Debbie: My Life - Softcover

Debbie Reynolds

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0671687921 ISBN 13: 9780671687922

Publisher: Pocket Books, 1989

Synopsis

Back cover text:
In the '50s, Debbie Reynolds was Hollywood's reigning ingenue. Pretty, sassy and bright... America's sweetheart. But behind the dazzle was a young woman thrown into the starmaking machine and hoping fer personal happiness. Now, in a candid, funny, gutsy self-portrait, Debbie tells it all: the tears, the laughter, the bitter moments - and her dauntless determination to make her dreams come true.

Taking us inside her private world, she reveals the real story of her marriage to Eddie Fisher, a marriage that blew apart when he began a torrid love affair with Elizabeth Taylor... and abandoned Debbie at the white-hot core of a sensational scandal. Here, too, is a startling expose of her years with second husband Harry Karl, a compulsive gambler and womanizer who left her in financial ruin. And here are star-studded tales of life in the limelight - of memories made with Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, Gene Kelly, Bette Davis and Robert Wagner; the famous movies (among them Singin' in the Rain and Tammy) and movie moguls; and her hard-won, enduring relationship with her daughter Carrie Fisher, and her son Todd Fisher.

The last of the red-hot troupers, Debbie Reynolds has lived it all and emerged happily married, an active entertainer - and triumphant. Hers is more than the saga of one of filmdom's most dynamic legends - it is the fascinating and touching story of a true survivor.

About this title

From Publishers Weekly

Debbie (nee Mary Frances) Reynolds was born in 1932, grew up poor in Texas and California, was crowned "Miss Burbank" at age 16. In her memoir, written with freelancer Columbia, the performer strongly resembles "The Unsinkable Molly Brown," one of her notable film roles. She is ebullient, feisty and outspoken in revelations about herself and others. She recalls, for example, that as a 19-year-old raw talent in 1951 she had to endure Gene Kelly's furious complaints of her ineptness while filming the classic Singin' in the Rain . But she treasures memories of Fred Astaire, Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra and other luminaries, even the oft-maligned "Mr. Mayer" of MGM. Eddie Fisher, who deserted her and their children to wed Elizabeth Taylor, is dealt with harshly. So is Harry Karl, the actress's second husband who, she maintains, squandered all his money and hers, leaving her to pay staggering debts. But the "unsinkable" here assures her fans that she is now happily married and still performing as a singer, comedienne, dancer and actress on stage, TV and in night clubs. Photos not seen by PW. First serial to Good Housekeeping; Doubleday Book Club main selection; Literary Guild alternate.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Ex-tomboy Frannie (Mary Frances Reynolds) entered (to get the clothing prizes), and won, Miss Burbank as a poor 16-year-old, and also got a film contract. A contemporary of Liz Taylor, Robert Wagner, and others, Reynolds tells how she always focused on hard work and dedication to win the respect of her peers and fans. Though frank in her account of two failed marriages despite her best efforts, financial troubles, and problems with her stepchildren, she comes across as a gutsy woman in this upbeat book. Despite her insights into many Hollywood names, this is not a "kiss and tell" book; it is, at times, an appealing autobiography. Rebecca Sturm, Northern Kentucky Univ. Lib., Highland Heights
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Pocket Books
• Publication date: 1989
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0671687921
• ISBN 13: 9780671687922
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 471