Williams, Robin, 83, 151, 154, 157
Williams, Tennessee, 203
Wilson, Marie, 214
Winfrey, Oprah, 62
Winters, Eileen, 151, 152, 153
Winters, Jonathan, 76, 83, 150–53, 154
Winters, Shelley, 204–5
Witherspoon, Reese, 8
Wizard of Oz, The (movie), 206
Wood, Natalie, 55, 110
World’s Fair, New York (1964–1965), 156
Worth, Penny, 3–4, 6
Wright, Frank Lloyd, 116
Wynn, Steve, 197
Yippee (Australian shepherd dog), 5, 175, 246–48, 249
You Bet Your Life (TV), 100–101
Young, John, 49
Young, Loretta, 27
Youngman, Henny, 34
YouTube, 94
Zanuck, Darryl F., 105, 206
Zinc (security guard), 89, 222–23
PHOTOS SECTION
My first professional photo, at sixteen. I had just won the Miss Burbank contest, which led to my first studio contract, at Warner Brothers.
When I started at MGM, Lana Turner was one of their biggest stars. She loved and lived big. As graduates of the studio system, we shared a lot.
Bette always called me “Daughter” after playing my mother in The Catered Affair. This photo was taken at the taping of a television program honoring makeup artists. Good company, dreadful evening.
My dear friend Jen. She was a Texas gal with a big heart, great looks, and a soul that thrived on adventure. Every life she touched was made better because of her friendship.
With my friend Max Showalter. He produced a film festival in Connecticut, where he introduced me to the legendary Katharine Hepburn.
This is Miss Hepburn’s note to me. I had written to her requesting a signed photograph. I love it that she signed it “Kate Hep.” It makes me feel special.
There’s a clown theme running through my life—and I always have the right shoes to go with any outfit.
Always going for the joke, this scene from How Sweet It Is has me flashing my blue bikini while asking, “Is this the body of a middle-aged mother?” Looks like the chef thought I was the catch of the day.
My son, Todd, with his canine soul mate, Yippee.
This old pup decided to take a dip in my bathroom spa on Mother’s Day. Luckily I was able to rescue him.
Todd with his other soul mate, the lovely Catherine Hickland.
At the South Point Hotel in Las Vegas in November 2014.
My granddaughter, Billie Lourd, made her nightclub debut as a featured guest in my act.
We made it through three shows together!
After I received the SAG Lifetime Achievement Award, my family joined me backstage.
PH: Theo Wargo / Wireimage.com for Turner Entertainment Networks.
My granddaughter, Billie, had just been cast in Scream Queens. I’m so happy she is enjoying her new acting career.
PH: Kevin Mazur / Wireimage.com for Turner Entertainment Networks.
I commissioned this portrait from a very talented Florida artist named Ralph Cowan as a birthday gift for my husband Eddie Fisher.
Eddie left me before the paint was dry.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
DEBBIE REYNOLDS, often referred to as “America’s Sweetheart,” is an actress, comedienne, singer, dancer, and author best known for her leading roles in Singin’ in the Rain and The Unsinkable Molly Brown, and on television as Bobbi Adler in Will & Grace. After more than sixty years in the entertainment industry she is truly a Hollywood icon. Today, she continues to thrive, performing her one-woman show around the world, making film and television appearances, and writing a syndicated weekly advice column. She lives in Beverly Hills, California, and Las Vegas, Nevada.
DORIAN HANNAWAY, coauthor with Debbie Reynolds of the bestseller Unsinkable, was the director of late-night programming at CBS for more than fifteen years, supervising the production of The Late Show with David Letterman; The Kids in the Hall; and The Late, Late Show with three hosts: Tom Snyder, Craig Kilborn, and Craig Ferguson. In 2010 she produced The Battle for Late Night, a two-hour documentary for A&E. She has known Debbie for more than thirty years, and has written and produced many projects with her.
www.debbiereynolds.com
@DebbieReynolds1
Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at hc.com.
ALSO BY DEBBIE REYNOLDS
Debbie: My Life
Unsinkable: A Memoir
CREDITS
Cover design by Emin Mancheril
Cover photograph by ABC/Photofest, and used courtesy of Debbie Reynolds
Photos, unless otherwise credited, are from Debbie Reynolds’s personal collection and appear courtesy of the author, or from Photofest, Inc.
COPYRIGHT
MAKE ’EM LAUGH. Copyright © 2015 by Maxray Productions, Inc. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
FIRST EDITION
ISBN 978-0-06-241663-6
EPub Edition November 2015 ISBN 9780062416650
15 16 17 18 19 OV/RRD 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
ABOUT THE PUBLISHER
Australia
HarperCollins Publishers Australia Pty. Ltd.
Level 13, 201 Elizabeth Street
Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
www.harpercollins.com.au
Canada
HarperCollins Canada
Toronto, ON M4W 1A8, Canada
www.harpercollins.ca
New Zealand
HarperCollins Publishers New Zealand
Unit D1, 63 Apollo Drive
Rosedale 0632
Auckland, New Zealand
www.harpercollins.co.nz
United Kingdom
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF, UK
www.harpercollins.co.uk
United States
HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
195 Broadway
New York, NY 10007
www.harpercollins.com