, on an episode of Wings (NBC TV series)|Wings titled, "If It's Not One Thing, It's Your Mother", which originally aired on November 22, 1994. http://pro.imdb.com/title/tt0749257/. Internet Movie Database . From 1999 to its 2006 series finale , she played Grace Adler 's ditzy mother, Bobbi Adler, on the NBC situation comedy|sitcom Will & Grace (1998& ndash;2006), which earned her an Primetime Emmy Award|Emmy Award http://www.emmys.com/celebrities/debbie-reynolds Debbie Reynolds Emmy Award Nomination nomination for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress Comedy Series|Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series in 52nd Primetime Emmy Awards|2000 . She also plays a recurring role in the List of Disney Channel Original Movies|Disney Channel Original Movie Halloweentown series| Halloweentown film series as Aggie Cromwell. Reynolds made a guest appearance as a presenter at the 69th Academy Awards in 1997.
Reynolds appeared in her West End theatre|West End show Debbie Reynolds: Alive and Fabulous . In June 2010 she replaced Ivana Trump answering reader queries for the weekly paper '' Globe (tabloid)|Globe .cite web|url= http://www.janetcharltonshollywood.com/who-would-you-rather-take-advice-from-ivana-trump-or-debbie-reynolds/ |work=Janet Charlton's Hollywood|title=Who Would You Rather Take Advice From? Ivana Trump or Debbie Reynolds? |date=2010-06-03 |accessdate=2012-04-23
Awards and nominations
Reynolds won the National Board of Review National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress|Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in The Catered Affair (1956).
She has received various nominations for awards including: an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964), a Golden Globe Award nomination for Golden Globe Award for Best Actress Television Series Musical or Comedy|Best Actress Television Series Musical or Comedy for The Debbie Reynolds Show (1970), a Golden Globe nomination for Golden Globe Award for Best Actress Motion Picture Musical or Comedy|Best Actress Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Mother (1996 film)|Mother (1996) and an Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress Comedy Series|Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series , for her role of Leo Markus|Bobbi Adler in the sitcom Will & Grace (2000). In 1996 and 1997, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award in Comedy, in the American Comedy Awards .
Her foot and hand prints are preserved at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California|Hollywood , California . She also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6654 Hollywood Boulevard.
In November 2006, Reynolds received the "Lifetime Achievement Award" from Chapman University ( Orange, California|Orange , California). On May& nbsp;17, 2007, she was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Nevada, Reno , ( Reno, Nevada|Reno , Nevada) where she had contributed for many years to the film studies|film-studies program.
Reynolds last Cd was a Christmas Record with the late Donald O'Connor entitled "Chrissy the Christmas Mouse". It received rave reviews and was arranged by Angelo DiPippo and produced by Dr. Fillardi.
Film memorabilia
Reynolds has amassed a large collection of Film memorabilia|movie memorabilia , beginning with the landmark 1970 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer auction, and displayed them, first in a museum at her Las Vegas hotel and casino during the 1990s and later in a museum close to the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles . On several occasions, she has auction ed off items from the collection.
The museum was to relocate to be the centerpiece of the Belle Island Village tourist attraction in the resort city of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee , but the developer went bankrupt.cite news |title=Auction Set for Debbie Reynolds' Hollywood Memorabilia |work = Los Angeles Daily News |date=September 10, 2010 |url= http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_16042045cite news |title=With No Buyer, Debbie Reynolds' Hollywood Memorabilia To Go To Auction |author=Flory, Josh |work = Knoxville News Sentinel |date=September 9, 2010 |url= http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2010/sep/09/091010reynolds/ The museum itself filed for Chapter 11, Title 11, United States Code|Chapter& nbsp;11 bankruptcy cite web |url= http://blogs.wsj.com/bankruptcy/2010/09/10/reynolds-to-auction-hollywood-memorabilia/ |title=Reynolds to Auction Hollywood Memorabilia |publisher= The Wall Street Journal blogs |date=September 10, 2010 |accessdate=January 18, 2011 in June 2009.
Todd Fisher, Reynolds' son, announced that his mother was "heartbroken" to have to auction off her collection. It was valued at $10.79& nbsp;million in the bankruptcy filing. The Vancouver Sun reported that Profiles in History has been given the responsibility of conducting a series of auctions beginning in June and continuing into December 2011.cite news |title=Marilyn Monroe's Skirt Going Up& nbsp;& ndash; On Auction Block |author=Stone, Jay | work = The Vancouver Sun |date=February 27, 2011 |url= http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/movie-guide/Marilyn+Monroe+skirt+going+auction+block/4352729/story.html Among the "more than 3500 costumes, 20,000 photographs, and thousands of movie posters, costume sketches, and props" to be sold are Charlie Chaplin 's bowler hat and MarilynMonroe 's white "subway dress", whose skirt is lifted up by the breeze from a passing subway train in the film The Seven Year Itch (1955).
On June& nbsp;18, 2011, the subway dress was sold for $4.6& nbsp;million dollars, far in excess of pre-auction estimates of $1-2 million.cite web |url= http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/19/us-monroe-idUSTRE75I2NM20110619 |title=Marilyn Monroe 'Subway' Dress Sells for $4.6 Million |publisher=Reuters |date=June 19, 2011 |accessdate=June 19, 2011 Another Monroe dress, which she wore in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (film)|Gentlemen Prefer Blondes , fetched $1.2 million, four times the upper pre-sale expectation.
Personal life
Marriages
Reynolds has been married three times. Her first marriage was to singer Eddie Fisher (singer)|Eddie Fisher in 1955. They are the parents of Carrie Fisher|Carrie and Todd Fisher. A public scandal ensued when Fisher and Elizabeth Taylor fell in love following the death of Taylor's then-husband Mike Todd , and Reynolds and Fisher were divorced in 1959. In 2011, first on The Oprah Winfrey Show only weeks before Elizabeth Taylor's death from congestive heart failure , Reynolds explained that she and Taylor happened to be traveling on the ocean liner Queen Elizabeth at the same time when they made up. Reynolds sent a note to Taylor's room, and Taylor sent a note in reply asking to have dinner with Reynolds and end their feud. The two reconciled, and, as Reynolds put it, "...we had a wonderful evening with a lot of laughs".
Her second marriage, to millionaire businessman Harry Karl, lasted from 1960 to 1973. He was previously married to Marie McDonald . Reynolds later found herself in financial difficulty because of Karl's gambling and bad investments.
Reynolds was married to real estate developer Richard Hamlett from 1984 to 1996. They purchased Greek Isles Hotel & Casino , a small hotel and casino in Las Vegas, but it was not a success. In 1997, Reynolds was forced to declare bankruptcy .cite news|author =Brozan, Nadine|title=Chronicle|url= http://www.nytimes.com/1997/07/09/style/chronicle-040070.html? ref=debbie_reynolds|accessdate=23 September 2010| work = The New York Times |date=July 9, 1997
Charity work
Since 1955, Reynolds has been active in the Thalians Club, a charitable organization, devoted to children and adults with mental health issues. In 2011 she stepped down after 55 years of involvement, and is now an emeritus member.
In keeping with the celebrity tradition of the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival of Winchester, Virginia|Winchester , Virginia , Reynolds was honored as the Grand Marshal of the 2011 ABF that took place from April& nbsp;26 to May& nbsp;1, 2011. http://www.thebloom.com/celeb-more/debbiereynolds.html "Grand Marshal: Debbie Reynolds". thebloom.com. June 14, 2011. Retrieved June 14, 2011.
cite book | author=Reynolds, Debbie (with Columbia, David Patrick) | title=Debbie: My Life | publisher= William Morrow and Company | year=1988 | isbn=978-0-688-06633-8
External links
Commons
http://www.debbiereynolds.com debbiereynolds.com, Reynolds's official website
IBDB name|57578
IMDb name|1666
http://www.hmpc.tv Debbie Reynolds' Hollywood Motion Picture Museum website
http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/debbie-reynolds/146836 Debbie Reynolds at TVGuide.com
http://blog.milestonebroadcasting.com/2009/08/17/big-band-files-wdoug-miles-wguest-debbie-reynolds.aspx Radio appearance WSRQ "Big Band Files w/Doug Miles
http://film.virtual-history.com/person.php? personid=6640 Photographs and literature
http://www.emmys.com/celebrities/debbie-reynolds Debbie Reynolds at Emmys.com
National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress Persondata|NAME = Reynolds, Debbie |ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Reynolds, Mary Frances |SHORT DESCRIPTION = Actor , dancer and singer |DATE OF BIRTH = 1932-4-1 |PLACE OF BIRTH = El Paso , Texas , United States |DATE OF DEATH = |PLACE OF DEATH =
DEFAULTSORT:Reynolds, Debbie Category:1932 births Category:20th-century actors Category:20th-century singers Category:21st-century actors Category:21st-century musicians Category:Actors from California Category:Actors from Texas Category:American collectors Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American members of the Church of the Nazarene Category:American musical theatre actors Category:American people of English descent Category:American people of Scotch-Irish descent Category:American television actors Category:Girl Scouts of the USA Category:Living people Category:MGM Records artists Category:Musicians from Texas Category:People from Beverly Hills, California Category:People from Burbank, California Category:People from El Paso, Texas Category:Singers from California Category:Traditional pop music singers
