DEBBIE REYNOLDS: A REAL LIFE 'UNSINKABLE MOLLY BROWN' 

By Joe Curreri 

1997

There are movie stars and celebrities wrapped in their glittering images, and then there is – Debbie Reynolds. She came to Philadelphia for media blitz to plug her new movie, "Mother." Lucky to land an interview, I was not prepared to see an earthy, compassionate woman who got right down and chatted in a totally natural manner with direct, honest interaction.

Debbie Reynolds is still a statuesque, green-eyed, blonde-haired knockout. An unabashed 65 in years, but 16 in spirit.

"I’m too young to be old," she smiles. "Enthusiasm can beat down any wall. Without it you’re a clod. But with it - you’re unbeatable. I didn’t like turning 50, but I love being 65, for I can look in the mirror and say, ‘OK Debbie, you made it!"’

What keeps Debbie going like a 747 is her talent, her curiosity, and her love of people. "If I wasn’t in show biz, I’d like to help senior citizens organize their lives, make things meaningful for them."

Debbie Reynolds is truly a modern-day legend. The Hollywood and Broadway musical star, America’s darling in the 50’s remains one of the most beloved entertainers in the world today.

The energetic Debbie adores her fans, who in turn idolize their favorite star and beams when she tells them from the stage of her Las Vegas Hotel/Casino "We all grew up together, so why not grow older together!"

Tireless in everything she does, Debbie has starred in 37 motion pictures, including the classics "Singin’ in The Rain" and "Unsinkable Molly Brown," Broadway shows, starred in two television series and made many TV guest appearances.

"Now, all of a sudden, I’m making movies again after 25 years of no movies," she says. "I find it difficult after stage and live performances. At the hotel, I sing, dance, do all my impressions. People want to laugh and have fun and have a good time. I give them a little bit of me. Now, all these offers come and I’m torn what to do first."

Her first is the smash hit Paramount movie, "Mother," where she plays the coolest "mother of all mothers." Another is "In and Out" with Tom Selleck, and another about two older actresses.

"I stopped making movies when the musicals ended," Debbie said. "They offered me weird parts, taking your clothes off, and movies I’d rather not do, and wouldn’t. I made some good movies and I’d rather stop at that, then making all that garbage.

"Today, I proudly show all my movies to granddaughter Billie Catherine. She calls me Aba Dabba Grandma, and we sing and tap dance together. She’s been Unsinkable Molly Brown, Singin' in the Rain, 'Tammy' and 'How The West Was Won'."

The spotlight has been on Debbie Reynolds for nearly 50 years. Behind the scenes she has survived scandal, divorces, going broke and a lifetime of personal problems that would have sunk any other performer.

Raised in a typical American family with strong values in El Paso, Texas, her parents moved to Burbank, California when she was 8 years old. Even at that age, Debbie displayed an enthusiasm and energy still in evidence today.

At 16, she entered a local beauty contest and won the title of "Miss Burbank." Warners and MGM took notice, and Mary Frances Reynolds made her screen debut in "The Daughter of Rosie O’ Grady." Changing her name to Debbie, she steamed on a fast track to stardom.

A child of the Star System, she ground out two, three films a year including "The Unsinkable Molly Brown" [an Oscar nomination] and the greatest screen musicals of all time "Singin' In The Rain." Her recordings of "Aba Dabba Honeymoon" and "Tammy" both sold more than a million copies and had American singing.

In 1955, her celebrated marriage to crooner Eddie Fisher made headlines and the two became "America’s Sweethearts." Their union produced two children, actress-author Carrie Fisher and son, Todd Fisher. But after three years the "Ideal American family" fell apart. While Eddie and Elizabeth Taylor made headlines, Debbie attempted to squash the anguish of a wife who had her husband taken away by another woman. "I didn’t feel like living," Debbie said. "You keep busy so you won’t think."

Her following marriage to much older, multi-millionaire Harry Karl dealt Debbie another cruel blow. Karl gambled away not only his fortune, but hers also.

She fought back this latest setback by working her tail off in nightclubs and movies to pay back every cent instead of declaring bankruptcy.

"You have to put pain in its proper place," she said. "You have to keep moving ahead. I believe in God and have faith, so you get past pain and problems."

Personifying her Molly Brown role, who survived the Titanic, Debbie says, "I go down, but I don’t go out."

When her movie roles diminished, she set forth on another challenge. Bigger, more demanding, and risky. She bought a closed hotel-casino in Las Vegas. Her dream cost her a fortune and her final marriage (divorced Richard Hamlett in 1994).

When real life lets her down, Debbie’s dream takes center stage. DEBBIE REYNOLDS HOLLYWOOD HOTEL, with its Hollywood memorabilia, museum and theater starring Debbie herself, is now gleaming success.

"I’m planning to keeping trucking down on stage and dancing right to the end," she bubbles. "I plan to sing my last song while I’m on stage."

Nothing has come easy for Debbie. Everyday, in every way, she’d say, "Get out of my way." And Debbie’s reviving her career in a big way.

"I think old age stinks," she candidly says. "Everybody says isn’t it nice to get so smart and mellow. But as we get older it gets harder to stay physically well, so we work a little harder at it. Don’t get lazy. So some swimming or walking everyday. Keep active. I don’t do aerobics. I just do walking, swimming, stretching and exercises on the bed. I watch my diet. I’m part vegetarian and I stopped smoking.

"At 65, I’ve been married enough. I tried it and had poor taste in men. I still feel fortunate for a wonderful career, and I’m busy as ever. I’ll be singing and dancing at my place. Any films come up, I’ll do that, or whatever else comes up in life. It’s an adventure. You never know what’s ahead."

Retirement? To Debbie – it’s unthinkable.

Joe Curreri's Footnotes On Debbie

Now you can experience Hollywood’s Golden Age in Debbie Reynolds’s new Hollywood Movie Museum, residing in her plush Las Vegas Hotel. She has collected countless costumes, props, set pieces and much more over the years – and she wants to share it all with you!

It showcases the largest private collection of Hollywood memorabilia in the world via lavish exhibits. Original film clips of classics like Cleopatra, Ben Hur, Mutiny on the Bounty, Bridge On The River Kwai, Singin' In The Rain are presented in wide screen with 8-channel surround-sound. These are some of the greatest motion-pictures of all time. Experience these and others by joining Debbie as she takes you on a journey unlike any you have experienced before.

Some of the items movie buffs and collectors will see in the Movie Museum are: The Seven Year Itch, Marilyn Monroe’s famous white "Subway" dress; Ten Commandments, The Arc of the Covenant; Gone With The Wind, Vivien Leigh’s exquisite hat collection; Wizard of Oz, Judy Garland’s costume and Arabian ruby red slippers: Romeo & Juliet, original costumes worn by Leslie Howard and Norma Shearer.

"My Hollywood is gone," Debbie explains. "What remains must be preserved and protected. It’s a heritage left to us by the great costume and set designers from the true Golden Age of Hollywood. In my museum, you can remember and think back fondly upon those flickering images on the screen. "A certain magic fills the air when visitors enter the museum and you experience first hand the elegance and uniqueness of the motion picture industry, from the early 1900’s to the 1970’s, continues Debbie, who has herself starred in 37 films. Tours daily on the hour…