Debbie Reynolds
Encyclopedia
Debbie Reynolds is an American
actress, singer, and dancer.
She was initially signed at age 16 by Warner Bros.
, but her 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
(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 rendition of the song "Tammy
" reached number one on the music charts, and 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.
Her personal life has not gone as well. Her first marriage, to popular 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 disastrously, 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.
, Texas
, the second child of Maxine N. (née
Harmon; 1913–1999) and Raymond Francis Reynolds (1903–1986), who was a carpenter for the Southern Pacific Railroad
. Her parents were of Irish ancestry.
Reynolds was a 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
, in 1939, and she was raised in a strict Nazarene
faith. At age 16, while a student at Burbank's John Burroughs High School
, Reynolds won the Miss Burbank Beauty Contest
, a contract with Warner Bros., and acquired a new first name.
Reynolds regularly appeared in 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
.
Her recording of the song "Tammy
" (from her film Tammy and the Bachelor
(1957)) earned her a gold record
, and was the best-selling single
by a female vocalist in 1957. It was number one for five weeks on the Billboard pop charts. In the movie (the first of the 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:
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
version of a country-music
hit made famous by both songwriter
s Carl Belew (in 1959), Skeeter Davis
(in 1960), and several years later by 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
showrooms.
Her starring role in 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
(1966).
In what Reynolds has called the "stupidest mistake of my entire career", she made headlines in 1970 after instigating a fight with the NBC television network over cigarette advertising on her eponymous television series
; NBC cancelled the show.
Reynolds continues to make appearances in film and television. She played Helen Chappel Hackett's mother, Deedee Chappel, on an episode of "Wings" entitled, "If It's Not One Thing, It's Your Mother," which originally aired on November 22, 1994. From 1999 to its 2006 series finale
, she played Grace Adler
's ditzy mother, Bobbi Adler, on the NBC sitcom
Will & Grace
(1998–2006), which earned her an Emmy Award
nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series in 2000
. She also plays a recurring role in the Disney Channel Original Movie 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
show Debbie Reynolds: Alive and Fabulous. In June 2010, her publicist Edward Lozzi
secured her a role as a regular columnist for the weekly paper Globe, replacing Ivana Trump
in answering reader queries. http://www.janetcharltonshollywood.com/who-would-you-rather-take-advice-from-ivana-trump-or-debbie-reynolds/
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 Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy for The Debbie Reynolds Show (1970), a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Mother
(1996) and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, for her role of 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
, 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). On May 17, 2007, she was awarded an honorary degree
of Doctor of Humane Letters
from the University of Nevada, Reno
, (Reno
, Nevada) where she had contributed for many years to the film-studies
program. In her acceptance speech, she referred to the University as "Nevahda...Arizona".
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. The museum itself filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
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 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. 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 Marilyn Monroe
'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 18, 2011, the subway dress was sold for $4.6 million dollars, far in excess of pre-auction estimates of $1-2 million. Another Monroe dress, which she wore in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, fetched $1.2 million, four times the upper pre-sale expectation.
She and Eddie Fisher
were married in 1955. They are the parents of Carrie Fisher
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 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. Debbie sent a note to Taylor's room, and Taylor sent a note in reply asking to have dinner with Debbie and end their feud. The two reconciled, and, as Debbie put it, "...we had a wonderful evening with a lot of laughs". Reynolds said of Taylor in an interview with Popeater
that "[Elizabeth] went through her younger years of just obtaining what she wanted, and later in life she became a little more aware of other people's feelings" and also said of her legendary friend, "Elizabeth worked really hard all of her life and she raised her children really well. She worked really hard for HIV; I've worked hard for mental health. We both feel we've done our job and our commitment to the community" and "I'm very sorry for Elizabeth's passing. She was the most glamorous star of our generation, and women liked her and men adored her, including my husband [Fisher]. She was a symbol of stardom and her legacy will go on forever".
Her second marriage, to millionaire businessman Harry Karl, lasted from 1960 to 1973. He was previously married to Marie McDonald
. At its end, she 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
.
Reynolds has been active in the Thalians Club, a charitable organization.
She resides in Beverly Hills next door to her daughter Carrie.
Her maternal grandmother Joan Harmon (September 5, 1883 – October 31, 1932) was an actress who worked on Broadway from 1929 until late 1930.
In keeping with the celebrity tradition of the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival
of Winchester
, Virginia
, Reynolds was honored as the Grand Marshal of the 2011 ABF that took place from April 26 to May 1, 2011.
Short subjects:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress, singer, and dancer.
She was initially signed at age 16 by Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
, but her career got off to a slow start. When her contract was not renewed, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
(MGM) gave her a small, but significant part in the film Three Little Words
Three Little Words (film)
Three Little Words is a 1950 American musical film biography of the Tin Pan Alley songwriting partnership of Kalmar and Ruby and stars Fred Astaire as lyricist Bert Kalmar, Red Skelton as composer Harry Ruby, along with Vera-Ellen and Arlene Dahl as their wives, with Debbie Reynolds in a small but...
(1950), then signed her to a seven-year contract. In her next film, Two Weeks with Love
Two Weeks with Love
Two Weeks with Love is a 1950 romantic musical film made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed by Roy Rowland, based on story by John Larkin who co-wrote the screenplay with Dorothy Kingsley.Set in the early 1900s, the film focuses on the Robinson family...
(1950), she had a hit with the song "Aba Daba Honeymoon
Aba Daba Honeymoon
Aba Daba Honeymoon is a popular song that was written and published by Arthur Fields and Walter Donovan in 1914. Known through its chorus, "Aba daba daba daba daba daba dab, Said the chimpie to the monk; Baba daba daba daba daba daba dab, Said the monkey to the chimp," the first recording of Aba...
". However, it was her first leading role, in Singin' in the Rain
Singin' in the Rain
Singin' in the Rain is a 1952 American comedy musical film starring Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds and directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, with Kelly also providing the choreography...
(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
Tammy and the Bachelor
Tammy and the Bachelor is a 1957 romantic comedy film and is the first of the four Tammy films. It stars Debbie Reynolds as Tambrey "Tammy" Tyree, Walter Brennan as Grandpa Dinwitty and Leslie Nielsen as Peter Brent...
(1957), in which her rendition of the song "Tammy
Tammy (song)
"Tammy" is a popular song with music by Jay Livingston and lyrics by Ray Evans. It was published in 1957 and debuted in the film Tammy and the Bachelor. It was nominated for the 1957 Academy Award for Best Original Song....
" reached number one on the music charts, and The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964), for which she received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress
Academy Award for Best Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
. She continues to perform successfully on stage, television and film to the present day.
Her personal life has not gone as well. Her first marriage, to popular singer Eddie Fisher
Eddie Fisher (singer)
Edwin Jack "Eddie" Fisher , was an American entertainer. He was one of the world's most famous and successful singers in the 1950s, selling millions of records and hosting his own TV show. His divorce from his first wife, Debbie Reynolds, to marry his best friend's widow, Elizabeth Taylor, garnered...
, produced a son and a daughter, actress/author Carrie Fisher
Carrie Fisher
Carrie Frances Fisher is an American actress, novelist, screenwriter, and lecturer. She is most famous for her portrayal of Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy, her bestselling novel Postcards from the Edge, for which she wrote the screenplay to the film of the same name, and her...
, but ended in divorce in 1959 when Fisher and her former (and later) friend Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age...
fell in love. Her second and third marriages also ended disastrously, 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
She was born Mary Frances Reynolds in El PasoEl Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, the second child of Maxine N. (née
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Harmon; 1913–1999) and Raymond Francis Reynolds (1903–1986), who was a carpenter for the Southern Pacific Railroad
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
. Her parents were of Irish ancestry.
Reynolds was a Girl Scout
Girl Scouts of the USA
The Girl Scouts of the United States of America is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad. It describes itself as "the world's preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls". It was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912 and was organized after Low...
and a troop leader (a scholarship in her name is offered to high-school age Girl Scouts). Her family moved to Burbank
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, in 1939, and she was raised in a strict Nazarene
Church of the Nazarene
The Church of the Nazarene is an evangelical Christian denomination that emerged from the 19th century Holiness movement in North America with its members colloquially referred to as Nazarenes. It is the largest Wesleyan-holiness denomination in the world. At the end of 2010, the Church of the...
faith. At age 16, while a student at Burbank's John Burroughs High School
John Burroughs High School
John Burroughs High School is a public high school located in Burbank, California. Emilio Urioste, Jr. is the current principal. The school was built in the 1920s, but wasn't established as a high school until 1948. The school was named after naturalist John Burroughs...
, Reynolds won the Miss Burbank Beauty Contest
Beauty contest
A beauty pageant or beauty contest, is a competition that mainly focuses on the physical beauty of its contestants, although such contests often incorporate personality, talent, and answers to judges' questions as judged criteria...
, a contract with Warner Bros., and acquired a new first name.
Career
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
s during the 1950s and had several hit records during the period. Her song "Aba Daba Honeymoon
Aba Daba Honeymoon
Aba Daba Honeymoon is a popular song that was written and published by Arthur Fields and Walter Donovan in 1914. Known through its chorus, "Aba daba daba daba daba daba dab, Said the chimpie to the monk; Baba daba daba daba daba daba dab, Said the monkey to the chimp," the first recording of Aba...
" (featured in the film Two Weeks with Love
Two Weeks with Love
Two Weeks with Love is a 1950 romantic musical film made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed by Roy Rowland, based on story by John Larkin who co-wrote the screenplay with Dorothy Kingsley.Set in the early 1900s, the film focuses on the Robinson family...
(1950) as a duet with Carleton Carpenter
Carleton Carpenter
Carleton Carpenter is an American movie/television/stage actor, a magician, author and songwriter....
) was a top-three hit in 1951. Her most high-profile film role was in Singin' in the Rain
Singin' in the Rain
Singin' in the Rain is a 1952 American comedy musical film starring Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds and directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, with Kelly also providing the choreography...
(1952) as Kathy Selden. In Bundle of Joy
Bundle of Joy
Bundle of Joy is a musical remake of the comedy film Bachelor Mother . It stars Eddie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds, and Adolphe Menjou. An unmarried salesgirl at a department store finds and takes care of an abandoned baby...
(1956) she appeared with her then-husband, Eddie Fisher
Eddie Fisher (singer)
Edwin Jack "Eddie" Fisher , was an American entertainer. He was one of the world's most famous and successful singers in the 1950s, selling millions of records and hosting his own TV show. His divorce from his first wife, Debbie Reynolds, to marry his best friend's widow, Elizabeth Taylor, garnered...
.
Her recording of the song "Tammy
Tammy (song)
"Tammy" is a popular song with music by Jay Livingston and lyrics by Ray Evans. It was published in 1957 and debuted in the film Tammy and the Bachelor. It was nominated for the 1957 Academy Award for Best Original Song....
" (from her film Tammy and the Bachelor
Tammy and the Bachelor
Tammy and the Bachelor is a 1957 romantic comedy film and is the first of the four Tammy films. It stars Debbie Reynolds as Tambrey "Tammy" Tyree, Walter Brennan as Grandpa Dinwitty and Leslie Nielsen as Peter Brent...
(1957)) earned her a gold record
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
, and was the best-selling single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
by a female vocalist in 1957. It was number one for five weeks on the Billboard pop charts. In the movie (the first of the Tammy film series
Film series
A film series is a collection of related films in succession. Their relationship is not fixed, but generally share a common diegetic world. Sometimes the work is conceived as a multiple-film work, for example the Three Colours series, but in most cases the success of the original film inspires...
), she co-starred with Leslie Nielsen
Leslie Nielsen
Leslie William Nielsen, OC was a Canadian and naturalized American actor and comedian. Nielsen appeared in more than one hundred films and 1,500 television programs over the span of his career, portraying more than 220 characters...
.
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
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
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 SinatraFrank SinatraFrancis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
and MartinDean MartinDean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
, 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 — 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 — 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
Am I That Easy to Forget
"Am I That Easy to Forget" is the title of a popular song written by country music singer Carl Belew and W.S. Stevenson and published in 1958. Belew recorded his song in Nashville on December 17, 1958, and released the single in March 1959, where it reached number nine on the U.S. country music chart...
" (1960) — a pop-music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
version of a country-music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
hit made famous by both songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
s Carl Belew (in 1959), Skeeter Davis
Skeeter Davis
Mary Frances Penick , better known as Skeeter Davis, was an American country music singer best known for crossover pop music songs of the early 1960s. She started out as part of The Davis Sisters as a teenager in the late 1940s, eventually landing on RCA Records. In the late '50s, she became a solo...
(in 1960), and several years later by singer Engelbert Humperdinck
Engelbert Humperdinck (singer)
Engelbert Humperdinck is a British pop singer, best known for his hits including "Release Me " and "After the Lovin'" as well as "The Last Waltz" .-Early life:...
. She has released several albums of both her vintage performances and her later recordings.
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
showrooms.
Her starring role in The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964) led to a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress
Academy Award for Best Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
. She then portrayed Jeanine Deckers in The Singing Nun
The Singing Nun (film)
The Singing Nun is a 1966 American semi-biographical film about the life of Jeanine Deckers, a nun who recorded the chart-topping hit song "Dominique". It starred Debbie Reynolds in the title role. It was Henry Koster's final directing job....
(1966).
In what Reynolds has called the "stupidest mistake of my entire career", she made headlines in 1970 after instigating a fight with the NBC television network over cigarette advertising on her eponymous television series
The Debbie Reynolds Show
The Debbie Reynolds Show is an American situation comedy which aired on the NBC television network during the 1969-70 television season. The series was produced by Filmways, but the distribution rights are currently owned by Universal Media Studios through its ownership of NBC Productions...
; NBC cancelled the show.
Reynolds continues to make appearances in film and television. She played Helen Chappel Hackett's mother, Deedee Chappel, on an episode of "Wings" entitled, "If It's Not One Thing, It's Your Mother," which originally aired on November 22, 1994. From 1999 to its 2006 series finale
Series finale
A series finale refers to the last installment of a series with a narrative presented through mediums such as television, film and literature. In many Commonwealth countries, the term final episode is commonly used in regards to a television series...
, she played Grace Adler
Grace Adler
Grace Elizabeth Adler-Markus is a fictional character on the American sitcom Will & Grace, portrayed by Debra Messing. She is a Jewish interior designer , living in New York City with her gay best friend Will Truman...
's ditzy mother, Bobbi Adler, on the NBC sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
Will & Grace
Will & Grace
Will & Grace was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 21, 1998 to May 18, 2006 for a total of eight seasons. Will & Grace remains the most successful television series with gay principal characters...
(1998–2006), which earned her an Emmy Award
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...
nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series in 2000
52nd Primetime Emmy Awards
The 52nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were held Sunday, September 10, 2000. The awards show was hosted by Garry Shandling and was broadcast on ABC...
. She also plays a recurring role in the Disney Channel Original Movie Halloweentown film series
Halloweentown series
The Halloweentown film series aired as works for television on The Disney Channel between 1998 and 2006.* Halloweentown, released in 1998...
as Aggie Cromwell. Reynolds made a guest appearance as a presenter at the 69th Academy Awards in 1997.
Reynolds appeared in her West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
show Debbie Reynolds: Alive and Fabulous. In June 2010, her publicist Edward Lozzi
Edward Lozzi
Edward Lozzi is an American publicist, political consultant and writer. He is the founder of a Beverly Hills-based public relations company. He is an occasional contributor to The Huffington Post...
secured her a role as a regular columnist for the weekly paper Globe, replacing Ivana Trump
Ivana Trump
Ivana Trump is a former Olympic athlete, socialite, and fashion model noted for her marriage to mogul Donald Trump.-Early years:...
in answering reader queries. http://www.janetcharltonshollywood.com/who-would-you-rather-take-advice-from-ivana-trump-or-debbie-reynolds/
Awards and nominations
Reynolds won the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting ActressNational Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress
The National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress is one of the annual film awards given by the National Board of Review.-1950s:-1960s:-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:...
for her role in The Catered Affair
The Catered Affair
The Catered Affair , also known as Wedding Party, is a family drama film made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed by Richard Brooks and produced by Sam Zimbalist from a screenplay by Gore Vidal, based on a television play by Paddy Chayefsky...
(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
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
nomination for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy for The Debbie Reynolds Show (1970), a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Mother
Mother (1996 film)
Mother is a 1996 comedy-drama film directed by Albert Brooks, and was co-written by Brooks with Monica Johnson. The film stars Brooks and Debbie Reynolds.-Plot:...
(1996) and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, for her role of Bobbi Adler in the sitcom Will & Grace
Will & Grace
Will & Grace was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 21, 1998 to May 18, 2006 for a total of eight seasons. Will & Grace remains the most successful television series with gay principal characters...
(2000). In 1996 and 1997, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award in Comedy, in the American Comedy Awards
American Comedy Awards
The American Comedy Awards were a group of awards presented annually in the United States from 1987 to 2001 recognizing performances and performers in the field of comedy, with an emphasis on television comedy and comedy films...
.
Her foot and hand prints are preserved at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre
Grauman's Chinese Theatre
Grauman's Chinese Theatre is a movie theater at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood. It is on the historic Hollywood Walk of Fame.The Chinese Theatre was commissioned following the success of the nearby Grauman's Egyptian Theatre which opened in 1922...
in Hollywood
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. She also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
at 6654 Hollywood Boulevard.
In November 2006, Reynolds received the "Lifetime Achievement Award" from Chapman University
Chapman University
Chapman University is a private, non-profit university located in Orange, California affiliated with the Christian Church . Known for its blend of liberal arts and professional programs, Chapman University encompasses seven schools and colleges: Lawrence and Kristina Dodge College of Film and Media...
(Orange
Orange, California
Southern California is well-known for year-round pleasant weather: - On average, the warmest month is August. - The highest recorded temperature was in 1985. - On average, the coolest month is December. - The lowest recorded temperature was in 1950...
, California). On May 17, 2007, she was awarded an honorary degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
of Doctor of Humane Letters
Doctor of Humane Letters
The degree of Doctor of Humane Letters is always conferred as an honorary degree, usually to those who have distinguished themselves in areas other than science, government, literature or religion, which are awarded degrees of Doctor of Science, Doctor of Laws, Doctor of Letters, or Doctor of...
from the University of Nevada, Reno
University of Nevada, Reno
The University of Nevada, Reno , is a teaching and research university established in 1874 and located in Reno, Nevada, USA...
, (Reno
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
, Nevada) where she had contributed for many years to the film-studies
Film studies
Film studies is an academic discipline that deals with various theoretical, historical, and critical approaches to films. It is sometimes subsumed within media studies and is often compared to television studies...
program. In her acceptance speech, she referred to the University as "Nevahda...Arizona".
Film memorabilia
Reynolds has amassed a large collection of movie memorabilia, beginning with the landmark 1970 Metro-Goldwyn-MayerMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. 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
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. On several occasions, she has auction
Auction
An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...
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
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Pigeon Forge is a mountain resort city in Sevier County, Tennessee, located in the southeastern United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 5,875....
, but the developer went bankrupt. The museum itself filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Chapter 11, Title 11, United States Code
Chapter 11 is a chapter of the United States Bankruptcy Code, which permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Chapter 11 bankruptcy is available to every business, whether organized as a corporation or sole proprietorship, and to individuals, although it is most...
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 million in the bankruptcy filing. The Vancouver Sun
The Vancouver Sun
The Vancouver Sun is a daily newspaper first published in the Canadian province of British Columbia on February 12, 1912. The paper is currently published by the Pacific Newspaper Group, a division of Postmedia Network. It is published six days a week, Monday to Saturday...
reported that Profiles in History has been given the responsibility of conducting a series of auctions beginning in June and continuing into December 2011. Among the "more than 3500 costumes, 20,000 photographs, and thousands of movie posters, costume sketches, and props" to be sold are Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
's bowler hat and Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s....
's white "subway dress", whose skirt is lifted up by the breeze from a passing subway train in the film The Seven Year Itch
The Seven Year Itch
The Seven Year Itch is a 1955 American film based on a three-act play with the same name by George Axelrod. The film was co-written and directed by Billy Wilder, and starred Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell, reprising his Broadway role...
(1955).
On June 18, 2011, the subway dress was sold for $4.6 million dollars, far in excess of pre-auction estimates of $1-2 million. Another Monroe dress, which she wore in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, fetched $1.2 million, four times the upper pre-sale expectation.
Personal life
Reynolds has been married three times.She and Eddie Fisher
Eddie Fisher (singer)
Edwin Jack "Eddie" Fisher , was an American entertainer. He was one of the world's most famous and successful singers in the 1950s, selling millions of records and hosting his own TV show. His divorce from his first wife, Debbie Reynolds, to marry his best friend's widow, Elizabeth Taylor, garnered...
were married in 1955. They are the parents of Carrie Fisher
Carrie Fisher
Carrie Frances Fisher is an American actress, novelist, screenwriter, and lecturer. She is most famous for her portrayal of Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy, her bestselling novel Postcards from the Edge, for which she wrote the screenplay to the film of the same name, and her...
and Todd Fisher. A public scandal ensued when Fisher and Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age...
fell in love following the death of Taylor's then-husband Mike Todd
Mike Todd
Michael Todd was an American theatre and film producer, best known for his 1956 production of Around the World in Eighty Days, which won an Academy Award for Best Picture...
, and Reynolds and Fisher were divorced in 1959. In 2011, first on the Oprah show only weeks before Elizabeth Taylor's death from congestive heart failure
Congestive heart failure
Heart failure often called congestive heart failure is generally defined as the inability of the heart to supply sufficient blood flow to meet the needs of the body. Heart failure can cause a number of symptoms including shortness of breath, leg swelling, and exercise intolerance. The condition...
, Reynolds explained that she and Taylor happened to be traveling on the ocean liner "Queen Elizabeth" at the same time when they made up. Debbie sent a note to Taylor's room, and Taylor sent a note in reply asking to have dinner with Debbie and end their feud. The two reconciled, and, as Debbie put it, "...we had a wonderful evening with a lot of laughs". Reynolds said of Taylor in an interview with Popeater
Popeater
PopEater.com was an American gossip news web site owned by AOL Television. It was one of the most popular gossip blogs in America, ranking in the top 20s on Technorati's Top 100 and ranks #28 on Pikimal. On 11 July 2011, Arianna Huffington and PopEater co-announced PopEater had "a new home" at...
that "[Elizabeth] went through her younger years of just obtaining what she wanted, and later in life she became a little more aware of other people's feelings" and also said of her legendary friend, "Elizabeth worked really hard all of her life and she raised her children really well. She worked really hard for HIV; I've worked hard for mental health. We both feel we've done our job and our commitment to the community" and "I'm very sorry for Elizabeth's passing. She was the most glamorous star of our generation, and women liked her and men adored her, including my husband [Fisher]. She was a symbol of stardom and her legacy will go on forever".
Her second marriage, to millionaire businessman Harry Karl, lasted from 1960 to 1973. He was previously married to Marie McDonald
Marie McDonald
Marie McDonald was an American singer and actress known as "The Body Beautiful" and later nicknamed "The Body".- Early life :...
. At its end, she 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
Greek Isles Hotel & Casino
Clarion Hotel and Casino, formerly known as Debbie Reynolds Hollywood Hotel and Greek Isles Hotel & Casino, is a hotel/casino located in Paradise, Nevada, one block off the Las Vegas Strip...
, a small hotel and casino in Las Vegas, but it was not a success. In 1997, Reynolds was forced to declare bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
.
Reynolds has been active in the Thalians Club, a charitable organization.
She resides in Beverly Hills next door to her daughter Carrie.
Her maternal grandmother Joan Harmon (September 5, 1883 – October 31, 1932) was an actress who worked on Broadway from 1929 until late 1930.
In keeping with the celebrity tradition of the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival
Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival
The Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival, a six-day festival held annually in Winchester, Virginia, is known for its many guest celebrities and events. The festival was first held Saturday, May 3, 1924, and was originally celebrated as a one day event...
of Winchester
Winchester, Virginia
Winchester is an independent city located in the northwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the USA. The city's population was 26,203 according to the 2010 Census...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, Reynolds was honored as the Grand Marshal of the 2011 ABF that took place from April 26 to May 1, 2011.
Filmography
Features:- June BrideJune BrideJune Bride is a 1948 American comedy film directed by Bretaigne Windust. Ranald MacDougall's screenplay, based on the unproduced play Feature for June by Eileen Tighe and Graeme Lorimer, was nominated for the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Written American Comedy. The film starred Bette...
(1948) - The Daughter of Rosie O'GradyThe Daughter of Rosie O'GradyThe Daughter of Rosie O'Grady is a 1950 film directed by David Butler. It stars June Haver and Gordon MacRae.-Cast:*June Haver as Patricia O'Grady*Gordon MacRae as Tony Pastor*Debbie Reynolds as Maureen O'Grady*Gene Nelson as Doug Martin...
(1950) - Three Little WordsThree Little Words (film)Three Little Words is a 1950 American musical film biography of the Tin Pan Alley songwriting partnership of Kalmar and Ruby and stars Fred Astaire as lyricist Bert Kalmar, Red Skelton as composer Harry Ruby, along with Vera-Ellen and Arlene Dahl as their wives, with Debbie Reynolds in a small but...
(1950) - Two Weeks with LoveTwo Weeks with LoveTwo Weeks with Love is a 1950 romantic musical film made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed by Roy Rowland, based on story by John Larkin who co-wrote the screenplay with Dorothy Kingsley.Set in the early 1900s, the film focuses on the Robinson family...
(1950) - Mr. ImperiumMr. ImperiumMr. Imperium is a 1951 romantic drama film made by MGM. It was directed by Don Hartman who co-wrote the screenplay with Edwin H. Knopf, based on a play by Edwin H. Knopf. The music score is by Bronisław Kaper....
(1951) - Singin' in the RainSingin' in the RainSingin' in the Rain is a 1952 American comedy musical film starring Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds and directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, with Kelly also providing the choreography...
(1952) - Skirts Ahoy! (1952)
- I Love MelvinI Love MelvinI Love Melvin is a 1953 comedy film directed by Don Weis and starring Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds.-Plot:Small-time actress Judy Schneider dreams of becoming a Hollywood star even as she struggles along playing a human football in a kitschy Broadway musical. One day in Central Park she bumps...
(1953) - The Affairs of Dobie GillisThe Many Loves of Dobie GillisThe Many Loves of Dobie Gillis is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from 1959 to 1963. The series and some episode scripts were adapted from a 1951 collection of short stories of the same name, written by Max Shulman, that also inspired the 1953 film The Affairs of Dobie Gillis with Debbie...
(1953) - Give a Girl a BreakGive a Girl a BreakGive a Girl a Break is a 1953 musical comedy film directed by Stanley Donen, starring Debbie Reynolds and the dance team of Marge and Gower Champion. A young Bob Fosse has a featured role.-Plot:...
(1954) - Susan Slept HereSusan Slept HereSusan Slept Here is a 1954 romantic comedy film starring Dick Powell and Debbie Reynolds. It was based on the play of the same name by Steve Fisher and Alex Gottlieb...
(1954) - AthenaAthena (film)Athena is a romantic musical comedy, starring Jane Powell, Edmund Purdom, Debbie Reynolds, Vic Damone, Louis Calhern, and Norma Varden, and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer....
(1954) - Hit the DeckHit the Deck (1955 film)Hit the Deck is a 1955 musical film directed by Roy Rowland and starring Jane Powell. Tony Martin, Debbie Reynolds, Walter Pidgeon, Gene Raymond, Ann Miller, Russ Tamblyn,and Vic Damone. It was based on the musical of the same name.-Cast:...
(1955) - The Tender Trap (1955)
- Meet Me in Las VegasMeet Me in Las VegasMeet Me in Las Vegas is an MGM musical comedy produced by Joe Pasternak and directed by Roy Rowland filmed in Eastman Color and CinemaScope. The film has a running time of 112 minutes.-Cast and crew:...
(1956) - The Catered AffairThe Catered AffairThe Catered Affair , also known as Wedding Party, is a family drama film made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed by Richard Brooks and produced by Sam Zimbalist from a screenplay by Gore Vidal, based on a television play by Paddy Chayefsky...
(1956) - Bundle of JoyBundle of JoyBundle of Joy is a musical remake of the comedy film Bachelor Mother . It stars Eddie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds, and Adolphe Menjou. An unmarried salesgirl at a department store finds and takes care of an abandoned baby...
(1956) - Tammy and the BachelorTammy and the BachelorTammy and the Bachelor is a 1957 romantic comedy film and is the first of the four Tammy films. It stars Debbie Reynolds as Tambrey "Tammy" Tyree, Walter Brennan as Grandpa Dinwitty and Leslie Nielsen as Peter Brent...
(1957) - This Happy FeelingThis Happy FeelingThis Happy Feeling is a 1958 film by Blake Edwards adapted from the F. Hugh Herbert play For Love or Money. Edwards regretted Universal's eleventh hour decision of a name change, but the studio was hoping to trade off another pop hit by Debbie Reynolds as they had with Tammy and the Bachelor....
(1958) - The Mating GameThe Mating Game (film)The Mating Game is an MGM color film made in 1959 and starring Debbie Reynolds, Tony Randall and Paul Douglas in his final screen appearance. Reynolds sings the title song during the opening credits....
(1959) - Say One for MeSay One for MeSay One For Me is a film directed by Frank Tashlin and starring Bing Crosby and Debbie Reynolds.-Cast:*Bing Crosby as Father Conroy*Debbie Reynolds as Holly LeMaise aka Conroy*Robert Wagner as Tony Vincent*Ray Walston as Phil Stanley...
(1959) - It Started with a Kiss (1959)
- The GazeboThe GazeboThe Gazebo is a 1959 black comedy film about a married couple who are being blackmailed. It was based on the play of the same name by Alec Coppel.Helen Rose was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design, Black-and-White.-Plot:...
(1959) - The Rat RaceThe Rat RaceThe Rat Race is a 1960 American drama film directed by Robert Mulligan and starring Tony Curtis and Debbie Reynolds as struggling young entertainment professionals in New York City. Filming took place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.- Plot :...
(1960) - PepePepe (film)Pepe is a 1960 film starring Mario "Cantinflas" Moreno in the title role, directed by George Sidney. A multitude of cameo appearances attempted to replicate the success of Mario Moreno's American debut, notably Around the World in Eighty Days, produced by Mike Todd in 1956.The film failed to...
(1960) - The Pleasure of His CompanyThe Pleasure of His CompanyThe Pleasure of His Company is a comedy film starring Fred Astaire and Debbie Reynolds, released by Paramount Pictures. It is based on the 1958 play of the same name by Samuel A. Taylor and Cornelia Otis Skinner.-Plot:...
(1961) - The Second Time AroundThe Second Time Around (film)The Second Time Around is a 1961 Western comedy film starring Debbie Reynolds as a widow who relocates her family from 1911 New York to the Arizona Territory...
(1961) - How the West Was WonHow the West Was Won (film)How the West Was Won is a 1962 American epic Western film. The picture was one of the last "old-fashioned" epic films made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to enjoy great success. It follows four generations of a family as they move ever westward, from western New York state to the Pacific Ocean...
(1962) - Mary, MaryMary, Mary (play)Mary, Mary is a play by Jean Kerr. The play became one of the longest-running productions of the decade. After two previews, the Broadway production opened on March 8, 1961 at the original Helen Hayes Theatre , where it ran for nearly three years and nine months before transferring to the Morosco...
(1963) - My Six LovesMy Six LovesMy Six Loves is a 1963 comedy film starring Debbie Reynolds as a Broadway star who takes a vacation and finds herself responsible for six abandoned children, in Gower Champion's directorial debut...
(1963) - The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964)
- Goodbye CharlieGoodbye CharlieGoodbye Charlie is a 1964 comedy film about a callous womanizer who gets his just reward. It was adapted from George Axelrod's play Goodbye, Charlie and starred Debbie Reynolds and Tony Curtis...
(1964) - The Singing NunThe Singing Nun (film)The Singing Nun is a 1966 American semi-biographical film about the life of Jeanine Deckers, a nun who recorded the chart-topping hit song "Dominique". It starred Debbie Reynolds in the title role. It was Henry Koster's final directing job....
(1966) - Divorce American StyleDivorce American StyleDivorce American Style is a 1967 American satirical comedy film directed by Bud Yorkin.Norman Lear produced the film and wrote the script based on a story by Robert Kaufman...
(1967) - How Sweet It Is!How Sweet It Is!How Sweet It Is! is a 1968 comedy movie starring James Garner and Debbie Reynolds, with a supporting cast including Terry-Thomas and Paul Lynde. Garner plays a photographer who brings his wife, Jenny, and teenage son, David, along on a Paris shoot, with both husband and wife struggling to stay...
(1968) - What's the Matter with Helen?What's the Matter with Helen?What's the Matter With Helen? is a 1971 thriller film starring Debbie Reynolds and Shelley Winters.-Plot:The movie starts with a Hearst Metrotone newsreel from the 1930s that tells of the Iowa murder of Ellie Banner by Leonard Hill and Wesley Bruckner...
(1971) - Charlotte's WebCharlotte's Web (1973 film)Charlotte's Web is a 1973 American animated musical film produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and Sagittarius Productions and based upon the 1952 children's book of the same name by E. B. White...
(1973) (voice) - Busby BerkeleyBusby BerkeleyBusby Berkeley was a highly influential Hollywood movie director and musical choreographer. Berkeley was famous for his elaborate musical production numbers that often involved complex geometric patterns...
(1974) (documentary) - That's Entertainment!That's Entertainment!That's Entertainment! is a 1974 compilation film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to celebrate its 50th anniversary. It was followed by two sequels and a related film called That's Dancing!....
(1974) - Kiki's Delivery ServiceKiki's Delivery Serviceis a 1989 Japanese animated fantasy film produced, written, and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. It was the fourth theatrically released Studio Ghibli film.The film won the Animage Anime Grand Prix prize in 1989...
(1989) (voice in 1998 English dub) - The BodyguardThe BodyguardThe Bodyguard is a 1992 American romantic-thriller film starring Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston. Costner stars as a former Secret Service Agent turned bodyguard who is hired to protect Houston's character, a music star, from an unknown stalker. Lawrence Kasdan wrote the film in the 1970s,...
(1992)(cameo as herself) - Jack L. Warner: The Last Mogul (1993) (documentary)
- Heaven & Earth (1993)
- That's Entertainment! III (1994)
- MotherMother (1996 film)Mother is a 1996 comedy-drama film directed by Albert Brooks, and was co-written by Brooks with Monica Johnson. The film stars Brooks and Debbie Reynolds.-Plot:...
(1996) - Wedding Bell BluesWedding Bell Blues (film)Wedding Bell Blues is a 1996 romantic comedy film, directed by Dana Lustig and starring Illeana Douglas, supermodel Paulina Porizkova, and Julie Warner...
(1996) - In & OutIn & OutIn & Out is a 1997 American romantic comedy film directed by Frank Oz and starring Kevin Kline, Joan Cusack, Matt Dillon, Tom Selleck, Debbie Reynolds, Bob Newhart, and Wilford Brimley. The screenplay was written by screenwriter Paul Rudnick...
(1997) - HalloweentownHalloweentown (film)Halloweentown is a 1998 Disney Channel Original Movie released in October 1998 to acknowledge the holiday of Halloween.-Plot:The film begins with Marnie Piper and her mother, Gwen, arguing over why she and her younger siblings Dylan and Sophie can never go out for Halloween and wanting to go to a...
(1998) - Fear and Loathing in Las VegasFear and Loathing in Las Vegas (film)Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a 1998 American drama film directed by Terry Gilliam, starring Johnny Depp as Raoul Duke and Benicio del Toro as Dr. Gonzo. It was adapted from Hunter S. Thompson's 1971 novel of the same name....
(1998) - Zack and Reba (1998)
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The MovieRudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The MovieRudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie is a 1998 animated film based on the film of the same name by Robert May. It was the first theatrical feature from GoodTimes Entertainment, long known as a home video company. The film's animation was produced by Yowza! Animation, Wang Film Productions &...
(1998) (voice) - Keepers of the Frame (1999) (documentary)
- Rugrats in Paris: The MovieRugrats in Paris: The MovieRugrats in Paris: The Movie, also known as The Rugrats Movie 2: Rugrats in Paris and Rugrats in Paris: The Movie - Rugrats II, is 2000 American animated film, and the sequel to the 1998 film The Rugrats Movie that follows the continuing adventures of the Rugrats. In the film, Chuckie Finster takes...
(2000) (voice) - Halloweentown II: Kalabar's RevengeHalloweentown II: Kalabar's RevengeHalloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge is a 2001 Disney Channel Original Movie released for the holiday of Halloween. This is the second in the Halloweentown series.-Plot:...
(2001) - Cinerama AdventureCinerama AdventureCinerama Adventure is a 2002 documentary about the history of the Cinerama widescreen film process. To simulate the Cinerama experience for The Cinerama Adventure, a special three-panel telecine process termed SmileBox Cinerama Adventure is a 2002 documentary about the history of the Cinerama...
(2002) (documentary) - Connie and CarlaConnie and CarlaConnie and Carla is a 2004 American comedy film directed by Michael Lembeck and starring Nia Vardalos, Toni Collette, and David Duchovny.The film was shot in Vancouver and featured a number of local drag queens.-Plot:...
(2004) - Halloweentown HighHalloweentown HighHalloweentown High is a 2004 Disney Channel Original Movie released in October 2004 for the holiday of Halloween. This is the third in the Halloweentown series. It is also the last Halloweentown film to feature Kimberly J...
(2004) - Return to HalloweentownReturn to HalloweentownReturn to Halloweentown is a Disney Channel Original Movie that premiered on October 20, 2006. It is the fourth and final film in the Halloweentown series. In this sequel, Marnie Piper and her brother, Dylan Piper , go to Witch University to attend college in Halloweentown...
(2006) - Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles ProjectMr. Warmth: The Don Rickles ProjectMr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project is a documentary about stand-up comedian Don Rickles.-Structure:The film consists of performance clips from throughout Rickles' career interspersed with recent interviews with him. A show at the Stardust Casino in Las Vegas from 2006 is featured most prominently...
(2007) (documentary) - The Jill & Tony Curtis StoryThe Jill & Tony Curtis StoryThis 2008 feature-length documentary directed by Ian Ayres, is about Tony Curtis and his wife and their efforts to rescue horses from slaughterhouses. A camera crew follows Jill and Tony Curtis as they take in horses that would have been inhumanely killed and sent overseas as food for humans...
(2008) (documentary) - Blaze of Glory (2008) (voice)
- The Brothers Warner (2008) (documentary)
- Fay Wray: A Life (2008) (documentary)
- Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age (2009) (documentary)
- One for the MoneyOne for the Money (film)One for the Money is an upcoming 2012 action comedy film based on the 1994 novel of the same name, written by Janet Evanovich. Directed by Julie Anne Robinson, the screenplay was written by Liz Brixius, Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith...
(2011) (Grandma Mazur)
Short subjects:
- A Visit with Debbie Reynolds (1959)
- The Story of a Dress (1964)
Television work
- Jukebox JuryJukebox JuryJukebox Jury was an hour-long television series hosted by disc jockey Peter Potter which aired in the 1953-54 season on the American Broadcasting Company. It was thereafter syndicated in 1959....
(1953) - The Eddie Fisher Show (recurring guest star from 1957–1959)
- A Date with Debbie (1960)
- Go!!! (1967)
- ...And Debbie Makes Six (1968)
- The Debbie Reynolds ShowThe Debbie Reynolds ShowThe Debbie Reynolds Show is an American situation comedy which aired on the NBC television network during the 1969-70 television season. The series was produced by Filmways, but the distribution rights are currently owned by Universal Media Studios through its ownership of NBC Productions...
(1969–1970) - Debbie Reynolds and the Sound of Children (1969)
- Leapin' Lizards It's Liberace (1978)
- Aloha Paradise (1981) (canceled after seven episodes)
- Win, Lose or DrawWin, Lose or DrawWin, Lose or Draw is an American television game show that aired from 1987 to 1990 in syndication and on NBC. It was taped at CBS Television City, often in Studios 31, 33, and 43 at various times...
(1987) - Sadie and Son (1987)
- Perry Mason: The Case of the Musical MurderPerry Mason (TV series)Perry Mason is an American legal drama produced by Paisano Productions that ran from September 1957 to May 1966 on CBS. The title character, portrayed by Raymond Burr, is a fictional Los Angeles defense attorney who originally appeared in detective fiction by Erle Stanley Gardner...
(1989) - The Golden GirlsThe Golden GirlsThe Golden Girls is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris, which originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992. Starring Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty, the show centers on four older women sharing a home in Miami, Florida...
(1990) (guest star, There Goes The Bride pt. 1 & 2 as Truby) - Movie Memories with Debbie Reynolds (1991–1992)
- Battling for Baby (1992)
- Wings (1994)
- RoseanneRoseanne (TV series)Roseanne is an American sitcom broadcast on ABC from October 18, 1988 to May 20, 1997. Starring Roseanne Barr, the show revolved around the Conners, an Illinois working class family...
(1997)..."Arsenic and Old Mom" as Audrey Conner - HalloweentownHalloweentown (film)Halloweentown is a 1998 Disney Channel Original Movie released in October 1998 to acknowledge the holiday of Halloween.-Plot:The film begins with Marnie Piper and her mother, Gwen, arguing over why she and her younger siblings Dylan and Sophie can never go out for Halloween and wanting to go to a...
(1998) - The Christmas Wish (1998)
- Will & GraceWill & GraceWill & Grace was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 21, 1998 to May 18, 2006 for a total of eight seasons. Will & Grace remains the most successful television series with gay principal characters...
(recurring cast member from 1999–2006) - A Gift of Love: The Daniel Huffman Story (1999)
- RugratsRugratsRugrats is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain for Nickelodeon. The series premiered on August 11, 1991, and aired its last episode on June 8, 2004....
(2000-2004) (voice) - Virtual Mom (2000)
- These Old BroadsThese Old BroadsThese Old Broads is a 2001 television film written by Carrie Fisher and starring her mother Debbie Reynolds, as well as Shirley MacLaine, Joan Collins, and Elizabeth Taylor in her final film role...
(2001) - Halloweentown II: Kalabar's RevengeHalloweentown II: Kalabar's RevengeHalloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge is a 2001 Disney Channel Original Movie released for the holiday of Halloween. This is the second in the Halloweentown series.-Plot:...
(2001) - Generation Gap (2002) (unsold pilot)
- Tracey Ullman in the Trailer TalesTracey Ullman in the Trailer TalesTracey Ullman in the Trailer Tales is a 2003 HBO comedy special starring comedian Tracey Ullman, a spin-off of Ullman's sketch series, Tracey Takes On.......
(2003) - Kim PossibleKim PossibleKim Possible is an American animated television series about a teenage crime fighter who has the task of dealing with worldwide, family, and school issues every day. The show is action-oriented, but also has a light-hearted atmosphere and often lampoons the conventions and clichés of the...
(recurring cast member from 2003–2007) (voice) - Pryor Offenses (2004)
- Halloweentown HighHalloweentown HighHalloweentown High is a 2004 Disney Channel Original Movie released in October 2004 for the holiday of Halloween. This is the third in the Halloweentown series. It is also the last Halloweentown film to feature Kimberly J...
(2004) - Lolo's Cafe (2006) (voice)
- Return to HalloweentownReturn to HalloweentownReturn to Halloweentown is a Disney Channel Original Movie that premiered on October 20, 2006. It is the fourth and final film in the Halloweentown series. In this sequel, Marnie Piper and her brother, Dylan Piper , go to Witch University to attend college in Halloweentown...
(2006) - Secret Talents of the StarsSecret Talents of the StarsSecret Talents of the Stars was an extremely short-lived CBS reality/game show, where celebrities competed against each other in a tournament-like format in areas that differed from their normal professions, like singing, dancing, and acrobatics. Viewers were to vote on the most talented celebrity...
(2008) (canceled after one episode) - RuPaul's Drag RaceRuPaul's Drag RaceRuPaul's Drag Race is an American reality television series produced by World of Wonder for Logo. RuPaul plays host, mentor and inspiration for this series, which details RuPaul's search for "America's next drag superstar."...
(2010) Guest Judge - The Penguins of MadagascarThe Penguins of MadagascarThe Penguins of Madagascar is an American CGI animated television series airing on Nickelodeon. It stars nine characters from the DreamWorks Animation animated film Madagascar: The penguins Skipper , Kowalski , Private , and Rico ; the lemurs King Julien , Maurice , and Mort...
(2010) (Lost Treasure of the Golden Squirrel) (voice) - So You Think You Can DanceSo You Think You Can Dance (season 8)So You Think You Can Dance is an American television reality program and dance competition airing on the Fox network. The show's eighth season premiered on May 26, 2011. It features the return of Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe as permanent judges and Cat Deeley as host. Also returning is the...
(2011) Guest Judge
See also
External links
- debbiereynolds.com, Reynolds's official website
- Debbie Reynolds' Hollywood Motion Picture Museum website
- Debbie Reynolds at TVGuide.com
- Radio appearance WSRQ "Big Band Files w/Doug Miles
- Photographs and literature